Rogue Villain-Chapter 307: Prison Break

Wilma sighed. Mara and Karandiel clinging to Ackster like a trio of magnets influenced her final decision.

"Fine."

Wilma didn’t say anything else and just huffed. She was reluctant, but she had agreed. She was coming with them to the capital’s outskirts, where the prison was.

They had to be careful since the defense around the capital was much greater than in the sticks, but Ackster’s group was fast, even when taking it slow. In less than a day, they were already in the area.

"Everyone remembers the plan?"

"What plan?"

Ackster ignored Wilma and looked at the others, who all nodded.

Mio supplied everyone with hair dye and face gel. After a few minutes, no one looked the same as before. Although not everyone was going in, it wouldn’t hurt if they were all disguised, just in case.

With initial preparations done, Mara covered Ackster, Wilma, and herself in stealth magic that completely erased their presences and tracks as they approached the prison’s outer fences and security measures.

They easily bypassed them.

Next were the prison’s outer walls and gates, which had troops guarding the perimeter. Fortunately, an armored transport carriage entered through a set of gates, and they could follow it inside.

Ackster felt the prison’s security magic scan past them and their surroundings. Fortunately, it didn’t pick up on their presence. They were in the clear for now.

But as they got deeper and deeper into the prison, finally entering the main cube-like building, the security rose. Ackster felt the magic scanning everything pierce deeper into Mara’s multi-layered stealth.

Mara was an exceptional mage and a dragon’s disciple. But she hadn’t spent a long time learning magic from that dragon before stuff happened. And she hadn’t specialized in stealth magic the same way she had practiced offensive magic.

When up against the reinforced, maximum security magic created over several generations of one of the most magically advanced civilizations of Millmeria’s current Cycle, it was only a matter of time before Mara’s magic broke down.

Unfortunately, that time came before they could find their way inside the actual prison. They had managed to get inside the huge building. But they were still only in the guard quarters and hallways.

When Mara’s magic finally couldn’t resist anymore, the prison’s magic immediately picked up on their unlawful intrusion and alerted the prison with a blaring tooting sound.

"Good work getting us this far, Mara. Now, create a distraction."

Ackster patted Mara on the shoulder before grabbing Wilma’s arm and dragging her into the prison with him.

"Let’s go, Wilma."

Wilma glanced back as Mara pulled out spheres of blue fire that started raising the prison’s inner temperature at a worrying pace. Mara also created spears of fire that she sent flying in all directions. However, she didn’t aim at the guards, who rushed at her with their own attacks and magic.

Still, just the heat of Mara’s fire was enough to blister the weaker guards’ skin when they got too close. Her spears also pierced through walls and splattered half-molten pellets of stone all over the place.

There might not be any casualties, but there were a lot of severely injured guards.

Wilma’s gaze darkened slightly at Mara’s heavy-handedness, but Ackster pulled her along and out of sight as they looked for where the death row inmates were. Fortunately, there were signs along the way of the winding corridors.

Ackster burst through every wall and door in his path as he bulldozed toward the cell block where Makkel should be.

Finally, among a bunch of prisoners being herded into their cells by frenzied guards, Ackster saw a full head of wild red hair, the color of raging fire.

"There he is!"

Ackster let go of Wilma and leaped over the crowd, landing right behind Makkel. He turned him around.

Makkel didn’t even have time to react or try to resist.

"You’re coming with me."

Ackster left the mana-sealing cuffs on him and ignored the guard, who put his hand on his shoulder before grabbing Makkel and jumping out of the crowd again. With Makkel secured, they could burst through the walls and bust out of prison. But it would be inconvenient doing that in the middle of a bunch of prisoners, so Ackster returned to Wilma’s side and started smashing through walls using his ridiculous strength.

It was only after a few walls that Ackster noticed a hand still attached to his shoulder. He flicked it off before continuing without changing his expression.

Wilma was about to say something when, all of a sudden, the hallways were completely empty and filled with a quiet air, a stark contrast to the otherwise chaotic prison.

"What’s going...—"

Since Ackster finally stopped rushing through the prison like a raging bull, Makkel tried to ask what was going on. But Ackster shoved Makkel into Wilma’s hands.

"Take him and get him out of here. I’ll handle this."

"Handle what?"

Although she could sense that something was drastically off, Wilma hadn’t noticed anything other than the strange atmosphere. What was there to handle other than a haunted part of the prison?

"Just go!"

Ackster pushed Wilma back the way they came. Chills ran up and down his spine like ants sprinting to and fro a pile of sugar. A powerful opponent had come, and it was one only he could face in the current group since it wasn’t a dragon.

Wilma sighed as she grabbed Makkel and dragged him off. With the mana-sealing cuffs and Wilma’s surprising strength, he couldn’t resist even if he wanted to.

They hurried away, leaving only Ackster in the only silent part of the prison. No...It wasn’t only Ackster there.

After waiting a few tense seconds, a bald man with no defining features on his expressionless face stepped into existence. He had old, worn clothes that a farmer might wear.

’Shit.’

"What are you doing here? Aren’t you an advocate of non-interference, Hermit?"

Ackster looked at his opponent with tense eyes. He knew who he was up against, but he had no idea what his opponent could do. It was one of the rare times his transmigration knowledge was of no help.