"You are not a failure, father-in-law. You are worse than that."
Confused, Rusher glanced around and asked, "Who is that?"
"Oh, come on. I just called you father-in-law. Who else would call you that?"
"Rudy…?"
"Yes."
"So you are the one behind all this!"
"Whoa, whoa. Calm your tits, man. I can't blame you for thinking that, but that's sad, actually. Anyways, is Maria around?" Rudy asked curiously.
"No… wait… where are you, and how am I talking to you?"
"I don't have time to explain all that. Answer my questions so I can find you quickly."
"..."
"Do you have any guesses where you are?"
"No. Everything here is black. The walls, floor, and ceiling. Even when I am using the phone's flashlight, it looks like a small star in a vast space," Rusher responded.
"Yeah, I saw that. You are most likely in that ball-like device. Do you know anything about it?"
"I…"
"Come on, answer fast. I don't have much time!"
"A few months back, a merchant approached me and showed me the gadgets. They were really advanced and futuristic, something that obviously didn't belong to this world.
I was interested in buying that, but he didn't ask for money in return, he asked for Maria. So I got him kicked out of the estate. There were many gadgets, and the ball was one of them," Rusher reluctantly uttered.
"Hmm~ Let me guess, that ball was like a fourth-dimensional storage device that could store an infinite amount of objects inside?" Rudy wondered.
"I am not sure, but that merchant said something similar."
"I witnessed the ball in action at the bank not too long ago. At first, I thought the ball was something like a teleportation device, but it was a storage device. Still, the ones the thugs had were different," Rudy muttered.
"So, what do you think? That merchant is behind all that?" he shortly added.
"I… have no idea. But Maria is missing, so there are chances that…"
"No need to finish that sentence. Maria is currently safe and locked in a ball similar to yours. If she was outside, I would have been able to see her."
"What are you…"
Everything was confusing for Rusher. He couldn't understand what was happening, but he knew he had no choice but to put his trust in Rudy.
"Do one thing for me. Grab your phone and check if there is any network."
"There isn't…" Rusher replied in a low voice.
"Hmm~ I had expected that. The ball is blocking all the signals." Rudy let out a weary sigh and paused for a few seconds before asking, "Rusher, tell me one thing. Did that merchant say anything else about the ball?"
"Like?"
"Something about its power. Since it's an electronic device, did he mention battery or its efficiency or something something?"
"Err… I think he mentioned something called nano-technology…."
"That's not helping… hmm…" Rudy hummed in frustration and asked, "You said the floor is also black, right?"
"Indeed…"
"Is it hard like a marble? Or like wood?"
"I can't quite tell the difference."
"Try jumping."
Rusher slowly got up from his knees and jumped.
"I think it's neither of them. It's hard yet soft. It's… more like a rubber…"
"Arghh…" Rudy groaned.
"...."
"Is there any electric substance present in the room? Like a socket, wire, outlet, or even a board?" Rudy asked in a neutral tone.
"No. As far as I checked, I didn't see that. The flashlight from the torch only reflects to a small distance," Rusher responded.
"So this ball can only be operated from the outside. I can't do anything in such a situation… But, Rusher, I am going to send some electric signals there. Let me know if it affects you."
"...." Rusher couldn't understand what Rudy was talking about. Everything was so baffling for him that his mind couldn't process a simple thought.
Suddenly, lightning sparks appeared in the room, but they were absorbed by the floor.
"Did anything happen?" Rudy asked after that.
"No."
"Alright, I am going to send more."
A few more lightning sparks appeared, and they were also absorbed.
"They are getting sucked into the floor," Rusher informed.
"That room is shockproof. But there is always a limit to everything. Rusher, I am going to send tons of high voltage lightning bolts, but this might go wrong, and everyone inside that ball might die."
"..."
"This is the only way I can think of to save you all. I cannot trace your location. And even if I did, I haven't seen the underworld, and I have no idea what place where. I need time and information, which currently none of us have," Rudy stated calmly. "So, are you ready for the risk?"
"..." After a few seconds of silence, Rusher opened his mouth and said, "Will Maria be saved?"
"You bet she will. I swear on my mother's name that I will do whatever it takes to save Maria. She is my responsibility now!"
"Then… do it."
"Before that…" Rudy sent a sharp lightning and cut the ropes binding Rusher's hands and legs to free him.
"Hmm?"
"I want you to take everyone into the corner of the room, so the risk can be lowered by 0.1%."
Rusher grabbed his phone and rushed to find everyone. He found his wife first and carried her to the farthest spot he could.
Since the room was circular, it had no corners, and it was impossible to find a spot in a dark room as space.
After searching for a while, he found his parents and carried them to the same place.
"Done."
"Okay. Now throw your phone in the middle."
"Huh?"
"Just do it."
Rusher threw the phone and went back to the supposed corner.
"I am ready!" he said.
"Alright. Close your eyes, just in case. Dying is scary."
"Just curious, before I die, what will happen if you succeed in doing whatever you are trying to do?"
"You will get out of the ball. And… if I fail… you all die."
