Chapter 171: Prison.

Chapter 171: Prison.

POV: Arthur

A cold gust of wind brushed against my face, stirring me awake. I found myself chained to a wall in a damp cell, with nothing but some old rags to cover me. The chains were attached to my wrist, keeping me several feet above the ground. I couldnt help but muse that if it werent for my passive skills, I would be in a significant amount of pain right now. Thankfully, I was spared from it. At this point, I didnt even remember what pain felt like anymore. The very idea of pain had become foreign.

My train of thought shifted as I tried to remember what had landed me within my current situation.

Ah, right! The stranger that had entered the cavern right as I was about to leave it with the orb. An unfortunate train of events, that Still, there was some hope left. I was still alive, for one. That meant that whoever had locked me up here still needed me for something, which meant that I had leverage, however little, to hold over that person.

Unfortunately, it wasnt looking like that stranger had any plans to visit me anytime soon, so I resigned myself to other things. Inspecting my environment, for one. The cell I had been given had no windows or distinguishable features. Instead, it had smooth walls of unknown making and a single door at the other end of the room. The door had a latch to look through, but it was closed.

Well, since these strangers had deigned to lock me up unjustly, I decided I deserved a few tries at testing their security. When I tried to activate my skills, however, something happened. The chains attached to my wrist started coursing with blue lightning the moment I moved my mana, sending their electric current into my body and making me spasm involuntarily. Out of shock, I stopped moving my mana and watched the current abate, before waiting for my passive skills to heal me back to health.

Whew. That was a close one I think. I muttered to myself, not quite sure as to how to feel about the situation. I mean, sure, that lightning posed a threat. But my mana itself hadnt actually been disrupted at all.

For the next half-hour, I continued testing the chains limits, in search of any more serious measures. Luckily, nothing happened. Apart from the lightning intensifying when I used more mana, everything else worked perfectly. Did these fools not think far enough ahead to keep people with pain tolerance chained up? I almost felt slighted, to be imprisoned by such idiots

For a moment, I considered trying to escape right away, but I abandoned that line of thought. Lack of patience was what had gotten me caught in the first place, and it paid to be well aware of the situation before trying anything drastic. Furthermore, even if I could break these chains, that didnt mean that I could get out of this cell, let alone whatever lay beyond it. No, I decided to wait for the perfect opportunity instead. That was the plan, for now.

I didnt have much more time to myself, because a little while later I finally had a visitor. My cell door opened with the rough sound of grinding stone and a suit of armor stepped inside. Presumably, someone was occupying the suit, but I didnt dare make assumptions anymore at this point.

Necromancer Arthur? an elderly, female voice asked. The voice originate from the armor, so that answered my earlier question. Wait a minute That armor reminded me of something Its white coloration obviously reminded me of the church, but the actual shape of the armor was nearly identical to the suit that Doran, my paladin mentor, always wore! This guy was a paladin Great. Just what I needed.

Not a necromancer but that is my name, aye. I responded listlessly, sensing where this was going.

With a gruff hmmphh, the older paladin waved her hands, making the chains attached to my wrists disappear, but leaving the actual wristbands themselves. I fell to the floor beneath me and collapsed in a heap, not willing to let on how effective my healing was.

The older woman picked me up like a sack of potatoes and slung me over her shoulder, before leaving my cell behind.

Again, he only got an unimpressed stare from me, instead of a scream. Those only took seconds to regenerate, after all.

In fact, it was only now that my handout rags had been torn to shreds that my body finally became visible. Apart from a little blood, it was spotless.

You my torturer began, eyes wide.

Heal? Yeah, I do. Not bad, huh?

His eyes became bloodshot, his golden locks already painted with my blood. It made for quite a sight, to be honest. It became even worse when his temper tantrum was replaced by a cruel form of confidence.

He slowly turned to me, staring me in the eyes. I wonder if youll heal when I cut off your head?

I gulped, not sure either. Step by step, he approached me, bringing his dagger to bear. He held it over my throat, while I prepared to create a burst of mana and apparate right before he reached me. I didnt want to try escaping this early, but if I had to

Just when the maniac was about to force me into a disadvantageous situation, the door opened and the older paladin stepped in, followed by the man I recognized as the one who had knocked me out.

I realised both me and my torturer were holding our breaths when the paladin captain drew her sword.

Granius. Out. was all she said, but it was enough to make the maniac shiver in fear and leave with his proverbial tail between his legs. His captain followed suit, leaving me alone with the mysterious stranger that had captured me by knocking me out somehow.

He circled the wooden table I remained strapped to like a predator, inspecting me with hawk-like eyes.

Finally awake, are you? I see that a dissenting subordinate has already gotten ahead of himself. At least he did a good job healing you back up. That will make this much easier

Fuck. This guy was at least tier 5, if not tier 6. Escaping from him would be difficult, if not impossible. Welp. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

Uh, sir. I would like to introduce myself. I am Arthur, one of the most recent victors of Roas royal tournament! Please bring any issues you might have with me up with my country. Specifically, my uncle, the head of Roas royal guard.

Fuck it. If justice couldnt get me out of prison, nepotism surely could.