Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Premature Escape (2)

#04

The two soon arrived at the gathering place.

Kale carefully offered a greeting.

“Hey, hey guys. I’m here···.”

Near the wall where the dog hole was located.

In a corner where even moonlight didn’t reach, three people were standing.

Two were boys around Bran’s age, and one was a youth who looked to be in his twenties.

“The idiot came. But who’s the one next to him?”

“It’s a face I haven’t seen.”

The boys who discovered Bran began whispering in wary voices.

Seeing the nickname of idiot, Kale’s interpersonal relationships didn’t seem very good.

The one standing silently was only the youth.

Meeting his eyes, Bran pursed his lips and admired.

“Whoa.”

It was a face that looked like he could fight quite well.

The protruding brow bone and broad shoulders were impressive.

If the Overseer was a power type, was this one a speed type?

The long limbs and lean body made him look like a modern boxing athlete.

‘The face is quite vicious. This guy is Mog.’

It was definitely the guy named Mog that Kale had explained on the way.

A man who had become a slave after beating up so many people.

He had said he was a fighter who had made quite a name in the neighborhood where he lived.

Mog asked.

“Kale. Who’s the one next to you?”

“That··· it’s Bran who works in the Farming Team. My friend.”

Kale answered in a shrinking voice.

The boy next to Mog frowned.

“What? Friend?”

It was a guy whose long face and midface reminded one of a grasshopper.

The grasshopper who approached with large strides grabbed Kale by the collar.

“You bastard. Is escape a joke? What are you going to do if that guy snitches?”

“I-I’m sorry··· I know, but I couldn’t just ignore it.”

“Is sorry the end of it? Are we all allowed to die? This fuck, a guy who’s no help at all···”

“Stop.”

Just as Bran was nodding his head thinking it wasn’t completely wrong.

Suddenly Mog cut in and interrupted.

“You were also brought in by Kale. Do it in moderation.”

“···Tch.”

The grasshopper released Kale’s collar.

Regardless of the expression, the fact that he obediently followed the words showed Mog’s standing.

“Kale. You can’t keep bringing new people either. We promised.”

“I-I’m sorry. This is definitely my fault.”

“Huu··· since you’ve already brought him, nothing can be done. If everyone’s gathered, let’s check one last time.”

Mog said that and gathered the boys in one place.

Bran was flustered. He was a much more rational friend than expected.

Just looking at the face, he had thought he would try to kill Kale before anyone else.

Kale said.

“Um··· by any chance, where did Brother Pit and Zenda go?”

“Right, fuck. I was going to say it anyway. Those two seem to have gone out first.”

“Wh-what?!”

“They weren’t in the dorm or the dining hall either. They want to live by themselves. Crazy bastards.”

The grasshopper spat out a curse.

It seemed two people had left in advance.

According to Kale, the escape members were a total of six.

Except for Bran, the rest were all slaves working in the dining hall.

“Two people··· that’s unfortunate.”

Hearing that news, Bran smacked his lips.

He had wanted to save everyone if possible, but it was regrettable.

Once they went out of reach, there was no method.

Mog said.

“If the two who left first are discovered, the security will become even stricter. I think it’s better to leave as quickly as possible, any opinions?”

“Me.”

Bran raised his hand.

Mog raised an eyebrow.

“Alright newbie. What is it?”

“Quit the escape. This is an idiotic plan.”

“···Hmm?”

Silence descended.

The attention of the remaining four was focused.

“Blackstone Fortress is not something like an escape room cafe. You might be able to pass the wall, but there are separate sentries guarding the outside so you’ll definitely get caught. If you don’t want your asshole pierced by a spear, go back and sleep.”

They probably didn’t know what an escape room cafe was, but they would have understood the context.

Everyone present’s eyes widened.

Especially Kale.

“B-Bran? What are you saying···?”

“You brought an interesting friend. Kale.”

Mog, who had been expressionless the whole time, raised the corner of his mouth for the first time.

The boys growled.

“I knew it would be like this. I should have killed him as soon as I saw him.”

“D-don’t do that!”

“Don’t worry Kale. I’ll bury you together too···”

Just as the grasshopper was about to say something.

Bran, who had been looking at him with a grin, turned his body like lightning and threw an uppercut at Mog’s chin.

Thwack! A sharp impact sound rang out.

“Gack!”

“M-Mog?!”

Saliva flew. Mog’s head was tilted upward.

Thud.

The staggering large body fell while sitting on his butt.

It was sudden so he was sorry for hitting him, but there was no choice.

Originally, when fighting multiple people, you have to take out the strongest one first.

The faces of the remaining three contorted in shock.

“Fuck! What the hell are you doing!”

“Kill him!”

The grasshopper charged. The boy with an unremarkable face picked up a rock.

Turning his back to Mog, Bran calmly began targeting them one by one.

The grasshopper coming in front was first.

It was a typical telephone punch, so reading the trajectory wasn’t difficult.

Crunch!

Twisting his shoulder to dodge the fist, Bran headbutted the guy’s nose with his forehead.

“Kuek!”

The grasshopper collapsed while clutching his nose.

Nosebleed was gushing out through the gaps in his fingers.

The guy who had been trembling as if electrocuted soon rolled his eyes and fainted.

In fact, the fight was over from the moment Mog collapsed.

As expected, there’s no business in a first strike.

The rock boy urgently shouted.

“W-wait!”

Bran ignored it and threw a punch.

A light hook grazed the boy’s chin.

With just that, consciousness left the body. The boy fell forward.

Just as he was thinking he should have let him land one hit even for the trait.

“B-Bran! Danger!”

Kale’s voice rang out from behind.

Thud-!

The moment Bran, sensing killing intent, turned his head, a heavy impact struck his abdomen.

“Ugh.”

His body was pushed backward.

It was the strongest impact since possessing the Nameless Hero.

Along with the pain of organs twisting, nausea welled up.

Barely steadying his posture and standing, translucent windows rose one after another before his eyes.

『You did not faint despite receiving a very strong impact. “Weed’s Tenacity” activates!』

『The growth speed of Mental Power increases slightly.』

The system seemed to have similar thoughts to himself.

If he hadn’t raised his specs through continuous training, he would definitely have fainted.

As expected, a learned guy is different?

‘An unexpected harvest. Mental Power.’

But the message that floated before his eyes was joyful enough to make him forget even that pain.

Improvement of Mental Power, a major stat.

With just this one thing, the fight was worthwhile.

Raising his head, the panting Mog came into view.

“How···.”

Mog’s face contorted.

It was a perfect middle kick. He had definitely kicked the solar plexus squarely.

It was a technique that could send even a bigger build than himself in one hit, so how did a kid like that endure it?

“You little brat!”

It’s impossible.

Mog screamed and charged. This time not with a kick but with a fist.

The target was the face. A punch driven down from above.

“He’s somewhat skilled.”

Bran smiled.

It was an attack with much more force than before.

Powerful enough that getting hit might cripple him, but that made the path easy to read.

Whoosh! When Bran twisted his shoulder, the fist vainly grazed his cheek and passed.

At the same time, strength left Mog’s legs.

“What···.”

Mog’s eyes widened.

No strength entered the calves. It was the aftermath of being hit in the chin at the beginning.

Just as he urgently tried to take a breakfall, Bran grabbed his head, which was tilting forward, with both hands and jumped up.

Crunch-!!!

A knee kick carrying his entire body weight slammed into the center of Mog’s face.

“Guk···!”

A sound that shouldn’t come from a person’s face rang out.

White teeth scattered. Blood poured out below the nose that had broken and turned like an old cucumber.

The unconscious Mog collapsed.

Thud!

Bran, who caught the falling forehead with the top of his foot, caught his breath.

“Phew, that was dangerous.”

Where the forehead would have originally touched, a sharp stone root was protruding.

Since he was a friend he quite liked, he didn’t want a disability in the head.

Kale covered his mouth.

“Ah···aaaah···!”

It was something that happened in an instant.

It took less than a minute for Bran to knock down the three.

Even setting aside the two of the same age, making Mog into that state was hard to believe.

“Wh-what are you doing, Bran!”

However. Now was not the time to admire Bran’s fighting skills.

Bran was blocking the dog hole with a wooden box rolling nearby.

“If you do this, if it becomes like this···!”

“You won’t be able to escape. Let’s go back before the roll call starts.”

“I-I don’t want to··· I’m going to leave··· haa, I don’t want to live this kind of life anymore!”

Kale shouted.

His breathing was rough. Tears were streaming down his white cheeks.

He looked exactly like a baby otter crying after losing its mother to a hunter.

It was understandable.

Even among fellow slaves he was ignored, so that dog hole must have been no different from a ray of light.

Since he had shattered that, he fully understood the regrettable feelings a hundred times.

But now was not the time.

“Hey. I want to leave too. Who wouldn’t?”

“Then why did you do this!”

“Because the method was wrong. If you left like this, you all would have died.”

It was a statement based not only on the Nameless Hero’s memory but also on experience as a player.

When he heard the proposal it was a bit tempting, but the more he thought, the more it was an operation that didn’t make sense.

What awaited the slaves who broke through the wall was not freedom. It was the border guards accompanied by hunting dogs and the archer units in the watchtowers.

Bran approached him.

“I’ll definitely escape, so don’t worry. It’s just not today.”

“D-don’t come closer···!”

“When the morning sun rises, you’ll be grateful to me.”

He understood the feelings, but there was no other method.

Persuading was troublesome. If he hit wrong he might die, so he had to make him faint by choking.

Just as he slowly approached Kale and raised his hand.

“Kyaaak! No!”

A sharp scream cut off, and Kale’s eyes rolled back.

Thud. He who suddenly knelt dropped his head.

“Kale?”

“······.”

Bran called, but no answer returned.

Only the slender shoulders twitched little by little.

Realizing he had fainted, Bran scratched his head.

“······Saved some trouble.”

He couldn’t believe this coward was born with a great bloodline.

Well, since he didn’t have to hit unnecessarily, it was rather a good thing.

“Let’s go. Kids.”

Bran carried the four who had fainted at once and returned to the barn.

It was quite heavy, but thanks to steadily raising Strength, it wasn’t to the point he couldn’t do it.

****

“···Ah.”

Kale opened his eyes as always in the early morning.

The Overseer’s angry shouts were coming from outside the barn.

“Get up! Hurry and get up, you vermin bastards! Everyone gather in front of the wall!”

The morning sunlight was stabbing his eyes.

When he rubbed his eyes, his vision cleared and the usual scenery unfolded.

Slaves on the verge of death and smelly bedding. The hole in the barn ceiling that hadn’t been fixed even after three years of requests.

“It’s··· over.”

Kale muttered to himself.

It was not difficult to realize that last night’s incident was not a nightmare.

Not far away, the two of the same age and Mog were folding their sleeping bags.

Each with the places Bran had beaten them swollen.

It seemed Bran had brought everyone while they were fainted.

“I’m going to die··· I’m going to die···.”

The future was clear without looking.

The moment the morning roll call ended, those three people would murder him.

If he had known it would be like this, he shouldn’t have informed Bran of Mog’s surprise attack.

No, if he had done that, Bran would have died. He didn’t want that.

He simply shouldn’t have told Bran about the escape plan itself.

“I’m a retarded waste···.”

There was a reason he had no friends.

Kale walked with a trudging gait like a prisoner sentenced to death.

He couldn’t raise his head at all.

The dirt spread in front of the barn looked particularly dark today.

Was that why? Kale, who was not looking ahead while walking, bumped into something.

“Ah, sorry··· huff.”

Kale gasped.

The broad back and wide shoulders were familiar.

It was Mog.

“M-Mog! Yesterday I···!”

“Kale. Look at that.”

Just as Kale was desperately trying to apologize.

Suddenly Mog extended a finger and pointed above the wall.

The expression was not ordinary. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but the atmosphere of the slaves was also different from usual.

Wondering what it was, Kale who raised his head froze as he was.

“Hik···.”

“This is the end of the vermin who harbored vain hope! Open both eyes and look carefully!”

The Overseer roared again.

Behind him, twenty-four corpses impaled on spears were lined up.

Two more than yesterday. The faces of the newly added corpses were familiar.

Pit and Zenda.

The two who had left through the dog hole first.

Looking at them, Mog revealed his sparse teeth and smiled.

“It seems I owe your friend a favor.”

Kale hurriedly looked around.

Bran was standing expressionlessly in his usual place.

Like a person who had experienced nothing the night before.

Meeting Kale’s eyes, Bran quietly made a V sign.

“Bran.”

When the morning sun rises, you’ll be grateful to me.

Last night’s single sentence was echoing in his ears like a reverberation.

Bran crooked his finger.

“Coward. Come see me for a bit.”