To the Depth of Abyss

Chapter 20: What has he been through?

Jakarta / One year before

In a quiet location in the campus area.

A group of youths gathered.

"Take this!"

"It's because you tried to disobey us!"

Four of the five youth groups were beating up a young man who was not fighting back.

One young man who did not take part in the beating was researching a paper. The paper is a group assignment given to the six of them.

"Hey, stop that," ordered Randi. "That's enough."

After being ordered like that, the beating scene finally ended.

The young man who became the victim was none other than Arsen Sinaga. A lone student who is dealing with a problem he can't avoid. After the beating, all of his clothes became covered with dust. The only part wasn't injured is his face. Because since he got beaten, he has continued to protect his face from being targeted.

Randi looked at Ars with a little pity. Holding the paper Ars was working on, he said:

"You didn't forget that we are in a group, right? But why there is only your name in this paper? Why don't you put my names? Aren't we friend?"

There were four questions that Randi gave. But Ars did not intend to answer those questions.

Randi didn't care either if Ars wanted to answer or not. In the end, he will still burn Ars's work.

"Your sycophant father used to have his name included in a project, even though he contributed nothing to it. Why can't I do the same?"

"Yes, that's right!"

"Your father is troubling everyone! But we only want you to be responsible by serving us!"

Yes, all the unpleasant things that happened to Ars were because his father is a jerk who worked for Randi's father's company. So it is natural that Randi blackmailed and bullied Ars like now.

However, even if they did not relate to his father's problem, Ars would not want to be Randi's messenger either.

Pride. Unlike his father, Ars was born as a boy with high self-esteem. Like what happened now, Ars didn't even show the slightest expression of defeat. His silence also meant that Ars didn't want to spend his energy dealing with them.

When the entire Ars paper sheet was almost ashes, Randi stood up and gave the last message to his old friend.

"You better repeat this job. If you don't want something to happen to you or your dad that will make your mother sad."

Randi and his group left Ars. Some of Randi's men even spat at Ars before leaving.

Ars finally got up. He dusts his clothes. Then put out the fire on his paper, which is still burning.

He took a deep breath. In the end, he had to reprint the paper, and put the names of those five fuckers.

Otherwise, Randi would have done something to him or his dad, and made his mother sad.

"What a shitty fate."

_________

West Station / Current time

That's where Ars is now. Face to face with his nemesis again after not seeing each other for a long time.

"Heh."

"What's so funny, ha?!"

Ars subconsciously grinned. Of course it makes the bullies unhappy. But the unsightly incident caught the attention of other hunters passing by.

Randi realized this and tried to change the atmosphere.

"Hey, how about we chat elsewhere? A place we like to hang out with. "

"Daz rite!"

"Come on!"

"How, Arsen?"

Ars let go of the bully's hand that was holding him. Then walk around Randi.

"Come on then, I think I found the right location to do that."

Randi and his group stunned. They did not expect to see Ars's outspoken attitude like that.

"O - oh, it would be great if you understood."

"Looks like you are smart enough not to run away from us anymore."

His friends did not understand, but Randi suspected that Ars had other intentions due to his attitude.

Ars led them down an alley in a back street. A quiet place for an execution.

Four of Randi's men immediately walked faster and surrounded Ars. The habit in previous years made them immediately move in reflex to surround and attack Ars.

But before they walked in front of Ars: Ars pulled the bully's shirt on the left, then hit the bully firmly against the wall of the building.

The bully on the right stunned, but quickly recovered his consciousness to charge forward. Ars hit the bully with his fist. Makes the bully bounce back, spin several times in the air, then bump into one of his comrades.

The last bully who sped off first aimed his fist at Ars's face. Ars caught the bully's fist on his wrist. Then squeezed this bully's wrist until Ars made him kneel.

"Ouch! It hurts! Broken! You'll break my hand!"

Ars let go of the last bully's wrist and gave him a kick in the face as desserts.

Randi was not surprise to see that his four men got beaten so easily. In fact, he seemed impressed that he could see a different side of his old friend.

"You're not going to beat me too?" asked Randi.

"What are you doing here?"

An unexpected question to ask for Randi.

Randi is the son of a company owner. So there is no reason for him to be in that prison hole.

In front of a bully who called himself an old friend, Ars gave a look full of revenge and hatred.

On the other hand, Randi knew who he was dealing with. He is Arsen who is indeed a vigorous man.

"Aren't you a Hunter? Then why are you asking me that?"

Randi spoke without lowering his pride. As if nothing had changed in their relationship. Although there was a hint of fear he felt.

Ars suddenly walked up to Randi with hidden intentions.

"Hey-hey, isn't violence prohibited here?"

So thought Randi. But the fact was that no Guild Guardian had come, and that made his fear even bigger.

Ars grabbed Randi by the collar, then cornered Randi against the building wall.

Without lowering his hatred, Ars asked a question: "You are the son of the mastermind behind the problems that befell my family. Talk."

The debt that wraps around Ars family. Precisely, the debt trapped his father, and resulted in Ars ending up in that hole.

Actually, Ars did not really mind if that happened just on him. But one thing - the one thing that made him furious, was when his mother cried at the sight of him gone somewhere nowhere.

Because of that, Ars wanted to know the reason why he ended up in that prison hole? Randi must knew that and knew what to answer.

"My father knew nothing about that -"

"Bullshit!"

Ars pressed Randi harder against the wall. This made Randi suffocate. But the Guardian Guild still hadn't arrived. He became afraid that Ars would really hurt him.

"Hey-hey, listen to me till the end!"

Ars lowered his strength at the request.

Looks like Randi should be more careful with what he wants to say.

"The trouble with your family was beyond my father's expectations. You know that your jerk dad is the source of the trouble, right?"

Ars did not deny that fact.

"Who is it, then - ?" - the mastermind.

"Your father's colleagues."

Randi answered with a little fear. But there is no lie in it.

Ars confirmed with [Eyes of the Dragon] and didn't get a lie.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why do you guys keep taking care of that old fucker? Wouldn't it be great to get rid of him right away without involving us?" - Ars and his mother.

A funny question - "Ha ha." - and Randi didn't hide his amusement.

Ars once again pressed Randi.

"Okay-okay. To put that simply, they want your father's life destroyed! That's why you and your mother involved in it!"

Ars pressed Randi harder until he make the Guardian Guild appear to stop the action.

Randi gets knocked, sitting down, coughing because his lungs were almost crushed just now.

Ars was just about to commit a murder. Randi or his father were not really at fault, but Ars still upset because they could have saved Ars and his mother from that problem.

Now Ars can't stop thinking how much a mother worries about imagining the condition of her only child in another world, and worst that they can't contact each other.

"Ha ha," Randi chuckled. "Actually, I can help you with that debt problem. By hiring you to be my underling or something."

"That's what I thought."

Ars had an idea like that. He can be a punching bag or whatever. The important thing is that he doesn't worry about his mother.

"Unfortunately, we can't get out of here."

"Yeah, you're right."

Randi stunned.

Ars suddenly sat back beside Randi, by dragging his back, frustrated.

"You already know that we can't get out of this hole?"

Ars did not answer Randi's question. But judging by how frustrated Ars was, Randi could immediately find the answer.

"After entering Surface City, you cannot find your way back."

Such was the answer that Randi got. They even advised not to ask the Guild directly, because no one would return to the outside world or return to Abyssal after asking to be repatriated.

Even though Randi had promised Ars' mother to bring Ars home. Now they are both trapped together in that prison hole called Abyssal Terra.

Randi became pensive. Four of his men also start to recover. Then suddenly - "Fuck it!" - Ars shocked them with his angry scream.

"W - why?!"

Ars suddenly got up. Then walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?!"

Randi got up too, trying to catch Ars.

"Don't follow me!"

Randi shocked. He stopped and asked himself, since when did he want to go after Ars?

Putting the question aside, Randi asked again: "You know there is only one way to get us out of here, right?"

"Yes, and that's what I want to do now."

Ars immediately left after answering that one question.

Again, Randi felt the feeling that he was being left behind by his rival. Though they never agreed to each other if they were rivals. In fact, they never agreed that they were really friends from the start.

Before Ars left, Randi had a message.

"If you want to do it, you better change your clothes first! You look poor with that your shabby clothes!"

Ars stopped, then looked at his clothes. Somehow he scratched his head while continuing his footsteps.

Four of Randi's men got up and looked at this rare sight in surprise.

On the other hand, Randi wondered, "What has he been through these three months to make him that strong?"

______________

Ten years before /

"Ars! Ars!"

"What is it, Ran?"

"Let me see your homework!"

"Didn't you promise to do your homework this time?"

"Come on, I'll play over to your house and bring you your favorite ice cream!"

"Geez, alright."

"Lucky!"