I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 66

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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 66

“Haha, just kill me already….”

“You’re one to talk, haah. Do you even have any energy left….”

In terms of distance, it wouldn’t have taken even an hour to get here. But they had encountered countless enemies before arriving at this place.

From too many battles, Seth and Haira, who had the weakest stamina, became so exhausted they could barely breathe.

‘This is so hard.’

Especially Seth, who was carrying the child, was twice as tired.

However, having Brett or Helios carry the child would greatly limit their combat styles, and the child refused to be held by Haira.

It was a strange child.

‘Why does it refuse all other adults but clings to me so naturally?’

Was it because Seth himself looked the youngest?

‘That would make sense….’

Since Seth himself had once been in a similar situation.

“Is everyone uninjured?”

“Haha. Yes…. I’m still alive.”

“My head hurts.”

“You’re fine then.”

“What?”

“Ah! I, I’m not injured either. The child isn’t hurt anywhere either.”

At Seth’s words, Helios stared at Seth for a moment. A complex expression briefly crossed his face.

They had fought many battles getting here.

Thanks to that, they had also gained some information.

First, this was a place where the Empire and another kingdom had waged war. In other words, it was where the Royal Army had been stationed.

About half of the soldiers they encountered were ability users who could use Kia.

Their numbers kept increasing rather than decreasing, making it difficult to deal with.

“That’s it! That’s the one! Catch it! It’s a ‘Hummingbird’!”

And for some reason, the moment enemy forces saw the ‘child’ in Seth’s arms, without exception they all targeted the child.

They were able to capture one soldier and hear the reason.

“A, a Hummingbird is a human who carries information in their body!”

The facts they learned were not particularly pleasant. Rather, they were disgusting.

Hummingbird.

It referred to a method of placing young children who had awakened Kia among refugees to infiltrate and deliver information to allied forces.

Young children were forcibly implanted with information by Mental Realm Kia ability users, and when they arrived at the base, the information was extracted.

They also selected young children who had Kia abilities advantageous for escape if discovered.

To prevent information leaks, they used children who were either born unable to speak or had been made unable to speak.

“Ugh, disgusting.”

The enemy who had spilled all the information transformed into black smoke and disappeared like the other soldiers.

Among Helios and the party who couldn’t find words to continue, Mint spoke gently.

“The Empire and those guys are all bastards, aren’t they?”

The reason why such facts weren’t known was obvious. The Empire would never publicly announce such inhumane acts.

Helios easily inferred this.

“But what should we do? We’ve wandered around quite a bit… but we haven’t seen even a single hair of B-Boss Ged.”

“Haha… Right. We can’t just wander around that vast wasteland aimlessly, can we?”

“Considering the battle that broke out in just a moment, if we do that, we’ll all die for the first time together, won’t we?”

Haira responded irritably while catching her breath.

Haira was right.

More troops than expected were stationed in the wasteland.

Moreover, what they were looking for was the ‘child’ that the party was carrying.

The thing called a hummingbird.

Haira pondered deeply before speaking.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just die and come back in? If Ged is definitely in the wasteland or where that battle is taking place. There’s no way to find him.”

While searching, one of the party members, or maybe all of them, might die.

“Haha, Haira. Are you saying that strategically retreating wouldn’t be bad?”

“Yeah. Don’t you think so? Originally, all operations start from how well I understand the situation.”

“Wow, that’s something a former con artist would say. Ahaha.”

“I’m currently active, want me to steal your kidney or something?”

“Oh my, so you’re not a con artist but a thief?”

Haira and Brett bickered as they exchanged conversation.

“This floor where Ged’s fear became reality is honestly too huge!”

“Haha, then who would be better? Would Haira be better?”

“No.”

Mint interjected.

“If Haira becomes the target, you guys will fail.”

Everyone’s mouths shut tight.

Mint glanced at the window regardless.

The vast wasteland visible beyond the window with all its glass shattered. And the enemy forces looking darkly visible.

‘It’s like a simulation game.’

Protecting a designated target. Mint faintly recalled a game she used to enjoy in Korea.

Since 10 years had passed, she couldn’t remember it exactly.

“Haha, geez. Boss always just throws riddles and then loses interest.”

Accustomed to situations where Mint wouldn’t give proper answers, they each took rest in their own way.

“Come here.”

Seth extended his hand to the child he had briefly set down beside him while adjusting his clothes.

Immediately.

The child snuggled into his arms as if they had been waiting. Seth smiled softly with a quiet chuckle.

“You look used to holding children.”

Haira, who was sitting next to Seth, casually remarked.

Haira had already roughly guessed Seth’s circumstances with the sharp intuition befitting a con artist.

“Ah, yeah. Actually, I had a younger sibling… probably around this age.”

“…”

“They died during the war, so I’m not sure. Hehe.”

Seth awkwardly turned his gaze away.

“Well. Which of us who entered here doesn’t have our own circumstances?”

“…”

“It must have been hard.”

At Haira’s casually thrown words, Seth slightly lowered his head and smiled.

It wasn’t the strained expression he’d been wearing while trying to adapt to this place despite the burden, but finally a smile befitting his age.

“I’m glad the child isn’t actually a monster inside or enemy forces in disguise or something like that.”

“Huh?”

“If that were the case, you would have lost your combat ability first.”

Seth smiled shyly but didn’t deny it.

Mint, who had been watching, thought quietly in silence.

Do you trust this Tower?

Of course, she wouldn’t tell them right now.

“Haha, so what do we do now? Do you really think it’s better to go out and look for Ged? Or would it be better to just die, Boss?”

Mint was also curious about Helios’s decision as she quietly listened to everyone’s conversation.

“But this child, the more I look at them, the more they really seem to resemble someone I know…”

“Eh, sis. Do you know this child?”

“Hold on. I’m just starting to think about it now.”

Haira stared intently at the child who was leaning their face against Seth’s chest.

“…But do we really have no choice but to go look for Ged or die?”

“That won’t be necessary, it seems.”

Helios said as he stood up from his seat.

Mint was already staring at where Helios was looking.

The final floor of the trial themed around ‘fear.’

Mint was curious.

Helios. How will you overcome and resolve this floor?

Bang. Bang.

Someone was knocking on the door they had temporarily blocked.

Very violently.

Looking closely, it wasn’t knocking but breaking it down.

“An enemy.”

An axe poked out between the wooden doors. Next, a shield appeared slightly.

“When an enemy appears, we ambush them.”

Finally, the objects blocking the door came crashing down and the door fell with a thud.

“Haha, I hope this will be the last battle.”

Contrary to Brett’s frivolous laughter, Helios and his party had already finished preparing for battle.

For some reason, Mint wasn’t standing in Ged’s position, but everyone just thought it was her usual whim.

And when the enemy finally appeared.

No one could move.

“…Ged?”

Because the person who appeared was Ged.

But he looked quite different from what they knew.

He was slightly younger, wearing a military uniform with light medium armor.

In his hands, he held a shield and axe engraved with the Imperial Insignia.

His usual heartily laughing face was nowhere to be seen.

“Haa, haa…”

His face was twisted like a demon’s.

“What, what is this. Is that really Ged hyung?”

However, Seth’s words couldn’t continue to the end.

Whoosh!

An axe came flying.

Cold sweat ran down Seth’s back as he unconsciously used his Kia.

The axe he had stopped with telekinesis was floating in front of his face.

He had barely managed to block it by a hair’s breadth.

“Huk, huk.”

Seth gasped for breath.

In the meantime, Helios blocked Ged’s hand. The spear Helios created clashed with Ged’s new axe.

“You bastard, how dare! How dare! How dare!”

Ged screamed like a madman.

Haira, who had stepped back, shouted loudly.

“Since we’re inside Ged’s memories, shouldn’t it show us the old Ged?! The real one is somewhere else!”

“I don’t think so.”

Mint’s leisurely voice denied the hypothesis.

“That bastard is the real Ged.”

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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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