Chapter 261: Escape (1)   Days passed, and eventually, five more months flew by. It had now been about seven months since I had entered this place, and a lot of things changed.

Especially since my fight with Xavier, which took place around half a year ago.

Ever since then, the number of successful subjects increased from three to fifteen, and the conditions I had been living in had improved drastically.

Once again, my room changed. This time, it was a lot more 'practical' as although it lacked any luxury, it had a private training facility.

As a result of the improved conditions, my strength saw a significant boost.

Training every day, and being fed all sorts of weird stuff, my strength surged at a faster rate than ever before. Even more than when I was at the Lock learning from Monica and Donna.

Within half a year, I had reached rank, almost rank. Something that I would've never thought possible when first arriving here.

In around seven months, I shot up to almost rank. This was a speed that perhaps only Kevin could rival.

Other than that.

===

[★★★ Full-body martial arts]

Hand-to-Hand combat technique dedicated to utilizing every single part of the body to incapacitate the enemy. It may be a 3-star art, but upon mastery, it can be used to complement other forms of martial art.

===

This was the technique that I had been learning for the past two months. A generic three-star technique that every subject was forced to learn.

And because I was learning this, my swordsmanship saw no significant boost during the past seven months. I wasn't saddened by this as I had now tackled one of my biggest weaknesses. Fighting without a sword.

But not everything was good.

Splash—!

Walking towards the sink and washing my face, I turned my head slightly. Brushing my hair up, I looked at a small scar on the back of my head.

"Khh…it still hurts."

Touching the scar, my face twitched in pain.

About a month ago I underwent a surgical procedure at the hands of Joseph. A chip was installed into my brain.

The chip was something that Joseph had created and what it did was essentially increase the computational abilities of the user. In short, it made someone think at a much faster rate than before. A basic necessity for the super-soldiers he wanted to create.

That was good and all, but unfortunately, there was also a tracking device installed in it. Unaware of such a device existing in the novel, I was unable to prevent this, and thus, stuck with the chip inside of my head, I had to delay my escape plan for another couple of months.

To make matters worse, two months ago, apart from one that I had been saving for a while, I had run out of healing potions.

The only reason I was able to remain sane till now was that the number of dosages I took also saw a dramatic decrease compared to before.

But this was a given.

After all, the dosages did damage the nervous system. Too many and they would only give the opposite effect of what they wanted. Instead of a super-soldier, they'd get an idiot.

Clank—!

"876, it's time to go"

Barging into the room and disrupting me out of my thoughts, was the same guard that had been attending me for the past seven months.

Throwing me a look of disdain, he stepped to the side and gestured with his hand.

"Hurry up, don't waste the professor's time."

"…"

Turning around, I Indifferently looked at him. No words escaped from my mouth.

Since I was supposed to be 'emotionless' I had to act the part. Therefore, without speaking a word I complied with everything the guard was saying.

Despite all of the abuse he was throwing at me, I endured and pretended to not feel anything.

'Well, that no longer applies as of today.'

Secretly clenching my fists, I closed my eyes. The gears of my mind slowly turned.

"Come on, I don't have all day." The guard impatiently grumbled.

"…"

Once again not responding, I moved towards the entrance of the room.

"Tsk, what an idiot."

Ignoring the guard, just as I was about to leave the room, my footsteps halted. Turning around, I looked back at my room.

Looking back at the room, I closed my eyes slightly.

'This is it,' I thought. 'The moment I step out of this room is the moment where my fate is decided.'

Seven months.

That was how long I had been waiting for this day. The day that I would finally escape from this hellish place.

After months of planning, the time was finally ripe.

With the conflicts between the union continuously escalating each day, it was now the optimal time for me to escape. Especially since most of the higher-ups were out holding back the Union.

"What are you doing?"

The guard's confused voice reached my ears. Silently turning around, I took a step out of the room and closed my eyes.

*

Following a route that I had been all too familiar with, the guard, Mark, stopped in front of the corridor that led to the training ground. Tapping onto his finger, a key appeared in his hand.

"Extend both of your hands."

"…"

Without saying anything, I raised both of my hands. On them were two thick black bracelets.

—Click! —Click!

Inserting a small key into my bracelets and unlocking them, I could instantly feel my mana replenish as my rank rose all the way to .

"There, I've removed your restraints."

Putting the key away, Mark patted his hands and put the bracelets away. Inching closer to my face, he smirked.

"Hmm…to think that you're rank. That's stronger than me. "

Turning around and looking at the corridor to make sure that there were no cameras present, Mark raised his hand.

—Pa!

A loud smacking sound echoed across the corridor. The right side of my cheek started stinging.

"So what if you're stronger than me? In the end, you can't hit me."

"…"

Unpleased by my reaction, or lack of reaction, Mark waved his hand and shooed me.

"Go, it's time for your training to start."

"…"

To his surprise, however, I did not move.

"Hmm? You've got something to say?"

After a brief moment, opening my mouth, I said. "…as a matter of fact, I do."

"W-what—khu"

The moment those words escaped from my mouth, Mark froze on the spot.

Raising my face and extending my hand, to Mark's horror, he watched as my hand arrived before his throat. It was so fast that he had no time to react.

"Khh…"

Feeling the rough texture of his throat, I grabbed his throat. A groan escaped from Mark's lips.

Yet.

No matter how much Mark struggled, he couldn't free himself from his grasp.

"876, W-khmm-at are you doing?! Let go! A-re you betraying the Monolith?"

Coldly looking at Mark, a small smirk appeared on my lips. Instantly, a look of fear appeared on Mark's face.

"Betraying" A small chuckle escaped from my lips. "I've never been part of the Monolith. What betray?" To begin with, for someone to be betray something, they had to be a part of it. Not once did I recall ever agreeing to join the Monolith.

"W-what?"

Somehow my words had a great impact on Mark as his face visibly paled. He was slowly starting to understand the situation.

"Y-you. You were never brainwashed, to begin with."

"So you're not stupid." The smirk on my face disappeared. "You know…" Staring at Joseph, and recalling how he had tormented me for the past months, my grip on his throat tightened. "If I wasn't so pressed for time, I would've taken my sweet time with you. I mean, surely you wouldn't forget about all of the horrible things you did to me these past few months, no?"

For seven months I had held back my impulse to kill this piece of scum before him. Now that I was presented with the chance to get rid of him, a part of me really wanted to torture him. Torture him and make him go through the hell I had been through these past few months.

But.

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time.

"T-th—"

"Like I've said before. I, unfortunately, don't have time to chat with you any longer." Clenching my teeth and once again increasing the strength of my grip on his throat, I hoarsely said. "The only reason I'm even speaking to you is so that you know who killed you.

Kracka—!

The moment I finished those words, without giving Mark any chance to speak, clenching my hand, the sound of bones breaking echoed across the room.

Even if I couldn't torture him, I wanted him to realize who he had messed with.

—Thud!

Throwing Mark's slowly dying body on the ground, I closed my eyes slightly. 'That's the first step of the plan done.'

"…Next."

Putting my hands inside of my underwear and taking out a small black bracelet, I channeled my mana and a wooden mask appeared in my hand.

Staring at Mark who was slowly dying on the floor, I lowered myself.

"Stay still."

Grabbing him by the cheeks, I slowly put the mask on his face. The moment the mask touched Mark's face, a blue glow enveloped the area.

Unfazed by this, I closed my eyes and channeled all my mana into the mask.

"khh…"

Within seconds almost a quarter of my mana was completely gone. Even then, I continued to persevere. Finally, just when I thought that the mask would consume more than half of my mana, the mask finally stopped glowing.

"Huu…"

Slumping back, I exhaled. Taking out a mana recovering potion from my dimensional space I quickly chugged it.

—Gulp! —Gulp!

Chugging the two potions and feeling my mana replenishing, rummaging through the pockets of the guard, I took his dimensional space. Injecting my mana in it and looking through his items, I slowly stood up.

—Snap!.

Staring at Mark's body on the ground beside me, flicking my fingers, flames rose in the air. Within seconds, only the ashes of his body remained.

—Swooosh!

Extending my hand, a small gust of wind blew, and the ashes scattered around the corridor.

"It's time."

Walking in the opposite direction of the training ground, I slowly placed the mask on my face. The moment the mask touched my face, I felt a strange wiggling sensation on my face.

This continued for the next two seconds before it stopped. Halting my steps and closing my eyes, I softly muttered.

"Monarch's indifference."

***

"What's going on? What's taking them so long?"

Gazing at the training ground from a private room, Joseph was starting to get impatient. Today was supposed to be another training session, but with 876 not present, they couldn't start.

'What is that incompetent bastard doing?'

Joseph did not for once think that 876 was at fault for being late. He was confident in the fact that he had completely brainwashed 876. The fault in this case without a doubt lied in the guard escorting him.

"Just what in the w—"

To Tok—!

In the midst of his anger, cutting Joseph off, someone knocked on the door of the observation room. Turning around, Joseph asked.

"Who is it?"

A muffled voice responded.

"Reporting. I'm the guard in charge of subject 876."

"It's you."

Upon hearing the identity of the person behind the door, Joseph pressed on a red button next to him, and the door that led to the room unlocked.

—Buuzzz!

The moment the door opened, Joseph was able to see the outline of the guard. With his head hung low, the guard did not say anything.

Unbothered by this, Joseph impatiently asked.

"What took you so long?… And where is 876?"

"…"

With his head still lowered, the guard did not respond. Frowning, Joseph raised his voice.

"Did you not hear me? I'm talking to you. What are you doing here?"

"…I'm here for" muttered the guard in an almost inaudible voice.

"What did you say?"

Suddenly, the guard raised his head. Upon raising his head, the guard coldly muttered.

"I'm here for you."