I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 24
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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 24
“Ged.”
Helios whispered with perfect timing. I made a surprised face.
“…You were looking at me like I was a stranger.”
“Me?”
I tilted my head, but whatever.
Anyway, the person who appeared was the buzz cut man who had been with Helios on the 20th Floor.
Actually, not just the 20th Floor, but the 21st and 22nd Floors too.
That meant his skills were pretty decent.
Of course, he got messed up badly on both the 21st and 22nd Floors, but since everything heals once you exit the Tower, what’s the problem?
Because of this, some prisoners go insane or suffer from phantom pain. But these guys didn’t seem to have that issue.
So, Ged didn’t come alone.
“Good afternoon, Helios.”
Besides Ged, I could see two more men and one woman.
They were all people who had been with Helios since the 20th Floor.
The woman was Haira, whom I knew well.
“Haha, Boss is here too?”
Despite his hearty greeting, he became more hesitant and cautious as he approached.
Reading my mood, not Helios’s.
‘I did see them gathering together on the 21st Floor.’
As both Helios and I watched silently, Ged paced nervously as he approached.
“Boss, I witnessed your brilliant performance. Very manly of you.”
I still didn’t respond and continued observing them.
Unless there was a special reason, I couldn’t find any need to engage in conversation.
I was no longer a boss, and there was no reason to kindly guide them since they weren’t new prisoners.
“Truly amazing skills you had…!”
“What was so amazing?”
Ged’s face lit up at my response. He looked honored just because I had answered.
I was used to such expressions from the prisoners under me, so I waited quietly, and Ged continued.
“That, that, giant swat…?”
“Fly swatter.”
“Yes! The way you caught bugs with that! I was very impressed. And the way you swung it while yawning was really…!”
He noticed such trivial details while busy? My eye for talent wasn’t wrong after all.
He was quite skilled.
‘Hmm, if trained well, 70th Floor? No, maybe even 80th Floor?’
There was no mirror, but if I could see myself now, my eyes probably gleamed with interest for a moment.
“Ah, stop it! Boss! Don’t stare at me randomly like that, it’s creepy!”
“Boss, with only your eyes glinting like that, you look like a ghost…”
Being able to handle all types of Kia means I can use even the most trivial abilities.
I could use a Mental Type ability called ‘Mind’s Eye’ that allows me to discern people’s talents.
‘After entering Niflheim, my miscellaneous talents began~.’
I finished examining Ged while humming a nostalgic Korean commercial jingle in my mind.
His innate potential is certainly enough to reach the 70th or even 80th Floor.
‘But this guy’s future will depend on who teaches him.’
This is only possible if he receives proper guidance.
‘He has abilities that haven’t awakened yet, and he can’t master those on his own.’
What a shame. I clicked my tongue meaninglessly in my mind and turned my head.
“The Golden Fly Swatter was truly, truly moving! All the bugs got flattened one by one…!”
Helios turned pale again at the mention of ‘bugs.’
“Stop it…”
“Huh? Helios? Why do you look like that? Are you sick somewhere?”
“…It’s an illness that would get better if you shut your mouth.”
“Oh my, an illness! In This Place, even small illnesses can get much worse. You should rest quickly…”
Ged was definitely oblivious.
Without understanding Helios’s hint to shut up at all, Ged worried about him with an innocent face.
‘But when his voice gets louder, he glances at me.’
I can’t tell if he’s perceptive or not.
But someone with such an innocent face could also be a serial killer. That’s the kind of place this is.
‘Pretending to be appropriately oblivious is also a skill.’
Regardless, I threw a comment at the haggard-looking Helios.
“Weakling.”
“…I don’t want to hear that from Master who caught ‘those things’ with a fly swatter.”
Getting all worked up.
“Bugs should be caught with fly swatters, so what else would you catch them with? Oh, how was my Mosquito Net?”
“I don’t want to remember!”
As I mentioned, mutated insects appeared on the 21st and 22nd Floors, and I created a Mosquito Net with Kia out of boredom to catch bugs.
“Ta-da, Helios. Look at this. Mosquito Net~”
“P-please put that away!”
When I showed him the Mosquito Net in the middle of battle, his terrified retreat was quite impressive.
‘Am I perhaps enjoying this?’
Am I enjoying Helios’s flinching and frowning reactions?
My emotions had grown dim because it had been so long since I enjoyed anything in this Prison.
The feeling of finding something enjoyable.
‘That face certainly isn’t bad to look at.’
Someone quietly raised their hand.
“By any chance, Boss… are you talking about the Giant Net you made on the 22nd Floor?”
A man of average height with long hair down to his waist like a woman’s straight hair spoke.
With a pale, androgynous face, his youthful appearance didn’t match his serious tone.
‘His Ability is Material Type? Among Material Types…’
“Ah, I-I’m Seth Galligan, Boss!”
“I didn’t ask.”
When our eyes met, I could see him hurriedly straightening his back.
‘Huh, this one has even greater potential.’
Having just seen Ged’s potential, the potential of this youthful man I saw alongside him was even more special.
“I’m Haira. I don’t have a last name.”
And there was even the brightly smiling Miss Haira.
Finally, the last man standing spread both hands with a brazen attitude.
“Ah, is it introduction time? I’m Brett Boehmer. Hahaha. Nice to meet you, Boss. I’ve really wanted to have a conversation with you.”
“…”
What am I supposed to do about this.
Brett, the man who introduced himself last, had very sharp eyes.
No, let me correct that. Sharp in a sinister way.
As if he knew this himself, he was smiling with his eyes nearly closed.
‘That type of person always causes trouble.’
Since I was already peeking, I examined this one too.
Oh my. This is…
“Master.”
My view was completely filled. Helios, who had blocked my way, frowned.
“Your tastes are quite diverse, aren’t they?”
“What are you talking about.”
“You don’t even discriminate by gender?”
“Move aside a bit.”
I gently pushed him with my hand, but Helios slid back and then some, falling with a thud.
Helios looked bewildered.
“What did you do?”
“That’s what I want to know. Why are you falling over by yourself.”
“…”
Even if he becomes the strongest later on.
“…Those strange eyes again.”
Is it okay for the Male Lead to be this weak? I looked at the Newbie pitifully before turning my head away.
“Your business.”
“Y-yes? Boss?”
Ged answered nervously as the representative. Haira would probably be the best speaker here though.
“Well, I, I…”
Whether he was the representative or had taken on the burden, everyone fell silent when Ged opened his mouth. Soon, Ged made a determined face and shouted loudly.
“Please teach us too, Boss!”
“R-right. Boss, I know it’s shameless of us… but could you please teach us!”
“We’re begging you.”
“Hahaha.”
The people who came with him took turns following Ged’s lead and bowed their heads.
“What is this…?”
I heard Helios’s voice, sounding somewhat flustered. He seemed a bit stiff for some reason.
“…”
When I didn’t answer even after a long while, Helios glanced at me instead.
The people remained in that position, still not raising their heads.
“Master.”
“What?”
“…Aren’t you going to answer?”
Answer?
“I don’t want to.”
“What?!”
Ged hurriedly straightened his back.
“I said I don’t want to.”
Why does he look so shocked?
“Why are you making that face?”
“Huh?”
“Just because you request something doesn’t mean I have to grant it, right?”
But why does he look so flustered?
“B-but Boss, we know you were originally a guard…”
“So?”
Rumors were going around that I, a former guard, had become a prisoner, which wasn’t strange. It was true, after all.
“We heard you protected the New Prisoner who came in with utmost care.”
“That doesn’t become a reason why I should teach you all, does it?”
“…”
Actually, I wasn’t unaware of why they were pleading like this.
‘As they climb Floor by Floor, they must be clearly feeling the limits that will come someday.’
Besides, those who already showed promise or were cunning would have been invited to various Fams early on.
‘Rather, it’s surprising that Haira is here.’
Didn’t Ramona and Deril invite her to their Fam?
‘Her ability and quick-witted social skills are exactly the type Ramona would like.’
Ramona liked Kia holders who knew how to use abilities with ulterior motives.
Her own ability was ‘Poison’ after all.
Anyway, it was time when people around them were forming groups one by one.
Or they would have seen those who joined Fams and had solid protection, whether they learned or struggled during break times, so it was time to feel envious.
‘Though what you see isn’t everything.’
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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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