"We're really keeping him alive?"
"Yes. We already know he would do something like this."
Boss could not help but let out a sordid sigh as she looked towards the direction where Reed ran to. "Despite everything, he is still somewhat one of the people I am closest to here. I am not a demon, you know."
"Hm."
"Besides, it is my fault that he's become that… unstable. I knew his mind was fragile the first time and I used it." Boss then looked Van directly in the eyes, "But there will be no change in our plans, bring the guard if you want to…
...or maybe a certain change is necessary."
"Hm?" Van slightly tilted his head as he saw the creeping smile on Boss' face. He was going to ask what this change was, but before he could do so, Boss suddenly shouted and clapped her hands.
"Listen up, you tools!" Her shouts reverberated through the air, gathering all the Prisoners in the vicinity to round up around her, "I will be adding another rule to our humble little Encampment."
"Eh?"
"Another rule? After so many years?"
"What is she saying? Does she think she can just add rules and stuff like that whenever she wants to!?"
"...Well."
Boss kept quiet until a considerable amount of Prisoners were gathered around her. Finally, after a few more seconds she let out a long and unabated breath.
"Van is now directly under me!" Boss' words thundered throughout the Encampment, "Anyone who harms him or his group will be thrown to the Wall, to be skewered by the Locals!"
Hearing Boss' words, all the Prisoners looked at each other.
"W… What!? That's not fair!"
"That little midget has been terrorizing us!"
"He already killed like 7 of us! Please, at least let us slap him!"
"Enough!" Boss waved her hand to quell the clamor before it could get worse, "...Or if you prefer, I can dispose of you personally myself. I will make sure you suffer until you beg me to kill you, but that's not going to happen. Because I am going to make you chew each other's dick off while I heal it!"
"..."
The commotion and whispers quickly stopped as Boss' words reached their ears. Grant, who noticed the Boss was looking at him, could only shake his head in disappointment as he left the center of the Encampment.
"That is all!" Boss once again clapped, gesturing for the Prisoners to get back to their sorry and boring lives. With all of them dispersing one by one, Van's face slowly turned into a frown as he turned his head upwards, looking at Boss directly in the eyes.
"...Was that really necessary?" He said.
"It is. I can't have someone killing you before you can bring me to this unknown and mysterious world of yours. Or maybe I still need you after, I do need someone to guide me."
"...You really like using people, don't you?"
"Pft, don't be a hypocrite, boy," Boss lightly tapped Van's forehead, "You and I are the same. I just fully embrace it."
Boss giggled, her gigantic bosoms swaying as she turned and walked away.
"...No," they are definitely not the same, Van thought as his eyes followed Boss'... guidance.
A few days after the incident, Van's life has become even more peaceful. Reed had been staying near the Wall, carefully doing his duties, while Grant hadn't even shown himself anymore, keeping busy on his side of the Encampment.
In fact, their days have become… too peaceful.
"Ack! This is so boring," a high-pitched voice pierced Van and Gil's ears as Cynthia let out a loud groan, "I have been having fun, but Boss just had to go and ruin it. Now no one even dares to look at me and try to kill me."
Cynthia stretched her arms upwards, revealing her tiny belly button to Gil, who quickly looked away.
"So… C-Cynthia, can I ask what you actually do?" Gil stuttered, opening up a conversation so as to not make it awkward for him.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"We've been having conversations for quite a while now, but I have never really seen you use your System once. I just know you've been getting into a lot of altercations with the other Prisoners. Fighting with them to the point that you end up covered in wounds, and then asking Boss to heal you before indulging yourself in her… house."
"...You seem to know an awful lot about what I do already," Cynthia slightly backed away, her eyes twitching as she looked at Gil from head to toe.
"...It's not like that," Gil quickly said, "I have nothing else to do here. As a guard, we've been trained to observe and know people."
"Hoo…" Cynthia raised an eyebrow, "But who says I am a System Holder?"
"...What? But only System Holders are thrown here!"
Seeing the confusion and growing panic on Gil's face, Cynthia could not help but burst into laughter, "I thought you're trained to know things?"
"But… that's--"
"I'll visit my husband, he must be waiting for me in Boss' house now."
"W… wait," Gil could only let out a stutter as he watched Cynthia walk away. He then looked towards Van, asking him if he believes what Cynthia just said.
Van only shrugged in reply before returning his focus towards the Portal.
"Is… is she really not a System Holder? How is that even possible? She's always getting into fights," Gil started talking to himself since Van didn't reply, "Wait… is that why she's always covered in wounds!? But then again, her opponents are also wounded…
...That's crazy! How could a normal human even match up to a System Holder!?" Gil started grabbing his hair in frustration.
"..." Van blinked a couple of times as he once again turned his eyes towards Gil, "I should be the one asking if you're crazy."
"What!? I'm not crazy!" Gil quickly waved his hands in protest.
"...But are you alright?"
"Hm?"
"You almost died the other day."
"Oh, I'm as fit as a cow!" Gil flexed his skinny but toned muscles, "See this!?"
"...That's good. You need to survive, Mister Gil. You're a good person."
"...Sheesh. What are you even saying? You're making this old brother blush," Gil quietly giggled as he covered half of his face.
"..."
"You don't have to look at me like that." Gil quickly stopped wriggling his body as he noticed Van's furrowed eyebrows. "Anyway… Where's Nisha? She's been gone a lot these past few days… could it be, she's dead!?"
"Who is dead!?"
"Ack, Nisha!", Gil jumped out from his log as Nisha's loud voice almost made him deaf. He was about to say something about not shocking people, but then he saw the women that were gathered behind her.
"They are?" Gil slightly squinted his eyes as he looked at the women.
"They're all the women in the Pit. I figured we could make use of our leader's new-found authority to keep them safe," Nisha said before she turned her eyes towards Van, "They want to join us, Van."
"You mean they want to be under our protection?" Van said, his sharp and blunt words almost making the women flinch.
"Eh!? T… that's good!" Gil interjected, "Good thinking, Nisha!"
"What do you say, Van?"
"...Up to you."
Once again, Van only shrugged his shoulders before turning his attention back to the Portal. Ever since Van and Boss had started their plans of escaping, he cared less and less about getting the houses near the Portal.
He just wanted them so that when his friends or Victoria's grandmother comes to rescue him, no one else would be near them to make things complicated. But it was different now that Boss was going to help him escape, even if she was just using him.
It has been almost a month since he was thrown here, he no longer had any hope of his friends or anyone rescuing him… that time is long past.
"Good," seeing as Van didn't really seem to mind, she let out an awkward chuckle, "I have actually already gotten the houses for them. Rick already agreed so it would be awkward if you ask them to go back to their old houses."
"...But are they sure they want a house near here?" Gil then interrupted, "Grant's men are close by."
"There shouldn't be any trouble. They are much safer here where everyone can see them," Nisha shook her head, "Besides, Grant has been avoiding us ever since the incident…
...So from now on, you do not have to go to Boss' house just to feel like you're safe." Nisha said as she looked at the women behind her.
"T… thank you!" One of the women quickly shook her hand as a small drop of tear trailed from her eyes.
"S...sir Van, thank you!"
The women also started thanking Van, but not approaching him as he seemed busy. A few of the women, however, were looking at him with their cheeks slowly turning red.
"..."
And so, with a few more minutes of the women showing their gratitude, the women finally picked their houses and started renovating them to their liking.
"Are you sure you should be helping them?" Van let out a sigh as he looked at Nisha.
"Eh, why not?" Gil voiced out.
"...Are the two of you forgetting that everyone here is a criminal?"
"T… that--"
"It doesn't matter," Nisha quickly shook her head, "I just wanted to help them."
"But even if you didn't, no one would rape them because of Boss' rules."
"That's only if Boss finds out. There are a lot of ways to make them quiet."
"..."
"Besides, I am not doing this for them… I am doing this for me," Nisha let out a long and deep sigh as she too, looked at the Portal, "I told you, right? Why I was sent here in the first place…
...Do you remember?"
"No."