Chapter 123: Rescuing a Group of Children
Bang!
A powerful punch landed squarely on the dwarf’s face. Even his thick skin couldn’t protect his tobacco-stained teeth. Several molars, accompanied by a spray of blood, flew from his mouth.
Abyss had held back. Otherwise, that punch, infused with Leona’s strength, would have shattered the dwarf’s skull, further reducing his already diminutive stature.
“Spare me… Spare me…” Weeks begged, his words slurred, his face swollen like a pig’s head, a mixture of snot, tears, saliva, and blood staining his beard.
Abyss’s expression remained impassive as he observed the dwarf, wiping his hand on his clothes.
“Actually, you’re not entirely to blame. Your boss… Mr. Eugene, is it?” Abyss mused. “You shouldn’t bear the full responsibility for the children’s suffering.”
“I’m just a lowly servant… It’s all Eugene’s fault… He wanted to cut costs, so he hired all these children…”
The dwarf knelt on the ground, sobbing pathetically, shifting all the blame onto his master.
Abyss, disgusted by the sight of his filthy face, looked away.
He understood the reasons behind child labor. The machines in these potion factories weren’t complex. With minimal training, anyone could operate them. Children, with their smaller frames and nimble fingers, could navigate the cramped spaces between the alchemical equipment more easily than adults. And they were significantly cheaper, requiring less food and lower wages. This made them attractive to the Goat Eyes Gang’s leader, who saw them as a source of cheap labor.
By employing children, the Goat Eyes Gang could reduce their labor costs by half compared to other gangs, while producing more potions. This explained their rapid rise to power, despite their late entry into the market.
They saved money on everything: workers, factories, and even potion solvents. They could sell their potions at lower prices while maintaining higher profit margins. And their willingness to sell to anyone, regardless of their background, as long as they could pay, filled Mr. Eugene’s coffers.
“Employing child labor might not be your fault, but you must pay for your own crimes,” Abyss said, raising his foot and stepping on the dwarf’s face, pinning him to the ground.
He chanted a spell, activating a short-range teleportation. Before the dwarf could cry out in pain, his body vanished. The spell wasn’t precise. A few strands of his beard remained, scattered on the ground.
Abyss had transported the dwarf to Lavoisier City’s graveyard. The spell not only teleported him but also temporarily awakened two children buried there, the ones he had murdered. Now, as undead, they possessed the power to seek revenge. It was their right as victims to choose how to deal with their tormentor. They would return to their graves before sunrise, but until then, the battered dwarf was at their mercy.
Abyss clapped his hands, smiling at the children in the factory. “Alright, no one will harm you now. Where are you from?”
The children hesitated for a moment, then, trusting their savior, approached him, surrounding the young man who didn’t seem much older than themselves. They explained their origins, their voices a chorus of pain and despair. The two children who had piloted the mechs also emerged from their cockpits. Abyss’s attack had disabled the machines but left them unharmed.
They came from all over the Eastern Empire, most of them orphans. Eugene had bribed the orphanage staff, “adopting” them and bringing them here to work as cheap labor. He paid them meager wages, barely enough to survive. The Goat Eyes Gang employed children in three factories in Lavoisier City and several more in other cities.
Each factory had a foreman who oversaw the children, whipping them if they slacked off. Each foreman also controlled two magical switches connected to collars worn by the weakest children, forcing them to pilot Eugene’s potion-powered mechs. With such power at their disposal, the foremen were cruel and abusive, lording over the helpless children.
“Do you want to continue working for Eugene? I have a place for you, where you can study, play, and only work a little each day. You’ll be free, no longer exploited or threatened. Does anyone want to stay here?” Abyss asked, unwilling to decide their fate without their input.
All the children shook their heads. None of them had come to this harsh factory willingly. Some had been tricked, others forced. But they had no choice but to rely on Eugene’s meager wages to survive. They were innocent, but they knew staying here offered no future. They would either end up disabled and homeless or die in this toxic environment.
“Mr. Abyss, I’m back! I found the solvent machine! It’s in the basement! I gave the two guards down there a little something. They’ll be asleep for three days!”
Titus’s voice echoed from behind him. It seemed he had successfully located the coveted machine.
“You’re just in time. Can your gang temporarily look after these children? Let them stay at your place for a few days, give them a decent meal. I’ll send them to a friend of mine after I’m done here,” Abyss said, looking at the emaciated children with pity. They worked for over twelve hours a day, yet they were malnourished.
“Hah… Of course, of course. It’s not a big deal. I’m happy to help. As long as they behave, my men will be patient with them,” Titus said, panting, as he approached Abyss.
Abyss looked at him, startled.
Titus’s face was covered in soot, his clothes reeking of smoke. He looked like a miner who had just emerged from a coal mine, only his eyes and his crooked teeth visible.
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