Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Awakening (1)
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8:31 a.m.
While Creep was deep in conversation with Scardi,
Orca was catching her breath inside the infirmary, tending to Crow.
His condition seemed to be improving, at least somewhat. She had no doubt that with just a little more time, he would regain his recovery ability.
"Crow, can you hear me? How are you feeling?"
Whether he was asleep or simply had his eyes closed, Orca spoke to Crow.
But Crow didn't respond.
He looked as if he were enduring something with his eyes shut tight.
It wasn't just the pain from the drugs. If anything, it seemed like he was meditating.
The same time,
a different location.
Lily and Deoksoon sat waiting for the prisoner transport vehicle, accompanied by two guards.
An awkward tension hung in the air inside the waiting room. Especially the emotions Deoksoon felt toward Lily.
Crackle—
The radio blared. The guards, oblivious to what was happening, assumed it was just an update on the transport vehicle's arrival time.
"Looks like it's finally here."
One guard yawned with a bored expression as she switched on the radio. It was the moment the two prisoners across from her exchanged glances.
"This is Al..."
A growing unease crept across the guard's face. Her dilated pupils and furrowed brow said it all.
The radio spat out a barrage of electronic noise, disregarding any proper protocol—a sharp, high-pitched whine that Lily and Deoksoon couldn't hear.
Wee-oo wee-oo—
Soon, a ear-splitting siren echoed through the waiting room.
At the same moment, Lily raised a finger. The handcuffs on her wrists had already melted into a gooey mess, unable to hold their shape.
A faint lilac glow emanated from her delicate fingertip,
and the two guards it pierced froze in place, their movements restricted.
Their bodies wouldn't obey them. No matter how hard they tried to move, blood just rushed to their heads.
Leaving their stiffening, flushed faces as they were, Lily stood up and pointed her finger at the CCTV camera.
Now, the central control room could no longer monitor the waiting room.
"Unnie."
Amid the blaring siren,
Lily shouted into the ear of Deoksoon, who was pale with terror.
"If you want to live, stick with me. Don't wander off alone and get yourself killed."
8:34 a.m.
The time when the siren rang out through the entire prison.
Wee-oo wee-oo—
Orca could hear it from inside the infirmary as well.
There was no mistaking it—this was an emergency.
"What the...?"
Only then did Orca notice the radio calls from the other guards summoning her. She'd been so focused on Crow that she'd missed them.
"You stay here with Crow! Everyone, can you hear me? Guards! Respond if you can!"
A belated transmission,
[Correctional Officer! Right now in C Wing...!]
A report that came a beat too late.
"What...?"
And,
a dispatch that was a beat too late.
"Hold them off as best you can. What's the scale of the damage?"
Even so, Orca was doing everything she could to contain the situation despite the delay,
"...Damn it."
Realizing it was already out of control, she made the best call she could.
"Contact the Association too. Request backup. And track Creep's position—send it to me now. Seal off the entrances and each sector."
8:36 a.m.
Lily dragged Deoksoon out into the prison corridors without even properly unlocking her cuffs.
The flashing red emergency lights underscored the severity of the situation.
Guards in full combat gear rushed past down the halls. Of course, Lily and Deoksoon passed them without any trouble.
"Hey, you two...!"
A few guards spotted them along the way,
but the moment Lily touched them, they went blank, standing frozen in place for about ten seconds before rushing off toward C Wing with flushed faces.
"Eek..."
Deoksoon couldn't hide her shock.
Whatever ability Lily had, she moved with total freedom, as if everything was under her control.
"Ow...! W-Wait, hold on...!"
Too terrified by the sight, Deoksoon's legs gave out, and she collapsed,
"Ah, nooo! Y-You don't need to help me up...! If you use that mind control crap on me, I'll really get mad...!"
She even crawled backward in fear at the hand Lily offered to pull her up.
The ability to control people's brains.
Deoksoon found Lily even more unbelievable.
She might have already used it on Deoksoon's own head, for all she knew.
"..."
The moment she heard "mind control," Lily's face twisted in a scowl, and she spoke in a low, subdued voice.
"It's not mind control."
"W-What...! I just saw...!"
"I said it's not. I've never used anything like that. I just paralyzed their bodies and made them run toward C Wing! It's not mind control!"
It was an overly sensitive reaction. Maybe Deoksoon had a talent for pissing people off.
"...Apologize."
Lily pressed Deoksoon, her face turning red. Of course, she didn't use her ability on her. She couldn't afford to lose Deoksoon yet—she still had plenty of use.
"Apologize!"
"Eek! Eeek! S-Sorry!"
Deoksoon whimpered helplessly, begging for mercy. She couldn't understand why Lily was so furious, but she had to calm her down first.
"I-I messed up... Sorry..."
"..."
Only after hearing the apology did Lily release her iron grip on Deoksoon's collar. She'd squeezed so hard the front was frayed, making Deoksoon's already oversized prison uniform sag even more.
"Sob, waaah... Hic..."
Deoksoon felt wronged suffering this humiliation from someone younger, but following a crazy bitch who could explode at any moment was even more miserable.
How had she gotten tangled up in this?
Maybe she should hold back on her lust after all.
"Fine. We don't have time for this. We need to find Oppa."
Lily, who had been raging just moments ago, quickly regained her composure and set off to search for Crow. Naturally, she dragged the sitting Deoksoon along, stretching her sleeve in the process.
"Solitary cell, office, or maybe the infirmary...?"
Things were a bit messed up because the correctional officer had acted unpredictably that morning. Normally, they'd at least feed him breakfast before calling him out, but she'd suddenly dragged Oppa away.
And so, Lily and Deoksoon frantically roamed the prison interior in search of Crow.
8:38 a.m.
Orca began enveloping the entire prison with her ability. Only someone with considerable power could shatter the solid ice she created.
It had been a while since she'd used her ability to its full potential. Usually, she struggled to control her chill, but when the time came, unleashing it freely produced power beyond imagination.
"Everyone, listen up. If you encounter Creep, don't fight—run. Creep will be handled by me or the Association heroes."
She was about to head straight for Creep to stop her,
[Correctional Officer!]
when a new report came over Orca's radio.
[Lily's using her ability too. We ran into her in the corridor on the way, and she forced us toward C Wing.]
In this situation, Orca had to make a decision.
[Creep smashed the doors to A Wing, B Wing, and C Wing, freeing the inmates! She's heading straight for the Special Supervision Wing now...!]
She had no idea how Lily had gained her ability. It seemed like Lily had pulled some trick to restore Creep's powers too.
There was no way to stop both at once. She'd ordered her subordinates to suppress the riot, but she knew full well she was the only one who could handle Creep or Lily.
"...Got it. Permission to open fire on all. Prioritize shooting rioting inmates, but if you see Creep or Lily, run immediately and report their position to me."
Orca already knew what mattered most. Without hesitation, she headed for Crow.
There was only one reason Lily was roaming the prison.
Crow.
She had to protect him.
The riot cleanup could wait. But she couldn't lose Crow.
So Orca ran,
and Lily glided through the corridors like she was flying.
8:41 a.m.
"Crow!"
Orca arrived first. She knew the prison layout like the back of her hand, so it hadn't taken long to return to the infirmary.
Bursting through the sealed infirmary door,
Orca immediately checked on Crow's safety.
But all she saw was
a terrified doctor with wide eyes and her own subordinate guard, already subdued and tightly bound to a chair with tape.
"...Calm down and report. Has Lily already been here?"
Orca approached the frightened doctor with a question,
but in that instant,
the thought [Lily has an ability now, so she wouldn't need to wrap someone in tape herself] crossed her mind,
and a very familiar man's arm was already wrapped around her neck from behind.