Ch. 76: The Exodus

"This is my request. Let them out of prison."

Charlotte's words floated through the air with an unwavering, resolute tone.

A heavy sigh escaped Charles' lips. He had already anticipated that Charlotte would choose that path the moment she opened her mouth.

"No problem. As long as you're responsible for their safety," he finally responded.

Without further ado, Charles snapped his fingers. A thunderous explosion echoed, shaking cell after cell of the prisoners, followed by a rain of iron shards and thick dust. The once sturdy ice bars were obliterated in an instant, leaving no trace behind.

Charles didn't care if the explosion threatened the prisoners' lives. At least they were wise enough to realize that they had been given no warning and promptly moved away as soon as one bar exploded.

No one dared utter words of hope for survival lest they wished to die in vain.

Once all the cells were opened, the prisoners immediately gathered around Charles. Their frail bodies knelt and bowed deeply, expressing their sincere gratitude.

"Thank you!"

"Thank you!"

"Thank you!!!"

The echoing chorus of voices signaled the outpouring of appreciation from the depths of their hearts.

However, Charles felt uneasy being surrounded like that. A slight tsk escaped his lips.

"Silence, or I'll blow all your heads off." His gaze sharpened with a warning.

I'm not your Archon, okay? Just worship your Archon...

A tense silence enveloped the air. No one dared utter a word after Charles' grave threat.

Charles turned his gaze towards Charlotte. Not a word passed his lips.

"Where will you go after this?" Charlotte asked, breaking the silence.

"I'll go far away. It's impossible to survive in this place."

Charles swept his gaze over each of the prisoners one by one before continuing,

"Fontaine is dead."

...

Heavy footsteps echoed along the stairway leading to the surface.

The prisoners turned their backs on Charles, slowly ascending the steps one by one. Charles waited patiently until the monstrous figures vanished from sight.

The sound of the heavy footsteps faded, indicating that they had stopped and fell silent.

Seizing the opportunity, Charles hurried forward to peek at the surface alone.

His eyes squinted, observing the conditions outside, still filled with wandering humanoid ice monsters roaming aimlessly. After satisfying his observation of the situation, he rejoined the prisoners.

His gaze radiated confidence. "I'll draw the attention of all those monsters to me." His head turned towards Charlotte, standing among the crowd. "The rest of you will be led by Charlotte and escape."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked with a concerned tone.

Charles nodded. "I shouldn't die," he assured her.

Previously, Charles had tried to find Furina's whereabouts but failed to locate her. It meant that Furina wasn't imprisoned in the same place as him. Thus, Charles decided to become a decoy so that the others could escape first. Afterward, he would search for Furina's location.

A confident smile curved his lips. With his newfound high Agility, evading those monsters would be easy, as long as he could maintain his stamina!

"Alright, on the count of three, we'll start the plan." Charles' voice rang out calmly.

"Three." He turned, holding up three fingers in the air.

"Two."

"One!"

As the final count was uttered, Charles leapt nimbly. A purple electric current enveloped his entire body in a stinging electro-shock.

He shot forward towards the horde of humanoid ice monsters, swinging a sharp sword he had withdrawn from his inventory.

One ice monster's head was decapitated in an instant, rolling across the snow heap with splashes of frozen blood.

His feet glided deftly across the soft snow surface, evading the retaliating slashes from the now wary monsters.

A mocking smile spread across Charles' lips. Defiantly, he stood upright, raising his sword towards the sky. Thunderous rumbles answered in response.

"The god of death is here!"

The electro-electric current surged even more around his body. Lightning struck from behind the ominous clouds, touching the tip of Charles' sword in a blinding flash of energy.

The emanating power was overwhelming.

The ice monsters froze in their tracks.

...

A humanoid ice monster charged like a raging rhinoceros, its crystal ice spear thrust forward, targeting Charles.

However, Charles observed the monster's slow movements with a cool head. In a split second, he leaped aside, his body gracefully airborne, evading the creature's charge.

Charles' movements were like those of a skilled street dancer, jumping from one point to another without pause. Finally, he landed gracefully on the shoulder of another ice monster.

His body sat casually as if that throne was destined for him. A curved, mocking smile etched upon his pale lips.

The monster Charles was perched on seemed confused by the unexpected weight on its shoulder.

It tried to brush him off with a sweep of its massive hand. But a purple electric current struck its body, freezing it in place instantly.

On the other side, the charging monster couldn't stop its momentum. Its crystal spear pierced through its comrade's body, freezing them in a perfect pose.

"It's like a clown battle..." Charles uttered a haughty murmur. His fingers touched his chin as he narrowed his eyes, disdaining his foes.

The more Charles tried to fight, the more he realized that those monsters were far weaker than he had initially thought. Their appearances were indeed terrifying like giants, but their movements were slow and rigid. In truth, they were not formidable foes to be feared.

"Then why was I so afraid before?" he asked no one in particular.

Charles stood up, kicking the head of the monster he had been sitting on, causing it to roll across the snow.

Then he jumped down, brushing off his clothes with an arrogant gesture. One hand slipped into his pocket while the other covered his mouth as he yawned widely.

A sword? Ah, he no longer needed it against these weak enemies.

The ice monsters hurried to surround him, but Charles merely snapped his fingers.

Massive explosions detonated in their heads, spraying ice shards and frozen blood everywhere.

One by one, the giant bodies collapsed lifeless onto the pristine white snow.

"I'm getting bored," Charles complained as he pocketed both hands.

His gaze shifted towards the towering ice palace in the distance, his eyes squinting.