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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Chosen People (5)
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'This is... for real?'
The Fox of Bireung Mountain could read the sincerity in the prison guard's words.
The guard spoke with unwavering certainty, as if announcing a decision already set in stone. There were no strings attached. The Life-Death Trial would open without fail—he had promised it would. And the victor of the Life-Death Trial would be unconditionally released.
He hesitated for a moment.
'A chance to escape!'
Though it went against the goal of the Life-Death Trial—becoming the One Point—the rule was clear: kill that one guy, and you're out.
This was hope shining into the cavern like sunlight.
He could escape!
'A chance to escape!'
Pa-pat!
His eyes flashed like a wildcat's.
He had to participate in the Life-Death Trial, no matter what. By any means necessary. He needed to maneuver so the guard picked him as the One Point's opponent. Among the countless scheming prisoners, he had to make himself the target.
If not now, there might never be another shot at breaking out of this place. Who knew when an opportunity like this would come again?
His mind raced furiously.
'Isn't there some clever way?'
He was in Cell One on the first floor.
But Cell One wasn't right by the iron gate as it should be. This prison locked inmates from the inside out, filling cells progressively outward.
His Thunder Prison cell was buried deepest inside.
If the guards started opening cells from the front, his turn might never come.
And that's exactly how it would play out. Guards hated walking. With so many similar candidates for the Life-Death Trial, they didn't care who they picked. No reason to drag themselves all the way back here.
He had to lure a guard to the innermost cells.
But... as he pondered deeply, heavy footsteps—thud, thud!—approached from inside. And they stopped right in front of his Thunder Prison cell.
The first-floor guards hadn't started the Life-Death Trial yet.
So these footsteps... He couldn't see in the darkness, so he'd honed his hearing. He recognized one set: the usual guard patrolling this area. The other was unfamiliar... belonging to the woman the inmates had cheered for.
'Wh-what the hell!'
He jolted back in shock, collapsing against the wall.
'N-no, no! This can't happen—no, it can't go down like this!'
His face drained of color.
Clank! Clank!
The Thunder Prison door began to open.
This was the worst possible luck... He'd even had good dreams last night... Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! That bitch!
Creeeak!
As the cell door swung open, a massive bear of a man and the woman stepped inside.
"You're the Fox of Bireung Mountain?"
The woman spoke in her usual tone.
'Ah! Despair...'
The Fox of Bireung Mountain sighed inwardly.
She'd spoken normally, but her voice carried far enough that every scheming inmate would hear it.
They were already gathering intel.
Fox of Bireung Mountain!
That was their target to beat to death—the One Point.
The guards had blabbed plenty of useless info over time, especially the schemers' block guard. The bastard never shut up, like he'd die if he stopped talking.
—What'd you get locked up for? Looks like you were no small fry if they dragged you to the Nineteen Hells.
—...
—Don't wanna talk? Fine.
The guard had struck up a conversation.
—Bireung Mountain, right? Bandit work? They say the garrison swept the whole area just to nab you. What'd you pull? Not your average fox, huh.
—Even so, tossing a mere bandit in here? Tsk!
The guard had muttered like he couldn't fathom it.
Every inmate heard.
They'd known about the Fox of Bireung Mountain for ages. And that he was a nobody in a fight, not worth a damn.
Now this woman had straight-up named him: 'Fox of Bireung Mountain.'
It was as good as telling the schemers, "Here's the guy you need to kill—go nuts."
'I'm dead now!'
Especially with the promise of release for killing the One Point, even dangling a reward...
He scrambled for a ploy.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
He hacked violently out of nowhere.
"The d-door... close the... Cough! The air... crushing my chest. Cough!"
His voice was fading. He looked like he'd drop dead any hour even if left alone.
'Water flows downward! Heh heh!'
He chuckled inside. But outwardly, the coughs kept pouring out.
Water flows down.
Turning around a tide of bad opinion once it sours is tough. But pushing it further downhill? That took minimal effort. Make a bad situation worse.
Cough! Cough!
Fierce coughs erupted.
They wouldn't nitpick if it was fake now. The moment they fixated on killing the Fox of Bireung Mountain, they only saw the present state.
"What? Tuberculosis too?"
The woman grimaced.
'Damn it! Shut up and get out already. Hurry up and leave, you bitch!'
He hated her guts, wanted to kill her himself.
"Hey! Let's get this started!"
"I'm in! I'll join! Open this damn door!"
As expected, the Thunder Prison inmates went berserk. The coughing only inflamed them more.
It was just beating a tubercular Fox of Bireung Mountain to death. Skipping out would be eternal regret. And the winner got freedom guaranteed.
Of course they were losing it.
That's what he'd banked on. Only in this frenzy did he have a sliver of hope.
They'd let their guard down.
He could use that gap to take out at least four or five. Otherwise, no chance of winning. Even if he could kill four or five... there'd be nothing left after.
"Ah! What a terrible pick. I had no idea he was like this... How am I gonna face Vanguard now?"
The woman said, hands on hips.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
He kept coughing nonstop.
'Got it, so get the hell out! Bitch!'
But the bitch... the woman added one more line.
"If I'd picked that guy alone, he'd be dead for sure. Life-Death Trial? More like lugging dead weight into a solo fight. Sorry about this—Warden went out of his way for a favor, and I dump this on him."
The massive bear—the guard who'd come with her—replied.
"I'm from the Ren-Yin Martial Camp. What year?"
"Ren... Yin?"
The woman echoed, mildly surprised.
"Tsk! You don't use your head. When I mentioned ties to Bone Awl, you should've pieced it together."
"Hoho! Bone Awl's the Five Lords' nickname from the Martial Camp? Bone needle... Hohoho! Fits, yeah."
"Still no answer. What year?"
"Why bother with that?"
"You seem like a junior... We're getting out of here alive. So show some respect from now on."
"Respect can go to hell. Fine, that puts me at ease. Good luck."
Thud!
The woman patted the bear's shoulder and turned away.
The guard shouted.
"First floor: Deception-Strength versus Deception-Strength for the Life-Death Trial. Deception's One Point—as you've heard—is the Fox of Bireung Mountain. Strength's is Fatty, former guard. Fatty's internal energy is fully sealed, putting him on equal footing with you."
"Heh heh! Hey, Fatty! How'd you end up like this?"
"They say everyone meets their fate in time. Who's bringing lunch today? Oh! We'll just eat some Fatty chunks! Hahaha!"
The schemers' inmates snickered.
Deception and Strength had a peculiar dynamic.
Common sense said Deception couldn't match Strength.
Obviously. Brute force alone crushed them.
But Deception had cunning. Wisdom to trap Strength. So they didn't fear Strength—saw it as prey.
No doubt the schemers now... were scheming hard.
"Both are already in Cell One. Strength inmates are being transferred now—Life-Death Trial starts the moment they arrive!"
The situation had flipped completely.
The Fox of Bireung Mountain knew the guard with the woman was Fatty. A powerhouse. Hearing he'd fight alongside had eased his mind a bit.
But now Strength got reinforcements too.
Deception-Strength versus Deception-Strength...
'Damn it! If I screw this up, we all die!'
Any reliance on Fatty vanished. He realized their position was gravely disadvantaged.
"Um..."
He whispered cautiously.
"What!"
"Shh!"
The Fox of Bireung Mountain hurriedly clamped a hand over his mouth.
The bear's voice was too loud—audible crystal clear next door.
This was very bad.
The two of them conversing—the bear and Fox of Bireung Mountain talking—would be read as plotting something.
They'd go on high alert.
Better to leak nothing.
"From now on... you have to listen to me. Until we get out of here, that's all. I'm pretty good with my head, you know? Even if it rubs you wrong..."
The Fox of Bireung Mountain spoke carefully, gauging the guard's mood.
Fatty surprisingly agreed readily—in a whisper like his.
"Got it. I'll follow your lead."
The Nineteen Hells split into two sides.
Left Prison held One-Two-Three-Four inmates; Right Prison held Five-Six.
For a Life-Death Trial, just seal the floor.
But this time was different. Deception-Strength teamed up, so Six inmates from Right Prison had to transfer to Left.
Clang!
The door burst open as bear-sized bruisers poured in.
Strength transfers from Right Prison. Guys confident they'd outmuscle anyone.
But the numbers... were off.
One, two, three, four, five. Just five?
Only five Strength inmates.
Deception-Strength had halved their foes.
A concession for Fatty with sealed martial arts. Maximizing his survival odds. Flip it around: overconfidence they could kill Four Thousand Four and spare some.
"Heh heh heh! This the place? First time in the sin block—nothing special."
"Fatty's the one we gotta smash, right? Heh heh! Where's the schemers' block? Heard it's first floor."
"Idiot, this is first floor."
"Idiot? He's asking to die!"
The transferred Strength inmates traded jabs in booming voices.
But it shook the whole Left Prison.
'Five? Life-Death Trial's base ten!'
'Ah! This is bad!'
The schemers clocked it instantly.
Warden didn't want Fatty dead. Changed the whole setup for it.
Jump in, and you'd get killed instead.
The guard yelled.
"Alright! Anyone joining the Life-Death Trial, stick your hand out the door! I'll fling it wide open. Haha!"
But no schemer hand reached out.
"What? All cowards?"
"Buncha rats anyway... Hahaha! Hey, guard! Forget these losers—let's do it ourselves. Hahaha!"
The Strength guys whooped in excitement.
Made sense. Winner goes free. Freedom's on the line. Hell, they'd already won it. Five against one Fatty? Piece of cake.
"Come on out! You punk!"
"Hey! Fatty! Let's go!"
The schemers stayed dead silent. Only Strength raged on.