At this moment, Captain Free Sword's eyes opened with bewilderment as he found himself in a familiar gloomy room with dim red light. If his memory serves him right, this should be the torture chamber!
The confusion in his eyes suddenly vanished and was replaced with absolute horror. His eyes darted around before stopping at the giant figure sitting not too far away on a chair, and beside that chair was a metal table filled with strange torture tools.
Those tools weren't normal as they were made specially to torture Unique Ranks people like them, and Captain Free Sword never let collect rust. But today, he wasn't sitting on that chair and grinning at his victim.
He was stark naked with his precious armor gone, the five space rings on his fingers were gone, and the strangest thing was a rectangular piece of his skin about one foot in size had been cut off from his chest, and blood was stopped by charring the skin!
Jacob looked at Captain Free Sword's appalled expression and couldn't help but smile with derision as their positions had really been switched.
Captain Free Sword finally felt a burning sensation on his chest, and he felt even more terror because he knew his trump card had been rendered useless by this unknown monster.
Completely appalled, he tried to ask and appeared calm, "Is there any need for all this? I know I shouldn't have offended the Dark City. B-but I'm willing to work for you to repent. I'm no use for you dead, and I promise I can be extremely useful!"
'He still wants to talk his way out?' Jacob couldn't help but admire Captain Free Sword's will to live. It was almost akin to his, but alas, he wasn't as stupid as to let a possible threat walk free, especially if that threat was of a completely unknown origin.
Suddenly, a piece of skin appeared in his hand, and there were black rune symbols carved on it, and blood was still dripping from it.
Seeing that piece of skin, Captain Free Sword's chest burn was even more painful as he knew it was cut out from his chest, and he had paid a very high price to have a terrifying Rune Artificer engrave those runes.
"I never thought that it was even possible to engrave runes on our own body. If I'm guessing right, this should be your life-saving trump card, a space teleportation talisman, right?
"I have to admit, I almost let your body escape just now. These runes are quite impressive, and now, thanks to you, I'll be able to use 'your' talisman if I ever fall into trouble. It's really amazing." Jacob was telling the truth.
When he takes out Captain Free Sword's body despite removing his space rings and clothes in his infinity pendant, the runes on his chest almost get activated the moment he comes out.
If he hadn't been alerted enough, Captain Free Sword might've already slipped away from his grasp. Only then did he notice those runes, and he knew they were not just tattoos but a talisman that had been carved into his skin, and it was directly connected to his magic core.
Even Jacob didn't know it was possible, and whoever did this had to be a terrifying rune artificer with a profound understanding of his craft. Even Jacob admired it.
"Please, I'm willing to submit and reveal my secrets. There's no need to go too far." Captain Free Sword pleaded again, as he was now completely sure that this person was a terrible existence that could even interfere with space runes or that he had an extremely rare space-restraining treasure.
In any case, he knew he had to get out of this mess, and the only way he could think of was to lower his head.
Jacob smiled icily, "In the face of absolute power, even if you're a king, you're not better than an ant with some jewels. And here I thought you'd at least have some dignity and resist. Alas, now, if I skin you alive, I'll feel awful about it."
A chill run-down Captain Free Sword's spine as that terrible smile remind him of Masha's sadist smile, he was too familiar with it.
"But, I'll give you a chance. Tell me the true reason you were teleported here. Oh, and I know many things from your crewmate already, so if you dare to lie, know this: I won't hesitate to skin you alive." Jacob coldly stated. He still didn't reveal his true identity since he really wanted to know why Captain Free Sword was here, just what he was hiding, and also some more about the Unique Plains. He definitely knows more than anymore.
Furthermore, if Captain Free Sword learned that he was Jacob, he could easily guess that there wasn't any chance for him to live. So, Jacob let him think that he fell into this state because of Dark City, at least this way he would have hope that he might get out of this alive if he spit out everything.
Jacob has already learned from Harold that Captain Free Sword uses a very precious treasure to teleport so far away from the epic plains because he was chased by not only a single power but the entire unique plains. Even three hegemonies and dark beings were involved.
As for why, Harold or anyone else had no idea, but they all know that it all started after Captain Free Sword sneakily entered the Unique Plains Trial and then, four months later, even managed to escape.
The chase starts right after that, and Captain Free Sword does his best to flee deep into the Star Ocean. But who could've thought there were traitors among his crew and enemies would instantly surround him?
Even Jacob was shocked after he heard this, and that's why he wanted to know just what made all those powers hunt Captain Free Sword like mad dogs.
Captain Free Sword's eyes shimmered with unwillingness when he heard this question, but hope also bloomed in his heart because he knew he might be able to save his life if he disclosed this information.
After all, his life was far more important than some stupid secret, but he was too sly just to give it away since there was still a chance Jacob might directly kill him to keep that secret to himself; that secret was terrifying!
So, he took a deep breath and said, "As long as Sir signs an oath contract, I'll reveal everything. Or you can just kill me, but know this: what I know is something that every power wants to know; in return, I just want to live, and I'm even willing to serve, Sir!"
Jacob's eyes narrowed dangerously, making Captain Free Sword shudder. But unexpectedly, Jacob nodded the next moment and dismissively said, "Alright!"
