96 Hours

"96 hours... Such a short time for such a long task! Does the system mistake me for Houdini or is there a plot armour moment in the next four days that's going to make me a part of "The Top 10 Anime Protagonist Plot Armour Moments in 2020" made by ClockMojo?" Sam thought, anxious about the clock ticking down the seconds in his mind, driving him insane.

Sam pondered and revised his original plan, beads of sweat rolling down the side of his forehead las the room's temperature grew to a sweltering heat like that on a summer afternoon. He began to feel light-headed as doubts started to grow from seeds to fully blossomed weeds, fogging up his mind into chaos.

"My plan was to gather help from an outside source, however, this plan won't work in the 96 hours I have. Through hindsight, my plan was quite stupid! If I mistake a guard, an important figure or a morally strict person as an outcast or outlaw which would help me, they would immediately report my actions to the king or whoever is in charge of this dungeon! The king would then... Eureka!" Sam exclaimed, realising a plan which fell right under his nose at the beginning.

Although this would be a risky process, it may be the only escape route available to him within the next 96 hours.

As Sam looked through the barred windows, he noticed that the bustling community which he heard previously had all withered away and only a few lights remained on. Of course, with his innate night vision, he could see perfectly well in the dark, which further enticed Sam into wondering why the dwarves used torches and lamps anyways.

As he saw a figure dressed in a red silked toga pass by, he quickly yelled out after them, begging them to hear him out. Of course, this must have been a common occurrence as the richly clothed individual walked passed him without even glancing of hesitating for a moment as a human would to an ant.

Several hours passed until the familiar aqua glow was present within the cell once more. Sam was quite surprised at this since he hadn't gained the attention of anyone who walked near his window and he wasn't too loud. Had the guards come back to give him his daily beatings?

The pseudo-earthquake didn't shock Sam that much as he experienced it multiple times during his flashback and from his first encounter with the guard. He slumped against the wall like a loitering teenager and waited for the whole process to finish. However, it didn't take long to hear the sniggering of the pair of guards which attended the row of cells he was currently in. Soon after, he could finally see their scorn-filled faces as they read in a joyful manner:

"Under the royal decree of Prince Wacksmar the Seventh, granted by the King himself, Samuel Goldstache, former noble and traitor of the Mildaruk State, must attend his execution in forty-eight hours from the current moment. He will be brought to the Church of Yaldur where he will be hung for his crimes and sins committed against the Heavenly Yaldur." The two guards managed to snort those words whilst chuckling throughout as they spoke in unison.

Unexpectedly, a wide grin slowly appeared on Sam's face as the two guards read out more and more.

"96 hours? I'll only need 48!"