episode 1 escape

Chapter 1: Escape (1)

Dingy floor. Musty smell of dust.

I blinked my eyes and lifted my drooping head.

"Ah~ When can I have a sip of alcohol?"

Right next to me, I saw a bald man muttering something with a stern expression.

Around us, people in similar clothing were crouching down in rows.

It took me a few seconds to realize that it was a prison uniform, and that this was a prison.

Thick chains were tied to each of their wrists and ankles. I could even see the densely strewn iron bars in front.

Besides, what was that semi-transparent blue curtain swaying beyond the bars? It seemed to come out of any fantasy… Wait- what was that?

Other than that, the clothes I was wearing were no different.

I blankly looked down at the heavy iron chains on my limbs.

What the heck…?

I couldn't understand the situation at all, so I searched for my memory.

I must have just been sitting in front of my computer playing RaSa.

When I fused materials in the box of chaos, an amazing 10-star skill came out, and then… Ah, yes. My vision suddenly went dark. Did I faint?

And when I opened my eyes again, it was already like this.

The memories before this happened were clear. But the current situation was not. Rather, it got more confusing.

"What are you looking at?" The bald man next to me met my eyes and growled ferociously.

"Where is this?" I asked him.

The cool voice that came out naturally when I spoke surprised me.

"What? What is this crazy bastard saying?"

I stared at the man, who was swearing with an absurd expression on his face.

Then, he seemed to flinch, but soon replied with a reluctant expression.

"Where is it, inside a fucking convoy?"

"A convoy?"

"Did you doze off? We're on our way to Archemon. That damned place, the prisoners' grave!"

Archemon? Prisoners' grave?

As soon as I recalled it had a somewhat familiar name, I almost reflexively asked, 'what?'.

That's right, because it was the name of a place that existed not in reality but in a virtual world.

In the game world that I knew too well.

"Hey."

"What else?"

"Are you sure Archemon is referring to the prison camp managed by Lognar Kingdom?"

"Why do you keep asking the obvious?"

"This place, it's not called 'Earth', but the continent of Rachronia, correct?"

The man now looked at me like I was a complete madman.

"Crazy… why did this guy suddenly change?"

The man who muttered so quietly moved away to the side.

I also shut my mouth and just remained silent.

It was because I felt like I finally understood what was what without asking further questions.

Including the numbers right above the heads of the prisoners, including the man next to him, that slowly appeared in his field of vision.

[Lv. 48]

[Lv. 51]

[Lv. 45]

Level display.

It was hard to believe, but it seemed like I had entered the world of Rachronia Saga. There was no other way to explain the current situation.

The vivid sensations were clearly letting me know that the present situation was not a dream.

Besides… this isn't even my real body, is it?

It would have been nice if there's a mirror. But even without looking at my face, I could tell that this wasn't my body.

The color of the skin, the voice, the body shape, everything was different. The body itself felt different from usual.

Possession? Did I possess a character in a game? How could this nonsense happen?

"…"

I quickly settled the confusion in my mind and sorted out the situation of this body first.

It wasn't difficult because I got enough information from the short conversation I just had.

The convoy, and the Archemon camp.

As the bald man said, the place did not differ from a prisoner's grave.

It was a place I knew well because it was one of the many processes that I went through while progressing through the main story.

A place where you can't even dream of being released or of escape, living your life in harsh labor and being experimented by, and then dying with all your blood sucked dry.

Apparently, I possessed one prisoner being escorted to that rough area.

Why did I enter this body? More than that, who, and for what purpose, put me in such a dog-like situation?

If you think about it, it's something that couldn't be easily figured out.

More than that, I had to do something first for my immediate survival problem.

At that moment, I suddenly realized the weird gap in my mentality.

Why am I so calm?

I suddenly entered a game and became a prisoner who was about to be taken to a concentration camp. Wasn't this a situation where it wouldn't be strange if I lose conciousness and started panicking? Usually, that would be the case.

But I was thinking of quickly sorting things out and solving the immediate crisis.

The agitation was only for a moment. What I felt right now was not fear or worry, but only a little confusion and doubt.

I used to think that I belonged to the rational side, but… was I the situation who could be remain calm in such an absurd situation?

Kwaaang!

Then, suddenly, a heavy explosion sounded.

The space shook from the explosions that sounded one after another without seemingly no end. What else was happening this time?

Embarrassed prisoners muttered and raised their bodies that had fallen to the floor.

"Fuck, what's that? What's going on?"

"Looks like something exploded upstairs."

While the vibration of the hull continued for a long time, the prisoners' eyes all at once turned towards the bars. All with eyes like surprised rabbits.

It was because the blue curtain that surrounded the outside of the prison was slowly losing its light and becoming blurry.

Eventually, as the curtain completely disappeared, someone shouted.

"The barrier is gone!"

As if that cry had been a signal, crunches echoed everywhere.

It was the sound of prisoners breaking the restraints tied to their hands and feet.

"Hahaha! What the heck is this? The mana has really returned!"

"Freedom! Let's overturn everything!"

The prisoners who found their freedom in an instant ran amok with joy.

I stared blankly at the unprecedented mess happening in front of me. They were like monsters beyond common sense.

As if those iron bars were papers.

Soon the prisoners who had torn off the iron bars came out one by one.

Even then, I still had no choice but to sit alone and stare at what they're doing in dismay.

With the sound of explosion and the rocking boat, I knew the situation was taking an unusual turn. But I had no option to escape.

Shit.

I cursed inwardly as I looked down at the restraints that wouldn't budge, no matter how hard I tried to pull them off.

The muscle strength of this body seemed to be at a normal level, not much different from my original body.

So, it's only natural that I couldn't break it, unlike the other prisoners.

At that moment, another explosion erupted. It was very close this time.

One prisoner who was first to come out suddenly went flying like a cannonball and crashed into the wall.

The other prisoners' eyes widened at the sight of that prisoner dying instantly with a huge hole in his chest. His shape was so distorted that it was hard to even recognize him.

"These bugs are jumping around excitedly. Where are you planning to crawl out?"

It was an old man with gray hair who entered and said that in a ghastly voice.

An old man who exuded a sense of intimidation like a mountain. He looked gigantic that all the rugged prisoners looked like children compared to him.

"Stop him…!"

Some prisoners who were unaware and tried to pounce ended up in a situation no different from the prisoner who had crashed into the wall earlier.

As if to drive away flies, the old man's fist turned those who tried to attack him into a piece of minced meat.

He didn't stop there and started slaughtering all the remaining prisoners.

Speed and destructive power far beyond humans.

I couldn't follow his movements with my eyes. All I could see was the sight of prisoners' bodies bursting out one after another, which turned into fountains of red blood.

It was a sight that seemed infinitely unreal. Could it be that the human body could shatter so easily, like bursting a fruit?

Kwaaang!

In the meantime, a guy flew to where I was sitting and crashed into me. Blood splattered on my face.

He literally wiped the prisoners out in the blink of an eye, unable to resist or flee.

In fact, from the moment the old man appeared, it was easy to guess the result. Because…

[Lv. 91]

I could tell from the level displayed above his head.

He was a monster in a different level from others.

At most, no matter how many level 40 or 50 prisoners flocked to him, they could never touch the old man.

As with all RPGs, especially in RaSa, the larger the level gap, the harder it was to establish an equal battle. The number of prisoners was meaningless. Not to mention the vast difference in levels.

Fuck.

A terrible sight, a thick bloody smell.

Wiping the blood from my cheeks, I once again cursed inwardly.

I entered the game out of nowhere, became a prisoner of a convoy, something exploded and then shit happened, and the monster old man suddenly appeared and massacred the other prisoners.

So much had happened in a short amount of time.

The only thing that was certain was that my life was now in greater danger than hanging from a rotten rope on a cliff.

"Huh, is there still someone left?"

The old man looked my way curiously, brushed off the blood soaked in his fist and walked closer.

He climbed over the broken bars and entered the prison, looking down at me. I also looked up at him without speaking.

In fact, it was just that I couldn't get out of the restraints. But since I didn't run away and stayed calm, I had a tiny expectation that he would somehow spare me.

But it seemed like a futile hope.

A cruel smile crept across the old man's lips.

"A guy with strange eyes. Such a waste that you have to be killed here."

He suddenly placed a huge hand on top of my head.

Even though it was just him placing a hand on my head, I felt the pressure as if my head would collapse at any moment.

If the old man put even a little of strength in his grip, my head would explode. And that was the future that would happen soon.

Am I going to die in vain like this?

Even amid this, my head was still calmly assessing the situation.

Maybe if I die like this, I can go back to my original world?

It was not without possibility. However, I couldn't just throw away my current life as easily as a game.

"…!"

In an instant, while desperately searching for a way out, I remembered something.

Last minute before entering the game.

The box of chaos, a skill that popped out because of merging everything that my character possessed.

[Instant Kill]

Instantly kills the target, ignoring all effects. I can activate it while in contact with the target, and there is no limit to the number of targets.

No way. That thought crossed my mind.

Because I entered this game right after the fusion ended.

There was no certainty. However, now it was a desperate situation where I had to grab at least a straw.

"I am the warrior, Garten. If you have any last words, I will listen to it."

I met the old man's eyes and opened my mouth.

"Die."

The hand that had been placed on my head slipped away.

The old man's huge body collapsed on the floor like a doll with its strings cut off.

Dayphon walked down the hallways, across the corpses of convoys and sailors.

Things went smoothly as planned.

The ship had been largely destroyed, so the convoy would soon sink.

Now, he only needed to kill the 'warrior' and he could return without leaving a single survivor.

He didn't expect that the Rognar Kingdom would have any preparations, so it was quite unexpected that one of the five stars would appear.

Five Stars of Santea. It was unreasonable to deal with someone as strong as that alone, even if it was Dayphon.

But he wasn't too concerned. Because there was a card prepared for such a variable.

Is it over there?

The strong energy felt from downstairs made Dayphon immediately convinced that the warrior was there.

The inside of the cabin, which appeared to be the prisoner' confinement spaces, was already a gruesome scene with the bodies of the prisoners.

It was difficult to control even the rampaging prisoners when the convoy was attacked, so the person responsible for this must have dealt with them all.

Moving leisurely inside the cabin while hiding, he could find the warrior Garten as expected.

"I am the warrior, Garten. If you have any last words, I will listen to it."

The warrior had his hand on top of a prisoner's head.

Dayphon stood at a distance and watched the scene.

He didn't know the full situation, but the warrior was planning to deal with the last surviving prisoner after he listened to his will.

I have to attack the moment he kills that prisoner.

If possible, it would be better to launch a surprise attack at the most appropriate time.

After deciding, Dayphon waited for the warrior to explode the prisoner's head.

And soon, the prisoner's mouth opened.

"Die."

Dayphon's eyes widened in astonishment at the sight that followed.

"…?!"

The warrior's body collapsed on the floor at the prisoner's words.

For a moment, he did not know what had happened.

Dead…?

No breathing, no heart beating.

The sign of life was completely cut off from the fallen warrior, and Dayphon could no longer feel any energy from him.

He's really dead.

In an instant, one of the Five Stars of Santea, a warrior with a high reputation throughout the continent, died just like that.

Dayphon reflexively stopped breathing and killed his presence as much as possible.

A prisoner with restraints on his hands and feet, staring down at the dead warrior.

It was hard to believe, but it was a sight that made one think he had killed the warrior, Garten.

But how?

The other didn't lift a finger. All the mad did was say a short word – 'die'.

…Spirit magic? Is it some kind of spirit?

However, how could there be a spirit capable if killing the warrior with just one word? What kind of spirit was that?

Dayphon stared at the man with confusion.

The appearance of a variable that was far beyond the assumption. He couldn't really decide what to do in this absurd situation.

Surprise attack? Doing that would be crazy, especially since he's up against a monster who killed the warrior in just an instant.

Even with the power provided by the King of the Dead, the original plan to kill the warrior, the odds of winning were unknown.

So, should I retreat like this? But to return without knowing the identity of that unknown person…

"…!"

For a moment, Dayphon felt goosebumps welling up all over his body.

It was because the man suddenly turned his gaze and was staring at where he was.

"Stop acting like a rat and come out."

…Caught. Since when?

That his stealth skill was so easily discovered made Dayphon feel the greatest shock and disappointment.

It was because he had the highest stealth ability on all continents.

He was still thinking of escaping just now, but he soon gave up on that idea.

His life could easily end in an instant, just like what happened to the warrior just now. He couldn't risk that.

Squeak.

Dayphon appeared and met the man's eyes.

In the empty eyes that did not show any emotion, he felt an indescribable sense of coercion.

Dayphon only had a vague intuition.

That the man in front of him might be someone on par with the monarchs.

"…Who are you?"

After a moment of silence, Dayphon asked.

The man just stared at him with his mouth still closed, as if he had no intention of answering.

Unspoken pressure. Dayphon guessed the meaning of that gaze and thought about what to say.

The other's identity was unknown, but he was escorted to Archemon as a prisoner and he killed the warrior without hesitation.

At least there was no friendly relationship there, so it wouldn't matter if Dayphon revealed his identity. No, it would be better to make it clear.

"I am a member of the Calderic Monarchy, Dayphon. Not affiliated with the Rognar Kingdom or Santea Empire Alliance."

At those words, a slight change occurred in the man's expression. He wasn't sure what the other was thinking.

"…Calderic Monarchy?"

After mumbling like that, he paused and asked;

"What did you do to this ship?"

"…If you want to know the condition of the hull, the convoy will soon sink without reaching Archemon."

At those words, the man's expression slightly frowned for a moment and then straightened again.

The conversation ended like that.

As if that was all he was curious about, the man asked nothing else.

He seemed uninterested in why Calderic attacked a single convoy or the details behind it.

For now, is it fortunate that that's the case?

Dayphon was a little relieved at the other's attitude that didn't show any hostility.

No, rather than having no hostility… it seemed closer to not being interested anymore since Dayphon had already answered his question.

As long as Dayphon didn't attack, the man didn't seem to care anymore whether he escaped.

However, Dayphon hesitated to leave.

It's because he felt regretful about leaving just like this.

He, too, was in a state of growing doubts and curiosity about this bizarre man.

"Why is someone like you a prisoner in this convoy?"

A monster that killed the warrior in an instant and discovered him, whose ability and power were unfathomable.

To Dayphon, the situation seemed ridiculous. Like finding a dragon sleeping quietly curled up with meager shackled at the corner of a goblin cage.

Cooong!

The hull shook violently and tilted.

The man still did not take any action, and the answer to the question was not returned.

Dayphon, who was staring at him, suddenly realized something.

"…"

Empty eyes with cold emotions. Total indifference to the surroundings. A uniquely bored atmosphere.

He had seen a similar person.

That was clearly the attitude of someone who no longer felt any meaning in life.

Perhaps everything was irrelevant to that man.

Even now, even when the ship was sinking, the other did not even think of escaping. Whether he died, his life would not matter.

Killing the warrior and talking to Dayphon must have been just a momentary whim.

Waa!

Once again, the hull vibrated.

Dayphon felt a great disappointment.

A giant like this no longer had any interest or regret in the world and wanted to just sink to the cold seabed and disappear.

The regret made him come up with a rather impulsive, out-of-the-box proposal that didn't suit the situation at all.

"Would you like to go with me?"

He just hoped that he could ignite even the slightest spark of interest in this man's heart.

"To Calderic's overlord castle?"