I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 56

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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 56

“Ugh….”

Brett’s face grew even more haggard at Helios’s following words.

“Why does it have to be those kinds of bugs….”

“Brett, are there bugs you hate even more?”

“I hate the ones with lots of legs….”

At Seth’s innocent question, Brett grabbed his face with both hands and whimpered.

“Whether it’s spiders or centipedes, Boss, we should get moving.”

I said leisurely while yawning.

“Over there, a giant cricket is charging at us from behind.”

“…!”

A moment later.

Helios and Ged’s Group were running like mad.

“Ahhhhh, what kind of cricket has a shell thicker than a shield!”

“Just keep running. Huff, fly. Fly!”

“Haira!”

“I’m doing it!”

Screech.

“Over there!”

The running party stopped at one spot. It was the place where Helios had signaled them to stop in advance.

“Brett!”

“Of course.”

The current space was a basement, but the ground wasn’t flat.

For some reason, it was a place with appropriate uphill and downhill slopes.

Currently, Helios and the party except for Ged were positioned on the upper side, while the giant cricket chasing from behind was charging intensely up the slope below.

“Hahaha, I wish bugs were extinct!”

The cricket’s shadow rose up and captured the main body like a rope. It was Brett’s Kia.

And there was someone charging toward the tightly bound cricket. It was Ged.

“Ahem, where do you think you’re going.”

Ged’s shield pressed down on the leg that hadn’t been fully bound.

Screeeeech!

The cricket’s scream stopped instantly. Haira’s eyes were gleaming.

“Now’s the time!”

The cricket had stopped moving, caught in Bewilderment. There wasn’t much time.

When Helios gracefully swept through the air with both hands, two basic-form spears appeared in each of his hands.

I whistled softly, “Wheeew.”

‘That’s Multiple Summoning, isn’t it?’

Crack crack crack!

The summoned spears pierced the cricket’s body, but due to its hard exoskeleton, they couldn’t penetrate deeply.

Rather, as if trying to wake up from the bewilderment Haira had cast, the cricket showed fierce struggling.

“Seth!”

“Yes, four!”

That was the moment. The embedded spears began to shake and started spinning like crazy.

Thunk!

The spears, powered by rotational force, broke through the exoskeleton and created effective wounds.

It was at that moment Helios leaped out. A running start. He jumped up from the uphill path side and gained the power of falling.

The Kia gathered at the tip of his long spear also swirled.

I saw it clearly.

Thunk!

The moment the spear tip dug into the cricket’s head using the height, I saw the spear transform into a blade.

Swoosh.

When the battle ended, all that remained was the giant cricket’s corpse.

“Whew…!”

Seth collapsed right there.

“Hyung, this thing, wouldn’t it be like a mid-boss?”

Seth asked me while sitting collapsed, tilting his head back. I casually shrugged my shoulders.

“Probably?”

It was certainly different from the small fry bugs that had appeared before, an opponent that would be challenging for them now.

What was certain was that by directly defeating this, the party’s abilities had advanced a level.

Especially Helios…

‘He’s already capable of multiple creation.’

It seems the advice I gave last time about trying to change weapons was more meaningful than I thought.

Not only changing weapon forms, but also coming up with transformation methods to increase numbers himself. And even executing it.

The later one awakens to Kia, the harder it becomes to use various abilities.

Using intangible power requires creativity, and that comes from an unprejudiced perspective.

It means your mind becomes rigid as you age.

‘So this must be talent too.’

I approached Helios, who was sitting alone catching his breath. I crouched down, rested my chin on my hand, and faced him.

“I’ll praise your preparation.”

“…Hah, what are you trying to say now.”

“…? I said I’m praising you?”

“You also said it was praise when I grabbed the mantis leg and jumped in earlier.”

“Oh my, forget the past. How petty.”

“…”

Helios glared with an annoyed look then lowered his eyes. I gently touched his sweat-soaked hair then pulled my hand away.

“You summoned multiple ones. You always insisted on just one, and when it broke you’d make another.”

“I just, felt like that’s how it would be.”

“What are you looking at?”

“Looking at Master.”

Helios said as he roughly wiped away sweat with the back of his hand.

“The discs Master creates. There are several of them. Isn’t that also a Material Realm Ability?”

“That’s right.”

Hmm. If my former subordinates knew that he could gain inspiration just by watching and copy it exactly…

‘Some of them might die from jealousy.’

I could easily think of several who would come after Helios with swords, unable to bear their inferiority complex.

Would it help him to know he’s a genius? Or would it be better for him to live without knowing?

Instead of voicing the question that suddenly came to mind, I asked something else.

“So where is this place?”

“…”

Helios said this place was a ‘basement’ but seemed reluctant to give more details.

“It’s a place I’ve been to.”

“I figured. Places that Ged and Haira have been to were recreated too.”

Helios didn’t answer. After a brief silence, he responded.

“It’s my house basement.”

…The Duke’s House basement?

‘So there’s a space like this in the basement.’

Since Ged had gone back up to where the party was, only Helios and I were around the corpse. Only I heard it.

He spoke in such a small voice that even if Ged had been nearby, he wouldn’t have heard.

But this is quite a massive space – can you really call this an ordinary mansion basement?

“Long ago, they created an underground space and built the house on top of it. That’s why it’s so wide.”

As if guessing my doubt, Helios’s words reached me.

“I see.”

I stood up from my spot. Then I looked down at Helios.

Despite his large build, even looking down at him didn’t make him seem small.

“Get up. Let’s go.”

Helios didn’t get up.

Did he want to rest more? That was fine, but the next bugs would come looking for us.

Thinking he’d figure it out himself, I turned around without regret.

“Aren’t you going to ask?”

Helios’s casually thrown voice stopped my feet.

“Why there’s a space like this in the basement, what this place was originally used for.”

“…”

“And things about me?”

When I turned around, his gaze looking up at me while still not standing remained fixed on the ground.

“Not particularly…”

His eyes were dark and calm like an underground lake. I didn’t avoid those eyes.

“You’re not curious?”

And as if my single word had become a stone, his previously calm eyes shook violently.

“You seem to have forgotten, everyone here is a prisoner. Do you think there’s anyone with a peaceful past?”

That would be true for ordinary prisoners. You, who came in unjustly, would be the exception.

But I know your life, and I know the future that almost became your life. So is there any need to voice my doubts?

“Guards don’t ask useless questions. It’s an order.”

“…Right now, you’re not a guard.”

A childish voice flowed from him.

A glaring gaze.

Helios stood up from his spot just like that. Since he covered his face as he stood, I couldn’t see his expression.

He, who had grown taller than me again, placed his hand on my shoulder.

“Yes, I understand. At least that Master has no interest in something like my personal affairs.”

“…”

Our gazes met again.

“I hope you continue to act so indifferently from now on.”

His eyes were like blazing fire.

“Act that way equally toward everyone.”

I’m already doing that. He must know this even without me saying it.

“You promised that being special, being treated uniquely, would be me alone.”

“As a guard, that is.”

“Yes, as a guard.”

Helios stared down at me intently. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell what that expression meant.

I followed his figure as he passed by me and watched his back.

‘He’s unstable.’

He spoke calmly and dryly.

But the Kia rippling around his body was incredibly unstable.

* * *

Helios felt his condition gradually worsening as he went deeper into the basement.

He knew it better than anyone.

He was vulnerable to this place.

It was his fault. He should have known from the moment he first heard on the 30th Floor what form of trial this 30th Floor Range would be.

That his turn might come too.

“Boss?”

Ged, who had been tapping his bone shield, tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Haha… I know. The breaking point has come. In this space of bugs, and bugs. And bugs.”

Brett replied weakly.

He looked exhausted from the endless battles with bugs.

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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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