I'm Trapped Inside a Prince as the Most Powerful Entity-Chapter 46: Malkor

While Adam continued his relentless advance deeper into the Spider Syndicate’s hidden base, Lucas and Alina cautiously followed behind, staying near the rows of prison cells lining the corridor.

As Adam moved further away, the heavy iron cell doors continued to warp and crumple inwards one after another, ripped open by his unseen power.

Alina and Lucas watched in amazement for a moment as the doors were forced open. Then, they quickly sprang into action. "Come on! Quickly!" Lucas urged the frightened prisoners peering out from the now-open doorways. "Get out! Follow the corridor back the way we came! It leads outside!"

Hesitantly at first, then with growing urgency, the prisoners began to stumble out of their dark, filthy cells.

There were people of all ages – old men with haunted eyes, young women clutching ragged children, merchants in torn finery, rough-looking men who might have been rivals captured by the Syndicate. They were all thin, weak, and terrified, blinking in the dim torchlight of the corridor.

As they emerged from the cells, something strange began to happen. A faint, soft green light started to glow around each of the prisoners. It shimmered gently, washing over their bodies.

Small cuts and bruises began to fade away. Looks of exhaustion were replaced by returning strength. Those who were limping found their injuries easing. It was a gentle, restorative energy, healing their minor wounds and revitalizing their tired bodies.

Lucas noticed the green glow surrounding the escaping prisoners. He looked closer, puzzled. He turned to Alina, who was busy helping an elderly woman out of a cell.

"Alina," he called out, gesturing towards a group of prisoners whose scrapes were visibly healing under the green light. "Did you see that? They’re being healed! Was that the Third Prince too? Is he doing this?"

Alina paused in her efforts, glancing briefly at the green energy. She didn’t know for sure if it was Adam’s doing, but given the other impossible things she had seen him do, it seemed likely. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

However, she still felt deeply uneasy around Lucas, the son of the man who had ordered her family captured and likely killed. She didn’t feel like explaining anything to him. She simply turned her head away without answering, focusing instead on urging more prisoners towards the exit ramp. "Just help them get out," she said curtly.

Lucas felt a pang of hurt at her cold shoulder, but he couldn’t really blame her. He knew what his father had done, knew his family was responsible for so much suffering, including likely hers.

He felt he deserved her distrust. ’She’s right not to trust me,’ he thought grimly. ’My family... we let this happen.’ He pushed his feelings aside and focused on the task at hand, directing the stream of escaping prisoners.

"This way! Hurry!" he shouted, pointing them towards the ramp leading up and out of the base. "Be quick and quiet!"

One by one, groups of former captives hurried past them, their faces filled with a mixture of fear, relief, and confusion. They stumbled up the ramp and out into the deserted Old Market district above, vanishing into the night, free at last thanks to the actions of the terrifying being who was currently carving a path of destruction deeper inside.

Scene Shift: Deeper within the Syndicate Base

Meanwhile, in a more secure room deeper within the underground complex, Bryan (the bald captain with the scar), Billy (the young agent recently returned from the capital), and Oliver (the calm, middle-aged operative) were focused on their own work.

They were likely reviewing reports, planning future operations, or counting illicit profits, completely unaware of the chaos erupting just a few corridors away. The sounds of Adam’s massacre hadn’t reached this far into the base yet.

Suddenly, a frantic pounding echoed from the heavy wooden door of their room. BANG! BANG! BANG! Someone was hammering on the door urgently, desperately.

The three Syndicate members instantly froze. They looked up from their work, then at each other, their expressions turning sharp and alert. An unexpected visitor at this hour, banging like that? Something was wrong.

Oliver, the most senior of the three, spoke first, his calm demeanor turning serious. He looked at Bryan and Billy. "Were you expecting anyone? Did you send a team out on a mission that was due back now?"

Bryan frowned, thinking for a moment. He mentally reviewed the current operations. "Yeah," he confirmed slowly. "Sent a small crew out earlier tonight. Standard collection run. They might be back."

Billy stood up from his chair. "I’ll get the door," he said quickly. "Maybe they ran into trouble and need backup." He walked briskly towards the heavy door.

Oliver and Bryan watched him go, their hands subtly moving closer to the hidden weapons they always carried.

Billy reached the door and slid open the heavy bolts securing it from the inside. He pulled the thick wooden door open just a crack at first, peering out cautiously.

Standing outside the door was one of Bryan’s crew members – a rough-looking thug Billy recognized. But the man wasn’t reporting a successful mission. His face was pale white, covered in sweat, his eyes wide with sheer terror. His clothes were torn and stained with something dark – likely blood, and probably not his own. He was breathing heavily, gasping for air like he had run for his life.

Billy immediately threw the door wide open, his own expression turning serious. "Malkor! What happened?" he demanded urgently. "What’s wrong? Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?"

The man, Malkor, stumbled into the room, nearly collapsing. He grabbed onto the doorframe for support, his body shaking uncontrollably. "Attack!" he gasped out, his voice hoarse and trembling. "The base... it’s under attack! Sirs! You have to do something! Quick!"

Hearing Malkor’s panicked words, Oliver and Bryan instantly pushed back their chairs and rushed towards the doorway, reaching it just as Malkor finished speaking. They stared at the terrified, blood-splattered thug.

Bryan grabbed Malkor fiercely by the collar of his tunic, hauling him upright. "What nonsense are you talking?" Bryan snarled, his face contorted with disbelief and anger. "Attacked? Our base is hidden! Secure! Who would dare attack us here? Who even knows about this place?"

Malkor flinched under Bryan’s furious glare but managed to stammer out his report through chattering teeth. "Sir, I... I don’t know who it is! We don’t know! But... it’s just one man! A young man! But he’s... he’s a monster!" Malkor’s eyes darted around wildly, remembering the carnage he had just fled.

"He’s killing everyone! Slaughtering them! Cutting them down like... like wheat! I barely escaped with my life! I ran back here as fast as I could... warned the other units on the way... told them to fall back or hide..."

Billy clenched his fists, his face flushing with anger. "One man?" he growled. "One young man is tearing through our base? Who does he think he is? How dare someone attack the Spider Syndicate!" He looked ready to charge out into the corridor himself.

"Wait, Billy," Oliver said sharply, putting a restraining hand on the younger man’s shoulder. Oliver’s mind was working quickly, analyzing the situation calmly despite the alarming news. He looked thoughtful.

"One young man causing this much damage... that doesn’t sound like a random attack." He turned his gaze to Bryan.

"Think, Bryan. Who in this city has the power or the motive to launch such a direct assault on us? There are no major noble families operating openly here right now. The mayor is gone. The only significant local power nearby is..." He let the name hang in the air. "...Baron Von Hess."

Bryan’s eyes narrowed. He remembered the meeting with the Baron’s son, William, earlier. He remembered the nobles’ arrogance, their desire to use the Syndicate. Could they have decided to betray them?

"The Baron?" Bryan growled, clenching his fists tightly. "That treacherous snake! I told you we couldn’t trust those nobles!" He spat on the floor in disgust. "He probably thinks he can wipe us out now that Karlos is gone and take over our operations himself!"

Oliver considered it. "It’s possible," he conceded. "Or perhaps someone else discovered our location." He looked at Bryan, then at Billy, his expression becoming grimly serious.

"Either way, the situation is critical. This base might be compromised." He made a quick decision. "Billy. Bryan. Your safety is paramount. You are both valuable future assets to the Syndicate." He looked directly at Billy, who had proven his skill in the capital.

"You especially, Billy, have potential. I won’t let you be wasted here." He straightened up. "You two need to evacuate immediately. Use the hidden escape tunnel in the back storage room. Get out of the city, lay low, and await further instructions from headquarters." His tone was final, an order, not a suggestion.

"This mission, whatever its original goal was, is compromised. Your survival is now the priority." He turned towards the doorway Malkor had stumbled through. "I will stay behind. I will deal with this intruder, or at least buy you time to escape."

Bryan stared at Oliver, shocked by his decision. "Oliver, what are you saying?" he protested immediately. "You want us to run? While you face this monster alone? No! We should fight together! Or you should escape! You’re more valuable than either of us!" Bryan, despite his rough exterior, clearly had some loyalty to his senior officer.

Oliver simply held up a hand, cutting off Bryan’s protests. "Bryan," he said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "You know this city’s layout better than anyone. You can guide Billy out safely. You are both younger, faster, and have more potential to serve the Syndicate in the long run." He placed a hand briefly on Bryan’s shoulder.

"Protecting promising assets like you is my duty. It ensures our organization has a future." His expression softened slightly. "Now go. That’s an order."

Without waiting for further argument, Oliver turned and started walking towards the corridor where the sounds of fighting, though still distant, could now be faintly heard. He looked back briefly at Malkor, the terrified thug who had brought the warning.

"You," Oliver commanded sharply. "You seemed to escape him once. You’re coming with me. Show me where he is."

Malkor looked even more terrified, clearly wanting nothing more than to run and hide. But disobeying a direct order from Oliver was unthinkable, likely carrying its own death sentence. He swallowed hard, nodded miserably, and reluctantly fell into step behind Oliver, heading back towards the danger he had just fled.

As Oliver and the terrified Malkor disappeared down the corridor, Billy immediately started to follow them. Bryan grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Billy! Wait!" Bryan hissed. "Did you not hear Oliver? He ordered us to escape!"

Billy wrenched his arm free, glaring angrily at Bryan. "What’s wrong with you, Bryan?" he demanded hotly. "Are you really just going to leave him? Don’t you trust our own strength? It’s just one intruder! Maybe Malkor exaggerated! We can take him, the three of us!"

"How do you know it’s just one man?" Bryan shot back, his own fear making him cautious. "Malkor said he warned other units! Maybe they’ve regrouped! Maybe the Baron sent his entire private army down here! We don’t know what we’re walking into!"

Billy hesitated, realizing Bryan had a point. They were acting on panicked information from one terrified survivor. But he couldn’t shake the feeling of abandoning Oliver. "But... we can’t just leave him to die!" he insisted.

Bryan took a deep breath, trying to find a compromise. He didn’t want to leave Oliver either, but he also didn’t want to die foolishly.

"Alright," he said slowly. "Alright. You want to help him? Fine. We’ll follow Oliver. Carefully." He locked eyes with Billy, his expression deadly serious.

"But on one condition. We scout ahead. If it looks like we have a chance, if it really is just one intruder and we think we can take him, we fight with Oliver. But," Bryan stressed, "if it looks too dangerous, if there’s any doubt at all that we can win, then you come with me. No arguments. We use the escape tunnel immediately. Agreed?"

Billy looked down the corridor where Oliver had disappeared. He didn’t like the condition, but it was better than abandoning Oliver completely. He met Bryan’s gaze and nodded curtly. "Agreed. If it looks hopeless, we run. But if there’s a chance, we fight."

"Good," Bryan grunted. He quickly checked his own hidden weapons, then nodded to Billy. "Let’s go then. Stay alert. And stay quiet."

Together, the two Syndicate operatives cautiously moved out of the room, following the path Oliver had taken, heading deeper into their compromised base towards the unknown intruder who was methodically turning their hidden sanctuary into a tomb.