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"Give me a piece of toast, a glass of milk... What's that? Braised lala fat? I'll have that too."
Ash held the tray as he sat down, observing the diners in the cafeteria.
Aside from prisoners dressed in classic uniforms, there were quite a few prison guards eating here as well. This prison seemed not to foster a hierarchy; guards and prisoners appeared equal, or rather, the guards didn't bother with the prisoners, and the prisoners didn't deliberately provoke the guards, creating a harmonious prison environment together.
Ash could understand prison guards not bothering with prisoners, after all, slacking off was human nature, but why did the prisoners also keep their distance from the guards?
After all, people who are smart don't commit crimes, so those who end up in prison must be fools who don't know their place, like some cult leader arrested by police hunters.
Accordingly, those prisoners must not be that bright either, but why wouldn't they tease or provoke the guards?
"Because they're locked."
Sitting next to him, the Sword Maiden poked at the braised lala fat with a finger and casually said, "The chips in your neck are locked. No attacking people, no insulting others, no harming yourself. That's why Shattered Lake Prison is so free—you're shackled with chains on every bone and nerve."
"You see, on that wall is a poster for 'Creating a Civilized Prison,' with a photo of death row inmates and students. Looks like the fostering of civilization here is quite successful; they even have students visiting for spring and fall trips."
Ash instinctively touched the back of his neck, eyes widening, "This—this is like having a bomb on your neck—"
"Do you have to talk so loudly?" The Sword Maiden pointed at the prisoners who looked over upon hearing him.
Ash quickly muffled himself with toast: "As long as I wear this chip, there's no way I can escape, right? It must have a tracking function!"
"More than that, if they wanted, they could send a strong current through the chip to stop your heart directly." The Sword Maiden spread her hands, "So, you're right; theoretically, there's no way to escape this prison. Forget about escaping; even if you wanted to dig a tunnel with a spoon, the chip would stop you from destroying public property."
"Theoretically no way, so what about in practice?" Ash took a sip of milk, surprised by its sweetness.
"In practice... there isn't." The Sword Maiden rolled her eyes, "I'm not from here, how would I know so much?"
"Then where did you get the info you just shared?"
"There's a 'Shattered Lake Prison Encyclopedia' in your light screen folder. I was bored and took a look."
Ash froze for a moment, realizing of course, the Sword Maiden was just a character from a game, how would she know anything about this world?
But now it's troublesome, she can apparently look through other files on my light screen. I was hoping to find any mysterious websites with black and yellow out there...
"I can't help with escaping, but if you want to get stronger, I have some ways." The Sword Maiden said, "In any case, first find someone to fight with. Nothing is easier to understand than a fight, right, Observer?"
"Wait, according to what you said, prisoners can't attack others, so how do I fight them?" Ash finally realized the prison had fundamentally prohibited prisoners from brawling.
"Do you ask me about everything? Are you the one trying to escape prison, or am I?" The Sword Maiden mocked, "And if you're hungry, do you have to call for your mom?"
"Mom! Grandma!"
"You're looking for trouble!"
Ash rubbed his forehead, thinking it was so unfair. The Sword Maiden was intangible, yet her flicks on the forehead hurt so much...
Ash looked around and saw a bald, muscular guy who had taken a glass of milk, so he went over and sat in front of him—knowing others couldn't hit him made Ash bolder.
"Hi, I'm Ash, what's your name?"
"Hi, Ash, I have a boyfriend." The bald guy was very friendly.
Ash was stunned, noticing that nearby guards and prisoners also turned their heads, prompting him to quickly explain, "That's not what I meant, I just have some questions for you!"
"I understand, I understand, really." The bald guy nodded understandingly, "When you hit on someone and they proactively disclose having a partner, it's indeed awkward. But my love for my boyfriend is pure and sincere, allowing no doubt, so I state my stance right from the start, being kind to everyone, including you, Ash. I'm sure you'll find your own love."
"I... no... I just..."
"Ask away." The bald guy signaled with an encouraging look, "Don't feel awkward; failing to hit on someone is quite normal. If you can't think of a question to cover it for now, I can wait. But honestly, Ash, your way of getting my attention is outdated, knocking over my milk on purpose like a grade-schooler..."
Now there was no refuting, with witnesses and evidence, Ash had no choice.
Ash felt the nearby eyes becoming curious, and he opened his mouth, ultimately giving up on explaining, "I just wanted to ask, if I want to fight, is there a way?"
The bald guy blinked, "You're new here? Oh, right, you're the one who's been all over the news lately... the Four Pillars God Sect leader?"
"Uh~ I'm actually quite interested in The Gods of Four Pillars, but unfortunately, I have a boyfriend, otherwise I could've given you a chance..."
Ash was truly fed up and wanted to leave, but the bald guy's next words made him stay: "If you want to stretch your muscles, you've come to the right person—oh, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Lanna, a member of the Death Battle Society."
"Death Battle Society?"
"Because of the chips, we can't harm others. But the Death Battle Society has the warden's permission, and during a death battle, we can temporarily lift the chip restrictions to fight. This is an exclusive benefit for Death Battle Society members."
Ash was quite surprised, "The prison agrees to this kind of thing? How humane!"
Lanna shook his head, "But there's a cost to this, the biggest being what our society is named after."
"Death battle?"
"Exactly." Lanna finished his milk, sticking out his large tongue to clean the milk off his lips, looking at Ash with calm eyes.
"If you join a death battle, someone must die for it to end. Death battle fights to the death."
Ash blinked, "But... with so many measures to restrict us, would the prison actually allow us to kill?"
"If someone dies, it doesn't mean you killed them." Lanna smiled, "The death battle ring is next to the medical room. As long as the body remains intact and death is within five minutes, taking it to the medical room can revive them. Of course, any leftover sequelae are uncertain."
"And even if a prisoner does die, the prison doesn't mind. After all, every prisoner here is destined to die."
His words carried the 'people die when they are killed' vibe, and Ash agreed, "Yes, yes, people do indeed die."
"Hmm? You seem to have misunderstood me." Lanna seemed surprised, "Haven't you heard of Shattered Lake Prison's reputation outside? Haven't you watched the Blood Moon Judgment on the first and fifteenth of every month?"
"Ah?"
"Every prisoner in Shattered Lake Prison, every single one, is on death row." Lanna calmly stated, "No appeals, no escape, stripped of political rights for life."
"Prisoners, after entering the prison, can eat well, sleep well, exercise, watch movies, and play games, but the only thing not allowed is taking a life—not even their own. Because we are only ever waiting for one outcome—"
"To participate in the Blood Moon Judgment and die a terribly tragic death in front of an audience."
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