I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 76

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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 76

The disc that disappeared in an instant crumbled into particles of light.

“Oh my. This is similar to my ability?”

Behind Mama, who had caught and crushed the disc with her bare hands, a giant shadow was cast.

“I never taught you that…”

It was a summoned creature protecting her.

“Who are you?”

“…Should I say I’m someone from the future?”

Only after laughing did I realize it was a bitter laugh.

Countless discs floated up around my body.

“…What should I do? There’s probably no one here to treat mental illness.”

Lies.

If you really thought I was sick, you wouldn’t have even bothered to face me.

While quietly repositioning the discs, something suddenly emerged from my shadow.

I wasn’t startled.

Pierrot holding a giant scythe.

The summon that Mama controls!

The scythe drew a semicircle. Once caught in its trajectory, injury was unavoidable.

‘I’ll sacrifice my arm and immediately cut off the Kia…’

That was the moment. My body stiffened.

Instead of moving, I became completely unable to budge.

Screech.

The scythe stopped right in front of my face.

I looked bewildered at the giant figure covering my body.

…What is this?

It’s warm.

“…What? How did this happen?”

That’s what I want to ask.

“Helios?”

“…You know me?”

The person who held me and stood in the way was none other than Helios.

* * *

‘What the hell.’

Mint was uncharacteristically flustered.

She had to be.

This was a nightmare or illusion she was having after being affected by Hades Mental Realm Kia.

Moreover, the time period would be her past, when actual events that had occurred would take place.

Helios could neither be here nor appear in this place.

Mint’s confusion didn’t last long.

“Where the hell is this place…? A prison?”

Helios’s confused voice restored her characteristic calm rationality.

Mint generally didn’t stay flustered for long. It was natural.

She had been living in this place for ten years, where split-second decisions determined life and death.

“The Tower?”

“That’s right.”

Helios stared intently at the small girl who had answered him.

When he opened his eyes, he was in this place.

A giant cavity, collapsed people. Or people piled up unconscious.

And the remaining prisoners huddled in corners, trembling with fear.

And some middle-aged woman was attacking a young girl.

It was natural that his body moved first.

Because he had to. Because it was natural.

At the same time, Helios felt familiarity in the girl’s way of speaking.

She called his name and used a familiar tone?

There was only one person it could be.

“…Master?”

Helios had arrived at the correct answer.

The reason he hadn’t immediately recognized her was due to several mixed factors.

While he knew intellectually that Mint was a woman, he had grown accustomed to her male appearance and couldn’t immediately think of her when seeing this girl’s form.

Clearly she was a ‘guard,’ but the fact that this place was unfolding as a prison was another factor.

Mint had said she would be punished by her superior and lose consciousness. But where exactly was this place?

Or was this his own dream?

‘His master, whose real face he didn’t even know, appearing in a prison in a young form?’

This was even stranger.

Even amid incomprehensible events occurring, Helios tried to remain calm.

Though he didn’t know it, it was a cautiousness he had naturally come to resemble from Mint.

“Can you finally see me now?”

The two people’s eyes met.

Helios flinched.

What one always longed for with mind and heart versus seeing directly was the difference between sky and earth.

Then was this girl’s appearance before his eyes really Mint?

But why on earth was the location a prison?

He couldn’t jump to conclusions.

Because he couldn’t know where this was or what kind of place it was.

He didn’t even know what kind of ‘punishment’ his master had received.

“…Are you really my master?”

“Then who else here would know your name.”

The girl let out a cynical laugh.

It was strange.

Not only was it different from the face he usually saw, but Mint wasn’t someone who laughed like this.

Quite remarkably, how should he put it, he could feel a bit more liveliness.

Was this because of her young appearance?

“Just where is this place? Why do you look like that and why are you here…”

“Shh.”

Before Helios could continue speaking, a small hand covered his mouth.

Feeling the tiny hand size against his lips, Helios had to experience that mysterious feeling once again.

He wanted to have a conversation, but he waited obediently and submissively.

Mint turned her head.

There, as if she had been waiting, was a middle-aged woman crouched down, supporting her chin with both hands and grinning broadly.

“What, what is it? Why? Tell me too~.”

A frivolous voice. A sly smile.

Helios somehow felt a sense of familiarity.

“Little one, tell me too.”

“This probably isn’t the time to be asking such things.”

“Hmm?”

Even at Mint’s calm retort, ‘Mama’ didn’t back down.

Her eyes flashed sharply amid the playfulness. Instinctively, Helios’s shoulders tensed up.

“Then should I find out through force?”

“That’s why.”

Mint remained calm and composed nonetheless.

“This probably isn’t the time to be asking such things.”

The middle-aged woman frowned at the same answer, but only briefly.

A Guard’s voice echoed from the ceiling.

[Ah, ahem. We announce.]

The irritation was clearly evident, and even the sound of tongue clicking could be heard distinctly.

[Tsk, we announce that all results of this 70th Floor Trial have been nullified due to the ‘King’s’ visit. Ah, so why is the master of the 100th Floor playing around down there, seriously.]

“Uhahaha. Sorry about that~.”

The very ‘Mama’ who had intruded on the Trial looked completely shameless.

While this was a familiar occurrence for Mint, Helios was completely bewildered.

70th Floor? Master of the 100th Floor? What was all this about?

[Ugh. So annoying… For the sake of the entire Tower’s results, we plan to restart the Trial in one hour. Everyone standby.]

Soon after, the door opened and guards wearing familiar uniforms entered.

There were faces I recognized and faces I hadn’t seen in a long time.

I quietly got up from my seat, grabbed Helios’s hand, and pulled him along.

“Follow me quietly.”

Helios was still confused. But right now, he had no choice but to follow the words of the girl whose essence was his master.

While walking, I could see the middle-aged woman who was supposedly the owner of the 100th Floor having a conversation with the guards.

A sly face. And hearty laughter.

Our eyes met. The middle-aged woman’s eyes curved deeply.

― Who are you?

A voice echoed inside my head.

Helios wasn’t startled. Mint had also spoken to him in his head like this before.

Helios was the one who wanted to ask.

Who are you, and what do you do?

* * *

“The owner of the 100th Floor. It refers to the king of the prisoners.”

“….”

“Simply put, the boss.”

Outside the Tower, this was a space familiar to him.

The difference was that the prisoners sitting around were all either fierce or muttering something frantically.

Plus the gloomy and sinister atmosphere. They looked like people who had lost their minds or gone crazy.

It was like a den of madmen.

“The owner of the 100th Floor can move freely anywhere in the Tower. Of course, it’s not free.”

“…How does Master know all this?”

This wasn’t the question he most wanted to ask. But he ended up asking it due to Mint’s flowing explanation.

“Why would I know? Did you forget I’m a guard? I learned it all before coming in.”

That was a lie. The guard education here consisted of nothing more than throwing you a manual.

But it was a fact Helios had no way of knowing.

“…Hah.”

Helios rubbed his face. He seemed to need some time to organize his thoughts, and after a brief silence, he asked.

“So where exactly is this place, and what’s this situation? You can explain now, right?”

“Where is it.”

“I’m not asking because I really don’t know where this is. I’m asking what relationship this place has with the punishment Master received.”

“….”

“That’s what I’m curious about.”

I know that when Mint doesn’t want to answer something, she brushes it off with nonsense.

But this can’t be overlooked.

“Well, as I said… I’m currently receiving ‘punishment.'”

Mint’s mouth slowly opened.

“That punishment is….”

Though he still hadn’t adapted to the young girl’s voice, Helios listened attentively.

“You go into one of the memories of the prisoners here and experience it directly.”

Mint’s hand pointed toward the Tower.

“Mountain Hell. They’ll tell you to go taste it directly, picking one of the most unfortunate prisoners and letting you enter that memory.”

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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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