Yang City First Prison, C015 Special Severe Crimes Prison.
The floor and walls were made of high-intensity alloy plates, preventing prisoners from using "spoons to dig escape tunnels".
High resolution infrared night vision cameras were set up in all four corners of the ceiling, covering every single possible angle and monitoring the prisoners' every move 24 hours a day and in real time.
Lin Qi chewed slowly on what might be his "last supper".
Black pepper steak, roast goose, pickled crab, fried chicken wings, paired with sweet cola. The fragrant meat filled his mouth, but his mind was playing a happy movie.
The more he used his Memory Palace ability, the more amazed he was.
All of a sudden, the sound of footsteps could be heard.
A middle-aged gentleman stood in front of the iron gate holding an ivory cane. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a red flower on his chest lapel. Pure black leather Oxford shoes adorned his feet, his eyes hidden in the shadows.
The middle-aged gentleman's left arm was slightly bent, where he was accompanied by an elegant-looking lady. She was wearing a black haute couture dress with a H-shaped collar and mid-length sleeves, as well as carrying a crocodile skin platinum bag. Her expression was indistinguishable under a black veil.
The prison guard who led the way stood behind them and bowed slightly.
Lin Qi's first reaction was to frown.
"I don't think you know us?" The middle-aged gentleman said in a mellow voice.
Lin Qi shrugged. "Tuxedos are usually paired with step collars. Flat collars are more commonly seen in entry-level western suits. But since you know how to insert a corsage into your lapel, I don't think you would make a mistake like that."
"Oh? What does that mean?" The middle-aged gentleman's interest deepened.
"In such a serious setting as a prison where both prison guards and prisoners wear uniforms, breaking the dress code can only mean one thing—you are above everything and can break the rules."
"At the same time, since a hundred years ago, your wife's black dress is no longer limited to funeral attire. However, the black veil on her head returns to that theme. Together with your red corsage, it gives the impression of blood and slaughter."
It was a coincidence that Lin Qi had just finished reading the Godfather in his mind.
As soon as he finished speaking, a fierce aura rushed towards him. The aura was invisible and tangible, piercing into his body. It made him hold his breath on the spot. He felt like he had to dorn a military uniform himself to fend against this assault.
"You can still maintain a calm reasoning in the face of execution. I am more convinced now that you can pass the Mage Intelligence test."
The middle-aged gentleman reached out and held the steel bars of the cell. "This alloy is as cold as a coffin. It's not good. The prison's budget this year has to be raised."
His tone was cold and frosty.
"Oh?" Lin Qi gripped the plastic dinner tray tightly. The cutlery was made of special material and was too soft to be used.
"We are Luo Qi's parents," the elegant lady interrupted, her tone cold and harsh.
"First of all, I express my condolences for his accidental death. Secondly, you should know that the result of Luo Qi's autopsy showed it was a sudden death," Lin Qi explained, even though he knew that they had come with ill intentions.
He stared back at the spherical camera in the four corners. The flashing red light in the mirror meant that it was in a working state, analyzing what level the entire prison had been penetrated to.
"Then why don't you die with him?" The elegant lady smiled coldly.
From Luo Qi's sudden death to his death sentence, the whole process took only three days.
Even by the "Mage Protection Law", it was too fast. Going by his past memories, it should have taken at least half a month.
From the looks of it, the couple in front of him were very powerful. From shortening the trial time to by-passing the "Serious Crimes Visiting Room" to face him directly in his prison cell.
A lot of meaning was behind the word "budget".
Taking advantage of every last minute, Lin Qi said, "Even the ruling of the common people should be decided by the moral law of the starry sky above our heads."
"That's right." The middle-aged gentleman nodded in agreement. "This is precisely why we are patiently waiting for you to be executed."
As he spoke, he looked at Lin Qi with a smile. "But your answer sheet was too full of words. Although the possibility is extremely low, it looks like you still have a vague chance of passing."
"Alain's right. We should eliminate the possibility of amnesty before the admission results are out at dawn. Otherwise, Luo Qi would have died so grievously."
The summer air was filled with murderous intent. Lin Qi could also feel the manifestation of some mental energy!
This middle-aged gentleman might be restricted by his high position and act conservatively within the rules, patiently waiting for the next opportunity to take revenge on him.
However, a mother who had lost her beloved son could not be counted on to behave rationally!
Lin Qi could only ask the obvious. "So your wife is going to sit back and watch her husband lose his high position and end up in jail just to vent her anger?"
The elegant woman was about to retort in anger, but the middle-aged gentleman stroked her to comfort her.
"The Mage Arbitration Court will forgive the grief of a couple losing their beloved son. Besides, killing a death row criminal is really nothing to a mage. As for my high position, I only accepted it to oversee the care of Luo Qi. It is meaningless now."
Mage couple!
The only thing more terrifying than a mage were two mages.
Not to mention that in this magic-dominated world, this hierarchy was not at all constricted by the laws of the mortal world.
But Lin Qi was grasping at any lifeline. He realized that the man wanted him die to in utter despair, and so he kept up the conversation.
He thought about which would trigger a quicker reaction from the prison: a plate flying at the camera or activating the smoke detector.
The prerequisite of pretending to be deaf and mute was that he really did not know.
"If that's the case, you can use your authority to know if I'm accepted or not in advance. It won't be too late to kill me after that is confirmed."
"You still don't understand. If you really get accepted—" The middle-aged gentleman chuckled.
"If I asked and found out that you were accepted, you would be a bona fide mage apprentice. But if I don't ask, before 12 o'clock, even if your name is already gilded on the admission notice, you are still not a mage apprentice to me."
"These are the rigid and practical rules of the Mage World."
Lin Qi continued to put up a fight. "Then can I ask how I will die?"
His palms were wet and slightly trembling. He was constantly adjusting the angle of his plate and aiming it at the camera.
The black-veiled elegant lady interrupted, "Kneel down and pray. Pray that Luo Qi's soul has forgiven you! But you don't have to feel lonely. Over the next few years, your family will come down to accompany you."
Ah!
Lin Qi was instantly enraged and understood that he had finally been provoked by the other party.
These mages who had formed their own class and ignored the law, like the slave owners of feudal society. They had already transformed into human-eating demons!
In the next second, the middle-aged mage raised his arm, the power of death condensed in his palm, a destructive aura pouring out.
In an instant, Lin Qi's eyes were filled with pain. Faced with this inescapable tremendous pressure, he now understood that his 'escape method' was like child's play. It was difficult to defy the heavens!
"Loreat!" After shouting a mysterious command, the middle-aged gentleman said indifferently, "Go and cry in hell. Experience the Dreaded Lord of the Deep Sea, I summon you!"
"Phantom Killer!"
The light around him distorted, and space seemed to flicker. Then, a spectre-shaped grim reaper walked out and passed through the prison door without any obstruction.
It waved the scythe in its hand at Lin Qi, where countless souls wailed and struggled on it.
The blade slashed down.
Inescapable killer move!
"Arcaniss! Remove the magic! All curses and secret powers to be terminated."
An urgent voice cut through the quiet night sky.
In the blink of an eye, an afterimage flashed past.
From the sleeves of a robe, a strong and muscular arm grabbed the middle-aged gentleman's wrist tightly, preventing him from casting any more spells.
"You?" The middle-aged gentleman was somewhat surprised. "Why are you here?"
A young mage wearing a dark green satin robe was smiling warmly, but his eyes were also fixed on the black-veiled elegant woman who was in a casting stance.
"Senior, we are all mages. Why are you asking such a naive question? With the use of a high-level teleportation scroll, as large as the world is, any distance is just a few seconds away for me."
"Furthermore, with my appearance to stop you, you should already understand the determined intention of the higher-ups."
Dressed in the white shirt of high-ranking police officers, the warden hurried over from behind, panting heavily.
He was followed by a team of riot soldiers armed with live ammunition, as well as three emergency doctors.
"But it's too late—" The middle-aged gentleman said indifferently, but when he turned around and saw Lin Qi, who still looked the same as before, his words came to an abrupt halt.
The young mage stepped toward the front of the prison cell and looked at Lin Qi, who was still miraculously alive after being on the verge of death.
"Greetings, this is our first time meeting. I am Mage Mo Feng."
"Year Three High School Student, Lin Qi."
Smiling and nodding, the young mage Mo Feng turned to look at the bewildered middle-aged couple and the prison staff who had rushed over.
"By the decree of the Highest Council of Mages. I announce the following: Lin Qi, Year Three Student of Yang City First High School. Identification number: 05273230010213999X. You have officially obtained the status of 'Mage Apprentice' after passing the 'Mysterious Magic Unified College Entrance Examination' by the Association of Mages."
"At the same time, due to his outstanding performance in the 'Mages' Intelligence Level Test', he has been included in the' S-Class' cultivation scheme. Therefore, the target and his family are all included in the protection of the association."
With that, he looked at the warden with a pleasant expression.
"Mr. Warden, if you don't mind, can you show me and Mage Apprentice Lin Qi the enhanced facilities of this prison completed over the recent years?"
The warden looked apologetically at the middle-aged couple and nodded humbly at Mage Mo Feng. "It will be my honor."
In the next second, the cell door opened and the corridor lights shone on the floor of the cell, blurring the boundaries.
Lin Qi adjusted his collar and strode over to the middle-aged couple. "Thank you for teaching me this precious lesson. I'll definitely repay you in the future."
He then lowered his voice and said, "Just like how I said I would kill the entire family, I would definitely kill the entire family."
The young mage Mo Feng hurriedly followed with a smile, placing a hand on Lin Qi's shoulder as they left with quick steps.
When he turned the corner, he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. "Brother, I came in a hurry and didn't bring any super scrolls with me. You provoked a City Lord Mage in such a way, if he attacked in anger, I don't have the confidence to save you completely."
Lin Qi shook his head, perplexed.
"I was forcing him to make a move. I didn't expect him to endure it. It was completely different from the way he acted toward me just now."
The young mage Mo Feng's eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're one of those people who loves to court death?"
Lin Qi smiled bitterly. "It was both a probe and a moment's decision. One cannot hold up one's guard forever. I think the mage association committee would forgive the provocative remarks of a S-Class cultivation scheme mage apprentice who was at the brink of death."
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Mo Feng mumbled, "The prerequisite is that you have to survive. The value of a living S-Class apprentice and a dead apprentice is very different. Sigh, you have a nosebleed."
Lin Qi immediately wiped it with the back of his hand. The smell of blood filled the air. "I ate too many chicken wings. I'm fine."
Behind them, the middle-aged couple was still standing there alone, not moving an inch.
The prison guards who brought them here shivered in fear, afraid that they would be fired for not doing their job well.
"He was so provocative just now, you could've attacked. If he died, the family clan would've been able to support you." The black-veiled elegant lady said coldly.
The middle-aged gentleman was slightly dazed.
"Actually, it was already too late to undo the spell. That kid endured my fourth-level Phantom Killer spell full-on."
"Before finding out the reason why, I don't have the confidence to kill him."
The black-veiled elegant lady's pupils instantly widened. She looked in the direction of Lin Qi's disappearing profile, unable to calm herself for a long time.
Meanwhile, Lin Qi was receiving treatment from several emergency doctors. He was also looking at his "Memory Palace".
A small crack appeared at the top, extending all the way to the bottom. However, the crack healed at an almost imperceptible speed.
The change in the palace was what gave him the confidence to test the waters and prevent future troubles.