Under the shimmer of the candlelight, Ash lifted his head. His lips curled up in a smirk as a bunch of keys lay in his hand.
'Imp, are you ready…'
[Hahah! Yes!! I'm born ready.]
Giggling, Imp appeared out of nowhere and sat on his head.
"Everyone, it's time for our freedom…"
Ash announced and heaved a sigh of relief after seeing all the planning coming to fruition.
All of this had started on the first day, when he had seen the guard with the keys. He knew this would be his way out.
So, he orchestrated the death of the first injured prisoner. Yes, after getting information from him, Ash had never planned to have his side of the bargain for two explicit reasons.
First, so the next few deaths wouldn't immediately be flagged as suspicious, and the second reason: well, he didn't want to volunteer for some rapist.
At first, Ash wanted to take things slowly and kill prisoners one at a time, but after the fight, he didn't have any other options but to increase the pace.
The telekinesis didn't leave any signs, but if he were to crush their throats, there would be signs of something. So Ash found a creative approach. He created boxes and applied them around their heads.
When they showed signs of struggling, he burned the candle out.
And the last part of the constant dropping of the candle was to put the guard on high alert so he wouldn't notice getting his keys snatched.
Well, keys weren't the only things; Ash now owned a pouch of coins as well.
"Let's go, giant…"
Kicking him on the back, Ash fiddled with the keyhole and opened the door.
He took a glance at the other prisoners and muttered, "Let's go, you won't get another chance like this…"
Of course, that wasn't the whole truth; he needed a meat shield for unforeseen circumstances as well.
The prisoners hesitated for a moment, but remembering the horror they had undergone, they quickly stood on their feet.
"Where are we going, ba ba.."
The giant asked, and Ash just patted him on the shoulder. Getting out of the cell was the easy part, and now came the real struggle.
Escaping this hellhole altogether, well, Ash had a plan for that as well.
'The garden… There is a high wall and a long stretch of forest after that.…'
After meeting with Tiglath, he knew this was the perfect way out. The long expenses of the jungle will provide perfect cover for the escape.
"The plan is brilliant… the chosen one… I knew we could trust you… Order us what to do, and we will make it happen…" Miner whispered fanatically, as if witnessing the birth of their messiah.
Nodding, Ash read the number on the keys and divided them into two separate parts. Handing most of them to the cultist beside Miner, he explained their purpose.
"You go and open all the doors it can and free the prisoners. After…"
Ash was about to make an excuse when the cultist—the one who had enjoyed sacrificing ten people—mumbled something frantically.
"I will do it… I will sacrifice myself for the descent of the god…"
'Yeah! Not gonna happen… I will pass the trial soon anyway.'
Thinking to himself, Ash nodded and left him behind. Informing Imp to look ahead, he kept the last few keys and got on the move.
"Let's go…"
Soon, all of them were sprinting with all their might, while the cultist was busy freeing other prisoners, adding to the chaos. Any candle in the path was getting extinguished by Ash while Minner pocketed some of them.
Soon, they had crossed a significant area, and a crossroad appeared in front of them. Ash has memorized the map and knows where to go.
Without any hesitation, he pointed to the left, "Left…"
Following Ash's command, they ran.
The giant was at the forefront, Miner was just behind him, while Ash was in the middle. As if having gotten a new life, the other prisoners were somehow keeping up with them.
[Someone is coming…] Imp informed.
Matching the key's number with the cells' Ash quickly moved and opened the door before settling in. Hiding in the corner, he waited for them to pass ahead.
"No, there is nothing to worry about… the keys must be there. I dropped them in haste."
Ash heard a familiar sound as he ducked his head into the skeletons lying around. From the corner of his vision, he found two people moving deep, each holding a candle in their hand.
"Why is it so dark here…"
The words echoed behind him as Ash and the group exited the cell and quickly moved ahead. They were at the last point before entering the garden when a sound echoed from behind.
Arghh! Ack!
'Clash!?'
Ash's heartbeat rose; now there wasn't much time left. The sound must've alerted the other guards, and their platoon would soon move throughout the place.
[There are two guards ahead…]
Nodding, Ash quickly tapped the giant's leg and pointed to the left.
The duo had spent a long time discussing these meanings, and judging by the giants' swift reaction, Ash's efforts had finally paid off.
Leaping in a single stride, the giant reached the guard and crushed his head without any effort. The other guard was about to shout, but found no air leaving his mouth.
Soon, his head was crushed as well.
All of them exited the hallway and were bathed under the moonlight. Without waiting to admire its beauty, Ash dashed toward the farthest wall.
Reaching there, Ash asked the gentle giant, "Do it…"
Catching Ash with his bloody hand, Giant lifted him and threw him with enough force that Ash landed on the wall. Soon, he threw Miner, him all the way through.
"Now lift your leg."
Giant followed Ash's words and found his leg supported by some invisible wall. The weight made him grit his teeth, but soon the agony was over.
"Us… let us go as well…"
The other prisoners asked Ash, but he didn't pay any attention to them and jumped on the other side of the wall.
Thump!!
Seeing the giant landing beside him, they ran through the forest and created some distance from the wall.
Gasp! Gasp!
Stopping to take some breath, Ash lifted his head. The moonlight bathed his face, entering from the canopy of the leaves.
"It's over… it's over…"
Shouting, Ash waited for the whisper or a panel appearing that he had passed the trial, but no such congratulatory message ever came.
His breathing became ragged as the realization dawned upon him.
'Was getting out of prison not the main theme of the trial!?'
Ash's thoughts were spiraling out of control when he heard Miner laughing hysterically beside him.
"Hahahahah! We are free… but it isn't over… Let's go, the shaman is waiting… I can feel it… hahahaha!"
"Huh?"
Confused, Ash found Miner pointing in a certain direction. Following his finger, he turned his head and found he was pointing toward a mountain.
Author Note: Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the chapter, please add it to your Library, leave a comment, and vote with your Power Stones. Your support means a lot! Love you all byee~~