Chapter 31
The Great Prison of Tartarus is an extremely evil place known to everyone in the world of extraordinary beings.
It is located in the territory of the Saint Vando Empire, and its notoriety is spread throughout the entire extraordinary world. However, as one of the most terrifying places in this world, few people have actually seen its true face.
The prison guards who work there will stay in this prison almost all their lives. Hanging high above the cliff is another world that is completely isolated from the outside world.
At the edge of the cliff, even standing on the ground and looking up, the crowd felt suffocated by the dark buildings. The chains crisscrossed in the air like ropes hanging from a death row, the mottled rust on them like dried blood.
A team of small drones patrolling the sky flew down, scanning everyone's faces and irises one by one and updating the database records.
"——K8 branch, Lu Mi."
A drone hovered in front of Lu Mi and confirmed with a cold electronic voice.
Lu Mi silently looked at the structure of this thing, and his eyes moved slightly as he fixed his gaze on the screen of the drone where a green data stream was flashing.
"Hey, hello!" A voice sounded in his ear as the drone was identifying the object.
A man in a gray shirt and black trousers walked over. He had deep facial features, brown hair and blue eyes, and his tall figure made him look like a young master of a wealthy family.
"I'm An Bo." He introduced himself and gave Lu Mi a friendly smile. "I noticed you on the aircraft before. We are all exchange students from the same batch. Why don't we get to know each other so that we can take care of each other in the future..."
As he spoke, An Bo glanced at the slowly flying drone, recalling the name he had just heard, "Um... Lu Mi?"
Lu Mi responded calmly to the other party's words, while taking in the surrounding scenes.
Amber kept smiling and began to find topics with great skill. He sighed at the scenery in front of him, "I've heard of the terrible reputation of Tartarus Prison for a long time, but seeing it in person is really exaggerated..."
At this time, everyone had lined up to board the elevator leading to the main building of the prison.
Anbo's tone was slightly low. "I heard that countless abyssal monsters and extraordinary people who have committed serious crimes are imprisoned here..."
"Putting monsters and extraordinary people together?" Lu Mi couldn't help but look sideways.
"Hmm," An Bo said, seeming pleased that Lu Mi was interested. "Transcendents who are powerful enough are no different from monsters. But the most terrifying thing is the monsters. It is said that there are disturbances here every once in a while when 'prisoners' try to escape. I really don't understand why they keep those monsters alive when it is so dangerous."
That's of course because living abyss monsters are more valuable.
Lu Mi instantly thought of the branch's flying seals and fish worms. Whether they were used for research or to utilize the special abilities of these creatures themselves, it was enough for the Extraordinary Guild to invest a lot of manpower and costs.
This huge prison, which is both dangerous and like a treasure, is obviously one of the most successful results of such a policy.
"bite--"
The elevator with four transparent sides rose to the top.
From this height, one can already see the thousand-foot cliff below. Some people even feel dizzy when they look down.
The inverted pyramid building is suspended.
As everyone walked out of the elevator, they officially entered the bottom of this huge prison, which was the smallest part of the inverted pyramid.
"Welcome, welcome—welcome everyone!"
Suddenly, a tall, thin, middle-aged man walked quickly towards the group with an almost exaggerated smile on his face. "I am Smith, the chief counselor of the prison. I believe you are the exchange students mentioned in the appointment."
Although he said this, the drones had already transmitted every movement on the ground without missing a single detail. Smith opened his arms and faced them as if he was performing on stage.
"The higher-ups attach great importance to this event. I hope everyone can fully experience the hospitality of Tartarus Prison during this fortnight and improve themselves in all aspects! If you are interested in joining our family in the future, that would be fantastic!"
Everyone looked strange when they heard this.
However, Smith seemed unaware. "Then without further ado, I'll show you around here and arrange where you'll be going!"
After he finished speaking, he walked into the passage first, and everyone hurriedly followed.
Behind them, the door they had entered closed again. The temperature around them suddenly dropped a lot, and a cold, fishy smell floated faintly in the air.
The lights above illuminated the interior of the building palely. There was a window every few meters on the high iron wall. At an altitude of at least a thousand meters, the strong wind howled particularly wildly.
Lu Mi sensed the direction of the wind and vaguely heard the cries of suspected criminals coming from the depths. It seemed that this place was much bigger than they had imagined.
"The entire Tartarus is divided into nine floors. In addition to the warden who oversees everything, there is a person in charge every three floors."
Smith, who was leading the way, introduced them.
"We're currently on the first floor, closest to the ground. The second and third floors are all considered the lower three floors. Of course, your internship won't involve the middle and upper three floors this time. I've already made the specific arrangements for you."
At this time, everyone was given a list, which clearly stated everyone's destination.
"I'm from District 18 on the second floor. What about you?" An Bo looked at the quiet young man with silver eyes standing beside him.
Lu Mi spread out the piece of paper with his name on it - Second Floor, District 18.
"What a coincidence!" An Bo's expression lit up as he went out for a walk and came back, "I heard there are two other people going to the same place as us." He paused and added, "The strongest level six transcendent in our group seems to have gone to the first floor."
According to Lu Mi's speculation, the first floor should be the safest, and the danger level increases as you go up. Placing the best seedlings in the safest place might be a precaution against accidents.
It seems that Consultant Smith is quite cautious, Lu Mi thought calmly.
However, it is unknown how people other than Lu Mi view this "special treatment".
Especially when Smith specifically asked the Level 6 Transcendent if he had any complaints about this arrangement, several people around him seemed hesitant to speak. However, since he was indeed capable enough to receive such preferential treatment, they had no choice but to swallow their bitterness and resentment.
Afterwards, everyone quickly found friends who were going to the same place as them and quickly divided into groups.
Lu Mi and An Bo stood together with two other unfamiliar extraordinary people. They were much quieter than the other excited groups.
Then Lu Mi noticed that the consultant began to look at his watch frequently.
Smith's face showed obvious anxiety, and he paced back and forth, "What's going on? It should be time..."
"General Counsel Smith--!" At this moment, a cry came from the distant corridor, and several prison guards ran over.
Smith glanced at them and frowned. "Why are you the only ones here? Where's that guy? Didn't I tell him to be there?"
"Well... the warden said, he doesn't have time to play house with you and these people..."
"How dare he!" Smith's face was ferocious for a moment. After all, he was the chief consultant specially approved by the higher-ups. Wasn't this deliberately embarrassing him in front of these exchange students and also smearing the higher-ups' reputation?
Fortunately, Smith was considerate of the people present and did not attack immediately.
"Where is he now?"
"exist……"
Looking at the hesitant prison guard, Smith snorted coldly, "Forget it, I'll go find it myself. You take these exchange students to the place written on it first. They will be trainee prison guards here in the future."
After saying this, Smith turned back, his expression changing instantly. Smiling broadly, he encouraged everyone to work hard. After all, he had been intent on building his own power ever since he parachuted in, but since some things in the prison were already fixed, he had no choice but to place his hopes on this new blood.
Watching Smith turn around and leave with a gloomy face, looking furious and obviously going to settle the score with someone, Amber was amazed at his control of his emotions.
"Then please follow us." The remaining prison guard said to everyone.
The group was somewhat bewildered, like a group of ambitious newcomers who had decided to hone their skills at an internship company, only to discover on the first day that the company itself seemed to have some problems.
But now that things have come to this, they have no choice but to go ahead with it.
"...Walk further in over there and you will reach District 18. We won't go past that." The prison guard pointed out the districts along the way as he walked. Because there were quite a few exchange students, they did not escort them one by one to their destination.
Lu Mi looked at the direction the other party was pointing, thanked him politely, and then walked towards there slowly.
Although it was called a prison, it was more like some kind of scientific research facility. The walls, painted white and made of special materials, and the countless security gates made it look like a giant maze.
So far, Lu Mi hadn't seen any obvious prison-like buildings or prisoners. Perhaps it was because they were currently walking along the main road, and the prisoners were still behind the security gates further in.
Just as he was thinking this, as a huge valve marked with Area 18 slowly opened, Lu Mi keenly heard a noisy clamor and voices, along with a strong smell of blood in the air.
He followed the sound and walked along the corridor to the bottom. After turning a corner, the scene in front of him finally appeared before his eyes.
"This is--!!" An Bo and the other two exchange students who followed Lu Mi suddenly widened their eyes in disbelief.
What appeared before the four people was a huge space like a colosseum.
About a dozen people dressed as prison guards were sitting in the stands, cheering loudly towards the arena below.
Surrounded by them was a long-haired man in the center. He was the first to notice the intrusion of several people, but he just glanced at them with a smile, as if he had no intention of paying any attention to them.
In the arena below, a ferocious monster had just bit off the throat of the last person on the field, and the hot blood dyed the yellow sand on the ground red.
Afterwards, the blood-thirsty monster panted heavily, avoided the uniformed prison guards in the stands, and roared as it pounced directly on Lu Mi and the other four who had just entered.
"...Warden!" At this time, the other prison guards in the stands seemed to realize the existence of Lu Mi and others. They couldn't help but show surprise on their faces and called out to the long-haired man in the middle.
"Eh..." the man sighed, "They're not food."
Even as he said this, the man still sat there motionless, showing no intention of making a move.
Lu Mi only took a moment to figure out that the other party was planning to stand idly by.
At this moment, Anbo and the others also took action. Although the incident happened suddenly, they worked together to hold up an invisible shield in front of the four people.
Lu Mi frowned slightly.
The next second, the monster crashed heavily into the shield. The other two people, except Anbo, groaned and half-knelt down with their hands supporting the ground.
“Crack—”
The moment a crack appeared on the invisible shield, Lu Mi took a spear from the shelf nearby.
This shelf seemed to be specially designed for gladiatorial combat, filled with various weapons and torture instruments. Lu Mi chose the only gun on the shelf, the wooden handle still stained with blood and looking so old that it looked like it would break at any moment.
However, as a barely perceptible silver-blue light flashed from the tip of the gun, the gun suddenly seemed to be infused with a soul, and suddenly burst out with astonishing sharpness.
Lu Mi stabbed the monster's body with a gun, then raised his leg and kicked the gun barrel.
The next second, the monster was kicked out along with its gun, and with a loud bang, it crashed into the wall opposite the arena and was deeply embedded in it.
"What! What happened!?" There seemed to be another room next to the arena. A prison guard's head popped out from the skylight on the wall and was stunned by the scene in front of him.
Monster number GE3348 is a well-known and invincible instrument of execution on the lower three floors. How...who actually beat it up?
The guard then noticed the man sitting in the middle of the stands and nodded in awe, "You're here, Warden Xiao Lun...!"
However, the man completely ignored him.
The warden named Xiao Lun was staring at Lu Mi closely, as if he had discovered some incredible treasure. He put away his right hand that was supporting his chin and sat up.
"Who are you?" Xiao Lun's face was full of interest and curiosity, completely different from the indifference just now.
Lu Mi's breathing remained steady as he spoke, "Exchange student from the K8 star zone, reporting in."
"You guys?" Xiao Lun's gaze fell on the other two people who were sitting on the ground, but this time his gaze was obviously much colder. He murmured as if reminiscing, "I think I've heard of such a thing."
A prison guard nearby coughed awkwardly and had to remind him, "It was Consultant Smith who said that..."
Just as they were actively trying to revive Xiao Lun's impression, An Bo on Lu Mi's side exclaimed in amazement, "This monster, which even our combined strength couldn't defend against, is truly Tartarus. It would be rated at least C-rank outside. Yet, you managed to stop such a monster all by yourself—!"
As for the other two people who hadn't paid much attention to Lu Mi, they stared at him with a look of astonishment, their faces full of the thought, "Where did this guy come from? Did he really get off the same aircraft as us?!"
Or it cannot be said to be blocked, but defeated.
Anbo looked at the monster embedded in the wall that had obviously lost its ability to move. Although it was not ruled out that the monster had previously consumed a wave of energy in a battle with other people, even so, it was already quite shocking!
There was no mistake. The person that Lota Pai wanted to tell him was definitely...! Anbo's eyes lit up surprisingly!
On the other side, Xiao Lun finally remembered this matter from a corner, and he looked at Lu Mi with more interest.
"Didn't they say these exchange students are all new? You don't look like one..." Xiao Lun said, shaking his head. "No, I've never heard of your name before. Maybe that's the only way to explain it. It seems headquarters can make mistakes sometimes, otherwise they wouldn't be willing to throw you into this hellhole."
Of course, Tartarus was not the only country participating in this exchange activity, but some of the better talents were noticed early on by the headquarters and arranged to places such as the assault force, which were more likely to attract attention.
Xiao Lun's voice was filled with obvious joy. Whether someone like Lu Mi was destroyed here or recruited by someone else, it would be enough to make some people at headquarters regret it... I really look forward to the reaction of those old guys.
"Xiao Lun!" At this moment, Smith's familiar voice came with anger. He first glanced at the scene and asked Lu Mi and others with concern, "Are you all okay?"
Smith then looked at Xiao Lun and sternly accused him, "You're actually holding this illegal activity again! Aren't you afraid I'll report you to the higher-ups?"
"What are you talking about, Chief Advisor?" Xiao Lun sneered at him. "I'm executing the death row inmates my own way. You're all scumbags, and how can you let them choose how they die? I think it's enough for me to be in charge of the affairs of the lower three floors. It's not the place for people outside the prison to dictate what happens."
Smith: “You!”
"Well, Mr. Chief Advisor, thank you for bringing these exchange students to me. From now on, I will fulfill my duties well—"
Xiao Lun didn't mention what had just happened. He was certain Smith wasn't yet aware of the silver-eyed youth's strength, otherwise he wouldn't have been so skeptical. After all, even he found the other party's sometimes frantic attempts to win over targets difficult.
Xiao Lun looked at Lu Mi and the others, or more precisely, at Lu Mi, and said, "Come on, I'll personally arrange work for you..."
The author has something to say: For those who read this article, let me give you a brief introduction to the current public personnel structure of [Tartarus Prison]——
Chief Warden
General Counsel: Smith, airborne personnel from headquarters
The third-level person in charge
Middle third-level person in charge
Person in charge of the lower three floors: Xiao Lun, warden
At this time, everyone is still busy with workplace struggles and has not fully realized the seriousness of the problem.
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