NOVEL NEXT Chapter 160
Chapter 160: The Encounter with Madness
Arthur paused and turned his gaze toward the direction of Max’s shout.
He seemed to contemplate something for a moment before asking Dean, “Who are they calling?”
“Uh, I’m not really…,” Dean replied, avoiding Arthur’s gaze.
“Has he always acted like this?”
“No… not really.”
“Hmm.”
Arthur retrieved the sunglasses he had tucked into his upper pocket and put them back on. He then raised a finger and pointed toward the entrance, saying, “Those folks should leave now.”
“…Are you talking about us?” Bell asked, her face tense with anxiety.
“Yes, leave.”
“Okay, understood. We’ll head out immediately.”
Bell replied hastily, shooting a look at the surrounding correctional officers, including Jake, urging them to leave quickly.
The other officers also scrambled toward the entrance as if they couldn’t wait to be anywhere but here.
Jake was honestly curious about what would happen next, but the man in sunglasses was so frightening that he had no choice but to exit.
He sneaked a glance at Si-hyun before dashing toward the door.
In an instant, the number of people in the hallway was cut in half.
“What are you all doing? You should also leave, you know.”
Arthur spoke, this time gazing at Roland, whose face was badly battered from getting punched too much.
“…Ah.”
Roland finally remembered he had a job to finish.
Lost in the confusion and suffering from heavy blows, he hadn’t been able to think straight.
All he had to do was escort Max to the entrance of the ward.
Meetings with Max always took place in secluded areas where no one else was present.
During that time, there would be no correctional officers—only VIPs allowed in the ward.
That was the instruction from the Director of Corrections.
“Yes, yes! I’ll leave right now. Have a… pleasant time.”
Roland said that and hurriedly made his way out.
His heart felt like nothing could be better than just leaving this place without a trace of a lie.
“Don’t forget to turn off the CCTV.”
Arthur called after Roland’s back.
“Yes, of course. Of course.”
After repeatedly assuring, Roland rushed out of the ward.
Dean glanced around and quickly followed Roland out as well.
And behind them was Si-hyun…
“Where do you think you are going?”
Arthur’s words stopped Si-hyun in his tracks.
‘Ugh, that guy…’
Thinking he could sneak away, Si-hyun cursed inwardly and slowly turned around.
Now that he looked, every so-called king here was someone he didn’t like.
The king he saw during the Ganghwa Island Disaster was the same, and so was the one in front of him now.
What kind of past life did he have that made him an enemy of kings?
“Didn’t you tell me to leave?”
Si-hyun deliberately shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.
He had no intention of being intimidated by someone being a king or a Sword Master.
“That wasn’t meant for you.”
Arthur, wearing a smile, replied.
Technically, Si-hyun was right.
The principle was that no one was allowed in when meeting Max.
The only reason Arthur was breaking that rule was simple.
He had no plans to simply let Si-hyun walk away.
The reason for that thought was just as simple.
It was simply because he didn’t like the look on Si-hyun’s face when he first glanced at him.
It was an absurd reason that anyone could tell was nonsensical.
But for him, that was undoubtedly enough.
‘That scoundrel…’
Si-hyun could roughly guess how this situation was unfolding.
Everyone was told to leave, yet he alone was being singled out, evident for all to see.
It was uncertain what exactly Arthur planned to do, but his intentions surely seemed malicious.
“Do you really have to go that far?”
The Tall Woman appeared to have guessed at Arthur’s inner thoughts and asked with a tired expression.
“I can’t make an exception this time.”
Arthur’s voice, laced with a soft but firm tone, rang out.
“Hah, do whatever you want.”
The woman sighed lightly, uninterested in further intervening, and turned her gaze away.
Si-hyun stared directly at Arthur, asking, “What if I do want to leave?”
“Well, feel free to try.”
Arthur shrugged with indifference.
“….”
Si-hyun decided to remain still for the moment.
He knew well that stomping out in defiance wouldn’t work in this situation.
The opponent was S-Class.
He’d confirmed it with his own eyes.
He had grown quite strong, reaching B-Class, but there was nothing he could do against an S-Class not being an inmate.
Of course, he had a few useful tricks up his sleeve.
However, those were last-resort options.
Confronting an S-Class, especially one from another country, wouldn’t yield any gains.
If there was any way to resolve this verbally, that was undoubtedly the preferable option.
“Looks like you’ve finally grasped the situation. How utterly dull you must be…”
Arthur clicked his tongue.
Si-hyun stood there, showing no change in his expression as if he were unfazed by the provocation.
“Come on! Get here now! You bastard!”
Just then, Max’s furious shout resounded again like a charged explosion.
“Let’s go.”
The Tall Woman nodded toward the direction of Max.
◈ ◈ ◈
‘That jerk…’
Si-hyun squinted as he gazed at the bald man trapped inside the cell.
The bald man was restrained with protective gear and a restraint chair.
Both were tools used to subdue inmates who exhibited violent behavior.
While the usage rules were strict, their effectiveness was remarkable.
Even the problematic inmates tended to go mad after being restrained by just one of those.
Yet this bald man was restrained by two methods, showcasing an impressive level of intensity in their construction.
He couldn’t move his arms or even rise.
The only part of him that was free was his face.
For an average person, this would be unbearable for a few days, driving them insane.
It was easy to understand why he was howling, his face flushed with rage.
[Warning: A person of notorious infamy has been detected nearby.]
As expected, the seasoned guard’s insight rang out a warning.
Si-hyun quickly checked the status window.
[Legendary Bandit] Name: Max Gender: Male Occupation: Bandit (Main), Hater (Sub) Notoriety: Extremely Famous [Fame Details] 1) Gale King (狂風巨熊) – Max is the head of the infamous Gale Bandit Group that operates out of the Great Desert. For decades, he instilled terror in many caravans and travelers passing through the desert until he was captured by Po-ahim. – Desert Monarch Ability Activated. Can breathe and move within the sands of the desert. All stats increase by 700% in the desert, and skill efficacy doubles to 200%. 2) Hater of Po-ahim – Max bears a terrifying grudge against Po-ahim, who captured him. He harbors more hatred for Po-ahim than anyone. – Can detect Po-ahim. – When facing Po-ahim, all stats increase by 150%, triggering a frenzied state.
‘Well…’
Seeing the status window, Si-hyun couldn’t help but click his tongue in disbelief.
…Was this it?
It seemed like he had been rampaging and committing various evils until he got caught by Po-ahim and locked away.
It was natural to harbor resentment against the one who put him in such a position, but this individual seemed to take it to another level.
In any case, this was a tricky situation.
Dealing with someone as problematic as a king was already delicate enough, and now there was someone who could detect Po-ahim here as well.
If things went awry, his cover could be blown.
“Ugh! Finally here! Ugh! Is this really you? Is it? Is it not? Is it?”
Max cried out, shaking his head like a madman.
They called him a king, but he had a thunderous voice that resonated.
Upon closer inspection, even restrained, he exuded an intimidating physique.
If he were to rise, it would feel as though the cell was filled to capacity.
“Who are you speaking to?”
Arthur asked.
“You bastard, get lost! Get lost! Get lost!”
Max shouted, eyes wild with madness.
“….”
In an instant, unpleasant feelings swirled prominently beneath Arthur’s smile.
Naturally, as a real king, he would look down upon the leader of a band of criminals as if they were insignificant insects.
Being spoken to so rudely by such a trivial being would understandably provoke irritation.
“I’ll ask again. Who are you addressing?”
“Get lost! Get lost! Get lost! Get lost!”
Max continued shouting defiantly into thin air.
He clearly didn’t seem to have a stable mental state.
“Well….”
Arthur donned an unpleasant smile and took off his sunglasses, tucking them into his upper pocket.
His darkened eyes glimmered again, their light now rising from the depths.
“Miriam, do you think this crazy man is of any use? Wouldn’t it make more sense just to kill him?”
The mere fact that Arthur referred to his opponent as a “crazy man” showed how upset he was.
“If you truly think so, why not contact him now?”
The Tall Woman, now known as Miriam, replied.
‘Miriam?’
Si-hyun silently repeated the name in his mind.
It sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
“Is there really a need for that? What’s so significant about killing one such individual?”
Arthur tilted his head to the left, cracking his neck.
“Are you the king of America?”
Miriam shot back pointedly.
“Haha, quite the sass.”
Arthur chuckled mysteriously. Then, crossing his arms, he took a step back.
“Then why don’t you show us how well you can manage this crazy man, Lady Miriam? I’ll be watching closely.”
‘…It clicked.’
Upon hearing the title of Lady Miriam, Si-hyun’s expression lit up with recognition.
It reminded him of a vision—whether real or an illusion—he had while in Po-ahim’s body.
In that place, the sword master had referred to the knight guarding the gate to the garden as that name.
The unique title of “Lord” was what stuck in his mind when he was called by Po-ahim.
‘In the midst of misfortune, perhaps a stroke of luck is coming my way.’
Si-hyun thought, allowing a smirk to cross his face internally.
When he had seen her before, she certainly didn’t bear any ill will toward Po-ahim.
No, she had appeared a bit flustered while calling out to Po-ahim, almost as if she felt a more affectionate emotion was lurking beneath.
Among two parties harboring hostility, having even one with a gentler sentiment was no small blessing.
Should the worst occur, he might be able to exploit that feeling somehow.
“Well, let’s proceed with that.”
Miriam stepped forward.
At that moment.
“Ugh! The smell of a woman! I love women! The smell of a woman! I love women! Strip! Strip now!”
Max howled, licking his lips.
In the back, Arthur beamed with a pleasant grin, as if he had anticipated it all along.
Miriam’s right arm twitched.
“…I really want to kill him.”
She had not wanted to be here from the start.
She had come only because the most renowned and sagacious person in the world had personally asked for her assistance.
She understood his plans and accepted they needed people like this for them.
However, dealing with such an individual was undeniably unpleasant.
“Big breasts! Big breasts! Big butt! Big butt!”
Continuing his rant, Max had Arthur bending over with suppressed laughter.
BAM!
Miriam grimaced and slammed her fist against the cell door with frustration.
“Let’s just beat him down and take him away.”
“Don’t resort to violence! Don’t resort to violence!”
Max shook his head vehemently.
His gaze momentarily met Si-hyun’s eyes.
In that instant, Max’s expression changed dramatically.
The lunatic’s eyes regained a glimmer of sanity.
With the scent of blood catching his nostrils, he unleashed a ferocious aura that spread fearfully in all directions.
“…It has been a while. Truly, it has been.”
Max muttered like a growl.
Just when Arthur and Miriam were puzzled by Max’s sudden change, he fixed his gaze firmly on Si-hyun and roared like a lion.
“We meet at last! Finally, we have met! Po-ahim! Po-ahim! Po-ahiiiiiiiim!”