I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 124

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 124

 

10. I’ll Become the Boss and Report It, Marriage Registration

 

Who was it that said time flies like an arrow? In truth, Mint had never really felt the truth of those words while living in this prison cell.

 

But this time, she had to admit it seemed accurate.

 

‘How strange.’

 

She closed her eyes and when she opened them, time had whooshed by and Helios had cleared the 89th Floor today.

 

In fact, given the Tower’s structure, it was normal for the time required for each floor to increase exponentially as one climbed higher.

 

Even without dying, one could fail the trials.

 

In such cases, having to challenge endlessly until passing was no different from the lower floors. The difference was that there were far more floors where dying would be preferable.

 

Within a month, Helios had passed one more special examination.

 

As a result, he had skipped another 10-floor section once more.

 

It was an unprecedented record.

 

‘Even searching through history, there wouldn’t be anything like it.’

 

It was from this point that the Warden’s messages began arriving more frequently.

 

The Warden’s contact had already arrived when he passed the first special examination.

 

Of course, this was a message meant to receive reports through Sergeant Steven and interrogate him.

 

It was also a demand that said ‘he’s doing well, but work him even harder,’ showing no concern whatsoever for Helios’s welfare.

 

On another note, he expressed concerns related to Hades, and when told that Mint had handled it well on her own.

 

He seemed half-doubtful but appeared to let it slide for now.

 

‘Well, Hades would be both that man’s headache and rival. It would be difficult to completely ignore him.’

 

And the Warden’s attitude changed noticeably after Helios passed the second special examination.

 

Unlike his usually cautious and cunning demeanor, excited messages arrived.

 

Multiple ones. Frequently.

 

‘How annoying.’

 

It was such a carefree reaction.

 

How many times had her disciple’s fingers been broken to achieve these results?

 

How many ribs had been displaced? How many times had he nearly died?

 

These were questions asked without any interest in how much blood he had seen.

 

“I won’t ask whose blood is smeared on your cheek.”

 

The day she returned to her room with Helios after meeting Hades and revealing truths she never wanted to speak.

 

Helios didn’t ask for reasons when Mint returned with Hades’s blood smeared all over her cheek.

 

“Oh, so you naturally assume I buried someone?”

 

“It wouldn’t seem like you lack experience.”

 

“Wow, I was quite the villain.”

 

Mint realized this was Helios’s way of joking. And his clumsy attempt at comfort.

 

Mint had clearly treated him no differently than usual, yet Helios had miraculously noticed her abnormality.

 

Something that even roommates who had shared a room for nearly 10 years hadn’t noticed. Mint’s condition.

 

Rather than Ramona and Deril being insensitive, it was more that Mint was quite skilled at maintaining a poker face.

 

Mint sensed that the closer she got to Helios, the worse the outcome would be for him.

 

Because whenever she had harbored desires for people in the past, the results had never been good.

 

She had lost Mama. Looking back, it had been the same even earlier, when she returned to Korea as Pakha.

 

As Mint slowly reflected on the current situation, she turned her head at the sound of rough breathing nearby.

 

She saw Ged dripping with sweat from training.

 

“Boss, aren’t you accomplishing too many amazing things one after another?”

 

Among Ged’s Group, Ged spoke with a mysterious expression.

 

“Tomorrow we’ll be on the 90th Floor… That’s too dizzying a height to follow. Whew.”

 

As if there were so many amazing things he didn’t know which one to address first.

 

“The amazing one isn’t me, it’s my disciple.”

 

“But Sir Garret is the one who raised Boss, right?”

 

Haira replied in Ged’s place with an awkward expression.

 

Actually, speaking this way, Ged’s Group could also be called amazing.

 

Unlike Helios who had skipped floors through special examinations, Ged’s Group had been steadily climbing floor by floor.

 

Due to Mint and Helios’s absence, they had faced quite a few crises and had apparently experienced real setbacks.

 

But they looked more solid than the faces she had seen before the special examination.

 

Even Brett and the rather timid Seth had the faces of people who had crossed the line between life and death and overcome a stage.

 

‘Whoever’s colleagues they are, they chose very well.’

 

At this rate, though they might be slower than Helios, she thought they might climb to the maximum floor Mint had initially predicted based on their potential.

 

And thus they would become reliable colleagues to support Helios after he became the boss.

 

As long as they didn’t betray him or die along the way.

 

Mint had laid the foundation, so now it was up to the party to handle things themselves.

 

“You guys are amazing enough too, so just don’t die outside the Tower and do well.”

 

“…”

 

Then Ged’s Group fell silent.

 

Even Brett and Seth, who had been talking with Brett.

 

“Why are you reacting like this?”

 

No one could speak and just rolled their eyes around, until Haira quietly opened her mouth.

 

“Well, it’s the first time you’ve… acknowledged anyone besides Boss, isn’t it?”

 

“Wow, did you think of me as that ruthless?”

 

“Isn’t that correct?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Mint readily admitted it. Haira wrinkled her nose bridge slightly.

 

Meanwhile, Mint was mulling over the number 89th Floor.

 

About 11 floors remained until the 100th Floor.

 

Considering the characteristics from the 91st Floor onward, it would be accurate to say less than 11 floors remained.

 

In other words, right around the corner.

 

“Sometimes there are days when you want to be whimsical.”

 

“You’re not usually such a sentimental person though.”

p>Currently, Helios was performing training alone at a distance, so only Ged’s Group, who had just finished their training, were nearby.

“Living life, I’ve noticed that when people act whimsical for no reason, it’s one of two things. Either they’ve experienced something very significant.”

 

Haira stared intently at Mint, then lowered her gaze slightly.

 

“Or they won’t be seeing each other anymore.”

 

“….”

 

“Are you going somewhere?”

 

The rest of the Party, excluding Haira, looked at Mint with some surprise.

 

Mint was slightly impressed.

 

‘Her Psychic-type Kia Ability seems to have improved. Her intuition has become sharper here too.’

 

When Mint just smiled slightly without answering, Haira seemed to reach her own conclusion.

 

“Well, I guess you’re returning to being a Guard. It’s about time for that.”

 

“Oh, right. Boss, you were a Guard?”

 

“Huh, I-I had forgotten….”

 

“Haha, the Prison Uniform looks too natural on you.”

 

Only Mint could tell.

 

That Haira had deliberately changed the subject.

 

Moreover, that Brett wasn’t fooled by Haira’s words. However, Mint ignored all these signals.

 

Wasn’t Haira’s words the correct answer?

 

The day of departure wasn’t far off.

 

* * *

 

“How do you feel about going to the 90th Floor now?”

 

I asked leisurely.

 

Today was exactly one day after we had cleared the 89th Floor, in the afternoon.

 

In other words, we would soon enter the Tower.

 

“From the 91st Floor onward, the Trial content will change again. Aren’t you nervous?”

 

“How could I not be? I’m damn nervous, that’s the problem.”

 

Helios replied with an irritated expression.

 

He had been in a bad mood since morning. Actually, this wasn’t the first or second time, so it was something I usually overlooked.

 

“Ahem, watching you two, your speech patterns are quite similar, aren’t they? Are you close friends with the Guard?”

 

‘You’ and ‘Guard.’ The one using contradictory forms of address was a Prisoner who had briefly joined forces with Helios on the 89th Floor.

 

Helios, who had ended up climbing the Tower alone after separating from Ged’s Group, surprisingly had decent social skills.

 

On each Floor, he made at least one person who was friendly, if not quite an ally.

 

“…I’m starting to talk like Master?”

 

Helios made an expression as if this was truly horrible. How did he know? It was similar to the expression he made when looking at bugs.

 

“Of course, since I taught you. Disciple, your expression is quite lovely.”

 

“I don’t want to be like you. If I have nightmares tonight, it’s all because of what you just said.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, so what’s got you so riled up today?”

 

Thinking that Helios’s condition was quite unusual, the prisoner from the 89th Floor who had been talking to him quietly backed away.

 

Helios stared at me with displeased eyes and then opened his mouth.

 

“When we get to the 91st Floor, I was going to ask. I’ve been… holding it in all this time.”

 

Why is his preamble so long for whatever he wants to say?

 

I gazed at him calmly, but because of that, I momentarily overlooked something.

 

“Who exactly is Hades?”

 

That my disciple sometimes knows how to drop bombs.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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