I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 73
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 73
“Well, since he’s Steven’s successor, any chance of going over there has been completely blocked. I think it’s a good thing.”
“…Yes.”
The guard chuckled and asked what I was answering when I didn’t even know anything.
“He’s a kind person, isn’t he? Polite even to the likes of us.”
“Yes, he was.”
“Right. Don’t trust him too much.”
The guard patted my shoulder.
Pretending to brush something off, he slightly lowered his large frame and whispered.
“I don’t know what he said, but if he’s calling for you directly, there must be some tragic story behind it.”
“…I didn’t hear clearly?”
“Never mind. You don’t need to answer. Just remember this. The only ones called to his office were the pitiful ones, even among us weathered guards.”
“…”
Hades burrows into the hearts of the desperate, broken, and lonely. Because they’re easy to brainwash.
“If he was really someone who would go all out for the guards, would he be in this Mountain Hell?”
Well, I would know that best.
I observed the ripples of Kia around me and realized this person had set up a simple barrier so others couldn’t hear.
“Steven’s successor is also my successor, you see.”
So they’re from the same faction, I suppose. Following the Warden.
The guard who patted me once more frowned slightly.
“And you’re really in bad shape too. What did they do to you so severely?”
The Kia gathered in his hands swept over my body. Since it was considerably weaker than That Guy Hades, I didn’t need to be particularly wary.
Besides, he seemed to be dispelling the Kia that had been placed on me for my sake.
“Tsk, be satisfied with this much.”
For some reason, the guard who had shown kindness left his regards and walked away.
I watched his retreating figure and slowly examined my wrist.
“…”
I briefly set up a barrier so no one could see me.
I swallowed the faint irritation rising as I watched the red chain appear on my wrist, disappearing faster than it had appeared.
Returning to the Prisoner Zone, I headed straight to the recreation area.
Sure enough.
At the training ground where they always practiced, Helios and Ged’s Group were dripping with thick beads of sweat.
I approached but hesitated for a moment.
“What’s that?”
Haira, who had been doing mental cultivation alone—something I had taught her—opened her eyes and stared at me.
“What else would it be? Some guys who came all the way here to pick a fight?”
“Ah.”
I stopped paying attention to the unconscious guys.
No, I called Seth over and had him clean them up.
“Uh, hyung. I, I moved them all to the grass field…!”
“Clean work.”
His cleaning skills were quite good.
Watching Seth neatly clear away the prisoners who had been piled up like out-of-season mayflies, a faint memory came to mind.
Se*co…?
“Hyung?”
“No, nothing.”
I roughly patted Seth’s shoulder and went to find Haira.
Helios, Ged, and Brett were still training on their own.
Sparring, it seemed – Helios was taking on both Ged and Brett in a 2-on-1 match.
“Haha, no openings.”
“Hey! Is this the time to speak so leisurely? Show some military discipline as a man! Think of them as enemy forces, Brett!”
“Even if you say that… I’m a draft dodger, you know, Ged? Hahaha.”
“Graaah, enemy of the military!”
Ged roared. Even though he said that.
‘The Empire uses a volunteer system, not conscription, right?’
Adult Kia users receive official documents recommending military service, and only those who want to join the military.
In other words, it would have been Ged’s own choice, so I didn’t understand why he was getting angry.
“…Why are you taking my side, Ged.”
“Boss, let’s defeat that axis of evil! I cannot endure it as a man!”
“Haha, aren’t you just jealous?”
It was a good commotion. I watched for a while longer before heading toward Haira.
“Let’s move for a moment.”
“…With me?”
Haira had a very strange and odd expression but obediently followed.
I stopped walking in an open ground with few people around.
“How’s your mental cultivation going?”
“Well, um…”
Haira mumbled evasively.
It seemed like it wasn’t going well.
After she dispelled the Mental Realm Kia that had affected Ged, she said she wanted to use this ability better in the future.
However, learning this was difficult.
‘Mental Realm Kia improves with practice, after all.’
In the end, she needed someone who had been affected by Mental Realm Kia.
But she couldn’t brainwash or mentally shock perfectly healthy people.
Naturally, Haira’s training had no choice but to focus on practicing the sensation alone.
“Doesn’t seem to be going well.”
Haira shrugged her shoulders.
“If what you’re saying is true, that my ability is honed through experience, then there’s no choice.”
“That’s why I brought it.”
“What?”
“Experience material. I brought some.”
I grinned wickedly.
I was talking about the Kia that bastard Hades had placed on me.
‘How could I not know?’
The guard who was Sergeant Steven’s colleague had kindly explained what I would experience going forward before leaving.
That I would be unconscious for a while. However, during that time I would suffer from illusions or nightmares severe enough to damage my mind.
‘It wouldn’t be difficult to remove.’
But the moment I completely removed it, I would end up raising the suspicions I had barely managed to lower.
I’m betting everything on the fact that that bastard hasn’t completely given up.
Right now he probably doesn’t think it’s me, so he’ll think ‘Mint’ is hiding through some other method.
‘For instance, he might think she’s hiding in the Tower to use the record erasure rule…’
It’s obvious what he’d think.
Cunning bastard.
Well, I’m not without similar traits myself, so maybe that’s why I can make these deductions.
In any case, there’s no reason to give that paranoid bastard cause to focus on me again.
By my calculations, the Mental Type Kia that bastard placed on me has enough power to last about 3 days.
Fortunately, thanks to the kindness of the guard I met in the corridor, it was reduced from 3 days to about 2 days.
If he had reduced it further, he probably held back because he was afraid of falling out of favor with that bastard.
‘Even this much is appreciated.’
If I faint due to the Kia that bastard placed on me, I won’t be able to consume water or food.
Unable to drink water for 3 days? If I were an ordinary person instead of a Kia ability user, I would have died.
‘Tsk, that bastard.’
Setting that aside, since things turned out this way, an opportunity for excellent teaching material has come.
“Since it’s come to this. Try to dispel it.”
If I could enhance Haira’s ability here, it would help Helios. And also on the 41st Floor.
When I finished my brief explanation, Haira showed a bewildered expression.
Soon she displayed composure.
“…I understand. You’re saying I should just try it once?”
“That’s right.”
“Since you’re saying you’ll be excellent teaching material as you put it, I won’t decline. Though it’s probably not for my sake.”
I smiled slyly.
“Think positively about it.”
“…Tsk, at least say it’s for my sake, even if it’s just empty words.”
“Oh my, it would be troublesome if you fell for me.”
At that, Haira made a disgusted expression. Along with a retching gesture.
Oh, except for the retching gesture, it was similar to Helios’s expression when he’s disgusted.
Do colleagues end up resembling each other?
Anyway, I explained step by step just like when I released Ged’s Mental Realm Kia.
Haira followed along quite well.
Around the time the sun was setting.
She collapsed right where she stood.
“Haa, haa… I can’t, I can’t do anymore…!”
Mental Realm Kia consumes both physical strength and mental power at once. It drains mental power more.
It wasn’t strange for Haira, who had used all her strength, to pant like someone who had been running.
‘Hmm.’
I clenched and unclenched my hand.
When I checked the Kia that Hades had placed on me, it had decreased.
From two days of unconsciousness, it had decreased by about 0.7 more?
‘I’ll probably be unconscious for a little over a day.’
“Let’s stop here for today.”
At my leisurely words, Haira looked up with a disgusted expression.
Her gaze was sharp because I had pushed her relentlessly, but it was only for a moment.
“…Thank you. If it weren’t for you, Sir Garret, I wouldn’t have had the chance to improve.”
Would that really be the case?
“Don’t mention it.”
Just this once, I smiled and pretended not to know her weakness.
“…Did you go on a date or something?”
That night. As I was sitting on the bed to lie down as usual, I raised my head.
Helios, who had just finished washing, was standing there sulking.
What’s wrong with him?
“A date? Who did you go with? Ged?”
“Why would I go with Ged…!”
“Why not, you could. I’m not prejudiced.”
After saying that, I suddenly remembered Helios saying he wasn’t prejudiced.
Ah, was he talking about this kind of prejudice back then too?
“…You’re not?”
“Is there a reason to be? All sorts of things happen in this prison cell.”
“…”
“For reference, there’s even a prisoner who’s in love with an ant.”
Helios’s face immediately turned pale.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————