Chapter 151: Chapter 138: Prison Break Team, Disband!
Above Shattered Lake.
“It’s over!” Kaimon shouted loudly, “The trial has ended, let’s go back!”
Aside from Andrey, who was still in a daze, the other six were eager to return to the prison for reform, looking at Ash with fervor. However, Ash still held the Sinners’ Catalogue, watching them calmly, without any action.
Everyone panicked—could it be that this escapee intended to completely annihilate them?
Suddenly, a turbine engine’s sound came from afar, and everyone turned to look, discovering a speedboat crashing through the waves on the lake, stained red by the Blood Moon. Although they couldn’t see the figures on the boat, they knew well enough that this wasn’t a middle-aged man coming for night fishing, but a Blood Frenzy Hunter from the Crime Hunting Hall!
Seeing finally someone coming to stop the outrageous actions of the fugitive didn’t bring joy but more panic!
No, not , they didn’t want rescue after the trial had ended!
Initially, the fugitive might have been considering sparing their lives, but now scared by the Crime Hunting Hall’s actions, he might just mercilessly kill them all to provoke the Kingdom of Blood Moon.
Now, they held no rational hope for Ash, the escapee—any sane person would have simply escaped instead of hosting a self-staged trial, putting the mayor in the defendant’s seat, prompting everyone to reveal the dark side of the Kingdom of Blood Moon that couldn’t be illuminated by glory!
In their view, Ash Heath had no intention of living; he just wanted to turn his own funeral into a circus show, planning a spectacular finale for himself!
But if you want to turn into fireworks, do it alone; don’t drag us along to meet the Extreme Master of Blood Moon!
Seeing the distant speedboat, Ash took action. He closed the Sinners’ Catalogue and reached into his coat pocket—
With a distant ring of a sword, a line of blood split the Shattered Lake, tearing through the night sky, spanning the long distance, piercing deeply into Ash’s chest!
This blood line, like a solid entity, violently pulled the man from the speedboat up to the sea-view rooftop!
Looking at the silhouette that landed on the rooftop, wearing the Blood Frenzy uniform, Crime Hunting Hall half-sleeve uniform, with white hair and red eyes, the death row inmates were immediately reassured.
It was Gerard, the Three-winged Holy Sanctuary Mage!
With him here, this mere escapee was definitely—
“Eh?” Kaimon asked in bewilderment, “Where’s the man?”
Andrey finally snapped out from his political adversary’s death; he turned his head toward the rooftop, discovering only Gerard there.
The host Ash Heath, who had gathered them for perhaps the most-watched Blood Moon Judgment special episode in history, had vanished.
He couldn’t possibly have escaped right before the eyes of a Three-winged Mage, could he?
And Gerard had just hit him; how could he have disappeared?
Even if he had died, there should be a body left, unless…
“Substitute Technique Spirit.”
Gerard crouched down, unconcerned with the vitally important Sinners’ Catalogue, picking up a pen-like object and gently pressing a mechanism inside.
Ash’s voice came from it: “Yes, you are right, so I don’t really want you to disclose ‘illegal facts,’ but I was looking forward to hearing about Fernand’s legally illegal activities…”
A recording pen, a common item among most citizens in the Kingdom of Blood Moon, specifically used to record others’ speech and actions. If one records discriminatory/criminal speech, it can be taken to the Crime Hunting Hall for a real-name report, leading to a cash reward for maintaining public security and an increase in credit score.
Gerard, looking at the several pens on the ground, knew all too well that the Crime Hunting Hall had been played—the speeches Ash had made in the live broadcast had all come from these recording pens!
Because producing a true clone capable of independent thinking, acting, and speaking was at least a miracle of the Three-winged level, the people from the Crime Hunting Hall had never considered the possibility of the on-air Ash being fake. Gerard had rushed over by speedboat personally, aiming to arrest the mastermind swiftly.
Yes, although there was no evidence right now, Gerard in his heart believed that the mastermind behind this escape operation must and could only be Archibald Heath, the leader of the Cult of the Four Pillar Gods!
Suddenly, Gerard found one of the recording pens wrapped in a butterfly knot ribbon, pressed it, and a noisy voice came out:
“Hey? Igula, why have you stopped talking? You were quite enthusiastic just now, saying things like Gerard was kicked out of the institute for peeping at a Legendary Mage bathing, like Gerard spending loads of money to aid impoverished young girls, like Gerard being a shared plug for several Meiwas… Keep talking, I just love hearing such legendary stories.”
“Ah, the renowned ‘Swindler’ Igula Bokin refuses to speak, so now it’s my turn to leave a message. Hi, Gerard Wilminster, this is ‘The Innocent’ Ash Heath. I wanted to persuade you not to come after me, but I guess you won’t listen to unwelcome advice, so I can only suggest you go after them instead,”
“Igula Bokin, Archibald Harvey, Lanna Chios, Ronald Wade, each one of them is a big bad guy filled with great evil. Can you go after them first, please? Let me live a few more days in fear as my punishment, okay?”
“Don’t take it the wrong way, Gerard, I’m not trying to provoke you, I genuinely consider you a friend. So I wanted to leave this message to thank you.”
“After all, if it wasn’t for you letting me go that night, would there be my miraculous escape tonight? Thank you, Gerard, you are my hero.”
Gerard crushed the recording pen, ignoring the sorrowful gaze of the convicts on the stone columns, and turned his head to gaze at the edge of the lake. At that moment, dark clouds swept over the moonlight, shrouding the world in darkness, the only brightness came from the fiery eyes of the Blood Saint Clan.
“Ash, not even coming to thank me in person shows lack of sincerity, doesn’t it?”
Kaimon City, Pearl District, at a construction site, five men dressed in Prison Guard uniforms walked to the rooftop of an unfinished building, looking over at the bright lights of the vast city.
The Pearl District, also known as the ‘Pig District,’ much like the ‘Lower Tier District’ of Wheat Sheaf, belonged to the places where the lower classes of Kaimon City lived.
However, unlike the Lower Tier District, which had been impoverished for hundreds of years—poor, yet lively and orderly—the Pig District emerged only about twenty years ago due to a new plan. Political issues caused continuous delays in development; they couldn’t even afford to pay the Earth Magic construction crew to finish the buildings, turning what should have been a future business district into a massive cesspool inhabited by gangs, vagrants, and criminals.
Suddenly, the five men felt somewhat lighter in spirit, as if some shackles had dissolved.
“Fernand is dead, Harvey, our Contract with you is over,” Lanna said.
Harvey nodded sincerely, “Thank you.”
“Strange, we don’t have a chip, and we didn’t see Fernand’s death, how did the Contract fulfill itself?” Ash curiously asked. “Could the Void Realm help us judge the progress of the Contract, once it noticed Fernand’s death, then immediately handle this Contract?”
“This is why every profession needs Contractors,” Igula laughed. “Most of the time, the Void Realm is the most impartial judge. Since it worked, it means Ash actually managed to conduct a Blood Moon Judgement with those few recordings… How did you do it?”
“Obvious? How did you predict what others would say?”
“You can tell you haven’t done a business presentation. Knowing how to lead people to ask the questions you want is an essential skill in the office, promotions and salary increases all depend on it,” Ash shrugged. “Once you’re beaten up by clients enough times, you naturally prepare several plans to ensure success.”
Although not entirely convinced, Igula couldn’t say anything—after all, he was responsible for one-on-one direct sales, while Ash was a Cult Leader skilled in mass marketing; Ash really did have more of a say in this area.
Ronald clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention. “Gentlemen, since Harvey’s Contract is concluded and we have successfully escaped prison to the outskirts of Kaimon City, on our right is the city, and to our left is the suburb.”
“So, isn’t it time for us to part ways?”
Lanna, Igula, Harvey, and others nodded happily. Ash, with deep emotion, said, “I really appreciate everyone’s tremendous support. Thanks to this, we could finish this nearly absurd plan. This achievement, this honor belong to each and every one of us!”
As he put his finger in his mouth, “I, Ash Heath, will not forget any one of you—”
Ash pulled out ‘sweet words and a hidden dagger’ from his mouth, rapidly retreated and raised the Sword Barrier, swinging his sword directly at Lanna, his Heart Sword like a shooting star aimed at the bald big man;
Lanna transformed into a Werewolf and pounced toward Harvey, the darkness became his servant, sweeping over everything;
Harvey waved both hands, shooting out three dark-gray Death Spikes, targeting Igula, Lanna, and Ronald;
Ronald spread his hands, a handful of steel balls suspending in the air for an instant then abruptly locked onto the Swindler’s guide, accelerating within a fraction of a second to air-tearing, sound barrier-breaking speed;
Igula, on the spot, let out a Spiritual Scream, the vibrations ripples like armor, neutralizing other effects and flying projectiles, the piercing noise causing several cracks in the unfinished building!
With the team disbanded, they turned into enemies!
Did anyone think that breaking out of prison together would make them friends for life? Surely not.