I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 15

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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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Episode 15

“What’s wrong?”

He remained silent. I looked at him carefully. Was he hurt somewhere?

But no matter where I looked, there was no blood on the thorns I had manifested.

“…Damn, this actually works? It completely shatters all common sense.”

At Helios’s neat observation, I burst out laughing. It was an amusing comment.

Helios looked up in surprise, and we faced each other across the pit.

“Still haven’t figured it out? This is a world where common sense doesn’t apply.”

“…”

“You’ll see it soon enough too. Whether in the Tower.”

I turned my gaze away to look at the Rest Area once.

“Or outside the Tower.”

I sensed a presence nearby.

…Probably a presence that wouldn’t be particularly good for Helios.

* * *

“…Or outside the Tower.”

Helios clearly saw Mint’s face turn cold in an instant.

This person was always characterized by that gentle face and drowsy, dry way of speaking.

They seemed uninterested in anything, and were always so detached that it was strange they would even provide such training.

They had no colleagues nearby except for the occasional appearance of Sergeant Steven.

Yet sometimes when Helios succeeded in training, they would smile with satisfaction, making it impossible to look away.

It felt like being forced to look at a red flower blooming alone in snow-covered winter.

That same Mint with all expression wiped clean from their face felt cold and cynical.

“Go, today is the day of the Tower’s trial.”

There was no usual stiff address of ‘Prisoner Helios.’

Helios felt a faint sense of regret.

‘What an intense gaze.’

Meanwhile, Mint had spent about ten years in this place, and accordingly had developed quite sharp instincts.

The instincts Mint had cultivated were rarely wrong.

The presence felt at the end of training with Helios.

It was precisely the kind of gaze that seemed to be observing and monitoring them.

‘At first I thought it might be the Warden’s surveillance.’

But the Warden had no reason to monitor them right now.

Most importantly, the Male Lead was currently a serious ‘beginner.’ The time when the Warden would take interest would probably be after the Male Lead reached at least intermediate level.

Honestly speaking, if it weren’t for him being the Male Lead, his skill level wouldn’t even be worth paying attention to.

‘Then…’

Several assumptions suddenly popped into Mint’s mind.

Though she wouldn’t do anything about it right now.

Something was definitely going to happen soon.

After the wait, the incident occurred after Helios came out of the Tower.

Helios had easily reached the 8th Floor again today and returned.

In fact, it was only natural since he had awakened Kia, and thanks to Mint, he had learned about his detailed abilities and even how to handle them, albeit slightly, as of today.

‘If I can use Kia, then up to the 10th Floor shouldn’t be a problem.’

It was when Helios was just coming out the door with other prisoners who had cleared the same floor.

Instead of looking toward Helios, Mint gazed upward.

The doors from which prisoners emerged were different for each grade.

Mint saw several familiar faces among those approaching.

‘High-Grade Prisoners?’

Mint had been memorizing the faces of prisoners from this tier and above.

‘What was that guy’s name again…’

But why would High-Grade Prisoners be coming this way?

Many of the prisoners who had just finished the Tower’s trials using Kia were excited.

Having just escaped from extreme situations, they easily became angry and excited over small matters.

That’s why, except during rest time, meetings between prisoners of different grades were strictly prohibited before and after the Tower’s trials.

‘What are the guards in charge of the high-grade prisoners doing…’

Mint calmly looked around, but the guards responsible for them were nowhere to be seen.

While focusing on the approaching High-Grade Prisoners, the Lowest Grade Guards had somehow organized and led away the other prisoners.

In other words, only Helios remained here.

Mint spotted Sergeant Cain standing in the distance.

The supervisor in charge of the lowest grade.

He was someone who hadn’t even associated with her since some point.

He grinned wickedly.

‘Perfect timing today.’

The guy sauntering over there was a gift he had prepared for the arrogant new guard.

“So Sergeant, you’re saying you’ll turn a blind eye if we take that pretty boy?”

High-grade prisoners who possessed strength and enjoyed tormenting lower-grade ones.

This group also happened to know about the New Prisoner who drew attention during every rest time.

And they desired him as a ‘target’ to kill and destroy.

“Wow, Sergeant Cain is so nice? How generous.”

“Just handle it properly.”

“Yes yes, of course. You know how much I love killing bastards with pretty faces, right?”

Cain had never liked Mint.

He had been holding a grudge since the day we first met when I embarrassed him, and every time he tried to assert his authority after that.

“Argh!”

It was always him who ended up falling flat on his face!

The more it happened, the more he was consumed by rage.

Occasionally, monster-like guards would join the ranks.

Like when Sergeant Steven was called ‘Sir’ during his rookie days.

A guard with a strange personality but exceptional skills must have entered.

But since he had terrible social skills and awareness, and was absolutely impossible to control.

He had no choice but to use other methods.

‘He cherishes his pretty assigned prisoner, doesn’t he? Disgusting bastard.’

Mint’s unusual behavior was already well-known.

A guard following the manual to protect his assigned prisoner was utterly ridiculous.

That bastard had shamelessly damaged the guards’ prestige. Today he would pay the price dearly.

‘Ah, I remember now.’

At the same time, Mint was peacefully having such thoughts.

The face was familiar, but he couldn’t immediately connect it to any abilities.

‘I think the name started with “Gro.” Gro, gro…’

Before he knew it, the group of High-Grade Prisoners had surrounded Helios and Mint.

Beyond them, he could see guards disappearing with the lowest-grade prisoners.

“Prisoner Helios. We’re going to the Main Building too.”

“…From here?”

Helios looked around at those surrounding them as he spoke. His expression was bewildered.

Could Mint not see this human wall?

“Oh my, pretty boy, playing dumb?”

Someone swaggered out from among the High-Grade Prisoners.

“Looks like you’re getting cocky with a guard backing you up. Want to have a chat with me?”

This was the only prisoner whose face Mint recognized. Since he still couldn’t remember the name, he decided to call him ‘that bastard.’

“Well, look at that complexion. I heard there was a newcomer getting famous, so I came to see, and damn if you’re not dazzling?”

That bastard’s name was Grogi.

This man thoroughly scanned Helios’s entire body.

Whenever he saw beautiful things, he felt the desire and impulse to disfigure them.

And from his perspective, a newly arrived New Prisoner was perfect material to destroy.

Grogi licked his lips. His appetite was whetted.

“Prisoner Helios, I’ve decided.”

So… until a strange voice suddenly interrupted.

“Let’s meet at the West Side after meals today too.”

What the hell is this guy? Grogi looked at the guard with a bewildered expression.

It was the new guard that Cain had mentioned.

Clearly, despite being surrounded by him and his Family, the man showed no signs of panic whatsoever.

Grogi had occasionally seen eyes like these before.

He thought this was just some hothead filled with fighting spirit who had no idea what kind of place he was in.

Crushing such a guy into the ground would be very easy.

‘Grinding up that innocent face is quite a hobby of mine too…’

But Cain had ordered something else.

Grogi leisurely approached Helios. Mockery naturally flowed out.

“Hah, pretty boy, I hear the guards are all over you. What’s your secret? Huh? Tell me too. Did you shake something around?”

“Ah, I heard there’s meat in today’s meal for once. Protein intake is important, so make sure to eat plenty.”

“How did you manage what others couldn’t do even after shaking their asses off?”

“Prisoner Helios. If you’re too late, there won’t be any meat left.”

“…”

What the hell, does this guy really have no fear? Or has his brain gone bad?

Grogi stared at Mint with an expression of disbelief.

Grogi’s rank was ‘Advanced/Grade 3’. Though it was low among the Advanced ranks, he could still be considered a formidable expert capable of entering the 80th Floor.

He had a personality that loved showing off, and enjoyed the sense of superiority that flowed out after crushing his opponents into despair.

His power ‘Telekinesis’ that crushed opponents was already activated throughout this area.

But.

‘What, can’t he feel my Kia?’

No. That couldn’t be possible.

‘…Then, he’s enduring it even while feeling it?’

Grogi felt an instinctive displeasure while looking at the detached Mint.

He gradually began to think that Sergeant Cain hadn’t targeted this guy for no reason.

‘But I have my pride.’

Feeling disgusted that he had experienced an emotion even he didn’t recognize while looking at Mint, he deliberately turned his attention to Helios.

He needed to quickly drag away that Newcomer and resolve this unpleasant feeling.

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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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