NOVEL NEXT Chapter 159
Chapter 159: A Sudden Twist
“What was that sound?”
Dean’s face turned puzzled.
It sounded like someone’s call, but that strange name—Po-ahim—was not something he had heard before.
“No, I’ve never heard of such a weird name.”
“Eh? What’s wrong with that guy?”
Turning around once, Dean narrowed his eyes at Si-hyun’s shocked expression.
Up to this point, he had been unfazed, completely nonchalant no matter the situation.
But now, he could clearly sense a feeling of surprise.
Had Max’s shout startled him?
In the current situation, there was no other conclusion to draw.
Being an uncommon individual, it seemed that just hearing the aura and shout had made Max realize he was out of his depth.
“This… he might want to leave.”
With Max’s unexpected outburst, their plan had gone sideways.
Well, if he was scared and tried to run away, that wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
Dean thought this and spoke to Si-hyun.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing.”
Si-hyun, who had belatedly calmed his startled emotions, responded.
Yet, his expression betrayed a complexity of feelings.
His mind was swirling with thoughts.
…Should I go or not?
The dilemma over what decision to make troubled him.
In his heart, he wanted to rush and find out who that individual was.
He desperately wanted to know the identity of this mysterious person who spoke as if he recognized him.
Had he truly recognized him?
But the distance made it hard to see his face properly.
If that person pulled out a guard baton or used Po-ahim’s ability, he would have felt more at ease, but that wasn’t the case.
An unbearable curiosity surged within him.
Si-hyun, unable to suppress his impulses, took a step forward before forcibly stopping himself.
No, better to think it through. It would be better not to go.
Going to where that unidentified inmate was could potentially expose his own identity.
The risks far outweighed the gains in this circumstance.
In the end, Si-hyun decided to suppress his curiosity and make the most rational decision he could.
‘Let’s get outta here.’
◈ ◈ ◈
Roland walked toward the Red Ward with a grim expression on his face.
“Damn it, why don’t they even give me time to contact anyone? These soulless bastards…”
He wanted to immediately contact Dean and order everyone to evacuate.
But there wasn’t even time to ask through his subordinates, let alone use a phone or radio.
He had been almost forcibly dragged here since being grabbed by the collar.
Even attempting to look for an opportunity felt fruitless.
Especially when the Tall Woman occasionally shot him piercing glares that sent chills down his spine.
“…This is it.”
Roland said in a defeated tone at the entrance of the Red Ward.
For those who knew the usual Roland, this deflated demeanor was shocking.
He was so different from the confident figure who boasted about being king of Alcatraz.
“Got it. Let’s keep moving.”
The red-haired man said with a smile on his face.
‘What’s so funny to him?’
Roland inwardly grumbled.
It was as if he were afflicted with some kind of mania, always grinning like that.
While it might appear positive and friendly to others, such expressions struck Roland as annoyingly pretentious.
Nonetheless, he concealed any outward signs of his disdain and quietly entered the building, climbing the stairs.
He only needed to get to the 5th floor now.
But each step felt heavy.
If the VIPs saw the scene on the 5th floor, it would undoubtedly lead to a highly embarrassing situation for Roland.
“Ah? Warden?”
Just as Roland was climbing the second floor, he spotted some subordinates coming down the stairs.
And behind them, a group of Asians.
In that instant, Roland’s expression brightened noticeably.
Could it be?
He forcibly feigned a casual tone and asked, “Where are you headed?”
“Oh, we are escorting the guests from Korea to the lounge.”
“The inspection is over?”
“Yes, but… one person is still…”
Hearing the “yes” had brightened Roland’s smile, but the “but” caused it to freeze.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen Dean.
If the inspection had fully concluded, Dean would have led the visitors ahead.
At least he had narrowly avoided the worst-case scenario.
If it was just one person, he felt he could come up with some kind of excuse to cover himself.
“Alright, keep up the good work.”
Roland passed by the curious-looking subordinates and continued upward.
“Who is that?”
Suddenly, the red-haired man asked.
“They’re the inspection team from Korea.”
“I see.”
It seemed like a casual inquiry, but the man didn’t seem overly concerned.
As Roland climbed the stairs, he continuously thought about how to handle the situation.
Finally, he reached the 5th floor.
◈ ◈ ◈
Si-hyun was just about to speak to Dean when he heard the sound of the ward door unlocking behind him.
The complex locking mechanisms of the ward opened one after another.
‘Who could it be?’
That thought crossed his mind, but it wasn’t particularly important.
“It seems the state of the inmate isn’t too good. As an outsider, I think it’s best for me to leave now.”
At that moment, the ward door on the 5th floor swung wide open.
“Warden?”
Dean’s questioning gaze fell on Roland as he entered.
He didn’t come alone; instead, he was accompanied by an unidentifiable man and woman.
Moreover, his expression didn’t look too cheerful.
Other correctional officers quickly snapped to a position of attention upon seeing Roland.
“…Who is that?”
The red-haired man asked as he noticed Si-hyun.
Among those present, only Si-hyun stood out.
He wasn’t wearing a guard uniform, and was the only Asian with black hair and yellow skin.
Roland hesitated, knowing that the moment had finally come.
“That would be… he’s from the inspection team from Korea, known as a hero Warden in this industry… highly regarded for his work… particularly for inspecting the 5th floor…”
The red-haired man, still observing Roland closely, interrupted, “Was that an order from the Director of Corrections?”
“Um, not exactly… it’s just personal…”
“I see.”
The red-haired man removed his sunglasses and tucked them into his breast pocket.
For the first time, his bare eyes came into view.
Those eyes were dark and deep, like an abyss.
They felt oddly unnatural compared to his usual smiling demeanor.
“Shut your mouth.”
“Excuse me?”
Roland couldn’t comprehend as completely dissimilar words tumbled out of the man’s mouth.
In that moment.
Slap!
“Ugh!”
The red-haired man raised his hand and slapped Roland’s cheek.
He struck him hard enough that the A-Class Awakened Being staggered and fell to the floor.
The sudden brutal scene froze the expressions of Dean and the other correctional officers in shock.
Si-hyun widened his eyes in disbelief.
“Get up.”
The red-haired man said, still smiling.
Yet that smile now carried an eerie quality.
“W-Why are you suddenly doing this…?”
Roland stumbled over his words, completely flabbergasted.
He never imagined someone would just hit him out of the blue.
“I said get up.”
He spoke with a smile, but there was an overwhelming force in his words that couldn’t be denied.
Roland found himself reluctantly rising to his feet.
The red-haired man’s hand moved again.
Slap!
“Ugh!”
Roland screamed.
It hurt.
It hurt so badly.
It felt like he had been hit with a steel pipe.
Luckily, having anticipated trouble, he managed to keep himself from collapsing this time.
“Is it okay for the Warden to bring outsiders here on his own? That’s not permissible, right? Correct?”
Slap! Slap! Slap!
As the man continued to slap Roland, the latter shrieked with every hit.
His cheeks had turned bright red and swelled to twice their size.
At that moment, Roland began to understand the meaning behind the Tall Woman’s words earlier— “You should be grateful.”
If it had been this man attacking him back then, he might have already been half dead.
Roland nearly looked like he was about to cry.
But the man continued to strike him without an ounce of mercy.
The correctional officers, including Dean, didn’t even dare to utter a word at the horrifying scene.
Just as the red-haired man lifted his hand again to strike Roland’s cheek.
The Tall Woman, standing behind him, grabbed his wrist.
“Is it permissible to disturb the king’s event like this?”
The man smiled a sinister smile.
But everyone in the space understood that this smile did not convey good will.
“You aren’t my king. You aren’t even the president.”
The woman replied firmly and without hesitation.
No one in the room understood the current exchange.
Except for Si-hyun.
Si-hyun was watching.
He could see the red-haired man’s status window.
The message that an incredibly notorious individual had been detected through Insight had just been generated.
‘…He’s a real king.’
Before him was a job title he had never heard before.
He had only learned of such a profession today.
[Legendary King]
Name: Arthur
Gender: Male
Job: King (Main), Torturer (Sub)
Fame: Extremely Famous
Title 1) Little King (笑王)
– Arthur is the king of the Mirion Kingdom, located in the southwestern region of the Reiter continent. He is referred to as the Little King due to his ever-smiling face.
– He can utilize the king’s majesty. This allows him to intimidate those of lower status than himself, reducing all their stats. The lower their status is compared to his, the greater the effect.
– Not only is he a king, but he is also the most skilled swordsman in the kingdom, having reached the realm of Sword Master.
– He can utilize the Sword Master’s Integration, which provides an increase of 500% to all stats and 150% efficiency to all skills while wielding a sword.
Title 2) Torturer of the Mirror Room
– Arthur has a hidden room in his chamber that only a few close associates know of. This room is surrounded by mirrors and is intended for his secret hobbies. He takes pleasure in torturing people he secretly abducts to death in this room.
– After his death, the secret of the hidden room was revealed, earning him the dishonorable title of the Mad King (狂王).
– He possesses exceptional torture skills that can inflict maximum pain and result in a slow death for his victims. Killing someone through torture puts him into a euphoric state of satisfaction.
‘This is insane…’
Having read the second title, Si-hyun began to understand why the man was deemed one of the most notorious figures.
He was a king of a kingdom but secretly abducted and tortured people for enjoyment.
“Are you planning to keep disrupting the event?”
Arthur spoke with a smile that now held a sinister twist.
“Please, stop.”
The woman replied, still holding onto his wrist.
There wasn’t even a hint of intimidation in her demeanor—she also appeared to be an exceptional individual.
“Alright, I’ll stop.”
Arthur nodded, relenting.
The woman then released her grip on his wrist.
At last, Roland let out a sigh of relief that he was still alive.
He gazed at the woman with genuine gratitude.
“By the way, what should we do about this individual…?”
Arthur mused, casting a meaningful glance at Si-hyun.
Although Si-hyun felt a chill run down his spine, he forced himself to meet Arthur’s gaze calmly.
To this, the Tall Woman showed a hint of surprise.
After witnessing someone mercilessly beaten right in front of them, one would naturally feel intimidated; however, that didn’t seem to be the case for him.
“Wow, just look at this guy.”
Arthur chuckled, shaking his head in surprise.
“It seems he doesn’t fully grasp his situation… Because this is not a place just anyone can enter, you see? Having entered, whether willingly or not, he must bear the consequences, don’t you think?”
His tone was gentle, yet his words carried a heavy undertone.
The oppressive atmosphere sank down on everyone once more.
At that moment.
“Hey! What the hell are you doing? Hurry up and get over here! Get your ass over here!”
From a distance, Max shouted at the top of his lungs.