"Sir, I heard some noise from Section 16. Should we go check it out?"
A junior prison guard stood beside his senior, who was snoring on a rickety chair, arms folded across his chest.
The older man blinked sleepily, then lazily waved a hand.
"Probably just the wind, you fool. Don't bother me. Yawn..."
The junior looked at another officer nearby, who let out a long sigh.
"Sir seems too busy."
"Yeah. Let's just go and check it ourselves."
Without further hesitation, the two juniors headed down the dim corridor toward Section 16, completely unaware of what awaited them.
But before they could reach the cell, a figure slipped out from a shadowy corner and dashed down the hallway.
Barefoot. Silent. Like a ghost.
His movements were swift and precise. Every step fell softly as he slipped past blind spots and around corners without making a sound.
On the way, he encountered several guards patrolling the area. They carry no firearms, but the batons and other self restraining devices in their hand were no joke.
Confronting them was suicide.
Each time, he ducked into the shadows or moved with just enough timing to avoid detection. And for this reason, he had bought an Assassin Cloak from the Shop for 50 NP. The cloak wasn't magical, but it gave him enough camouflage to blend into the dark environment.
This was his first prison break, but his heart still remained calm.
It wasn't just any simple escape. The entire place was littered with surveillance cameras.
One wrong move, and everything would fall apart.
Blackstone Penitentiary was massive, but fortunately his cell was close to the main entrance. As such he was able to get of the prison fast.
Now, what stood between him and freedom was a massive gate secured with electric fencing.
The only way out was through that gate, but it was locked, and two sentinels stood guard.
Both of them were still awake. And they had firearms.
There was no clear way out unfortunately.
But he didn't panic.
He calmly opened the System Shop again, and scanned for anything useful in his situation.
Without much thought, he bought a Metal Bat for 50 NP, leaving with another 50 NP.
With the Metal Bast in hand, he formed a quick plan.
Sneak up behind the guards. Knock them out. No other choice.
He couldn't wait. If he hesitated any longer, the morning shifts would begin. More guards would arrive. The gate might open for visitors or officers, but by then it would be too late.
In addition, they might have already discovered the dead body in Section 16.
That meant he didn't have time to wait.
Using the cover of the Assassin Cloak, Yogiri sneakily crept toward the left guard.
His grip tightened around the bat.
And then—
Bam!
The bat slammed into the guard's head with a heavy bam.
"Ahh!"
The blow didn't kill him, but it sent a violent shock through the man's brain.
"Who—"
Before he could even turn to see what hit him, his knees gave in, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Bastard!"
The second guard reacted instantly, pulling out his rifle.
But Yogiri was prepared.
Once again he swung the bat with all of his might.
Clank!
The rifle flew from the guard's hands and clattered onto the concrete floor.
"You—"
The burly guard lunged at Yogiri without hesitation.
The guard tackled Yogiri to the ground with a roar, his massive frame pressing down like a stone slab.
Yogiri gritted his teeth as his back slammed against the cold concrete. The metal bat slipped from his hand and rolled across the floor, just out of reach.
The guard raised a clenched fist, aiming for Yogiri's face.
But he twisted to the side.
Crack.
The punch scraped his cheek instead, leaving a trail of blood.
Yogiri didn't feel that much pain. Probably because of his [ Pain Resistance ] passive skill.
As such, while the guard reeled back to strike again, he drove his knee upward into the man's gut.
"Gag!"
The burly officer choked.
Taking the chance, Yogiri scrambled forward and grabbed the bat.
Then with a powerful swing, he slammed it against the guard's shoulder.
"Arghh!"
The man roared in pain, tried to rise.
However, Yogiri struck again. "Bam!"
Once.
Twice.
The third hit landed squarely on the back of his head.
"Thud!" The guard's body slumped to the side, unconscious.
Yogiri panted, sweat dripping down his chin as he reached for the keyring hanging from the man's belt.
He didn't even bother wiping the blood from his face. Time was already running out..
He rushed to the control panel beside the gate, inserted the key, and turned it with a hard click.
Only then the heavy gates groaned open.
But at that exact moment—
Sirens began to wail behind him.
"Bang, Bang, Bang!"
Gunshots sounded in the distance.
Footsteps thundered from deeper inside the penitentiary.
That meant they had found the dead body.
Guards began shouting,
"Section 16 breach!"
"Prisoner on the run!"
"Lock down the gate!"
Red lights flashed across the prison walls like alarms in hell.
Yogiri didn't waste a moment.
He darted through the half-open gate, barely slipping out before it started to shut.
Bullets ripped past his back, pinging against the steel frame.
One grazed his shoulder.
He groaned but didn't look back.
Very soon, the world outside swallowed him in a cascade of colors.
Yokyo City.
The streets pulsed with neon lights.
Billboards flickered with smiling faces and half-naked idols.
Rain shimmered on the pavement, glowing in pinks and blues.
Yogiri didn't slow down until he had vanished into the crowd.
By the time the police began their desperate search, all they found were cigarette butts and exhaust smoke drifting in the alleyways.
The prisoner had vanished.
Into the heart of the city.
Into the dark veins of Yokyo.
Into freedom.