In the following days, all the cadets have directed to board the pirate ship and set sail. There was no time for rest, as Malazen's hard life had taught them to always be prepared, especially for the scars of homelessness. Their current life was like flowing water, and they did not know where this ship would take them, but they knew that the next test would be carried out there. As Halatar put it, 'quickly in, quickly out!' - the best advice he could give to the next generation of cadets.
Long ago, the Chthonians attacked the only ancient prison on an island that served as a refuge for Malazenians. Joint forces from various regions managed to ward off the Chthonians until they were forced to retreat back to their death hole of a nest, where they laid their eggs forever. The Kaliyuga Explosion that killed the creatures marked the beginning of the Malazenians' victory over the resistance. Until now, the ancient prison had never been breached. The defense was impregnable, unbreakable, and undeniable - like dragon fire that could not burn the seas. Within the concrete walls, there were 24-hour non-stop guards from all sides with no gaps. Escaping from there was a tale that had never been told. Instructor Manseto and his subordinates used the shells of the defeated Chthonians as armor and shields, and they collected their remnants to fortify this ancient prison to the next level. The prison was named Manseto's Prison, and this pirate ship was defiantly heading toward it.
In the large room inside the ship where all the cadets were gathered, it was already 11:30 in the afternoon. While enjoying their time, they were still discussing the previous exam.
"Hey, did you hear? Someone managed to survive the Flask of Nightmare!" one cadet exclaimed.
"Is that true?! I can't believe it," another responded.
“Do you two still believe that? Look around, our numbers have dwindled."
"You're right, many cadets probably didn't make it through that exam."
A loud bang from outside shook the ship, startling the cadets inside, as if someone had landed from the sky. After that, footsteps followed, knocking on the wooden door leading to their room. The door opened with a bang, and a mysterious-looking man entered wearing a demon mask and a long robe that reached his feet. His brown hair fell straight down to his back, and at first glance, he appeared to be an Instructor.
“Attention all cadets! I am your instructor for this exam, Manseto of Karim,” the Instructor's voice was heavy and ominous, causing the cadets to freeze.
Not a single cadet interrupted. For anyone who had drunk the Draught of Agony, their killer instinct was active, sensing the instructor's intense murderous aura. Manseto's outfit was a dark purple robe with fur on the shoulders. Beneath the mask, they could see the Instructor's red eyes filled with emptiness, just like all cold-blooded assassins. His cursed sword was shrouded in a pitch-black aura that blinded anyone from looking at it for too long.
At the far end of the room where the cadets were shunned, Fenrius, alone in a corner, woke up from his sleep. Unlike the previous instructor, this time he really couldn't sleep and didn't know why. Even Zain, who was usually chatty, was suddenly silent like a tombstone. They all seemed to feel the presence of the angel of death.
Manseto was once known as the Dark Executioner, feared throughout the land of Malazen for his brutal methods of punishment. He was a man of few words and even fewer emotions, and his cold, dead eyes struck fear into the hearts of all who looked upon him. But as Manseto grew older, he began to tire of the constant bloodshed. He started seeing the flaws in the justice system he served and the corrupt officials who ruled the prison. He wanted to make a change and decided to take action on his own. He made an allegiance with the academy to become an Instructor and forcefully took over the ancient prison.
Manseto's reputation grew even stronger under his new title as the Warden. His prisoners trembled at the mere mention of his name, and the guards under his command obeyed his every command without question. He believed that harsh punishment was the only way to maintain order and discipline within the prison. He implemented harsher forms of punishment and enforced them with an iron fist. His obsession with control and power consumed him, and he became increasingly isolated from the rest of the world.
In this vast room, Manseto's spirit pressure was able to pierce the very existence of each cadet and threatened them to stay alert. Fenrius' eyes sharpened on his potential enemy; he felt that this test would be tougher than before. If his guess was correct, then he might also have to deal with an instructor who didn't want to mess around. Since day one, he knew that his name was on par with a top-class fugitive in the eyes of the seniors, and the instructors must have known from hearsay what he did; especially in the previous basic or last exam.
The senior assassins brought hundreds of prisoners' clothes and placed them beside Manseto. He then said, "Hmmm, they say this generation is the worst, but it's very rare for you to be this calm. After this, you all have to change into prison clothes. Ladies, please change to the next room on the deck. Leave all the equipment you brought on this ship. We will check each one of you when you disembark."
The instructor then explained the rules: “When entering the prison, your hands and feet will be shackled, and you cannot bring any weapons or equipment. Guards in heavy armor are prepared to kill anyone who tries to escape. However, there is this pirate ship on the coast for those who manage to escape the prison.”
Manseto looked at their sour and unconvincing faces and began to doubt their determination, as the test was not to be taken lightly. “Your goal is simple: escape from the prison and board this ship together to leave the island. After that, you will be declared as having passed. Do you understand?!"
A cadet raised his hand, breaking the silence, and asked, “Wait, Instructor. Does this mean that the test can also be done in teams? And what does it mean to not carry a weapon? Are small lockpicks allowed?”
Manseto replied, “You will only wear prisoner's clothes in the prison, with no weapons allowed, including lockpicks. If any of you are caught carrying equipment, you will fail the test. You can work alone or in teams, it's up to you. However, each cell will consist of three people with Aetherium shackles on their hands and feet. You must find a way to escape the island on your own, or you will all die together.”
At first, the cadets felt moved and more confident at the thought of working as a team, looking at each other with sparkling eyes. However, their expressions turned to gloom upon hearing Manseto's mention of Aetherium shackles in his explanation. That made the cadets who were already proficient at using soul charges certainly didn't want to crush their own wrists. Regardless, they had initially thought the test was individual, but working together would increase their chances of passing. The consequences were clear: escape together or fail together.
After several hours, they arrived at the mysterious island. One by one, they were checked and unloaded from the ship. No one was caught carrying equipment. Manseto led them to the prison in the middle of the arid desert, which looked like a fortress from a distance.
Manseto led the way and explained, “This prison is a dungeon. The basement is dark, damp, and has a foul odor. The only source of light comes from candles placed in every corner of the room. There are four cell blocks in the prison: A, B, C, and D. You will be assigned a cell in one of these blocks later.”
Zain asked incredulously, “An underground jail?! Then what about that tall tower, Sire?”
“That tower is one of the watchdogs' quarters. Many Bloodguards are stationed throughout the prison. Even the fire of dragons cannot burn the walls from the outside. I repeat, trying to escape unnoticed. Otherwise, your lives are at stake.”
As they approached the gates of the prison, two prison overseers in red armor and armed with spears greeted Manseto. They saluted him and signaled to the supervisor on the tower to open the giant gate. The loud sound of the steel gates opening felt like a stab in the heart of the cadets. Once inside, they stepped through the gate as if walking into another dimension.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
***
On their first day in prison, three cadets were escorted by the Bloodguards to a cell where their hands and feet were cuffed behind their backs. Only certain keys could unlock their restraints. The Bloodguards patrolled the various prison blocks. In Block A, as a Bloodguard moved away, one of the cadets spoke to their cellmate.
"Hey, Thani, is that you? Thanistor from Class B? Cadet number two hundred and twenty-nine?" asked the cadet on the right to the one in the middle.
The cadet on the left also spoke up, "Thanistor? The person often called Thanistor the White Knight?"
Thanistor Groh, cadet number 229 from Class B, was a crusader knight belonging to the Ordo Luminis Templar in the Kingdom of Alvaresh (Blaze Desert). His father, Maximilian Groh, was one of the Holy Grand Sentinels and a prominent figure in Alvaresh, serving directly under King Alexander Dumas. Thanistor was already well-known in the academy as the White Knight for his adeptness at helping others, although he could be heavy-handed at times, especially with stubborn cadets. He was also known for his Mithral Armor, although his two cellmates barely recognized him now that he was unarmored.
Thanistor was one of the most talented cadets in his class, with a spiritual aura level that surpassed even the seniors. Swordmaster Theodin even favored him to be in the top rank due to his third-circle aura, making him the subject of conversation among his fellow cadets.
The cadet in the middle, with long black hair down to his shoulders, was called Thani. He remained silent and looked down. ("Fenrius...his strength is beyond my expectations. This is impossible. I've been training since childhood to become a true knight, but...")
He daydreamed as if recalling the five-thousand-kilometer marathon exam. The senior assassin had once told all the cadets about the first rank of marathon running held by Fenrius Nightfang and the second rank held by himself. Thanistor always struggled with his inner demons to be number one quietly, without bragging. He was the only cadet who woke up at dawn to cultivate and trained five times a day with rigorous physical activities like long-distance running, wall climbing, weight lifting, and other extreme sports that Ninjas and Vikings used to do. Additionally, he abstained from negative things that damaged the body from food and drink, which made his stamina and fitness test the best. No cadet had trained as hard as he had, and if he found out that his basic exam ranking was not number one despite his hard training, he would feel like his existence betrayed himself, and he would want to leave the academy in shame.
"Hey, Thani!" exclaimed the cadet to his right.
"You two, shut up," Thani replied.
"What? You're telling us to shut up?! How do you plan to get out of this cell by yourself? Hah?!" argued the cadet to his left.
There was a loud pounding of metal feet as a Bloodguard patrolled past their cell. The Bloodguard was clad in majestic red armor, complete with a helmet, pauldron, vambrace, gauntlet, and greaves. The armor was partially made from the shells of the Chthonians and used against them. The blacksmith who had the genius idea to create the blueprint for this armor model was given a medal by Manseto. Although the two-hundred-kilogram armor was not suitable for fighting in tight spaces, Manseto wanted to encourage these cadets to be more agile and tougher than the average A-level monster. Seeing the armor's capability of breaking Chthon's claws made Thani and his cellmates turn pale, and they didn't want to provoke a commotion. After the guard left, they breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey, you two, you can call me Thani. I'm from class B. Now, introduce yourselves."
"My name is Joel Nolan, from class C. You can call me Joel," said the cadet on the right.
Joel Nolan, cadet number 113, was a good friend of Karanzo from C class, but not a shinobi from Shinra. Based on people's experiences, Joel was considered the most unreliable type of person, and before the test, everyone used to say: ‘If Joel was with you in a cell, good luck with your toil.’ Judging by everyone's perception, this was a tough test for Thanistor himself. Even so, Joel was secretly a hard thinker, and if anyone let their guard down, he could stab them in the back to benefit his position. Karanzo taught him to let everyone see his weaknesses and save his strengths to use at the right time.
"I'm Ray Astra. From class A. Just call me Ray," said the cadet on the left.
"You're from class A?" Thani muttered in surprise.
"Yes. What's with that expression of yours? Do you have a grudge against class A?" Ray asked.
"No. It's just that you're in the same class as Fenrius, you know, the first marathon winner. If you don't mind, can you tell me what he was like in class?"
"Sssstttt! Shut up!" Joel cut Thani and Ray short. The Bloodguard from earlier passed back to their cell. After the guard left, Joel said, "Alright, go on. I also wonder what Fenrius is like."
Joel and Thani turned to Ray's face at the same time. It seemed Ray had no choice but to tell them the story about that mad cadet. Even just hearing the name 'Fenrius' made Ray want to run five kilometers away from him, even though he was a classmate himself. Ray suddenly let out a small chuckle as he thought about the past events that had etched into his mind, and he was sure the two of them wouldn't believe his story, which might be a little too much.
"Hmm... Indeed, this sounds very ridiculous. Since he doesn't like to speak, whenever asked by a senior, he always writes his answers on paper while closing his eyes, as if residing in both the realm of dreams and reality. And when the seniors see his written response, they are unable to refute it because his answers are always correct. He's the kind of person who can foresee the future or manipulate time as he pleases," Ray recounted.
"So he's a genius type of person, huh?" Thani muttered in awe, believing the story.
"Yeah, but oddly enough, he always fails the written exam. My advice to normal people like us is not to go near that Mad Cadet. If you don't listen to my advice, you'll feel the invisible hand smack you so hard you won't be able to sit down for a week," Ray warned.
"Has Fenrius ever fought in class?" Joel asked, causing Ray to suppress his laughter.
"Hey! The guard is coming again," Thani interjected.
The Bloodguard passed by their cell for the third time. Ray contemplated, reflecting on his story. It had been over years since he last witnessed Fenrius engage in a class battle when a foolish cadet dared to challenge him to a Mubarza (one-on-one fight). Fenrius utilized his hardening technique, rendering himself impervious to any cadet's attempt to harm him, even with a sharp weapon. He also possessed a slow, painless tapping technique that sent his adversaries into eternal slumber. However, for Ray, that tale had become all too familiar.
When Fenrius initially joined the tranquil Class A, it felt as if a torrential flood had ravaged the surroundings for forty consecutive nights. Every time cadets from Barracks B, C, and D passed by Barracks A, they would hear the reverberating sounds of men's shouts and the echoes of fierce battles, so intense that even the seniors refrained from intervening. The incident that left the deepest impression on Ray was when Lucius arrived five weeks later.
Thani and Joel's eyes remained wary of the Bloodguard's movements. After the guard moved away, Ray spoke up and said, "Fenrius was once challenged by the strongest man in Class A, Lucius. It took just four punches, and Fenrius defeated Lucius, with the final blow sending Lucius flying into the shadow realm. Fenrius is an epitome of a silent assassin, and Lucius' sacrifice was a valuable lesson for us. After that day, we made a rule about prohibiting one-on-one fights with Fenrius to save many people, or never to wake the sleeping dog again."
Thani clenched his fists tightly as he thought, ("So that's how it is... No wonder I've heard that rumor before.")
“If it's one on one, bet on Fenrius. Even fools know that," added Joel.
The loud bang of the bars from the other side of the cell startled the three of them. The Bloodguard's angry shout echoed down the hall, "Hey, what are you guys talking about?!"
"We weren't talking about anything," complained the cadet in the next cell.
"Nonsense! You guys are being too loud. To silence you, accept my punishment of ten strokes!"
"Please, give us one more chance. We promise not to speak again!"
"There is no tolerance in prison, you brats!"
The Bloodguard mercilessly struck each of the three cadets ten times with his club, causing them to cry out in agony and beg for mercy. Thani, Ray, and Joel were relieved to discover that the punishment wasn't for their cell, but for the neighboring one where the whispers had originated. However, they realized that it could have been their fault since the whispering had started in their cell and may have been overheard, and the next cell was the one that had been affected. The three of them had unknowingly held their breath, anticipating the sound of each bone-breaking thud. Even though they were not the ones being hit, they felt the pain acutely. The deafening screams served as a warning to the other cadets to remain silent in the presence of the Bloodguards.
Despite Thanistor's insistence, Joel decided to cut the conversation short. Regardless of whether they were geniuses or fools, all the cadets understood that escaping from their cramped and locked cell with nothing but their bare hands was impossible, especially with the Bloodguards patrolling the labyrinthine prison layout. Joel hoped that someone had memorized the twisty prison roads to the outside, given his habit of relying on others. As he pressed Thani for wasting time, Thani realized that Joel had a tendency to blame others rather than take responsibility together. With no sense of time due to the lack of sunlight, Joel feared they had spent the whole day making no progress. He wondered what his best buddy, Karanzo, was doing right now. He wished he had a lockpick to aid their escape so that everyone could see him as an important cadet, rather than just Karanzo's sidekick.