Chapter 315
Chapter 315
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 315
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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The dinner at Austen Prison was hardly different from breakfast. Bland soup and hard bread. The only addition was a slice of apple. It was on the verge of rotting, but still tastier than the soup and bread.
After dinner, there was free time until lights out.
I sat blankly on the prison floor, needing to redesign my plan.
'Owen. If that bastard had abandoned his comrades and escaped with me, I wouldn't have needed to revise the plan...'
My plan was to smash through the prison walls and bolt out with Owen at full speed, escaping the prison grounds before using the teleportation scroll. Once we used the teleportation scroll, the prison's pursuit would end.
'They wouldn't send a knight order after two escaped prisoners. We're not talking about heinous crimes like treason...'
The mission itself wasn't difficult. Assuming Owen cooperated.
'Fuck. What a hassle. Should I just kill him?'
For now, I couldn't use the teleportation scroll. Simple reason: we didn't have enough. I had 10 million AP, but I'd only prepared scrolls for me and Owen.
'I have a few more, but without set coordinates, they're useless.'
In other words, taking Owen and his comrades required scrapping the original plan.
'Without the teleportation scroll, the knights will chase us... No choice.'
The only option was a riot.
Bang! Bang bang!
As I lay on the floor, drowsy and half-asleep, a guard came to my cell and banged on the bars.
"Prisoner 756487."
I sat up at the call.
The guard, his usual lazy expression replaced by a grim seriousness, stared at me and unlocked the cell door.
"Come out."
"...What's this about all of a sudden?"
"I said come out."
"......"
The atmosphere was off, so I decided to obey for now. The guard cuffed my wrists and prodded my back.
"Move forward."
"......"
I walked as ordered, racking my brain.
'Did I do something wrong?'
No matter how I thought about it, nothing came to mind.
I hadn't caused any trouble. I hadn't picked fights with guards. Sure, I'd broken a prisoner's limbs in the yard, but the guards on duty then were all bribed by me. That was settled.
'...Did a prisoner snitch about my abilities? Or are the guards getting greedy?'
I glanced back. The guard's eyes held a hint of pity, so I dismissed the thought.
I sighed in frustration and asked the guard.
"What the hell is going on? Can't you at least tell me?"
"What trouble did you cause before coming here?"
"Rape. Yesterday."
"Ah. Right."
The pity vanished from the guard's face. He'd remembered I was scum unfit for sympathy.
"Deal with your karma yourself."
"Pardon?"
"Not left—right. Any last words?"
"Last words...? You mean a dying message?"
"You might die. If you have anything for family or friends, I'll pass it on. Consider it payback for the money you slipped me during yard time."
"......No."
"Fine."
The guard took me to another building. Unlike the others, it reeked of blood.
I scanned the hallway. Solid iron doors, not bars. Eerily quiet. Through a food slot in one door, I glimpsed a prisoner inside.
'Solitary.'
I realized this was where troublemakers were punished. The thick blood scent was from torture.
"Here. Door 3. Go in."
I pushed the solid iron door as instructed—no slot. It creaked open unpleasantly, slightly ajar.
The guard shoved me inside and slammed the door. Clang! Locked from outside.
The room was packed with torture tools: chair, brazier, water, thorns, knives. Four men waited.
Three had swords at their waists—mercenaries. The fourth was familiar.
"Just one day. You have no idea how I've counted the hours for this!"
"...Why the hell are you here?"
"Why? For revenge, Rohan!"
Rohan.
My alias right before surrendering to the prison.
The man was Koum, the husband of the woman I'd raped—a merchant.
"I told you! Don't think it's over! I'll spend every coin to kill you!"
The three mercenaries closed in slowly.
"Ha. You really bought off the warden. All your fortune?"
"Just 10% of it. That's your worth! You won't die easy! Pay for raping my wife—then die!"
The mercenaries grabbed me—shoulders, arms, back—dragging me to the torture chair.
"...Huh?"
"What?"
"Fuck. Isn't the prisoner supposed to have ability-sealing shackles?"
I didn't budge. They panicked.
"What are you doing? Hurry up! We got paid—earn it!"
Ting!
I flexed my wrists, snapping the cuffs. The mercenaries backed off, drawing swords.
"I hate men touching me. Especially smelly bastards like you."
Crackle.
Pure white lightning writhed from my body, engulfing them. They convulsed and died without resistance.
"Uh. Uhh..."
Koum stumbled back in shock. He had no clue how strong I was. Why would someone this powerful turn themselves in?
"Who's torturing who to death?"
"C-Calm down, hear me out... Aaagh!"
Crackle!
I dialed the lightning to not-kill levels, surging through Koum.
"Not great at torture... but I've got time. Let's play."
"Aaaagh!"
The screams filled the torture room.
After nearly two hours torturing Koum to death, I stood before the iron door, ready to act.
This door probably wouldn't open until morning.
'Break it?'
Not bad, but I had something to test.
'Lightning Dash.'
Electrification. My body turned to lightning. I charged at the door—and passed through effortlessly.
'Just as I thought.'
My body was lightning; the door, conductive metal. It worked.
'But what if I revert midway? Get stuck and die?'
Horrific. So, no using this unless certain.
I killed all nearby on-duty guards, stole the solitary keys.
Time to free the solitary prisoners. Tortured and isolated, they'd hate the guards.
I'd give them freedom and weapons.
"Time for the riot. Heh heh heh."
Boom! Kaboom! Boom!
Explosions rocked the prison. Bombs I'd planted in the yard during exercise time detonated.
"Riot! Prisoners rioting... Gahk?!"
Bang!
A guard yelling at colleagues dropped, a finger-sized hole in his head.
Rifle.
I'd freed the solitary prisoners from shackles, given them rifles and bar cutters. They killed guards, smashed cells, rallied comrades.
(I'd cut bars with a sword too. Blade aura made it trivial.)
"As promised, I'm here for you. Owen."
"N-No way—you started this riot?!"
Owen gaped. Other prisoners fled through cut bars. Even unwilling, with fires raging, they had to escape.
Bang! Bang bang bang!
Gunfire echoed.
"Riots draw attention. The warden and guards are hunkered down elsewhere."
"The knights?!"
"Walls are crumbling everywhere. Prisoners fleeing all directions—knights' forces split. Easier escape."
"Y-You're insane...! You used the prisoners as cannon fodder?!"
"Used? I gave them a chance."
"......Reckless. Is this okay?"
"Why care? Prisoner lives aren't our concern."
"......Right. Yeah. Prison life made me forget who we are."
"Where are your comrades?"
"Nearby. Guys! Here!"
Owen called. Four prisoners gathered. I sighed at them—all weaklings.
I shattered their shackles with blade aura.
"...What were you doing here?"
"Investigation commission. Sorry, details later. Escape first?"
"Yeah. This way."
"Where? Everyone's going that way."
"You lot couldn't sneak out openly. We'll go stealth."
I led Owen's group out.
Bang bang bang bang!
Gunfire continued.
"Warden! Get out here, you bastard! I'll kill you!"
Frenzied prisoner shouts reverberated.
Sector 1,067, Austen Prison—successful escape.
Non-escapers starting the riot? Knights would crush them easily, torture to death. Rifles I gave? Knights had blade aura, ranked armor. Armor too tough for bullets.
Modern equivalent: knights were tanks.
'Prisoners just had rifles.'
Once out of Sector 1,067, I pulled an inventory item.
A gift from Elena. Not always available—she'd respond when free.
Owen eyed the conch curiously.
"Is that a communication item?"
"Yes."
"Mirror! Contacting that executive Mirror!"
"Stay put."
"Mind if I listen? Curious what you discuss with an executive!"
"Whatever."
I replied indifferently. Elena never forbade others. Owen would pester anyway.
I spoke into the conch.
"Mirror. Mirror. Can you talk? Mission-related."
Signal sent to her conch. No reply in a minute? She's unavailable—move on.
20 seconds later, a voice: crisp woman's. Elena.
-I figured it wasn't hard... But you're contacting instead of the rendezvous? Mission success?
"Complication."
-Complication?
I explained: Owen wasn't caught—he and comrades entered deliberately for something. And what I did to extract them.
-Ahaha! Haha! Blew up part of the prison with bombs, armed prisoners for a riot? Unimaginable! So this is how you handle things. Fun. Love imagining Viscount Austen's crumpled face.
Elena laughed delightedly.
I glanced at Owen—shocked she'd sound like this.
-Slight delay. Someone there?
A chill ran down my spine.