NOVEL NEXT Chapter 99: The Cage
Leon stared at the Abyssal Creature in the cage for a moment and quietly slid under the metal frame. He slipped past a few gaps with ease until he came upon a circle drawn on the surface.
'They kept a failsafe plan inside the cage. If someone interferes and the Abyssal Creature goes berserk, there's a hidden escape route. It's small enough to keep most Abyssal Creatures trapped, but humans can pass through it.'
He remembered the explanation given in the game and shifted the circle. It moved smoothly, and a hole appeared before him.
He entered the cage through it and found the monster sitting right before him. Its inhuman eyes were fixated on him, but it didn't attack.
"Hey, buddy, I know you're in there and can listen to me," Leon spoke in a soft and calm voice. "I have a way to help you, but it needs your full cooperation. So don't give up on yourself. There are people waiting for your return. Hang in there and fight!"
He approached the creature as it shifted backward. There seemed to be a new emotion in its eyes, and Leon smiled upon seeing it.
'She is still fighting. What a spirit.'
Leon took out a Clearwill Potion from his inventory and opened the lid. Just as he was about to pour the contents into the monster's mouth, a powerful claw came flying toward him.
"I knew it wouldn't be this easy. How could the corruption let me do everything without a struggle," Leon grinned maliciously and dodged the attack.
The claw swept past him and slammed into the metal bars, which instantly sent a burst of lightning through its body.
An inhuman screech filled the surroundings, and Leon didn't waste the opportunity. He leapt forward and poured all the purple contents into its mouth.
He quickly backed away to avoid another sharp claw and said, "This is all I can do. Now the battle is yours. Defeat the corruption and come back to this world. I believe in you, so don't let me down."
Leon was going to leave through the hole, but he caught something in the monster's eyes. It was a strange emotion, as if the being was trying to say something to him but couldn't.
He smiled and said, "Just get better, and then we can talk later. My name is Leon Walker. Farewell!"
With that, he went under the cage through the hole and left the perimeter after slipping past the barrier. He glanced back at the Abyssal Creature and thought, 'It will work.'
Then, he used the communication channel his team had opened and said, "It's done. We can escape, but I doubt any of you can. Reply with yes if you can escape."
[Denver: No…]
[Natasha: No.]
[Bella: Yes…]
There was no response from Rani, but that silence alone told the story of her situation. The guards were stronger than them, so buying time was the best they could do. Escape was an impossibility.
Leon walked out of the bushes and went to the front of the truck, where he found Denver confronting the police officers. They were using strange wires to restrain him, but it took all five of them to manage it.
Denver was really strong physically.
The war hammer appeared in Leon's hand as he spun and slammed it onto the wires. All of them snapped under the force, throwing the police officers back as they fell on their butts.
Leon supported Denver and said to the police officers, "Relax, we are surrendering."
He ignored their dumbfounded gazes and shouted, "We surrender!! Stop fighting!!"
Soon, the guards returned with his friends walking before them. Their hands were tied behind their backs with enchanted ropes, yet all of them looked extremely relaxed for people in such a situation.
That made the guards even more wary of them, as they couldn't understand what Leon and his gang were planning.
It was so bizarre.
One of them went to check on the Abyssal Creature and found nothing amiss. Everything appeared just as it had before.
The leader narrowed her eyes at them and said, "I'm Captain Zoe. You're under arrest for attacking state property and officials."
"We know, and that's why we surrendered," Leon smiled as another guard tied his hands behind his back.
"Why did you attack us?" Zoe asked the question everyone wanted to know.
The attack had been too sudden and bizarre. Worst of all, there didn't seem to be any objective behind it. It was as if they had just wanted to fight the guards and nothing else.
But that didn't make sense either, as Leon himself hadn't fought. He was clearly the one speaking for all of them, yet he didn't participate directly in the operation.
Nothing made sense.
"That's a secret I can't disclose," Leon answered calmly.
"You really think we have no means to get those secrets out?" Zoe said, her voice turning sharp and threatening. "You all probably come from prominent families. Isn't that the reason you're so calm?"
Zoe was convinced of her guess because they were too young and already too powerful. That kind of strength could only belong to someone from the Academies or prominent families.
Leon just smiled at her guess and stayed silent.
"You attacked us, and that gives us every reason to counter," Zoe said. "And in self-defense, what if we ended up killing you all? The government will back us for this. Even if that wasn't the case, I'm not afraid of your families, so I'd suggest for your own safety that you spill everything."
"Can you really do that?" Leon asked, staring deep into her eyes without even flinching. "We can't win against you, but I can damn well assure you we won't lose that easily either."
His gaze swept past the police officers and the other guards as he smiled coldly. "How many of you can survive that? And how are you sure there aren't more of us? What if there's more to the trap?"
"You think you're so smart, huh," Zoe punched Leon in the gut, making him groan in pain as he nearly fell to his knees. "But if you were, then you wouldn't have surrendered. I have many ways to get your secrets out."
Leon knew she wasn't bluffing. If the guards took him and his friends in, they would have plenty of methods to dig the truth out.
Still, he wasn't afraid.
He had planned it all.