After the incident, Nic was taken away by several soldiers after they successfully defeated the Red Dragon headquarters.
Lisa was initially confused and asked, "Why are you taking him? Will Nic be forced into the military?" They replied that Nic could become a threat and must be placed in a maximum-security prison to make him realize that his power could harm others at any time.
Lisa protested, but to no avail, all parties agreed on the matter. Finally, Lisa gave up and informed everyone, including the Unity members in Harlington City.
---
Nic was chained and inside a vehicle, being taken to a large prison that housed high-security inmates. The prison was located on a remote island and was extremely difficult to escape from.
Nic slowly regained consciousness and saw himself tightly chained, but he remained silent. Instead, he kept calling for Zeta.
"Zeta... I'm sorry, did you really leave?" Nic muttered in his heart.
However, there was no response from Zeta, which made Nic feel even more dejected, as it seemed he would be alone here. He might not even have his powers anymore if Zeta was gone.
A while later, they finally arrived at the island named Hell Prison. This prison had minimal guards, only being monitored from a distance because the surroundings were equipped with traps and super strong defenses.
Even if an inmate died due to another inmate, the guards did not care and ordered the killer to bury the body in the designated area. Thus, death was a common occurrence here.
Nic entered, escorted by guards, and the inmates who were in the exercise yard watched him with enthusiasm.
One of the inmates named Maverick looked at Nic and called out to the other inmates, "Look at that... a new high-security inmate, but still so young?"
All the inmates started approaching the fence to get a better look, but they saw no wounds on Nic's body that would indicate he was brutal; he should have many scars.
"Hmm, LET'S GO, let's make a bet!!!! Guess what this kid's crime is!? Everyone who is wrong gets hit 100 times by the one who is right!! If everyone is wrong, we just hit each other, how about that?" Maverick said.
Everyone nodded excitedly and laughed maniacally, while one inmate refused to join, but...
"You've been here a long time and you're still like that, huh... Alright, Frenk, finish him off," Maverick commanded.
Frenk, Maverick's subordinate, immediately brutally attacked the inmate who refused to join the bet until he was beaten and breathless.
The guards watching did not care and continued to bring Nic to his cell.
And it turned out this was a mixed prison; not only male inmates but also female high-security inmates who were equally dangerous and not to be underestimated.
Nic was put into a lonely cell because the inmates were out in the yard earlier.
The chains were removed, and Nic was warned that if he tried to escape, he would be executed. After that, Nic was free to do whatever he wanted, as long as he didn't try to escape.
After the guards left, the prison was silent again without a single guard present. Nic just sat deep in thought, continuously recalling his mistakes, but he shook his head, trying to forget.
But suddenly, the sound of applause was heard.
"Hahahah, excellent... your shirt has a black label!? EXCELLENT!!!!" said a large man with a black label too.
Here, the inmates' shirts have several high-security labels:
Blue - Regular high security
Red - Exceptional high security
Purple - Dangerous high security
Black - Major threat high security
The large-bodied inmate was named Deguns. He was Nic's cellmate.
"EXCELLENT!! YOU'RE SO YOUNG AND YOU HAVE A BLACK LABEL!! HOW FUNNY!!" Deguns said, then he choked Nic and threw him against the wall.
Nic was thrown and his body was in pain. Sure enough, the effect of Nic's statistics disappearing meant he was no longer as strong as before.
Nic even coughed up blood.
"Huh? So weak... HEY DAMN IT, GET UP!!" Deguns dragged Nic and choked him again, and Nic quickly passed out.
Deguns was immediately confused and finally threw Nic into the corner, then he walked out. "Damn bastard, what kind of black label is that, asshole."
Nic was unconscious for a while, and when he woke up, the four inmates who shared the cell, including Deguns, were all inside.
"Oh, the fake black label is awake. I might as well call you 'baby'," Deguns said.
And Deguns ordered his subordinates to beat Nic again. Nic was truly treated like a toy now without being able to fight back. Nic's only reaction was resignation, and there was no sign of him wanting to fight back.
But moments later, several women passed by Nic's cell.
Instantly, Deguns and the others immediately knelt on the ground and saluted the woman.
"SALUTE!! QUINN CALESTRA!! WE ARE TRAINING THIS FAKE BLACK LABEL NEW INMATE!!" Deguns shouted.
Quinn Calestra just remained silent and stared sharply at all of them, then gave a signal to her subordinate.
Her subordinate immediately moved in and carried Nic out, but Calestra immediately slapped him. "Who told you to carry him!? DRAG HIM!" Calestra snapped, making her subordinate scared and quickly dragging Nic.
Then they dragged Nic to an empty room.
"Damn it, he's going to die at Quinn Calestra's hands. Ugh, he should have been our toy!!" Deguns said, looking annoyed.
---
Nic was dragged into an empty room and chained. Then, in front of him, Quinn Calestra sat on a small stool.
"Get up," Calestra said.
Nic looked at her listlessly.
"What crime did you commit?" Calestra asked.
Nic did not answer.
Quinn Calestra continued to ask why Nic ended up here, but Nic did not answer any of Quinn Calestra's questions, which made her smile.
Calestra's subordinates guarding the door immediately turned their backs because they already knew what their boss was about to do.
True to the prison's nickname, Hell Prison, Nic truly felt how terrifying this prison was for an ordinary person.
Nic was tortured until his body was bruised and started getting many cuts and other injuries.
But at the end, Nic smiled slightly, as if he was feeling something that excited him.
But Calestra immediately kicked Nic's face, making him pass out for the third time.
"Take him and lock him in solitary confinement for two days," Calestra said, then left.
Nic was then locked in solitary confinement for two days.
To be continued...