Chapter 289: Seventy-Fourth Floor, Prison Break (7)

[Overcome the conditions presented and escape. Time remaining: 160 hours 43 minutes.]

The room turned out to be for interrogations. It contained a tidy desk and two chairs, and Phiri casually mentioned that one of the walls contained a separate space for observers, as if it were nothing of note.

We ended up having a fairly lengthy conversation in that room.

Just as I expected, she just asked some questions.

It had essentially been a background check. She had asked about what I used to do, what weapons I favored, and the types of abilities I had possessed. Based on the questions, I assumed she was trying to fill in the sections marked as “unknown” that I had seen on the paperwork she brought on the first day.

In hindsight, I was glad I had claimed my memory was incomplete. It gave me an easy out anytime the tower or Earth came up in the conversation.

Honestly, Phiri’s leniency was a big part of what had made it bearable. Even when I had replied vaguely, she had just chuckled before moving on.

If it had been another guard doing the questioning, I probably would have been yelled at or roughed up a little for not remembering.

Rahepin had already told me that Al Ferhadeen was not a pleasant facility.

Despite how many topics we had covered, our talk hadn’t delved too deeply.

“I’m a warrior who primarily uses axes.”

“I don’t remember much, but I did fight a lot.”

“Yes, I was an apostle, or something like that.”

That was about the extent of the story I had fed her. When she asked the occasional question about battle, I responded with generic anecdotes that I had drawn from my experience in the tower.

Even I could tell how threadbare it all sounded.

I glanced at her face when it was over, but she didn’t seem bothered by the lack of substance.

Then again, the whole thing hadn’t felt very serious from the start. Her main goal had clearly been to fill in the blanks, although she had often veered off into more personal territory.

It felt oddly similar to a blind date, where both sides cautiously dug into each other’s pasts.

Though, to be fair, she was the only one doing the digging.

Either way, the conversation was winding down. Phiri seemed to have realized that she had asked everything she needed, and I had answered all I could.

Still, since she hadn’t made a move, I couldn’t exactly ask if we could leave, so I stayed put.

She sat quietly, lost in thought for a moment, until something seemed to click. “

Oh

, right, I heard something interesting recently.”

“Something interesting?” I echoed her words back questioningly, something I had picked up from an old talk show.

Beyond the trick, however, I was genuinely curious about this piece of gossip—it could relate to this floor’s trial. Besides, Phiri didn’t seem like a bad person. I didn’t mind chatting with her.

It is hard to dislike someone who treats you kindly. Also, it isn’t like I have better company waiting back in that cell.

I definitely found it preferable to talk to her.

Thankfully, the trick worked.

Her face lit up, and she launched into the story with cheerful enthusiasm. “It’s a secret, so you can’t repeat it anywhere. I only heard it from a close contact.”

I let out a faint, dry chuckle and donned a tragic look. “Don’t worry. There’s no one I can tell, anyway. I’m scheduled for execution in a week.”

“

Oh

, right, sorry.”

“

Haha

, it’s fine.”

She winced, then quickly pivoted back to the tidbit. “So, apparently, a pretty successful third-class god lost one of their apostles recently, and even got demoted to fifth class.”

I didn’t really get the whole third-class and fifth-class god thing, but the mention of a dead apostle made me narrow my eyes. It lined up a little too well with my most recent trial, where I had destroyed an apostle.

Phiri mistook my reaction as intense interest. “Curious,

huh?

Apostles from high-ranking gods rarely die, not to mention that gods are rarely demoted. It’s pretty wild.”

“Yeah.”

“

Ugh

, what was the name? Something furnace.

Oh

, and almost at the same time, an old first-class god who vanished ages ago apparently came back. They are a fourth-class god now, though. I think they are called Master of the Five Carriage Wheels or something.”

“

Huh?

”

“What? Do you remember something? Don’t tell me you’re involved in this somehow.”

“

Hmm

, give me a second...” I intentionally trailed off.

The battle had only occurred a few days ago, and her description matched it perfectly. My surprise had been purely reflexive. I needed a moment to recover.

Should I say it was just a coincidence? Or admit that I was involved?

A new idea began to take form.

Why hide it?

I had already considered siding with Phiri if the chance presented itself.

To be honest, I wouldn’t have entertained the idea if she hadn’t shown me kindness. She struck me as sincere and maybe even a little vulnerable.

My instincts about people are usually spot-on.

Besides, Sixth Sense hadn’t raised any alarms. Even if I couldn’t access my skills, that one had always felt more like an innate ability than a formal technique. It had warned me of danger countless times, skill or no skill.

Therefore, more than anything, I had to lead Phiri to make a decision.

It would be far better if she asked for my help, rather than me offering it outright.

After all, I had only known her for a few hours. If I jumped the gun and volunteered too early, she could get suspicious, thinking I was plotting something.

I still don’t know how strong the other inmates here are.

She mentioned that apostles of third-class gods didn’t commonly die in combat. Given the circumstances, confessing my involvement seemed smarter. If I wanted her to come to me for help later, she needed to understand what I was capable of.

𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

We had briefly chatted about my combat experience, but I had been purposely vague. Something like this would leave a much stronger impression.

If she was going to commit to something, she needed a reason. Something concrete.

I widened my eyes as if a memory had suddenly surfaced. “

Ah!

”

“What? What is it? Did something come back to you?” She leaned toward me, her wide eyes and slightly parted lips brimming with curiosity.

I scratched the back of my neck and acted a touch sheepish. “I think that was me.”

“

Huh?

” Phiri looked at me with a blank look on her face, as if she hadn’t quite processed what I had said.

Exactly three seconds later, she jolted in shock. “Wait, what?! You’re saying you killed that apostle?”

“Yeah. You mean Endless Furnace, right? I’m pretty sure I fought their apostle.”

“

Oh

, right! That’s it! Endless Furnace is one of those gods who has been on the rise lately.”

“I don’t know much about its standing, but as soon as you said ‘furnace,’ it came to me. I’m fairly certain the mechanical fortress I destroyed was their apostle.”

“Hold on.” Phiri’s dazed gaze dropped to the floor, like her brain was still trying to catch up.

After a beat, she looked at me cautiously. “Then are you one of Master of the Five Carriage Wheels’s apostles? The first-class god?”

“No, I don’t think so. I can’t recall who my god is, but I do remember I wasn’t fighting for Master of the Five Carriage Wheels. I was helping them.”

“Then who are you?” She furrowed her brow, clearly trying to puzzle it out. “And you don’t know anything else?”

She bit her lower lip again, something I had seen her do a few times already—it had to be a habit. “That whole incident wasn’t widely shared. Not many people know about it. I only heard because I have a friend working under a second-class god.”

Her gaze turned back to me. “So why are you here? If you beat that apostle, doesn’t that mean you won?”

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.

“Maybe Endless Furnace used the last of their power to throw you in here as a final act of spite.”

I appreciated that she did the legwork of theorizing all on her own. Regardless, I wasn’t planning to convert her to my side all in one go. It would take time for her to fully break ties with the warden.

“

Oh

, but I can’t say for sure. It’s just fragments of memory. Nothing solid.”

“But everything fits. And you remembered the god’s name...”

“Maybe it’s best to verify it first. Try confirming that Endless Furnace’s apostle was a mechanical fortress.”

People trust information more when they discover it for themselves.

That was why I hadn’t given her a firm answer.

Sure, she could double-check anything I told her, but letting her look into it on her own could help her reach the right conclusion without my nudging.

“You’re right. That’s a good idea. It may not be the same one after all.”

Trying to boost her trust in me a bit further, I added, “I think the apostle’s name was—”

What was it again?

It had been on the tip of my tongue just moments ago, but now that I was about to say it out loud, it slipped my mind.

Fortunately, the name came back after a moment’s pause. “

Ah!

Quinthavaren. That was its name.”

“Quinthavaren? Got it. I’ll ask around.” She mouthed the name to herself a couple of times, trying to commit it to memory. “Still, to take down an apostle of a third-class god, you are a real monster out there.”

I didn’t mean to laugh awkwardly, but it slipped out on its own.

“Haha.”

“Out there,” huh?

Felt like something someone would say in the military.

Either way, judging by her reaction, she had finally grasped my strength. That was enough to start with. If this wasn’t just a passing moment, an opportunity would come.

Maybe she would approach me, or maybe I would get the chance to persuade her.

Phiri’s not the type to let something like this go.

The anger I had seen flash through her eyes earlier wasn’t some passing flare. It had depth. The fact that a guard was showing this much interest in an inmate wasn’t nothing, either.

If I were being honest, I hoped she would come to me first. We hadn’t known each other long, but Phiri already struck me as a good person. Maybe she only acted this way with me, but still, no one liked to see someone who was kind to them suffer.

“My friend’s stationed on a different planet, so it may take a little time. But I’ll definitely ask. Who knows? Maybe it’ll even help jog your memory.”

“Thank you.”

There was something in her eyes then. A flicker of anticipation. She said she wanted my memories to return, but I had a feeling she was hoping for something more.

I met her gaze. Then, I quietly hoped she would recognize the silent promise in mine—I was ready to reach out whenever she chose to take my hand.