When Nagao started to open his eyes, he was already lying in a black place. Slowly, he surveyed the surroundings with mixed feelings. At the same time, he also found that his body was covered in bandages. Even so, he could still feel the pain all over his body.

(Argh! Where is this???) Nagao muttered in complete confusion.

From the other side, someone was shouting out in a frightened tone ...

"Help! S-spare me!"

Nagao started to look at the source of the sound. From the corner of the side, there were several people hitting someone ...

*Bugh!* *Bugh!* *Bugh!*

His inner voice as if moved to stop the fight. Sadly, because of the injuries he received before, Nagao was unable to move freely ...

(Arghh! Shit! I can't even move a step!) Nagao felt frustrated within himself.

Surprisingly, from beside him came a stranger ... The Old Man. He began to speak,

"Don't force your current condition. It would be a wise choice if you care about yourself first." He said calmly.

Hearing The Old Man's suggestion, Nagao was shocked. Even so, he snapped his mind back and replied,

"Y-you may be right," while holding his left hand. "Putting that aside, do you know where we are?"

"We're in a prison," he coughed suddenly. "On what reason are you imprisoned, young man?"

"Honestly, I don't understand either. I just ran away from the goblins and collapsed before the gatekeeper. Covered in blood and injuries. That's what I remembered,"

"You're quite lucky, young man. No wonder, when you came here before, your body was covered in bandages." He was slightly surprised.

(Then, why am I imprisoned in a place like this? I've to ask the prison officer!) Nagao thought quickly.

"I'd like to meet with the prison officer to ask a few things!" Nagao insisted

"They're over there," pointing to the exit. "You just need to call them." He said in a low tone.

Hearing his answer, Nagao stepped slowly. Then, Nagao called the prison officer.

Finally, he got explanations if he was thrown into prison because Nagao seemed to be a suspicious person. After explaining a few things, one of the prison officers spoke again,

"We'll inform our superiors regarding this matter. And stop calling us for unimportant things!" He replied unfriendly.

Nagao noticed the prison officer's reaction, could only keep silent, and returned to his place. As he was about to sit, his eyes met The large man eye's. Their eyes met each other. As if looking for trouble, The large man spoke harshly,

"How dare you stare at me for a long time, you twerp! Do you want your fate to be the same as the person I hit before, huh?!"

Realizing his condition and the person he was facing was a blockhead, Nagao preferred not to reply and immediately rested. Noticing Nagao's reaction, The large man taunted,

"Huh! He must be afraid of me!" He snorted with an arrogant tone.

"That must be, boss!" replied The thin man in a supportive tone.

"Boss is a champ. Looks like he got inferior when he saw your scary look!" said The bald man in a pleased tone.

(Whatever!) Nagao muttered as he sighed.

As he was trying to rest, The Old Man commented on Nagao's act,

"You've got a farseeing, young man! Most people I've met, especially young men, might fight no matter what condition they have," he said in a low tone.

"Looks like that. If the prison officer calls for me, please wake me up, will you," Nagao replied while trying to fall asleep.

"If they don't, what do you want to do?"

"I'll try to convince them again until they get bored and do what I wanted!" While stretching his body, Nagao continued his sleep.

Hearing Nagao's words, The Old Man only smiled faintly while looking at Nagao. He also intended to rest. When he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, The Old Mans's head was hit ...

*Thud!*

Before he could scream, The thin man covered his mouth. As for The bald man, he carried The Old Man quickly to the corner of the prison. When both of them reached the corner, The large man stood before The Old Man and talked to him,

"You need to be punished, old man!"

***

Nagao, who was sleeping, felt someone forcefully move his body. This was exacerbated by the kick that hit the wound in his back. Realizing this, Nagao suddenly woke up while saying in a loud tone,

"Bastard! Are you blind, huh?!!"

He saw that someone who kicked him before was one of the prison officers. The prison officer who kicked him replied,

"How dare you scold me, you murderer! Take responsibility for your actions, bastard!"

"Responsibility? Murderer?? What are you guys talking about?! I'm sleeping all this time!" Nagao counterattacked his argument.

"Your bullshit is very rotten! Then what is that?!" He said while pointing to a corner.

Nagao tried to make sure what he saw. After several seconds, Nagao looked absurdly shocked. He saw The Old Man. who had spoken with him before, lying dead in a tragic way. The Old Man's body was covered with dark purple bruises. Bloodstains were also splattered around the floor and some prison walls.

Realizing that incident, Nagao commented,

"This ... can't be! He sleeps beside me. Also, I can't do that, especially with this condition!"

"Oh, you think so? Then what's that thing in your hand!" Replied one of The prison officers with an angry tone.

Nagao reflexively looked at his hands. He didn't expect his hands to be covered in blood. Not only that, there was a fist-sized rock nearby Nagao. Those two things made him feel bewildered ...

"No ... T-this is impossible! I didn't do that! How could I kill him so viciously while most of my time was sleep??! This is slander!" Nagao argued loudly.

From another direction, The large man uttered,

"It's all a lie! I saw him kill that old man so viciously!"

"That's right! We saw that incident, too!" The thin man and The bald man shouted at the same time.

"Because many witnesses said that," said one of The prison officers in an unfriendly tone. "We'll force you to open that rotten mouth of yours!" While hitting Nagao's head with a club.

*Thud!*

At that moment, Nagao fainted on the spot. Quickly, those prison officers took him to another room.

***

*Splash!*

I felt a liquid run down my face. No, this liquid soaked my whole body. As a result of that reaction, I opened my eyes immediately ...

*Grasp!*

I realized that my hands and feet were tied to a chair. The only thing left in my body was my underwear. Also, I smelt the unpleasant smell in my body. A dirty sewer smell ...

"The fuck?! Who the fuck did this to me—??!" Then, I grasped an understanding of who had done this. "Both of you ... WHY?!!"

"At last, you wake up, too. How does it taste —A magic water mixed with sewer and feces— do you like it? Delicious, right?!" asked one of the prison officers sarcastically.

"I told you straight that I'm not the murderer!" I spoke loudly while spitting toward the officer's face.

*Burghh!*

My stomach was punched by one of the prison officers. As a result, I vomited ...

*Bleargh!*

That officer began to speak,

"Stop bullshit us! Criminals like you don't need pity!"

*Burghh!* *Thump!*

The prison officers continued to punch me viciously. I persisted with the same answer.

However, I received more punches than before. Even, I also received several kicks at several points, including in the vital organs ...

*Swung!* *Bam!*

They continuously did that and became brutal. Those tortures continued for two straight hours without stopping ...

*Burghh!* *Thump!* *Thud!* *Swung!* *Thud!* *Bam!*

My body was covered in blood. Purplish-black bruises were also clearly visible. Some parts of my body also tore because of them. While the first officer was beating me brutally, another officer was spurting a bucket-sized amount of cold water on me to keep me awake ...

*Burghh!* *Spurt!* *Splash!* *Bam!*

Those combinations made me barely enough to wake up. In fact, I'd vomited and passed out several times. But they still did it even though I said the same thing numerously. They were driving me to another level of crazy.

"So, how's it feel? Better admit it, or you wanted to become dead meat, huh?!" said one of the prison officers and pulled my hair.

Hearing his nonsense, I spat with my sputum blood-mixed to his face and replied,

"Die ... with your family in the afterlife, you scum of society!" I was smirking at him.

Seeing this, he hit my face, which it was already bleeding ...

*Burghh!*

The coercion of the perpetrators on me still continued. Until one moment, I heard their conversation,

"This person is hardheaded even though there's evidence. How can I get him to admit his crime?!" annoyed the first officer.

"Try to put him into the isolation room. How about that?" suggested the second officer.

"That's it! Let's do it!" He accepted happily.

Hearing that, I immediately refused. Sadly, because my hands and feet were tied until my stamina reached the limit, I couldn't fight them. Eventually, the first officer hit my solar plexus harshly ...

*Thud!*

With that cause, I fainted instantly as the reaction.

***

After that incident ...

Nagao regained his consciousness and woke up in a room after several times. Nagao tried to stand up, but his condition didn't allow it.

But he felt this room was different ...

"This room ... it isn't normal. Wait, don't tell me!" Nagao immediately remembered what the prison officers had said before. "Is this the isolation room??! Woy, you bastards! Get me ... get me out of here!" I screamed.

Unfortunately, as if he had been placing somewhere far away from the previous room, so no one answered Nagao's scream.

"Damnit ...!" Nagao punched the wall with his right hand. "Now, I was placed in the isolation room with a far-fetched case!" Nagao grumbled.

Before he could calm down, he heard several animal screeches around his feet. Intrigued by this strangeness, Nagao felt curious and tried to check. Upon closer check, he realized that the animals were rats ...

"Shit! Hush!" Nagao waved his hands to shoo away those rats.

In split seconds, Nagao recalled information about The big man and his accomplices. Also, he recognized that this scenario was designed by them ...

"I swear, I'll kill all of you with my hands for your despicable actions!" He spoke with a grudge tone.

Amidst that situation, Nagao's stomach felt growl. A sign that he was hungry. Out of nowhere, a quest mission board appeared before him ...

[Survival mission: you must eat some animals around to survive.] (0/3)

"It ... can't be, right?!" Nagao uttered shockedly.