Delithe watched the screens in front of him incredulously as he saw 6 crash into the wall of the arena.
The researchers around him were no different, as everyone was stunned by what they saw.
They realized that something was very wrong. There was no way any beginner could break through even the regular walls of the facility, much less the super reinforced walls of the arena.
Not even a strength oriented intermediate could break through this arena like 6 just did.
Delithe himself knew he couldn't do it, even at his peak with all of his equipment.
6 pulled his head out of the floor, shaking off the pain aching across his body.
The extreme protective blessing was enough to protect his body from the impacts, but it wasn't strong enough to keep it from hurting.
Climbing to his feet, he looked around the hallway to try to gauge where he currently was.
With no markings on the walls or doors, it was already a challenge to attempt to find the cell he had previously been in, but now that he had lost control, he had no idea which door led to his cell.
After backtracking down the hallway, this time walking, and breaking down the door to every cell he passed, 6 finally managed to find the correct cell.
"What the hell, what the fuck are you doing you maniac?" Vian shouted after 6 broke through the door of the cell.
"I can totally explain that, but first, why the actual fuck are there so many cells here if every single one of them is empty?" 6 asked, brushing off Vian's question.
Vian stood there looking at 6 like he was a moron, wondering what their new cellmate's deal was.
"And why did we even share a cell? There are hundreds. Hundreds of empty cells." 6 continued. "And why were we in a cell so far from the entrance? There were multiple empty cells right next to the damn arena."
"How the fuck should I know?"
"Ah right, right. You're a prisoner."
"If I can even be that, you're gonna get us fucking killed."
6 shook his head. "Nah, you can just follow me."
Vian refused several times, but eventually 6 got tired of trying to explain things to the hopeless air elemental and just threatened to kill them if he refused to come with him.
Now that he had recruited the air elemental in his little jail break, 6 could think about what he would be doing next.
"Where would I go to find cool shit to steal?" 6 asked Vian.
"The only place I know would be the research labs."
"Alright, lead the way. But like, verbally. I can't see you."
Vian rolled their eyes and began giving 6 directions to the research lab while hiding behind him.
The researchers watched on as 6 began heading in their direction in horror.
"What do we do?" One of the researchers said meekly.
Staring at the screens showing 6 walking to their current location, another researcher spoke up. "We have to leave. We have to get out of here."
"What we will do about Delithe? We can't remove his bindings?"
"We leave him!"
"We can't leave Delithe! He's the only successful product so far, without him we lose the only thing we have to show for our success."
"We don't have a choice, if we don't leave him, we die. I don't think that monster will spare the people he knows were about to experiment on his body. Damn that air elemental, we should've killed him!"
"You disgusting cowards. Where will you go? Did you even think about how you would escape?" Delithe mocked. "You are locked in this damned prison just the same."
"Delithe, we're sorry, we don't want to abandon you, but we have no choice." A researcher explained. "If you tell him you're also a prisoner here, he may spare you."
"No, no, no, Delithe is right, where will we go? The only exit is in behind that damned monster!"
"Contact the Sor Acan, quickly! Exchange all of our merit for emergency evacuation!"
All of the researcher turned to the dwarf-like researcher who held the highest position out of everyone in the room.
The blood had long since drained from his face, contorted in an expression of fear.
"I can't contact the Sor Acun, we can't contact anyone. We've been isolated." The dwarf-like researcher's words rung in the hearts of al of the researchers.
Delithe began happily laughing, bellowing out his laughter with his entire chest as the doom in the researcher's heart's was set in stone.
"What is going on, why is this happening."
"You've doomed yourselves! This is the result of your own actions! You have finally hit an iron wall, and my only regret is that I am not the one holding the knife that will end you!" Delithe shouted.
He madly laughed, pleasure filling every inch of his body for the first time in years. He finally dropped the dignified persona that he had used as a disguise to draw closer to the researchers who had tortured him for all this time.
They had ripped him from his home, tore apart everything he had built for himself, and thrown his future away.
The torture, the experiments, the needles and potions, he pretended to be kind, dignified, and helpful all this time, just for the slightest chance that they would drop their guard and he would have the chance to spill even a drop of their blood.
And now it was finally happening! He would see their deaths, and though it was not at his own hands, it would taste just as sweet.
He would thank that man, even if the man killed him once he was done with the researchers.
As long as he watched them die, his own life was inconsequential.
"Delithe, what is wrong with you? Why are you saying these things?" One of the researchers asked, shocked at the crazed laughing fit Delithe was having.
"Nothing! Ahaha, nothing is wrong anymore! You goddamn fools, you wingless, gutless beasts who live on the misfortunes of others, did you truly think anyone could respect you? Trust you? Look amongst yourselves! Which of you would trust anyone here with their life?"
"None of you! I hope all of you have had the same nightmares, seen the faces of those you killed, taunting you as you become the next experiment of your colleagues, forced to see your skin flayed and your souls dragged out of the infinite skies as everyone you have ever known laughs in your face!"
"I hope that the fear you feel now will allow you to comprehend, with your emotionless wretched minds, the fear and pain you have brought to everyone who has passed through this butcher house!"
Vian and 6 were walking down on of the many paths through the facility, passing hundreds of cells as they did.
"What the hell are you?" Vian asked. "You could only lightly damage me before you were taken, and now you can demolish the prison walls the ease."
"I have a very sweet friend. I'll introduce you later." 6 responded.
"Go right here, we're getting close."
Turning right, the two continued their trek through the disturbingly empty prison.
The atmosphere of the hallways made them seem endless, like a maze designed to trap you forever.
"Are you really serious? You have a way out of here?"
"I'm 100% confident that I can leave, and 75% confident that I can take you out of here as well. I can't make any promises about what comes after that, as you'll have to speak to my friend about that, but even a 75% chance beats staying here till you die, right?"
Vian was screaming within their mind, screaming that yes, it was worth it, even if they didn't gain true freedom, anything was better than staying here.
But they remained silent, not answering 6.
They didn't want to get their hopes up, and didn't want to fully trust a man they had just met.
"Alright, I've had enough of this. Can you point a straight line in the direction of the research labs?"
"It should be straight ahead, just slight t0 your left. But we still have to pass through a few hallways."
"I'll pass, just make sure you follow behind me. How far forward?"
"I don't know, a few hundred feet?" Vian said.
6 crouched down, getting into a position to run once again.
As Vian watched, 6 took off, streaking forward like lightning, only a blur left behind as he ran.
The walls in the way of his charge quicky collapsed, turning into rubble as he stumbled before picking himself back up and beginning to run again.
This time, he didn't put his all into it. He was barely jogging, doing his best to keep his speed as low as he could, so he wouldn't overshoot like he did last time he tried to run.
Vian began rushing to keep up with 6, realizing they would be entirely left behind if they didn't run as fast as they could.
The researcher's horror only grew as they watched 6 recklessly throwing himself through the thick walls of the prison, homing in on them like a heat seeking missile.
No one had any hopes that he would find himself lost anymore, as he was running in a direct collision course with them.
Realizing that now, 6 would no longer be in the pathway that led to the only exit, several researchers began considering running out of the room, making the bet that they could get away or even hide in a cell before he managed to get here.
"Don't even think about it! We can't all run, he will know something is wrong if none of us are here. Only a few could leave, and the rest would have to sacrifice themselves to keep him from knowing anything is wrong." One of the researchers shouted before anyone moved.
Everyone in the room looked at each other, thinking the same thoughts.
Tentatively, someone spoke. "Then... how do we decide?"
"We all have to agree. Otherwise, the ones who remain will just rat us out."
"Why are you speaking as if you will be one of the ones to leave? Just because you are a lead researcher?"
"No, I simply mean-"
"Shut up! All of you, not a single one of you is leaving! Even if you all agree, I will never let even a single one of you escape." Delithe said coldly, menacingly glaring at all of the researchers.
"We have been kind to you Delithe, but there is naught that you can do. You are forgetting your place."
Just as the researcher reprimanded Delithe, everyone felt a slight shake in the room, followed by another slightly stronger shake seconds later, this time from somewhere closer.