Chapter 73: Showtime in the Swamp

“Hurry up, move it!”

“Wh-what’s going on?”

“No need to know, just move!”

There were no exceptions among the prisoners being relocated. Even those wearing red tags—Masterials—were no exception.

Arc and the other Masterials had no idea why the guards’ attitudes were different from usual, but they had no choice but to go out to the exercise yard.

“Uh, mister, what on earth is going on?”

“I don’t know either. But one thing’s for sure—something doesn’t feel right.”

“You don’t think something bad will happen to us, do you? The Kingdom promised, remember? That they’d treat us differently from the other prisoners...”

“...Who knows.”

Monster howls echoed from outside, and the walls shook constantly with heavy thuds.

The ground even trembled as if an earthquake had hit, and chaos was everywhere.

As soon as the prisoners reached the exercise yard, driven there by the urgent guards, one of the guards began counting heads, then suddenly drew a line and shouted.

“From here to here, follow me! Move!”

“Uh, where are we going?”

“Shut your mouth. Since when do prisoners get to question the guards?”

“But whatever that is outside—no matter how you listen...”

“I said shut it!”

Driven to the edge, the guard finally lost his temper and beat the prisoner who had spoken up.

Seeing that, everyone fell silent with fear, and they were dragged off in groups, not knowing where they were being taken.

In that process, the Masterials were separated as well.

“Father!”

Even Arc and Evan were split up.

Evan realized too late that he’d been separated from Arc and tried to go to where Arc was, but all he got in return was a beating.

Leatherer, witnessing this, shouted out.

“Don’t worry! I’ll look after your son! So you don’t have to worry, Arc!”

“Kgh...!”

Before long, the group containing Arc and Leatherer was moved toward the prison entrance.

Under the watchful eyes of the guards, the prisoners were lined up, and for some reason, those at the front were being issued weapons.

Arc simply couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

He only understood after he himself was handed a weapon.

“Get out.”

“Pardon?”

“We’re short-handed. Get out there and fight.”

“B-but what’s out there?”

“No more talk, just go!”

Bang!

Apparently bothered by Arc’s questions, the guard gave no proper answer and just forced Arc outside.

Through a small secret side door at the corner of the prison entrance.

Arc hadn’t even known that door existed. Suddenly thrown outside, he tumbled through the swampy ground beyond the prison before he finally grasped the situation.

Grrrrraaaaahhhh!!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

...He had been tossed out as monster fodder.

“A-a troll?”

Grrrrraaaahhh!!

Boom! Boom! Bam!!

Arc couldn’t believe his eyes.

He’d heard monster roars and feared the worst, but to think those cries belonged to none other than a Gray Troll.

It was then.

Someone grabbed Arc by the shoulder. When he turned, it was a stranger—a prisoner he’d never met.

The man hurriedly clamped a hand over Arc’s mouth and raised his finger to his lips.

“Shh.”

“Y-yes?”

“Be quiet. Those things don’t know we’re out here yet.”

At the man’s words, Arc finally took stock of his surroundings.

There were about ten prisoners who’d been forced out through the side door.

All of them were pressed flat against the wall, desperately trying not to be noticed by the trolls. If they were caught, they’d be eaten on the spot.

‘What the hell is this...!’

If a troll so much as turned its head, everyone would die like dogs. The thought made Arc dizzy.

At that moment—

Crash!

A new prisoner was hurled out through the side door.

It was Leatherer.

“Those crazy bastards!”

Furious at being thrown out like trash, Leatherer jumped up and yelled back at the door.

Seeing Leatherer shouting, Arc and all the other prisoners went pale.

“M-mister...!”

“Oh, Arc! You’re here! Are you alright? Not hurt anywhere?”

“Ah, mister...!”

“What? What’s wrong?”

Leatherer, still unaware of the situation, looked puzzled at Arc’s frozen expression.

At that moment, darkness fell over the two of them.

“Huh? Why’s it so dark?”

Leatherer looked up at the sudden shadow.

And met its gaze.

Not the prison’s outer wall, but the two greedy eyes of a Gray Troll that had finally found living prey.

Grrrr...

The Gray Troll’s low growl.

Strangely, it almost sounded pleased.

“R-run...”

GRRAAAAGGGHH!!

“Run for it!!”

He was an adult, after all. Unlike Arc, who was completely frozen, Leatherer managed to squeeze out the words.

But that was all—at Leatherer’s stammer, the Gray Troll roared at its prey.

Whoosh!

With the roar, both fists came crashing down at the two.

It looked like a pair of meteors falling from the sky.

There was no way to avoid it.

Every nerve in Arc’s body screamed that this was it.

His life flashed before his eyes.

Crushed by overwhelming terror, Arc squeezed his eyes shut without realizing it.

At that moment—

[Hold has been activated.]

CLANG—!!

Time stopped, as if by magic.

“...?”

He didn’t feel what he should’ve felt—not the troll’s crushing fists, nothing.

As he realized something was off, the rush of images faded, and reality returned.

Lowering his arms, Arc looked up.

A giant fist hovered above his head.

Stopped just short of crushing him.

The fist cast a huge shadow, and from behind it came a familiar voice.

“Whoa, nice timing.”

“Uh, huh?”

“You okay? Not hurt anywhere?”

As Arc turned, he saw a man wearing an animal mask.

He cracked a joke and asked how Arc was doing, then lifted the mask a little to reveal himself—only then did Arc realize it was Revan.

“L-Lord Revan?”

“Shh.”

Revan had deliberately put on the animal mask, just in case the guards recognized him.

Arc, still shaken, pointed at the troll’s fist.

“H-how did you...?”

“What do you mean, how? Did you forget I’m a mage?”

“Ah!”

“Save your awe for later. First, let’s put out the fire.”

“L-Lord Revan! Above us!”

“Hmm?”

While Arc and Revan chatted, seven seconds passed.

Because of that, the troll’s suspended fist began to fall again.

A heavy whoosh split the air.

There was no need to look—he could tell it was the troll’s fist.

So, without turning, Revan raised his left arm, where a shield was strapped.

Then—

CLANG—!!

With a thunderous crash, the troll’s fist bounced off the shield.

Inside his mask, Revan grinned.

‘This is how you use a skill.’

The stone shield’s shockwave had deflected the troll’s punch.

The Gray Troll staggered, losing its balance.

As it toppled backward, Revan quickly turned his back and knelt in front of Arc.

“Get on. Hurry.”

“Uh, m-me?”

“You want to live, right? I’ll save your friends, too, so hurry up.”

“A-alright!”

“And you.”

“Y-yes?”

“This is a teleport scroll—go hide for now. I’ll bring everyone else to where you are.”

“Alright!”

Revan, seeing Leatherer’s red tag, handed him a teleport scroll.

Leatherer immediately used it and vanished in a flash of light.

With Leatherer gone, Revan, carrying Arc on his back, pulled out a scroll from his cloak and tore it.

[Advanced Stealth Technique has been activated.]

Fwoosh!

It was a magic scroll imbued with Advanced Stealth.

When torn, both Revan and Arc disappeared without a trace.

As he circled the troll, Revan spoke.

“Listen carefully. We’re heading back into the prison now.”

“Into the prison?”

“I saw earlier that they were throwing people out from inside. You and that guy came out from the prison, right?”

“That’s right!”

“How many Masterials are there to rescue in total?”

“Twenty!”

“So, eighteen left? That’s a lot. Hold on tight—we’re going in.”

Grrrrraaaahhh!!

The troll, infuriated after being knocked down by Revan, got back up and rampaged.

It wanted to kill the one who had toppled it, but Revan had vanished from sight, leaving it furious.

‘Good, they haven’t noticed me yet.’

Maybe it was because things were so chaotic, but Revan hadn’t been spotted by the guards yet.

Taking advantage of the confusion, he quickly slipped back inside the prison.

[Swamp Prison]

As they entered, a map name floated into view.

Proof that infiltration was successful.

Revan set Arc down and tore another Stealth scroll.

He handed Arc a bundle of teleport scrolls.

“Here. Teleport scrolls. Give them only to Masterials, no one else—got it?”

“Yes!”

“Move fast. The longer you take, the more prisoners will die.”

“Yes!”

A simple order.

Just then—

[Sudden Event!]

[A quest has appeared.]

[Rescue all the Masterials trapped in Swamp Prison!]

It was his first sudden quest.

The quest’s content was as straightforward as its name.

Naturally, there was no option to refuse.

Just as the name implied—a sudden quest.

But that was actually a relief for Revan.

Because as soon as the quest was issued, a clear distinction appeared between ordinary prisoners and Masterials.

‘A quest like this is a godsend!’

Plus, the number of Masterials needing rescue was now displayed in a corner of his vision, making it much easier to find them.

And finally.

‘The last one!’

He handed the last Masterial a teleport scroll.

After confirming that Arc had also used a scroll, Revan stepped out of the prison.

[Advanced Stealth Technique has ended.]

Just then, the Stealth duration wore off.

Revan tightened the mask on his face and drew his Black Iron Mace.

He spoke.

“Showtime, you bastards.”

Revan charged toward the trolls.

---

[You have hunted a Gray Troll.]

[You have hunted a Gray Troll.]

[You have hunted a Gray Troll.]

...

Messages piled up before his eyes at a rapid pace.

They were all Revan’s.

He felled the Gray Trolls faster than anyone, doing his best to minimize damage to the prison.

And finally, as the last Gray Troll collapsed, silence fell like a splash of cold water.

That was because, at some point, even the guards and prisoners had started watching Revan’s rampage in awed silence.

When the last troll fell, Revan hefted the Black Iron Mace onto his shoulder and looked up at the prison’s highest point.

That’s where the Warden, Whimalon, stood.

With a face full of feigned emotion, Whimalon spoke.

“Who in the world is that man, to have saved us?”

“I... I’m not sure, sir.”

“Go and bring him! We must thank him properly. Quickly!”

“Yes, sir!”

Whimalon, saved by Revan, was sincerely moved.

To do the right thing, he ordered his men to fetch Revan.

But—

“See you, you idiots.”

Revan pointed both middle fingers at the emotional Whimalon.

Without hesitation, he used a teleport scroll and vanished.

Flash!

...

Everyone was left utterly stunned by the outrageous act.