I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 32

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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 32

“Helios, when a trial ends, even the most fatal injuries disappear like a lie, don’t they?”

After reaching the 20th Floor, Helios had never taken trials with anyone other than Mint and Ged’s group.

In other words, he had no time to familiarize himself with other people’s faces. He had to train.

“Those who die in that Tower come back to life when the trial ends. As if it were some kind of miracle.”

“…”

“It’s something that happens from the 20th Floor onwards, but you didn’t know at all. They should have explained it on the 19th Floor.”

They didn’t. Because he never made it to the 19th Floor.

As soon as Ged finished speaking, Mint, who had been watching the people and Tower with her back turned, slowly turned around.

Mint’s—no, ‘Garret’s’—eyes, which were dark green like mint as befitting the name she wore as a disguise, stared directly at him.

“I wondered when you’d find out, but now you have.”

“Why…”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

“…”

“Only the 19th Floor Guard can tell you that, and I wasn’t qualified to tell you. Prisoner Helios.”

It was a lie.

In truth, she had hoped he would realize the most important secret on his own.

This prison was like that.

The more one realizes on their own, the longer the realization remains in their heart.

Helios’s face, now trembling as if about to shatter, would become even more firmly attached.

A faint thrill crossed Mint’s face.

Mint thought of this Tower as like an ‘endless hell.’

Criminals who came here for their sins climbed the Tower, killing and being killed, suffering.

But the moment a trial ended, everything returned to nothing. And then it returned to a time of killing, being killed, and suffering again.

Unable to die, unable to refuse the trials.

What else could this be but the most terrible punishment for wicked criminals?

“All kinds of villains from the world gather here.”

Real prisoners, different from herself and Helios who were falsely accused.

When the trial ended, sunset was falling over the world.

Before Helios’s eyes, Mint’s brown hair was dyed in the burning sunset light.

Mint smiled at Helios with an expression he’d never seen before and whispered.

“I think that Tower is like the villain of villains.”

What do you think?

* * *

The sunset quickly faded away.

As if showing the characteristics of this prison at the edge of the world.

Under the sky where evening stars now lingered.

Mint and Helios walked without speaking. During meal time, after meals ended, and when they gathered again for training during rest time.

Until roll call ended and they lay down on their beds, there was no particular conversation between the two.

Of course, Mint didn’t care at all. She just thought things like ‘What training should I start tomorrow?’

“They say you grow taller if you sleep early.”

“….”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Mint yawned and turned to lie facing Helios’s bed.

Helios was sitting on his bed in the same clothes he’d returned in, let alone having washed up.

It didn’t seem like he had a dazed expression. But it wasn’t a shocked look either.

It was a somewhat composed expression.

That’s what Mint thought, though she wasn’t good at reading expressions or emotions.

“You could have said something. No, given me a hint.”

Mint had given countless hints up until now. From the first time they entered the 1st Floor. Continuously all the way up.

So she could have easily given hints about the Tower where you come back to life even if you die.

“Asking why I didn’t tell you, why I didn’t give hints… isn’t that kind of… acting spoiled?”

Helios’s shoulders flinched slightly.

Her voice wasn’t cold. But it was dry and emotionless. More than usual.

“I never stopped you from interacting with anyone else in the first place.”

If he had tried talking to someone, if he had remembered even one face of people passing by on the same floor.

Helios could have known.

Just like he was able to learn from his conversation with Ged today.

“You’re not going to ask me to take responsibility for your social skills and growing up too, are you? Little Helios?”

“….”

“Or is it adolescent boy Helios?”

Despite usually acting like she had no common sense or propriety, Mint was always sharp in strange places.

Like someone who knew everything but pretended not to.

“…So.”

Helios actually couldn’t understand what he was so frustrated about himself.

He just felt anger rising at Mint’s appearance of looking at him but seeming not to look at him.

The fact that Ged and everyone else knew, but only he didn’t.

It felt exactly like Ged’s group and Mint were sharing secrets…

Helios hurriedly rubbed his face.

Good grief.

‘How is this any different from a real kid?’

Helios anxiously bit his lips hard.

“If you bite your lips, they’ll bleed~.”

A carefree voice quietly echoed through the Two-Person Cell.

Helios slowly raised his head.

This place where no light was permitted at night except for the lanterns carried by guards.

Even when he turned his head, he could only see a silhouette, but he could feel that Mint was looking at him.

So here, he needed to speak more rationally and coldly.

Why was she helping him, even going so far as to call herself his Master? How long would she help him?

How much would she teach him until then?

“…Are you going to let me die now?”

But only a pathetically weak voice came out. At this fact, he felt terrible self-contempt.

A small breathing sound came from beyond the space between the beds. It was a breath that resembled laughter.

‘How can she be laughing?’

Helios swallowed. He wanted to see her.

“No, I’d prefer if you didn’t die, Helios.”

“…”

“I don’t particularly want to see my First Disciple die either.”

What kind of expression was she making while saying such things?

“First Disciple.”

“Yeah, don’t worry. You’ll be my first and last disciple in this lifetime.”

It was ridiculous. That he felt like he had just given up his entire world from those few light words.

“A Master is a position that must take responsibility.”

“…”

“You’re the only one I want to take responsibility for.”

Mint thought of the 25th Floor.

Even people who had never died once would face death on This Floor.

In fact, it was a more vicious floor than one might think. Because not all criminals who came here had committed murder.

However, the Trial of the 25th Floor made those who had never killed experience their first murder.

And those who entered through murder would have their forgotten pleasure revived again.

If the Tower had an intention to make humans collapse, this would be the first beginning.

Yes, the beginning of collapse.

Because Mint had realized while climbing up. That what was lost on the lower floors could neither be picked up again nor recreated.

“I hope you can reach the Summit without dying even once.”

Mint had entered here at too young an age. Even if her mind was that of an adult, her body was that of a child. There was no way she could have climbed without dying.

“Do you know what’s at the Summit of this Tower?”

Mint’s voice echoing in the quiet room was somehow different from other days.

“…What’s there?”

Helios felt thirsty.

In this pitch-black darkness, he thought he wanted to see her just once. So desperately that he couldn’t even recognize it himself.

“An Escape Route.”

“…”

Mint told a blatant lie in an infinitely gentle voice.

“Climb to the Summit and escape. Don’t you want to go outside? I hope you do that.”

Mint murmured quietly.

Because This Place is a living hell.

The Male Lead will escape anyway, but since that might not happen. Even if it differs from the original, wouldn’t you be able to find another way to break out of prison?

Since you’re the protagonist of this world who has seized all kinds of luck.

“Helios. What do you want most?”

Helios felt frustrated. Right now I want to see your face just once. What kind of expression are you making while saying such things?

“…I want to survive.”

“If you escape, wouldn’t that be surviving? They say you can escape if you reach the Summit.”

“…”

At this moment, Helios’s goal was decided. No, he absolutely had to do it.

“Yes, I will definitely reach the Tower Summit.”

A softly breaking sound of laughter could be heard.

The day Helios gained his true goal. Helios obtained a special Kia.

‘What is this?’

He held his breath for a moment.

Because he could see the silhouette of a slender woman above his Master who was lying before his eyes.

Though she was translucent with an indiscernible color.

It was a woman with long straight hair.

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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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