章節 16: [To Live]: Devour [1]
Somewhere on the lowest level—the Hell Floor—of the Eternal Prison.
Time had passed, a full half day.
The knights, along with Tim, had finished circulating mana, restoring themselves to full power.
"Now that everyone is ready, let's escape this place."
With Armon's memories sorted, I had a rough understanding of their situation.
I knew the escape routes well enough to make my way out of the Eternal Prison, but not unscathed.
This prison, the deepest level reserved for the kingdom's most dangerous criminals, was one Armon had studied carefully.
After all, he had been the king of this kingdom before.
But even with his knowledge, I turned to Tim, his most trusted and the captain of the knights.
"Tim, are you familiar with the routes, traps, and escape methods without triggering any alarms?"
Tim's head lifted proudly.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I served as the head inspector of the Eternal Prison for ten years."
"Then, lead the way, my loyal knight."
Tak! Tak!
***
[The protogonist is referred as Armon as he had taken over his body for this quest]
***
With a commanding nod, Armon took the lead.
The knights followed, five steps behind, Tim at his side to give directions.
They stopped in front of mana-infused iron bars, unbreakable to even Rank B warriors.
But before Armon could act, Tim raised his hand.
He gave a small wave, and the bars turned to ash.
The iron disintegrated without a spark, without a sound.
"You need not lift a finger, Your Majesty. We are here to do the work."
Tim's voice was resolute, his loyalty unwavering.
"All you need to do is just reclaim your rightful throne."
-Thud! Thud!
The other knights fell to their knees, voices rising as one.
"Your Majesty, just this once…"
"Allow us to serve…"
"Please, let us do this."
Armon gave a small nod, allowing his loyal knights to rise.
They moved forward through the long, dimly lit corridor, barely noticing the single prison cell lining the walls.
They were almost at the end—
-Clank!
'!?'
Tim's foot caught on something.
A soft click echoed, and he glanced down, wide-eyed.
-Swish, swish, swish!
Dozens of arrows shot from the ceiling, each one humming with mana.
With a flick of his wrist, Tim raised his hand.
The arrows froze mid-air, then dropped to the floor in a metallic clatter, melting instantly upon impact.
The faint scent of scorched metal filled the air.
If Tim had been even a second too late, they would have been impaled like porcupines.
His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
'Why was the trap triggered?'
Tim was sure he had followed the map precisely.
Even if the trap posed no threat to them, something felt wrong.
"I don't remember traps being here," he muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Tim furrowed his brows, his hands clenched.
'Could it be… they changed the prison layout to prevent his majesty's escape?'
He hadn't considered that possibility.
But now…
-Creak! Clang!
A sudden metallic screech shattered his thoughts.
"Huh?"
A blade sliced from the wall, hurtling toward him with blinding speed.
Tim barely had time to bend backward, dodging it by a hair's breadth.
But in the same moment, the floor beneath him cracked and collapsed.
'Damn it!'
The ground caved in, leaving a gaping void stretching as far as the eye could see.
Tim and the others began to fall—
But an invisible force caught them mid-air.
Mana wrapped around them, holding them aloft.
Armon's voice was calm, almost mocking.
"It appears the prison layout has been altered."
Tim's face twisted in frustration and anger.
"Yes, Your Majesty. It seems that way."
"Then there's no need for caution," Armon declared.
"Tim, we'll use our full strength to speed through this floor."
They hovered in the air as the king continued.
"But we head to the other prisoners' cells first."
Tim hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him.
"Your Majesty, could it be… you intend to use that?"
A faint smile played on Armon's lips.
"Indeed, my loyal knight."
"Peace has lasted far too long, and it seems everyone believes they can challenge amd overthrow me."
He gestured forward, propelling them down the corridor.
They flew for some time, passing dark, winding paths, before landing on a solid patch of floor.
The dim light faded, leaving the path ahead in complete darkness.
-Whoosh!
Tim created a small flame, lighting it atop a wooden staff conjured with his mana.
'What's that?'
A chill prickled his skin.
A breeze wafted from deeper within the prison.
Wind, in a place this deep?
The unease gnawed at him.
It had to be another trap.
But before he could ponder further, an eerie sound echoed from the depths.
-Screech!
Tim flinched, gripping the torch tightly.
'Is someone… scratching?'
-Screech!
The noise was closer this time.
It sounded like nails dragging across stone.
A shiver ran down his spine as he tightened his grip.
"Your Majesty, it seems we're approaching our target," he said, voice tense.
"Hm."
As they moved, a faint red line appeared on the cave floor.
It looked like dried blood, and an unsettling aura hung over it.
The sound grew louder.
-Flicker!
Tim lifted the torch higher, illuminating the shadows ahead.
About a dozen steps away, iron bars framed a dim figure crouched within.
Armon's eyes sharpened.
"It appears we've arrived at the correct cell."
-Swish!
He raised a hand, signaling everyone to halt.
In the eerie silence, Armon alone stepped forward, crossing the red line.
-Screech!
The scratching noise became deafening.
In that instant, Armon's eyes turned blank, and his pupils dilated.
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