The Awakened Prison Island
A quiet island between Yeongjongdo and Incheon.
Once peaceful, the island had become a prison built to house Awakened criminals after a Gate appeared.
Thick walls sturdy enough to withstand anything, on par with a bunker, now stood guard. Soldiers patrolled along the top.
Looking out at that place, cannons and rifles were aimed at the distant prison in the center of the island.
“Damn… It’s nerve-wracking.”
“With walls like these, can we really stop them?”
“If they start rampaging on purpose, we’ll just shoot them the moment they approach.”
The soldiers on duty along those walls chatted with uneasy faces.
“Then what about the people inside the prison?”
“If they go on a rampage, who’s going to live?”
The soldiers discussing this looked at the distant prison with sorrowful eyes.
“That place must be a real hell…”
“Damn Awakened bastards…”
A ridiculous situation where a few Awakened were surrounded by thousands of soldiers trying to contain them. The soldiers were furious.
“To stop Awakened, we need to station Awakened, not soldiers!”
“We have to harvest Mana Stones, so it’s busy work. And they say if we do the same thing, what if they team up and escape?”
“You’re joking! If the amount of Mana Stone collection drops, their own money source will shrink, so that’s obvious! Don’t they know the Association is just a puppet of politicians?”
Not everyone, but the Association had long been pawns of politicians.
As Mana Stones quickly replaced fossil fuels, it was inevitable that they would have to sell off mining rights.
Following the soldiers’ gazes, the brightly lit interior of the prison came into view.
“Aaaah…”
“Sleep… I need to sleep…”
“Ugh…”
“If you’re in pain, shall I give you some of my medicine?”
The ones complaining about pain were the prison staff.
One of the worst work locations at the Correctional Bureau, where insomnia and mental fatigue were common, but long-term staff were rare.
The Awakened Prison.
The average work period was only six months.
In the Director’s office, which was decorated more luxuriously than the rest, a serious conversation was underway.
“Officer Kim, is there no other way?”
The prison director, with bloodshot eyes and shaking legs, was biting his nails.
“Director, you need to steel your heart.”
His tightly closed lips and unwavering gaze represented his firm belief.
He tried to comfort the director with a calm face, but…
“Not everyone is like you!”
Even ordinary prison directors were suffering from severe stress.
“I’m scared too.”
“Then how are you so calm?”
“Isn’t someone supposed to manage these criminals?”
“Aren’t they just ordinary criminals? They’re Awakened! Isn’t it possible they’ll start a riot and kill everyone and escape?”
“Sigh…”
The director was right. If the Awakened combined their powers, they could never be contained.
If it weren’t for the cannons aimed at this place from the thick walls, it would have been soaked in blood long ago.
“Another new guard got injured today from a flower pot! How could a perfectly fine flower pot fall right over that bastard’s head!”
The prison, which prided itself on control, had long been unable to fully manage the prisoners.
The director, speaking while playing a video.
“Hahaha. Hey, guard.”
“Prisoner number 2188, what’s the matter?”
“The bed is too uncomfortable. Please change the bed.”
“Everyone has the same bed. Just use it.”
“Ah. Won’t that get you hurt?”
The video showed a conversation between the new guard injured this time and the prisoner with poor attitude.
“Are you threatening me right now? Don’t be ridiculous. It’s impossible.”
“I’m new. I can’t read the atmosphere. Don’t you have any sense?”
“What? Do I look like a joke to you, 2188?!”
The criminal laughed mockingly, and the guard in front of him.
A scene that looked like it would erupt into a fight at any moment, visible even on the screen.
“Crash—”
Suddenly, a flower pot fell on the guard’s head, shattering and scattering dirt and shards across the floor.
It had appeared from outside the CCTV range, but the problem was that it was an indoor location.
A flower pot that should have been on the windowsill was falling from the ceiling.
And a mere three-meter-tall pot had hit the corridor, painting the guard’s face with blood.
Everything was unnatural.
“You mean well, but it sounds unpleasant?”
Then, as if he knew everything, he looked up at the surveillance camera with the next victim in mind.
His ability was telekinesis.
Given the circumstances, he was responsible, but there was no way to punish him from the video alone.
Because there was no proof that he had used his ability.
“Crunch— Damn evidence! How am I supposed to gather proof when superpowers aren’t visible…”
Watching the video, Officer Kim’s anger boiled over.
He gritted his teeth until they hurt, but there was nothing he could do.
“I need to find a way to handle those bastards!”
“We need to revise the law that allows immediate execution, but that’s still far away, right?”
“They won’t pass it in Congress using human rights as an excuse. What can we do?”
“Human rights? Isn’t it because of money! That damn Mana Stone cartel!”
Officer Kim, who had been calm at first, had vanished, and foul words were coming from his mouth now.
When development using Mana Stones began in earnest, people assumed it would bring great wealth.
The Mana Stone Cartel was born.
Some lawmakers, a few executives from the Association, and Awakened.
These three groups were gathering money together.
It started with a minority of Awakened.
All Mana Stones were purchased by the government, but the supply volume was determined by them anyway.
There were many Awakened who worked like volunteers out of goodwill, but as unexpected accidents led to retirements, the minority gradually increased.
The minority of Awakened didn’t miss the chance.
“Acknowledge our suffering for clearing the Gate with our lives!”
“Raise the price of Mana Stones!”
“We will never move!”
Sadly, people who insisted on neutrality were incited and turned a little more.
“We are the chosen ones!”
“Those with no abilities shouldn’t take our blessings for granted!”
“Let’s claim our rights!”
And then the hunters with elitist thoughts crossed over.
This cycle repeated, and the Awakened of the Mana Stone Cartel became the majority of hunters.
Naturally, their next move was the Association.
“Director, things are tough these days. It’s from my heart.”
“You said it was a rare disease for the child? Here, take this. It’s from our hearts.”
“Here.”
“Here too.”
Because of family matters, some Association staff who helped hunters with gambling debts or leaked internal information increased.
Next, they targeted some lawmakers who needed money.
For a while, they poured in a huge amount, thinking it would be a loss.
“Lawmaker Choi, please take care.”
“Let’s go. I reserved the fairies you mentioned last time.”
“I secretly sent some tteok for the madam.”
“Hahaha. People really work hard! Is there nothing you need?”
And in Congress, they did everything to block and delay bills that would disadvantage the Awakened.
This was the Mana Stone Cartel of South Korea.
To them, something that would bring hope was racing from Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do.
…
A hot summer with no clouds in the sky.
“Creak—”
The car carrying Ian and Lee Junwoo arrived at Incheon Port.
The moment they got out of the car, an overwhelming heat rushed in.
“Haaaaah… It’s hot!”
“It’s a bit warm.”
“Why do I have to wear these clothes even outside?! I told you there’s a robot escorting me!”
Ian, who complained non-stop because she was told to wear work clothes outside, got out of the car and vented.
“Didn’t you say there’s a mana cooling magic circuit?”
“Then what? I can’t activate it yet because there’s no Mana Stone!”
“That’s… humph…”
Magic was even more convenient than science in some ways.
There was no way to make clothes light, firm, or cool.
It was fundamentally different from the mana handcuffs that sent internal mana outward, so it required Mana Stones to operate.
“I have to check the performance today somehow and go straight to the Gate!”
“I know…”
“Remember, gather Mana Stones so I can be safer and make magic items!”
“Got it!”
The couple who had prepared themselves waited for the Coast Guard ship approaching the pier.
It was because the island prison was accessed by patrol boat.
“Uwoong— boom— boom—”
The robot Dolmaeng-i, with Ian and the couple, boarded the ship.
A large backpack was strapped to its back.
The clinking sound suggested it was carrying quite a few mana handcuffs.
Indeed, its output was weaker than when it was in the Gate, so the driving motor made a loud noise.
“Those guys?”
“I can’t trust them.”
“Can they really suppress superpowers?”
“Looking at the robot next to me…”
“Hmm… I don’t know. I heard there was an accident recently.”
“I hope we don’t see those bastards showing off.”
The Coast Guard members were whispering everywhere, seeing the two people, one robot, and Ian’s strange group.
Some couldn’t believe it,
but there was also hope that something strange might happen, seeing the robot.
A small high-speed boat.
System: People seem to not trust Ian’s items.
“Can’t help it? No one has ever made them, and no one knows the principle.”
System: The failure to replicate might be the cause.
“Yeah. Probably. That’s why we got this turn. It’s annoying that those bastards made them available at cost, but…”
Before Dolmaeng-i and Kim Gyo-wi could even exchange a few words in their minds, the high-speed boat entered the prison island.
It had only been two minutes since departure.
The island was very close even from land.
“It’s too close…”
“Even if it were a distant island in the open sea, it wouldn’t be a problem?”
“Since they’re not normal people, they’ll overcome it somehow?”
“Exactly. It would just make management harder for nothing.”
The Awakened Prison was that kind of cursed place.
“Let’s go! Show them the main force!”
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
Ian, full of energy, entered the prison island.
After entering and going through complex verification procedures, they headed to the internal prison in a car.
“You seem to have no energy?”
“Indeed. It’s because it’s where criminals are gathered.”
“One cuff is all it takes. It’ll improve the atmosphere here too.”
The prison gate, made of thick iron doors.
Kim Gyo-wi came to greet Ian’s group.
“I’m sorry. The director can’t get up from his seat, so I came out.”
There were many people of higher rank than Kim Gyo-wi, but because everyone avoided it, he had no choice but to come out.
They were all gathered in the management room, only staring at the CCTV.
“Originally, we should have at least given a simple welcome, but given the situation…”
“The situation must be really bad?”
“Um… Actually, it might be better if the young lady stayed here. What do you think?”
“Oh…”
If the internal management was that poor, the guard recommended that at least Ian stay.
“It’s fine. I have Dolmaeng-i.”
“Uwoong— uwoong—”
For some reason, the robot standing next to him began showing off by striking a pose.
“This friend?”
Kim Gyo-wi was dumbfounded at the size, which looked like it could kick anyone with its feet.
“It’s stronger than it looks. And we’ll only meet one person, right?”
“Yes. We’ll test one person, and after that, we’ll do it.”
“Then shall we go?”
“This way.”
Kim Gyo-wi, with a reluctant face, led Ian to the meeting room.
If criminals weren’t being managed, was the prison not managed well either?
The building, built not long ago by the sea breeze, had rusty iron bars and spiderwebs everywhere.
“Sigh… It’s hard to manage… It’s a bit embarrassing.”
“Don’t worry. It’ll get easier from today.”
“Please…”
Kim Gyo-wi’s heart was heavy.
But deep down, he prayed.
‘Please bring divine punishment on these bastards…’
“Beyond this door is a criminal. He’s a dangerous one, so be careful.”
“If anything happens, can I knock him out?”
“Yes…”
Kim Gyo-wi thought he would take responsibility if something unexpected happened.
Even if he had to take off his clothes.
“Clank—”
The door opened, and inside, a yellow-haired thug sat there like a dried anchovy.
“Oh~ What’s this~ Pretty girl? Wanna play with oppa?”
“Prisoner number 2188, refrain from rude behavior. You can be punished.”
“Tch. How are people with no strength supposed to do anything?”
“Hmph…”
He was a telekinetic ability user.
Right away, furniture and chairs were flying threateningly in the room.
“Hmm… Dried anchovy? He looks really gross, shriveled like a dried squid.”
System: Shall I suppress him?
Dolmaeng-i, who also didn’t want to see it, answered immediately.
“Wait. Fill the cuff.”
System: Be careful. If you see anything strange even a little, I’ll intervene immediately.
With Dolmaeng-i and Kim Gyo-wi’s worries, Ian held up a cuff and approached 2188.
“Come here~”
Unaware of Ian’s speed, the thug was smiling brightly, thinking it was good.