Season 1
003
The only weapon this guy had was a knife on his tool belt.
"Broke ass."
The sounds of screams and chaos filled the prison. I walked out into the hallway and saw many slaves rioting. It seems some of the intelligence agents have already defeated multiple guards and were on the way to helping everyone else escape.
One of them locked eyes with me. He looked behind my back and saw the guard's dead body. He gave me a slight nod and I returned it.
All of us knew what to do. It was time to escape.
--
In the Northern Empire, a formidable structure stood shrouded in an aura of oppressive dread. The prison where we were all brought to. Although I was once royalty in the Eastern Kingdom, Yujora, I am now nothing but a slave.
My status is no different from everyone else amongst the many prisoners the Empire has taken. One of many enslaved individuals who were indifferent under the eyes of the Empire. To them, the slaves and I are equivalent to nothing.
Encased by the unforgiving embrace of thick metal walls, this prison in this life and the previous stands as a testament to the power and brutality of those who currently rule the world.
The walls in every room and hallway were fortified with layers of impenetrable steel. Even if you are wearing the necklace that all the guards have to lift the restriction upon aura and mana, you will have a hard time breaking through.
"I highly doubt anyone sent to THIS prison is someone with the ability to escape with sheer force."
From what I know from my past life, the Northern Empire measured the strength and potential of their enslaved prisoners and sent them to certain prisons.
In their point of view, they would naturally send a master martial artist to a more formidable prison than this one.
The sad reality is that I, amongst the others in here, are the lowest of the low. Prisoners who are deemed incapable and lack the ability to be a threat to the Empire.
"They misjudged me on that part, though."
During my first experience of this prison break, the plan devised amongst the intelligence agents was simple.
1. Incapacitate or eliminate the guards responsible for distributing food.
2. Take their necklaces and give them to other fellow prisoners, prioritizing the ones who have higher levels of circles or stars.
3. Defeat the knights stationed at this prison with overwhelming numbers.
4. Take the equipment of any guards or knights. Round up a formidable force and fight the way out before reinforcements from the Empire arrive.
This plan did indeed work, but many sustained fatal injuries. The prisoners fought their way out successfully but they also encountered reinforcements that came just in time. As a result, I heard that about only a third of the prisoners managed to flee.
As I ran past the chaos that ensued from the prison break, I saw evidence of marks from countless struggles that held the echoes of desperate souls seeking freedom.
Well, if freedom was what they wanted, then they got it. This might very well be the only time that the Empire can allow this to happen. After this event, the higher-ups would definitely give the order to increase and strengthen security measures.
I see many faces amongst the crowds of disorder.
To clarify; not everyone in this prison belongs to Yujora. This is just one of many low-class prisons that operate under the Northern Empire.
It just so happens that coincidentally, there seemed to be some agents from the UAN that were captured and sent here. Miraculously, they managed to cause a prison-wide riot.
I know for sure that everyone who was sent here has one thing in common.
"To destroy the Empire."
I dodged the body of a guard that got flung across the hallway. I ignored it and continued running down the vast corridor.
I pushed past the prisoners who immediately followed up their attack on the guard to take anything they could.
Those who've been given the silver necklace that the guards wear to dispel the effects of the high-circle magic spells cast to limit aura and mana usage have begun to take charge. Their rally began.
With the silver necklace equipped, many other inmates easily overpower measly third-rate guards who barely have any real practical fighting experience. After all, most people here were criminals or rebels who fought against the Empire.
The guards would not be a problem, but as soon as the knights came, it became a bit more troublesome.
Knights of the Empire have gone through training and are required to have passed an aura examination. Graduates are expected to have a certain amount of aura stars before they finish their training, become apprentices, and then ascend to a proper knight.
"I rambled on too much. Have to continue running."
The prison was dark and gloomy, dim torchlight flickered within the depths of the prison, revealing a complicated maze-like labyrinthine network of cold corridors.
I exhaled out my nose out of discomfort.
"Ugh, I thought I could leave this annoying smell."
The air was thick with the acrid scent of iron and dampness mixed in with the smell of fresh blood splattered all over from the fights that ensured.
I locked eyes with a prisoner and he shouted at me.
"Hey, kid! Come and give this guy a good kick!"
The prisoner was a stereotypical personification of the word "prisoner". He was a lean and tall person with a bald head, engraved with animal-like tattoos that presumably covered most of his body. His face was stern and fierce, he waited for my response as he held an unconscious guard up with a bloody face by the collar.
I shook my head, "I'm good."
"Aw~ You're missing out!"
I ignored him and went on my way. I doubt he will survive if he wastes time on fulfilling his sadistic tendencies.
Each prison cell and its thick metal door made the hallway look narrow and suffocating, consequently lining up my passage like the teeth of a monstrous beast.
Their heavy doors were adorned with locks of intricate design, taking away any sense of hope or escape from the table.
The Northern Empire made sure that their prisons existed as a place solely meant for the condemned to say and grapple with the darkness of their choices.
The choice of which is going against the Empire.
Being sent to prison is much more humane than one might believe.
"Get the fuck up, bastard!"
Another prisoner says towards a guard that rolled on the ground, huddling up and covering their head with their arms to protect themselves from the inmate's savage attacks.
I don't care for those who take their anger out on the guards. I just want to survive this day to bring about a better future for myself.
Reaching the exit of the hallway and then through the wooden door at the end would have been my exit to freedom. At least, where I would escape.
Others would have rushed to a more obvious-looking exit. Many would believe they are going through the right one, and they would usually be correct assuming no one stood in their way, but what awaits them is a small army of guards and some soldiers of the Empire. Perhaps that was the reason so many casualties existed in my previous life.
Before, I was lucky enough to have wiggled out and escaped when no one was watching, but this time, I know of a different approach.
I'm not taking any chances.
I ran towards the wooden door but within a dozen steps, the door swung open itself and a towering man appeared.
He instantly saw me and the few other convicts who ran behind me. It seems some of them hedged their bets and followed me. However, they were startled by the appearance of this man.
I glanced at the sword by his side and from simple deduction, I realized the person who stood in front of us was a Knight Captain. One who leads a squadron of knights and apprentices of the Empire.
His looming figure of authority and battle-hardened might possessed a visage chiseled from prior fights and combat. His face, stern and weathered, bore the distinctive marks of his journey as a knight. The scars on his face and neck detailed his tale of one of resilience, serving as a reminder that despite the countless foes and battles he has faced, he remained triumphant.
His eyes were sharp and piercing, gleaming with unwavering determination to his duty. His lengthy brown hair was thick and equally as sharp as his eyes. He parted his hair with a ratio of 7:3.
After my previous life, I could tell that these eyes would only belong to warriors of the Northern Empire.
He was physically imposing as he stood with a formidable presence that towered above most. Muscles rippled beneath his sturdy armor and his posture exuded a natural authority of one that is always ready to fight.
As a knight, he was adorned in battle-worn armor. Its surface was decorated with dents and scratches.
He unsheathed his sword and his body started to glow faintly.
One of the inmates behind me was shocked.
"A-Aura?!"
The presence around him and the entire hallway changed. It was quite suffocating even for me.
I can't even begin to imagine how hard the ones behind me are taking it.
By that, I mean how difficult they find themselves face-to-face with someone using aura.
Having a high amount of aura doesn't necessarily mean you know how to use it. Giving your aura technique is the proper way to go about using aura.
Rookies at using aura can only cover their bodies. You become more exceptional when you are able to exert your aura beyond your body. Coating a weapon with aura is evidence of a higher level of aura understanding. Spreading aura over a wide area to apply pressure is proof that one is a master of handling aura.
Colorless sparks appeared in front of his left chest. Five small stars formed and swiveled around in a clockwise motion.
I rolled my eyes, "Show off."
He must be demonstrating how hopeless this situation seemed, seeing how he openly displayed his Aura Stars. When you use aura regularly, your stars don't show unless you purposely intend to do so.
Someone with five stars is a second-rate martial artist at most. Though, that's more than enough to pose a threat to everyone here. Especially those who haven't secured themselves a necklace to ward off the effects from the spell.
Without a doubt, the Knight Captain also had that necklace around him.
I saw the Knight Captain lower his body and before I could react, he covered himself in his aura and exploded forward, he shoulder-slammed me and sent me flying backward.
"Agh!-"
This piece of shit. He picked me first since I'm the closest one. His explosive power and application of aura are not bad.
I barely managed to summon a small layer of aura to defend myself before the impact. I spun mid-air and landed safely. What could have been a few broken ribs ended up with just some bruising.
The Knight Captain made use of the moment he sent me away to end the other inmates who followed me.
He must have thought we were a team, but I had no plans with them anyway. If anything, he saved me the trouble of carrying unwanted luggage.
Aura covered his body and was especially dense on his arm that held his sword. He twisted his body and effortlessly decapitated the five inmates who followed me in a few swoops.
He spun his sword to flick off the blood. He turned around to look at me and he had a surprised expression.
"You still manage to stand?"
He says to me in a deep and monotonous-sounding voice, "That is fine. I will end you now."
I reply, "This much is nothing. Easy."
The Knight Captain smirks.
"We'll see how long you'll act arrogantly."
"No. We won't. But I will."
"What are you talking about? You are going to die. There is no other fate for you."
"I just mean saying "we" is the wrong term. In the end, it's only going to be me seeing how arrogant I am. You understand, big boy?"
"Ha?! Implying that I will succumb to you? A brat with nothing but sticks as his arms? Did you get hit in the head before you came here?"
"Don't judge a book by its cover."
"Oh, but I will! You ended up here in this prison. This is a place for those who have been judged as worthless! Trash! Slaves! Sooner or later, you'll either die as one or live your life forever working for us. Both lives are equally the end of your existence! The Northern Empire is-"
"The nOrtHeRn eMpIrE iS- can you stop talking and fight? You fucking fatass. If I hadn't interrupted you, then you would have rambled on for so long."
My mockery and taunting seemed to have ticked him off. The Knight Captain stayed silent and rushed towards me. He was focused on killing me.
Thankfully, with the necklace I stole from the guard I killed; I can use mana as I please. It's a shame I wasn't able to physically get my first aura star but beggars can't be choosers.
The knight captain made a downwards-slash at me and I strafed to the right.
I envision a hot and burning fire that will engulf anything and everything in its path.
I reached my arm out towards the direction of his abdomen.
Flame Arrow.
An arrow made of pure fire shot out from my palm.
"Cheap tricks for a slave!"
The Knight coated his sword with a layer of aura and sliced the flame arrow in half with an uppercut.
I saw his incomplete aura sword.
"Looks like you need to practice more."
Quickly stepping closer towards me, he proceeded to do several horizontal slashes as he was within range now.
I ducked and avoided every slash.
When there was an opening, I retaliated with a jab or punch aimed at his chin. Hitting this fatass anywhere else wouldn't do me any good.
The aura shrouding his sword faded away after my spell. It seems like this guy can't maintain an aura sword. Though incomplete, his aura sword was still able to slash apart my magic.
I blocked several more attacks. Unfortunately for me, he was smart. He didn't give me space to breathe or draw my knife.
"Bitch."
The Knight seemed to have gotten impatient with this exchange and he utilized aura all over his body and grabbed me.
"Fuck."
"Indeed! You are fucked! You're dead!!"
He did a full spin with his body and launched me at the wall at the end of the hallway. I crashed back first and went down on my knees, coughing up blood.
I could see the Knight running toward me to finish me off.
Seems like I took this too lightly. I wouldn't have thought a Knight Captain would show up here.
The weight of my exhaustion bore down on me, pressing like an invisible yoke upon my body. My limbs felt like they were about to break and each movement was an agonizing reminder of how weak and frail my body was.
I was going to save my mana for a final attack but it seems I have to use it now.
Envisioning a cut that gets healed slowly through the passage of time, I cast my spell.
Regenerate.
The power of my spell made me feel lighter and gave me some strength. I can't rely on magic for a while after this.
Across the cold prison floor, the knight rushed at me, his eyes were cold and unyielding and bore into mine showing no mercy. He knew my strength was sapped, yet he showed no sign of stopping in his advance.
I slowly got up and squared my shoulders, in an attempt to summon the last vestiges of my willpower.
My breathing was ragged, and inhaling was shallow and labored. The echo of my heartbeat reverberated through my weakened frame. It was like a rhythm that sought to fuel my defiance to total exhaustion and collapse.
The annoying clanks of his armor grew louder and his footsteps amplified my anxiety.
What's the point of my regression and coming back with a second chance if I die off here so easily?
I will fight. I will continue.
Until my very last breaths, I will pave my path, making sure it will be different from my first life.
I took the knife I stole from the first guard and positioned myself.
"Come here, fatass."
As the Knight lunged forward, the glint of his blade served as a reminder of the battle's significance for me.
I parried it with the knife, although it was sluggish.
As I defended against the captain, I started to realize how behind my movements were. They were unrefined, a mere candle that didn't even hold up to the sharp and precise moves that had once defined my style.
I clicked my tongue out of annoyance and anger at the poor state I was in.
The clash of steel against steel each time sent tremors through my weakened arms, each exchange was threatening to shatter my feeble defenses.
Every strike I countered, every kick I attempted, all carried the experience and weight of an entire lifetime of battles from my first life.
My body cries out in protest, a mix of aching muscles and strained sinews.
Just as real as the air I gasped for, was the pain that came with it.
In this dire fight, I am constantly reminded of my body's faltering resilience.
Yet, despite everything telling me to give up, the flicker of determination burns inside me. The stubborn fire of perseverance that cannot be extinguished.
This fight wasn't about overpowering him. It was about winning, at all costs.
With every weakening fiber of my being, I resisted to the end.
Through dozens of moves, I stagger and stumble, but I will refuse to let myself die.
In that struggle, I found a peculiar sort of strength...