Brainwashed Then Woke Up To Find My Childhood Friend a Hero

19. Interlude Part Ayla 2

As I headed to lunch, I saw Elgu stopping a rather hefty man. I wondered what he was doing, but it seemed he was picking a fight to help a man who was about to have his lunch stolen. He defeated the man using only his physical abilities, without any magic. For a moment, I saw my father in him. As applause erupted, it seemed Elgu was being taken to the punishment cell, number one. I thought it would be impossible to talk to him now, but the look on his face as he was taken away was so amusing, like a goblin caught off guard, that I couldn’t help but laugh.

Then I approached the man Elgu had helped.

—

Then the man flinched, responding with a feeble voice. When I asked his name, he weakly replied, “I’m Wide…” On a whim, I decided to use my foresight to glimpse the future, and I saw him joining the resistance. So, I invited Wide right then and there.

Immediately, he asked, “Will this help Mr. Elg?” It seemed he wanted to repay a debt, and I readily agreed. The look on his face when I mentioned the execution date being set for after tomorrow’s lunch was quite amusing.

Later, when I asked Elg, who had been released from the punishment cell, about his companions, he said he had met his father. The punishment cell drained magical power, so I was impressed he hadn’t been beaten up too badly by his father. It seemed he had also agreed to the matter of his companions. As we discussed the plan, night fell, and after Elg went to sleep, I contacted the resistance members through the guards, preparing for the next day’s lunch. The goal was to create a commotion to reduce the number of guards while they were in disarray. To that end, I carefully used my foresight to see the future, observing various situations and scenarios.

In every pattern, Gildia stood as a barrier. Alone, I couldn’t win against his father, but with Elg, a chance emerged. However, it was like walking a tightrope, trying not to snap the thin thread of fate. Still, I believed in the future where we all escaped together, ready to initiate the plan at any moment.

The next morning, I woke up feeling unusually uneasy. I decided to look into the future. There, a guard appeared before me before lunch, saying, “I’m taking you to the execution chamber now.” The moment I saw that, I was struck with dread, realizing my bad premonition had come true. The guard continued, “I know you’re plotting an escape.” As I wondered why, I noticed Elg was fighting a hefty man behind me. He had probably seen me recruit Wide and was spreading rumors out of spite, but suspicion is still suspicion. I had managed to delay the execution date, but it seemed the backlash was finally here.

I panicked; if I didn’t act, there would be no future for our escape. I looked into the future, grasping at possibilities, and what I saw was “the future that lies ahead if we start the operation now.” Several possibilities emerged. I called out to a guard from our group on patrol, informing him to initiate the plan. He looked extremely surprised, but he quickly realized something was wrong since I could see the future. From there, things moved swiftly. I donned the guard uniform I had prepared in advance and escaped from the spot. I knocked out a few guards and stripped them of their clothes.

Then I headed to Cell 2, prioritizing the release of those in the resistance who excelled in combat. There, I was discovered by a guard, causing a commotion. Prisoners who weren’t part of the resistance shouted, “It’s an escape!” clamoring to be first. I entrusted the released comrades with the prisoners’ escape and made my way to my father’s cell. He should have been returned from the punishment cell and locked up in the innermost cell now. As I reached my father’s cell, he asked me amidst the chaos, “What’s happening?” but I ignored him. I freed my father and gathered the resistance. As expected, the prisoners acted as decoys, and we executed our escape plan. To do that, we had to defeat Gildia, which required two conditions: to reduce the number of guards as much as possible and to confront Gildia one-on-one.

Gildia’s divine revelation is an order.

A skill that grants buffs during command,

The terrifying aspects of this ability are threefold: first, it creates a significant advantage in group battles; second, the difference in buffs based on the number of users can grant an incredible buff when used solely on oneself. Lastly, there’s the command against a single enemy, essentially a debuff. While its effect duration is short, its coercive power is strong, and Gildia won’t miss the openings created by it.

To that end, we slipped out of solitary confinement and headed toward the guard building to take down the guards. The skilled members of the resistance infiltrated to incapacitate as many guards as possible. The key here was not to kill; we aimed to incapacitate them to buy time. I used foresight to take down the guards that were present.

There were no mistakes in the instructions given through foresight, and we continued fighting without sustaining major injuries. Suddenly, the prison lights went out. The magical power supply was cut off, severing communication. I felt a flicker of joy—had Elg succeeded?—but there was no time to relax as the battle continued. We took advantage of the panic to knock down the guards, who were moving sluggishly.

We took down the guards who had come to investigate the commotion, clearing out more than half of them, but finally, Gildia appeared. His expression was twisted with rage. “Eliminate the resistance!”

In that instant, the previously disorganized guards began to move as one. Each individual’s strength surged, their movements became agile, and most importantly, their expressions changed. Gone were the fears and anxieties of impending defeat; they were now filled with confidence and courage. The fact that my father and a few elite members had been reduced to hold Gildia back turned the tide of the battle, and we began to be pushed back little by little. I used foresight to direct our strategy, but Gildia’s buffs and support were overwhelming, leaving us lacking a decisive move. I surveyed countless options. Then, within the foresight of the future, one method became clear. It was to draw Gildia’s attention with my father and me, deflecting attacks with foresight while my father evaded with his agility. I entrusted the command to my comrades and rushed to my father.

I used foresight to find an opening

and immediately conveyed the plan.

“Let’s draw Gildia’s attention together!”

Upon hearing that, the elite members of the resistance fell back, and Gora scooped me up, leaping over the wave of guards toward the back of the guard building. Seeing this, Gildia led a dozen guards in pursuit of us.

We gained considerable distance at first, using foresight to navigate the path skillfully, scouting for routes.

The Gildia pursuing us seemed quite anxious. From their demeanor, it was clear that there was either an exit or something important ahead.

However, we were surrounded, and my father attempted to create a path by taking down a guard, but we entered Gildia’s range. “I’m fast,” he said, moving swiftly as he lunged at my father and us. I faced a guard on the spot, but with Gildia present, victory seemed impossible. I struggled to resist, but Gildia’s fist struck my abdomen, and I lost consciousness.