Chapter 18: Manhandled

With the rise of the hybrids, a new market and an altogether new trade had opened around the world. And of course, whenever a new product rises up in the market, the first ones to buy these products and culture it would be the rich people.

Now that governments all over the world had fallen, it was every man for himself. The gray area between right and wrong continued to fade as morals and traditions were thrown aside. Those with power rule and their words are absolute. And those with power could only be threatened by those with other powers. Thus, those who rose to power had to gather more forces in order to protect their wealth and well-being.

And putting those two and two together, a business was born— that is, hybrid trading.

Most hybrids have their consciousness intact and with their almost invincible power and infectious bite, they are regarded as precious entities. Even hybrids who don't have their consciousness intact anymore have a specific market, and they are also sold and traded in this new business venture by the black market.

Knowledge about hybrids was soon discovered and information about the virus spread through the four corners of the globe. It didn't even take a week before the information about the hybrids became common knowledge— to the point where people would willingly turn into one in hopes that they'd be a useful asset to the major powers that rose all over Japan.

Clickety Clack. Clack.

Whir~

"What is it this time? Don't tell me we got another problem. I thought you already fixed it?!" The disappointed sigh of a man could be heard as their jeep died down in the middle of the road. With its last cough of smoke through the exhaust, the jeep halted, marking the end of the road for the group.

"I did! But it's more beat up than we initially thought." The other man complained.

"Where are we going to find a vehicle? We won't make it in time for the auction!" The first man continued.

"Just! Just shut up for a second, okay? I'll try to fix this!"

The intense altercation between the two men woke Kazuichi up from his slumber. At first, he had no idea where he was, and the foggy recollection of what happened a couple of hours ago seemed more like a dream than a reality. There was cloth draped over his head, tied with a tight knot to his neck. There was an urge in him to squirm and struggle but he knew that doing so would just alarm the two guys who were arguing at that moment.

'What's going on? Where am I?' Kazuichi asked himself, but with the cloth on his head blocking his view, he could only wonder about his current location.

Heavy breathing rang through his ears, and Kazuichi could tell that he wasn't alone. Judging from the sound around him, there were probably three or more people with him inside the car. Of course, the two people outside weren't included in the cont.

"The auction is happening in half an hour. How would we get there, huh? Do we just push the jeep? We'll be sitting ducks if a horde of infected or a hybrid comes."

"That would be nice, one more hybrid to add to our growing collection."

"Stop joking around. A hound is one thing, but what if a merc or a bulwark comes? We're dead meat!"

"If you'll continue being this noisy, I'm sure a bulwark would definitely come and tear you to shreds. Man, I hope a bulwark tears you to shreds and claw all your innards out right now."

"Hounds? Mercs? Bulwarks? What are they talking about? Now that I think about it... that hybrid man did mention something about Arisu being a hound. Is that some sort of classification for hybrids? What's going on? I have to get out of here." Kazuichi muttered to himself, realizing that he was gagged with a thick cloth to his mouth as well.

If Kazuichi were a normal person, he'd have felt some sort of claustrophobia right now. But Kazuichi was no ordinary human. He was a shut-in, and an enclosed space his comfort zone. Even though he could barely move and see, he felt at peace. That's why he could still remain calm despite the unbearable situation he was in.

'But how would I get out of here?' Kazuichi asked himself as the burning sensation in his throat started acting up once again. Kazuichi felt like wringing his neck until he passes out since the burning sensation just kept getting worse. The smell of humans and the smell of blood were becoming delectable to his nostrils. It took every cell of his being to stop himself from going out of control. Had there been a mirror on his face, he'd have seen the countless veins appearing on his face as well as the clear bloodshot eyes that shone like the red moon.

For some odd reason, Kazuichi felt like his body was swelling a little bit... no, it was definitely swelling. Surprised, Kazuichi tried to regain his composure by regulating his breathing. Right now, he shouldn't rush his escape. He's got plenty of time since the two men haven't fixed the vehicle they were in. And Kazuichi was also curious about this auction that they were talking about so he opted to stay and escape at the last possible moment.

The stinging pain in his throat was still there, and the desire for blood and human flesh lingered. But Kazuichi was able to rein himself in, and he sighed in relief when his body shifted to its normal size.

'Now that my body's not swollen anymore, the tight knot that bound me has loosened up. I should be able to escape if I wriggle... and there you have it. My arms are free.' While Kazuichi was thinking about what to do, his hand and his body were automatically freed, thanks to his weird ability to swell up.

And as if fate was playing tricks on him, the vehicle which had broken down was finally fixed, and the two men celebrated as they got back to their seats.