NOVEL NEXT Chapter 360: New Prison
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Rusuf, ignoring Ty's query, moved towards the central console. It was a robust machine dotted with an array of buttons and screens, positioned strategically at the room's heart under the glaring overhead lights. As he pressed the controls, the console emitted a series of mechanical clicks and beeps.
On the opposite side from where they had entered, a door unlatched with a heavy metallic groan. It swung open abruptly. From it, a man tumbled out, collapsing onto the stark, grey floor. His appearance was disheveled, and he seemed barely conscious, adding to the grim atmosphere of the prison hall.
The man's sudden appearance startled Ty, who took a step back, his eyes wide. The stark lighting cast long shadows across the room, giving the cold concrete an even more forbidding look. Ty's gaze shifted between Rusuf and the fallen man, trying to piece together the events.
Rusuf paused, his attention briefly on the man on the floor, then returned to the console. He seemed focused, perhaps looking for signs of other disturbances within the prison.
Ty watched as Rusuf continued to manipulate the controls, the console casting the entire prison in a red glow. After a moment, the system responded, "All members scanned for: 3 dead personnel, 1 injured, 1 missing inmate."
Ty walked over to the injured man as Rusuf pulled out his phone to make a call. "Hey, you alright? What happened here?" Ty asked, bending down.
The man looked up at Ty, coughing, and said, "It all happened so fast. If the warden had been here, he might have been able to do something about it."
"Take your time, help is here now so you have nothing to worry about. How did this man fight?" Ty inquired, his voice calm and steady.
"O-ok, aren't you a prisoner yourself?" the man asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
Ty chuckled. "I am, but that's beyond the point right now. Never know what could happen, so just let me know how he fought in case I run into him in the future."
The guard chuckled and said, "Hope you don't…" He walked in, spewing something about the great fire before he cut his arm and blood began to spill on the floor. They had thought he was crazy until the blood started attacking them. It was then they realized who he was, but it was too late.
His blood, once entered into their streams, stopped them from using their innate skills, and then he quickly killed the guards on duty while I ran away like a coward, locking myself in this room.
Ty, with his cuffs still on, placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Hey, you did what you had to do to survive. Don't feel bad for surviving. You have been given the opportunity to get revenge for their murders."
"Don't let the fact that they died be in vain."
"I have some time while Rusuf gets some backup here, but tell me, what can you do to get revenge against them?" Ty inquired, looking up at the guard with short-cut brown hair, his blue uniform tattered a bit.
"I don't have much of a skill worth fighting with. It's more tied toward confinement and helps deal with problem prisoners," the guard replied.
"Oh, and how is that?" Ty asked, curiosity piqued.
"Well, my first skill is that I am very durable, so I can take a lot of hits and not show any damage. It's like my body stops in time and any impact just never connects. I really don't fully understand it, but it helps when prisoners get mad and need to punch someone," the guard explained.
The guard continued, "My second skill is used to relax people and calm them down. It's like emitting a soothing aura that makes everyone around feel more at ease. It's pretty handy in high-tension situations with the inmates."
Ty nodded thoughtfully, then offered some advice, "That's more useful than you think. Even in a fight, calming an opponent could give you an edge, or at least prevent things from escalating. Use that. Sometimes the best way to win a fight is to make sure it never starts."
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Ty nodded at the guard, noticing the strain on his face. "Just keep your head up and work harder for their sake," he encouraged.
As Ty finished talking, Rusuf walked over. "I've gone ahead and called for backup as we have plenty of guards watching all the prisoners on the way here," he stated, his voice carrying an undertone of command.
"Guard, what is your name?" Rusuf asked, turning his attention to the young man.
"I-it's Toney-Sui, sir. I have only been here about 6 months," the guard replied, his voice slightly trembling.
"I see, and my vision only saw four guards here, the three that were killed and then yourself. Are there not more guards for this prison?" Rusuf questioned, his brow furrowing in concern as he scanned the area, noting the limited security personnel visible.
Toney shook his head. "We have been highly short-staffed the last few months. We are on a 12-hour rotation with 12 members right now. I believe the warden is off doing recruiting to try and get us up to 24 members, but it's hard because finding ways to inc—"
"That's fine, thank you, Toney. Is it correct that there are 50 prison cells and 19 of them are holding prisoners right now?" Rusuf interjected, cutting him off.
"Huh, I think so, that sounds correct per the roster sheet. How do you know that exact amount though?" Toney asked, a hint of curiosity breaking through his concern.
"No time to fully explain that," Rusuf stated, his tone firm. "But I will have some backup on the way, and I will be staying close by.
Actually, on second thought, Ty will be staying here until the Arena starts along with the rest of the prisoners, so I will stay as well to ensure no one else gets hurt here. I will need to make a few phone calls, however."