I Became a Leader in a Wretched Prison - Chapter 8

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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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Episode 8

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The incident that had just occurred helplessly entered a lull at Sergeant Steven’s words.

Well, it was time for the most important task of this place to proceed.

The prisoners naturally followed behind their assigned guards, either obediently or wandering about.

It was quite an orderly sight.

Only the new prisoners showed confusion.

“Ah, newcomer, you don’t need to follow us. Stand next to your assigned prisoner.”

Because Sergeant Steven gestured with a grinning smile, I was walking next to the Male Lead.

The Tower.

‘This must be the most difficult process prisoners experience here.’

Those who came for the first time would find it hard to understand.

Why they had to enter the Tower.

Why they had to experience such things in the Tower.

Even I, who knew the novel, felt such emotions.

The role of breaking the spirit of prisoners who were so hot-blooded they caused trouble, while also dividing them into grades to make management easier.

And.

‘It also serves to control the number of prisoners.’

The 100-Floor Tower had different trial contents for each floor.

And now that the Boss had changed, the contents would be different from when I was here.

Since the entrances were different by grade and the guards leading them were different, the prisoners were scattered apart.

“Hey.”

I turned my head. Helios was standing at the very back of the line.

Those trembling guys right in front must be the new prisoners who came just before the Male Lead.

All the exposed parts of the new prisoners’ bodies were bruised and battered.

‘Looks like they had quite the initiation ceremony.’

Even though someone who was like his senior was in such a state, the Male Lead’s expression remained calm.

“Hey.”

Admirable. As expected, the protagonist is different after all.

“That thing earlier, how did you do it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just now… creating that large shield.”

Ah.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know about ‘Kia’?”

“…I know.”

Right. It wouldn’t make sense not to know about a power that half the nation uses.

“I’ve seen my knights, no. I’ve seen people around me use it a lot. But you’re the first person I’ve seen create something like that so quickly. How exactly did you do it?”

I was about to answer comfortably but hesitated.

“You should worry about surviving first rather than satisfying your curiosity.”

“…You can’t answer?”

“No. We’ve arrived at the Tower.”

At this, Helios raised his head.

A giant door stood before us.

It was the door that the lowest-grade prisoners entered through.

“Just think about surviving.”

“…”

Of course, there was absolutely no way the Male Lead would die on the 1st Floor.

The manual said that guards should know how to properly intimidate prisoners.

‘I know what kind of trial will happen on the 1st Floor.’

Though the content changed each cycle, the main theme remained the same, so knowing it would be helpful.

But there were too many watching eyes to tell him.

I pondered for a moment before speaking.

“Be careful not to get torn apart and eaten. Especially your ‘legs’.”

“…”

After all the prisoners entered through the door, the guards would head to the waiting room through another entrance and monitor the prisoners’ trials.

“Well then, see you when you’re ali…”

Before I could finish speaking, Helios’s hand grabbed my arm. I could have easily avoided it but didn’t.

I was curious about what this man, who suddenly looked urgent, would say.

“…If I survive?”

Facing the darkness ahead, his purple eyes glowed bewitchingly like lanterns.

After a moment of silence, I leisurely opened my mouth.

“If you survive, I’ll tell you how I made that shield.”

“…”

Now he’ll let go, right?

But the long, pretty hand didn’t release me.

“…Where will you be?”

“This instructor is a guard, so I’ll be watching over my assigned prisoner, won’t I?”

“…Right. You’ll be watching.”

I thought about warning him for calling a guard ‘you’ repeatedly.

Come to think of it, I remembered that not a single prisoner where I used to be properly addressed the guards either.

‘How can I force him to do something I couldn’t do myself.’

I shrugged and pulled my hand free.

Creeeeak.

The giant door swallowed the prisoners.

* * *

“Newcomer! First time in the Tower?”

When prisoners enter the Tower, the guards go into the waiting room.

Therefore, this was Mint’s first time entering this place.

Though she had seen guards looking down at prisoners through the window from above quite often.

When Mint glanced at the window, she could see the prisoners who had entered the Tower down on the ground floor.

Mint confirmed Helios’s location and turned her head.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Cain Dust. I’m the Lowest Grade General Management director.”

He was a large-built guard.

“You can call me Sergeant Cain.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Sergeant.”

The guard with a scruffy beard was a face she’d never seen before. This meant he was someone Mint hadn’t encountered when she broke through the Lowest Grade Floor.

“Until your first year, you’ll mainly be handling lowest grade prisoners, so you’ll be seeing me quite a lot.”

“Yes, understood.”

Was he someone who used Musculoskeletal Kia?

His build was excessively large.

Cain stroked his beard slowly and grinned.

“I like to get along with newcomers in a friendly way. Next time you see me, call me ‘hyung.'”

“…I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you properly?”

Mint recited what the Manual Article 3, Newcomer’s Attitude, Item 4 said to repeat ‘when you can’t hear your superior’s words.’

“Ah, it’s fine. It’s fine. Steven told me you’re quite an odd fellow. Take this chance to practice and try calling me that.”

Mint hesitated for a moment.

Unfortunately, ten years of prisoner life had completely messed up the basic social norms Mint had known.

The social knowledge and skills she had learned in Korea had also become faint and blank like a clean slate.

Instead, she had survived in this lawless land, so the price was paid cheaply.

‘So, should I call him that, or not?’

Mint pondered. Since he told her to, shouldn’t she call him that?

Sergeant Steven, who had been her mentor, wasn’t in charge of the lowest grade and had gone to other grade floors.

The guards currently with her were all under the supervisor Cain and his subordinate guards.

In other words, they were all guards she was seeing for the first time, so Mint had no one to ask for advice.

Cain grinned slyly.

“It’s fine. It’s fine. Call me comfortably. Let’s practice. Come on, try calling me that.”

He walked right up to Mint and said this with a benevolent smile.

“Yes. Hyung.”

“Hyung is informal speech, you bastard. Hyung-nim.”

“Hyung-nim.”

“That’s right. Call me again.”

“Hyung-nim.”

“Louder.”

“Hyung-nim!”

Cain’s kindly smiling expression changed completely.

“This bastard.”

A sneer.

“You actually do it when told?”

Mint saw the leg flying toward her.

What they called ‘breaking joints,’ wasn’t it? An attack that would clearly kick her shin if left alone.

If she left it as is, her leg bone would definitely crack.

Mint lightly dodged the strike.

“…You dodged?”

For a moment, a cold silence flowed through the Guard Room.

Cain’s expression became bewildered.

‘I kicked with all my strength though?’

Cain, who used Musculoskeletal Enhancement Type Kia, boasted outstanding physical abilities even among the guards.

While he was dumbfounded, Mint slowly blinked her eyes.

“Why did you dodge, you bastard?!”

“Because I don’t like pain?”

What an insolent bastard. Cain made an incredulous expression.

“This bastard…! Acting cocky for a newcomer. When a senior tells you to take it, you take it!”

The sergeants who were with him had been holding back laughter in preparation for the screams that would come.

However, they stiffened awkwardly at the strangely unfolding situation.

That newcomer, what kind of guy is he…?

“Stand straight! Attention! Answers must only be ‘yes’ or ‘yes sir’!”

“Yesh.”

“…”

Cain clenched his teeth so hard his jaw became walnut-shaped.

“From what I can see, you must have acted tough outside because you knew how to use Kia a little. This place is on a different level from outside.”

“…”

“If you dodge again, know that I’ll kick you out. Expelling one newcomer with my authority isn’t difficult at all.”

No matter whose recommendation got him in, this kind of newcomer needed to be taught reality.

That was exactly the role of a Senior Guard like himself!

—Or so, Cain Dust thought.

Meanwhile, Mint was having thoughts like this.

‘The Warden told me not to cause problems.’

Getting kicked out would be troublesome.

Mint decided not to dodge the leg flying at her again.

‘He didn’t say not to use Kia though.’

Instead, she wrapped the Kia in her body firmly around her leg.

‘How do you use Musculoskeletal Enhancement again… Was it like this?’

Clang!

A sharp sound that was hard to believe came from leg hitting leg was heard.

“Aaaaaargh!”

The result was stark. Cain lay on the ground, clutching his leg and writhing.

‘Crazy, what the hell is with this person’s leg…!’

It was steel! The sensation was definitely steel! But how?

Among those with Musculoskeletal Kia, there were some who possessed the Steel Body Ability.

But those people were definitely…

‘Outside, that would be an ability only Imperial Knight-level people could have…!’

Cain looked up while clutching his aching leg. Cain gulped.

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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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