Chapter 654

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Chapter 654: The Great Prison Break (3)

Rescuing prisoners of Grade 4 and below.

For those trapped in the Closed Wing, it would have been the opportunity of a lifetime, and for Yeongwoo it might become a major turning point in how events would unfold from here on.

Although Grade-3 prisoners filled this place, Grade-4 beings were also quite significant even when viewed on a cosmic scale.

As he had personally seen earlier in the ‘Sea of Status’ that he once entered, Grade-4 beings were represented as massive structures bearing their own symbols, and even a Grade-5 being had settled into the sea in the form of a great mountain.

In other words, if even the prisoners of the Closed Wing were released here today, it would bring about a meaningful change in the universe.

‘If I had more time, I could’ve charged these guys a prison-break fee.’

But with no way of knowing when the support forces from the Police Bureau Headquarters would arrive, he didn’t have the leisure to sit around collecting money.

Whether to release the prisoners of the Closed Wing or not—he had to decide right now.

“……”

A massive decision that hadn’t been part of the contract with Herisa, nor within Yeongwoo’s own expectations.

After finishing his brief deliberation, Yeongwoo shouted toward the Closed Wing that was filled with cries begging to be saved.

“Everyone, be quiet—!”

However, Yeongwoo’s voice was swept away by the prisoners’ roaring shouts.

In this Closed Wing, whose core consisted of Grade-4 and Grade-5 prisoners, the voice of a mere petty criminal could hardly be expected to carry.

So Yeongwoo decided to change his line.

He didn’t even shout loudly.

“If you do not shut your mouths right now, I will leave you all behind here and depart.”

And then, astonishingly enough—

—……!

—What……?

—W-what did he just say?

The countless prisoners outside the iron bars of the Closed Wing all fell silent at once.

Then every single one of them turned their gaze toward Yeongwoo.

They were finally ready to listen.

In response, Yeongwoo slowly raised the Bastard that had been returned to him by the long-haired man and said,

“In this villainous world, you’ve all learned far more than I have, so I’ll address you as seniors.”

—Seniors……?

—Then who are you?

A question he had been waiting for anyway.

Yeongwoo answered quickly without hesitation.

“My name is Jeong Yeongwoo. I am the head of the Renaissance. And I’m also the one who will rescue you seniors from this place.”

—Ooooh.

—Then hurry and release us.

—Make it quick!

The place began to grow noisy again.

So Yeongwoo waved his hand as if telling them to be quiet and said,

“I will only rescue those who answer my question.”

—What?

—W-what are you trying to ask?

They were already dying of impatience—why was he dragging this out?

As every prisoner in the Closed Wing stamped their feet and pressed their faces close to the bars, Yeongwoo finally opened his mouth.

“Who did you say I was?”

—…Huh?

—Whaaat?

For a moment, silence filled the area.

Then from deep within the iron bars, someone cautiously spoke.

—Jeong Yeongwoo… of Renaissance?

At that moment, the prisoners clinging to the bars all began shouting over one another.

—J-Jeong Yeongwoo!

—It’s Jeong Yeongwoo of Renaissance!

—Jeong Yeongwoo! The head of Renaissance……!

Inside the Closed Wing of Pahalufe, the names Renaissance and Jeong Yeongwoo resounded loudly.

At this, the long-haired man stared at Yeongwoo as though he were seeing a strange fellow.

—You seem to enjoy doing interesting things.

“If I can’t collect money, then at least I should let people know my name. Unlike you presidents, I still don’t have anything like fame.”

But not anymore.

At the very least, everyone who had lived as a prisoner in Pahalufe during this era would remember it.

The name Jeong Yeongwoo, head of Renaissance.

—Jeong Yeongwoo!

—Hurry and save us, Jeong Yeongwoo!

As everyone chanted the savior’s name, Yeongwoo—the problematic individual—finally nodded.

“Today’s prison break will be carried out in my name. I, Jeong Yeongwoo, will be cheering for your life on the run.”

The moment those words left Yeongwoo’s mouth, the long-haired man slammed the black greatsword down onto the floor.

TAAANG!

The enormous iron grating that covered the floor of the Closed Wing snapped apart, creating a massive gap, and from within it prisoners of all ranks surged upward like a swarm of bats.

—UAAAAAAAH!

—Freedom! Freedom……!

—Open the exit!

Perhaps because they had been forbidden even from speaking for so long, they ran wildly around inside the Closed Wing, each letting out feral screams.

Then the remaining Grade-3 prisoners who had entered the Closed Wing afterward frowned and muttered.

—What a troublesome thing to do.

—Do we have to move together with those noisy ones?

—They’d make perfect feed for the Kaujo.

Around that time, the long-haired man shoved aside the prisoners of the Closed Wing as though pushing away insects and advanced to the sealed exit.

“This is the last one now, right?”

When Yeongwoo asked while glancing between the exit and the man, the long-haired man tilted his chin.

—By now the Kaujo will have formed ranks beyond this.

“Already? Is the Headquarters’ support really that fast?”

—The physical distance from Headquarters is considerable. What’s here now will be the remaining forces stationed on nearby planets.

“Ah… then we’ll have to fight another battle.”

—But it will be different from before. It won’t be a big problem.

Unlike the unarmed fight in the Security Wing, the current Grade-3 prisoners were mostly already armed.

Moreover, the number of Kaujo waiting outside could hardly exceed the main force they had faced in the Security Wing.

—Time to taste the universe again.

With those words, the long-haired man placed his hand on the exit of the Closed Wing, and soon bluish patterns spread across the entire wall.

Just like when he had dug out the armory in the Security Wing.

“Ah, this again—!”

As Yeongwoo sensed an explosion and raised Aratubank—

KWAEEEENG!

With a deafening blast, a massive hole was torn open in the wall of the Closed Wing.

From within it burst the cutting wind blowing from outside the outer wall of Pahalufe.

—Ahhh……!

—Freedom! The wind of freedom!

—Let’s go!

The prisoners of the Closed Wing were naturally the first to react to the outside air.

The moment the hole opened in the wall, they rushed outside in a frenzy.

Papapat!

“We should hurry too. I can only use my return stone once we’re outside.”

As Yeongwoo tried to move after seeing nearly half the prisoners already escape beyond the outer wall, the man stopped him.

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—When the red flames spark, that’s when we move.

“Red flames…?”

The moment Yeongwoo asked this, crimson flames really did flash beyond the hole.

“…What?”

—It means the Kaujo’s wide-area restraining device has activated. We can go out now.

By the time the man said this, the remaining Grade-3 prisoners had also gathered behind him.

They too had guessed that something would happen during the first contact with the Kaujo reinforcements.

—Go out, deal with the Kaujo, and gather where the planetary ship waits. There will only be one chance to escape.

With those words, the man hurled himself toward the exit of the Closed Wing, and the other Grade-3 prisoners also drew their weapons and moved.

KWAaaaaa……!

The cutting wind of Pahalufe howled violently against their ears.

But an even rougher noise was coming from outside the outer wall.

—GRAAAAGH!

—Don’t retreat! Break through here if you want freedom!

—What are you all doing? Do you want to crawl back under the bars again?

—Bars? What are you talking about—if we lose here, it’s summary execution!

It was the sound of the prisoners of the Closed Wing clashing with the Police Bureau strike force, the Kaujo.

And most of them were fighting with their hands and feet bound by red restraining devices.

Even so, befitting influential figures of the universe, they were fighting evenly against a little over a hundred Kaujo.

Soon afterward, heavily armed Grade-3 prisoners descended upon them like a disaster.

—Kaujo, is this all who stand here?

—Fate has abandoned you.

—Pahalufe has already fallen…!

These were prisoners who had already broken through that hell in the Security Wing.

A single company of Kaujo standing against the cutting wind posed no obstacle at all.

KWAaaaaa!

When the presidents finally leapt into the battlefield between the Closed Wing prisoners and the Kaujo company, the tide of battle tilted instantly.

■ Ah……!

As the cry from the Kaujo side suggested, the prisoners seized control of the battlefield in an instant.

The Kaujo who had already been crossing swords with the Closed Wing prisoners had no way of blocking the assault of Grade-3 beings, and in less than thirty seconds the entire Kaujo company was crushed into the ground.

‘My god. This isn’t even something you can call buying time.’

Seeing the presidents outside, they seemed far stronger than when they were inside the prison.

In fact, all of them now stood in majestic poses, gazing at the universe beyond Pahalufe’s barrier.

—Now then, where is the promised planetary ship?

Soon the presidents scanned the space above their heads, searching for the marvel that the youthful planetary shipmaster was supposed to have brought.

In response, Yeongwoo immediately attempted communication with Earth.

‘Where are you? You’re still waiting nearby, right? We just broke out!’

But for some reason, no reply came from Earth.

‘…W-what?’

Within his consciousness, even Earth’s presence could no longer be felt.

‘Earth? Where did you go? If we just keep standing here like this, the presidents will beat me to death!’

Standing outside Pahalufe indefinitely while being battered by the cutting wind had never been part of the plan, so Yeongwoo couldn’t help but grimace.

At that moment, the long-haired man gently placed a hand on Yeongwoo’s shoulder and spoke quietly.

—Has some problem occurred? Your expression doesn’t look good.

“Th-that is……”

—As long as the planetary ship hasn’t been shot down, it’s fine. Even if more reinforcements arrive, we can hold out for a while.

“The planetary ship… shot down?”

Yeongwoo had never even considered that possibility, and his eyes widened.

Come to think of it, hadn’t quite some time passed since the Kaujo triggered the alarm in the Security Wing?

So it wouldn’t be strange if something had been dispatched toward the Earth ship waiting outside Pahalufe.

‘It can’t really have been shot down… right?’

As Yeongwoo turned his eyes toward the distant space with his mouth hanging open, at last a ‘presence’ stirred within his consciousness.

○ Ho……!

‘…Oh! Where are you right now?’

○ H-hot!

‘What?’

As the flustered Yeongwoo blinked rapidly, almost at the same moment the prisoners nearby began murmuring and pointing at a spot in the sky.

—Uh.

—What is that?

—A comet……?

Sensing something, Yeongwoo also turned his head along with them.

And then he saw it.

‘Whaaaat?’

The Earth ship, engulfed in flames, hurtling toward Pahalufe.

“Hic!”

So startled that he hiccupped involuntarily, Yeongwoo saw the long-haired man point his blade toward him.

—Tell me. That thing is surely……?

Yeongwoo had no other choice.

“Yes……! That is the planetary ship we’re supposed to ride!”

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