Chapter 291: Seventy-Fourth Floor, Prison Break (9)

[Overcome the conditions presented and escape. Time remaining: 125 hours 20 minutes.]

The sharp click of Phiri’s heels faded into the distance, trailing upward to the floor above.

I couldn’t tell where she was headed, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Even on the first day, I had seen Phiri walking the halls without much ceremony. Guards coming and going weren’t exactly rare in a place like this, especially not upstairs.

Though I had only been here a short time, judging by the foot traffic during meal times and the general pattern of patrols, it wasn’t hard to guess.

There were more prisoners on the upper floors.

Seems she is doing a surprise inspection.

Phiri was technically assigned to this floor, but still patrolled a larger area. Unlike the other guards, her presence was immediately recognizable—always announced by the sharp, deliberate rhythm of her high heels. It was likely a byproduct of her higher rank.

The same trend held true here. Unfamiliar guards would occasionally appear without warning, usually once or twice a day. Based on that pattern, I could reasonably assume that senior officers rotated between floors as part of some internal oversight structure.

A deterrent, perhaps, to prevent floor managers from becoming too familiar with, or too sympathetic toward, the prisoners under their care.

Whatever the rationale, once the sound of her footsteps disappeared up the stairs, I turned my thoughts away from Phiri and returned to the task at hand.

Caught between ambiguity and what little I could predict, I quietly reassessed my options.

I didn’t know how long had passed when—

Hm?

The click of heels echoed once more.

I checked the time. About fifteen to twenty minutes had passed since she had gone up.

Right on cue. She probably just finished her sweep.

The timing lined up with the usual length of her surprise patrols. I adjusted the flow of my mana so that it was less noticeable. If she were heading this way, I would have to stop exercising and pretend to be asleep.

Her steps paused near the upper-level stairs.

Three seconds.

I heard her continue walking down the upper corridor instead.

It was the last stage of my set, and being interrupted would have taken the edge off. I was glad I could finish.

Her footsteps slowly faded beyond my sensory range. She was probably calling it a night.

“

Phew

, this is exhausting.”

Ten minutes later, I pushed myself up from the floor. I had completed every set I had planned, which meant the workout was finished for now. It was time to rest.

I felt dangerously close to my limit, as if my muscles were on the verge of tearing apart, and a heavy fatigue had begun to settle in. I wasn’t exactly soaked, but I was definitely sweating more than usual, likely a result of my restricted physical capacity.

With my shirt already off, I wiped my face with the back of my hand.

Ugh. Sticky.

The discomfort was sharper than usual, probably because I hadn’t been able to properly wash in days.

Still, I couldn’t say I had any serious complaints. Comfort wasn’t something anyone expected in the tower. If anything, I had grown accustomed to discomfort. There were plenty of floors where I couldn’t even brush my teeth or rinse my face.

Honestly, compared to those times when I was drenched in blood and still forced to push forward, this almost felt like an upgrade.

Hmm. One last set, maybe? It is always those last few reps until failure that lead to the most growth.

Honestly, the restriction on me made the workout feel strangely rewarding.

I placed both hands on the ground and kicked into a handstand push-up position. In simpler terms, we called it “upside-down push-ups,” without the wall support. A climber who used to be a trainer had once told me it was excellent for building core strength, agility, and power.

My muscles—already close to failure—screamed the moment I locked into form, but I gritted my teeth and endured. Eyes fixed on the floor, I began the set. Blood surged through me with every motion, pain flooding in to greet it.

One, two, three, four...

The pressure cleared my head. That mental fog of pain and fatigue immediately disappeared. Endurance was everything.

I clenched my teeth and forced myself through the last thirty reps.

Gosh, I think I may die.

I gently engaged the muscles in my lower back and neck, then slowly lowered my feet to the floor with controlled ease. My gaze remained fixed on the ground, but as my legs came down, my expanding field of view caught something.

Huh?

An unexpected shape—that shouldn’t be there—had appeared. A familiar silhouette was casting a shadow through the bars. It sent a chill down my spine, as if I had suddenly found myself inside a horror movie. Just like a character from those films, I slowly lifted my head.

A pair of high heels almost immediately came into view. Not long after, slender legs and a fitted uniform skirt followed.

It was Phiri.

The moment I raised my head fully, our eyes met.

I dumbfoundedly murmured,

“Oh! Uh.”

It wasn’t particularly loud, and the sound didn’t carry beyond the bars. She had likely blocked it with mana.

Phiri’s eyes, locked on mine, looked at me complicatedly. I couldn’t read them clearly, but if I had to describe it, she seemed a little sad.

What? How did she get here?

My thoughts spun in all directions. I was still channeling mana into my senses, and yet I hadn’t noticed her approach at all, even with her heels.

There was only one possibility. Phiri had intentionally silenced her steps.

Damn it.

To be fair, I had anticipated this kind of situation.

It made sense that guards would intentionally sneak around to observe the inmates. That was why I always infused mana into my senses—and I had a range of two floors now—even while working out in the early mornings.

For her to bypass my mana detection entirely, though? It felt insane even if I was weakened.

Maybe Phiri has some kind of stealth ability.

I shook my head inwardly. That wasn’t what mattered right now. I had to respond instinctively and smoothly.

Honestly, when I really thought about it, it wasn’t even that serious.

Staying composed, I smiled. “Good evening, Phiri.”

She said nothing and just stared at me with the same complex expression. Her pupils didn’t waver in the slightest.

“I couldn’t sleep. With death creeping closer, I found myself too anxious to rest, so I started exercising. Is that against the rules?”

Still, she didn’t answer.

Stay calm. Stay casual. There has to be something I can say to steer this in my favor.

Right, I wasn’t wearing a shirt.

“Oh!”

I exaggeratedly leaned to the side and quickly put on the shirt I had tossed on the bed. “

Heh.

”

Although I had gone out of my way to act a little ridiculous, it hadn’t eased the tension.

Hmm.

A quiet, awkward silence followed.

Just by looking at her eyes, I could tell that her mind was racing. I didn’t know whether her thoughts leaned in my favor or not, but if I had to guess, I would bet on the former.

At last, she said, “Don’t overdo it. Get some sleep.”

With that, she turned on her heel and started walking away, still moving silently.

Only two steps later, she stopped. “By the way, you’ve got nice muscles.”

The words were spoken at barely over a whisper, and she disappeared down the corridor. From my restricted view behind the iron bars, she vanished almost instantaneously, like a phantom.

Then, for over two full days after that, Phiri treated me like a complete stranger.

***

[Overcome the conditions presented and escape. Time remaining: 78 hours 4 minutes.]

In the early morning stillness, I reclined on the bed after a workout, lost in thought.

Two days had passed since Phiri had caught me exercising. Since then, she had treated me as if I were invisible—no words exchanged, not even a glance during her rounds.

At first, this behavior concerned me. Considering her predicament, it was plausible she hadn’t yet made up her mind. Perhaps she was reminding herself of her duties as a guard.

After all, my excuse wasn’t entirely implausible, as sleeplessness and nervousness could indeed drive someone to exercise.

Well, maybe it didn’t really make that much sense.

The timing was questionable. Sure, it wasn’t impossible, but a condemned prisoner, with only a few days left until they were executed, working out shirtless at that hour? It was only natural to suspect they were preparing to escape.

I am still not sure what brought her there, though.

In any case, her silence was a relief. Her absence over the past two days likely indicated that she was still contemplating her options. At least she wasn’t obstructing me. However, her absence also meant I had no way to locate the key for my restraints.

Nevertheless, my mana reserves were steadily growing. In just four days, I had amassed enough for an escape attempt.

Initially, I had estimated it would take five days, even accounting for potential difficulties in finding the key. After all, even my next-door neighbor didn’t know where the keys were stored. Considering the reticence of the guards and the diminishing rate at which I grew my mana, I had anticipated needing six to seven days.

Yet, recent observations suggested otherwise. The guards lacked a sense of responsibility—their expressions conveyed boredom and reluctance. Occasionally, supervisors from the upper levels appeared more diligent, but the regular patrols on my floor seemed easily manageable. I had also identified a particularly timid guard.

Coercing him could yield the information I need.

Self-preservation was a powerful motivator, especially for those lacking a strong conviction or sense of duty.

As I monitored the activity upstairs, an incident from earlier came to mind, eliciting a scowl. My gaze shifted toward the wall separating me from my neighbor.

“So, Phiri’s ignoring you now? Guess she got bored. Maybe you’re just not that interesting. Do you always make people lose interest so quickly?”

His taunts were infuriating, especially given that he barely knew anything. He rambled on about how to handle women, spouting unsolicited advice.

I felt a strong urge to punch him. There was something about the way he spoke—the unfounded assumptions, the bravado clearly rooted in insecurity—that made it all the more grating.

However, I let it slide. Starting a fight would draw unnecessary attention, so I chose to brush it off. His persistent attempts to provoke me were even more irritating, though. Perhaps I would deal with him during my escape.

Lost in these thoughts, a faint noise interrupted me. I furrowed my brow and focused intently. The subtle sound would have gone unnoticed had I not been lying quietly post-exercise.

No, even during a workout, I would have detected someone approaching.

The deliberate quietness of the steps was telling.

Phiri?

Most likely. This time, however, she wasn’t concealing her presence entirely. I swiftly and discreetly retracted my dispersed mana.

As the muted footsteps drew nearer, they gradually became more pronounced, audible to anyone nearby. I realized she had used mana to muffle external sounds. She wanted me to hear her approach.

Should I stand up?

While I pondered, Phiri appeared beyond the iron bars.

After days of silence, did she reach a decision?

“

I know you’re awake. Get up.”

There was no point in feigning otherwise. I promptly sat up, meeting her gaze as she stood upright.

From her uniform, she pulled out a key. My eyes gleamed. This key differed from the one for the cell door—it was undoubtedly for the restraints.

Phiri offered a melancholic smile. “Help me.”

Though abrupt without any context, I had anticipated this moment. “I will.”

My immediate response caused her eyebrows to arch slightly in surprise, as if questioning me how I even knew what she wanted. “You don’t even know what I need help with—”

“Killing the warden.” I had cut her off mid-sentence, but she didn’t seem to mind.

Her eyes widened into perfect circles. There was even a faint trace of embarrassment, as if she had just had a deeply personal secret exposed.

“How-how did you know?”

“I overheard.”

“But how?”

“I can use mana.” I summoned a small spark of electricity at my fingertips.

Her eyes widened further. “W-what? How can you wield mana?”

“Is that a pressing issue right now?”

“So... you were already planning to escape.” After a brief hesitation, she looked down. “Can you kill the warden?”

I calmly nodded. “Yes.”

“But you haven’t even seen him.”

“There’s nothing I can’t do.”

The words came from pure confidence.

Phiri bit her lip. After a few seconds of hesitation, she took a step closer. “Help me.”

I repeated the same promise once more, “I will.”

She exhaled a short breath, then raised the key in her hand. “I’ll unlock them.”

“No.” I shook my head. “Just go back quietly, as if nothing happened.”