Two hours before the escape, in the underground prison area.
Ackerman kicked the unconscious guard lying on the ground, threw away the wooden stick in his hand, and waved towards the cage.
The old barbarian warrior Fried was the first to emerge from the prison. Looking at the grinning young man before him, he tentatively asked, "Did Chief Boyle send you?"
Ackerman nodded and pointed to the stairs leading underground: "That's right, but you need to hurry, time is running out."
Fried and Minnie led over a hundred of their people, following closely behind Ackerman, down the stairs at the end of the prison to the warehouse on the second basement level, where they were astonished by what they saw.
In the small warehouse area, hundreds of gladiators gathered together, organizing their personal belongings and weapons.
Fried asked cautiously, "Who are these people?"
Ackerman greeted Casper, who was walking towards him, and then turned to the old warrior and said, "These people are all members of the Red Branch Gladiator Association. They are willing to follow the boss and escape from here together."
Fried looked somewhat troubled: "But, so many people..."
Before the words were finished, the sound of a trapdoor turning came from the passage at the end of the second basement level.
Ackerman crouched down, signaling everyone to take cover.
A creaking cart slowly made its way down the gloomy corridor into the room next to the warehouse.
As the footsteps faded into the distance, Ackerman tiptoed to the warehouse door, peered out into the corridor through the doorframe, and after repeatedly confirming that no one was around, gestured for a few gladiators to come out with him.
Veteran Fried gave shaman Minnie a look that said "be careful in everything," and then followed Ackerman into the room next to the warehouse.
After passing a white curtain and crossing a filthy ditch, the stench that hit him made Fried frown.
Using a flint to light the pine needles in his hand, Ackerman carefully made his way forward by the dim light.
Hundreds of corpses, covered with white sheets, lay silently on the cold floor of the room. The bloodstains had long since dried, and the stench of death permeated the air.
Ackerman glanced at the four newly brought-in 'corpses,' nudged one of them on the arm with his toe, and said irritably, 'Get up! How long are you going to keep up this act?!'
To Fried's horror, the four "corpses" simultaneously lifted the white sheets and sat up.
One of them first pulled an arrow out of his lower abdomen, then took out a shriveled leather bag full of "blood," and finally stood up with a smile, stretching his legs and twisting his arms.
Another gladiator removed a piece of "fake flesh" from his neck, wiped away the "bloodstains" with his clothes, and asked Ackerman, "How's it going? Is everyone here?"
"They're almost all here. Now we just need the boss's signal to officially execute the escape plan!" Ackerman lifted the white curtain and turned to walk towards the warehouse.
Someone asked, "What about the guild leader? His gladiatorial combat was scheduled for the last match!"
Ackerman said without turning his head, "The boss said he has a way to get out."
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Time passed second by second, and as the gladiatorial arena ended, more and more gladiators were sent to the second underground level.
Soon, the huge warehouse was filled with all sorts of people, including gladiators and Boyle's people.
People kept running up to Ackerman and Kasper, asking them when they could set off, but the only answer they got was three words—"Wait a little longer."
Restless, Fried paced back and forth in the warehouse with his hands behind his back, always looking at the shaman Minnie with a hesitant expression.
"Do you want to go out and help him?" Minnie asked with a smile, looking at the restless tribesman.
Fried sat heavily on the wooden crate and said anxiously, "The chieftain hasn't contacted us yet. Could something have happened?!"
Minnie closed her eyes and whispered, "Trust him."
Just as Fried was about to say something more, a calling voice suddenly rang in his mind. The next second, his consciousness was pulled into that solemn and mysterious temple.
Todd sat high on his throne, looking down at the few people below, and slowly said, "The plan has changed."
Upon hearing this, Ackerman was startled and hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
Todd stretched out his hand and waved it in the air, and the real-time images constructed by holographic projection began to play in mid-air.
While everyone marveled at the greatness of "divine power," they also witnessed what was happening in the arena on earth.
Deirdre, the "Lady of Pain," was brought to a high platform, where King Conchierber announced the list of traitors, prompting loud protests from the crowd.
These real-life scenes unfolded before everyone's eyes like magic.
Ackerman gasped and whispered to Casper, "This is divine power!"
The latter glared at him: "Shut up, just watch quietly!"
Todd waved again, and the image vanished instantly. He said to the others, "The tunnel on the second basement level is no longer safe. You must choose another route to escape."
After thinking for a moment, Ackerman asked, "What about the alternative we mentioned earlier?"
Todd nodded: "That plan is risky, but it might be the only option right now."
Fried asked anxiously, "Chief, we've all escaped, what about you?"
"I have my own way of doing things."
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