Chapter 62: Lying in Wait!
Beneath the sphere of light, Ren Arakawa perused the options seriously.
The Technology category, the Magic & Legends category, and the Support category.
These three main categories took up a great deal of Ren Arakawa's time.
During this period, the group of newcomers came out to wander around, but Ren Arakawa paid them no mind.
Yan Wei and Xiaoye Hui had intentions of befriending Ren Arakawa, but his violent display that day had been too intimidating, so they didn't dare approach him to say much.
Zhang Jie squatted under the sphere of light and studied it for a long time as well. Unfortunately, he was penniless and could only look, not touch.
After getting a piece of advice from Ren Arakawa—"Just find that feeling you had when you were about to drown; it's stronger than anything"—Zhang Jie also returned to his room to figure things out.
After looking through the three main categories, Ren Arakawa finally cast his gaze upon the Entertainment category.
For other reincarnators, this was the most important category.
In the Reincarnation Space, every second of enjoyment counted.
Gourmet food you never ate in your previous life.
Services you never experienced.
Fine wine you never drank.
Here, all of it could be yours.
If a person remained in a state of high tension indefinitely, their mind would sooner or later collapse.
But for Ren Arakawa, the legendary king of stress resistance, this wasn't so important.
A ruthless man who could stay in Impel Down for seven years without breaking down—why would he spend that kind of money on frivolous enjoyments?
After looking through the entire list, Ren Arakawa finally found the "thing" he was looking for.
[Return to the world of the previous horror movie: 24h / 10 Reward Points.]
He spent another 35 Reward Points to purchase ten pounds of top-grade instant coffee, an extra-large backpack, a case of mineral water, a solar-powered water heater, a headlamp, and gold bars.
Considering he didn't know where he would end up upon returning to the Alien world.
He might even be airdropped directly into an unknown region of outer space.
He specially spent 200 Reward Points to buy a high-quality spacesuit with its own oxygen tank.
After putting on the spacesuit and preparing everything, he faced the sphere of light and initiated the transfer.
[Fifty points have been consumed to exchange for a return to the previous horror movie.]
[Transfer will initiate in thirty seconds.]
[Destination—*Alien: Covenant*.]
[Duration: Five days.]
Thirty seconds passed in a flash. Under Zhan Lan's gaze, which looked as if she were seeing a god, a pillar of light enveloped Ren Arakawa. Then, he vanished from the Main God Plaza.
"Beep! Beep! Beep!"
After the bright light faded, Ren Arakawa, wearing a spacesuit and carrying a large pack, opened his eyes!
The moment he opened his eyes, he first formed the seal for the Body Replacement Technique, just in case of a sneak attack.
The incessant sound of honking filled his ears.
He looked around in a daze at the bustling vehicles and towering skyscrapers, then slapped his thigh!
"Wasted fifty points! Why did you drop me on Earth?"
"Ahhhh!"
In front of Ren Arakawa, a little white girl holding a coin was startled by his sudden appearance and let out a big scream. The coin in her hand fell.
The coin rolled and rolled until it fell into a storm drain.
---
"Clang~"
In a damp and dark underground prison cell.
Two jailers, one fat and one skinny, holding steel rods, pushed open the cell door.
"This is the kid who refuses to talk no matter what?"
The skinny jailer hurriedly fanned the flames, "Yes, Captain. He's completely uncooperative. He'd rather starve to death than say a single word."
"Quite the tough nut to crack!"
"Captain, I don't think this kid is ever going to talk! If this doesn't work, let's just send him out and let the beasts give him a taste of their medicine!"
"Hmph, I'll handle him. You watch and learn."
As the fat jailer spoke, he rested the steel rod on the prisoner's shoulder.
"Speak! What did Iron Head tell you? Did he learn something about the Celestial Dragons? And why did you come from the Crimson Hell to the Beast Hell? How much do you know about what happened to your captain back then? Speak!!!"
Feeling the weight of the steel rod on his shoulder, Pirate Ren Arakawa slowly raised his head.
He looked like a ruffian, not even giving the jailer before him a proper glance as he chuckled, "Asking so many questions in one breath... not even a CET-4 or CET-6 listening test is this intense, right?"
Hearing the prisoner dare to mock him, the fat jailer raised the steel rod and brought it down directly on Ren Arakawa's head.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the corridor.
Ren Arakawa's face was stern, the smile gone. "You strike just like that, without any warning at all."
"Heh heh, kid, you really like to talk nonsense, don't you?" The fat jailer raised the steel rod again and swung it at Ren Arakawa's face once more!
"Clang!"
Just like before, it felt like hitting solid iron.
The skinny jailer at the side quickly reminded him in a low voice, "Iron Head taught him Iron Body! A blow of this level is useless!"
"You think I need you to tell me that!" The fat jailer's expression instantly soured. He raised the steel rod and swung it at Ren Arakawa with all his might!
"Clang!"
The result was still the same.
The steel rod was like striking iron, and a smile still hung on Ren Arakawa's lips.
"I refuse to believe I can't break you!"
"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The fat jailer began hammering away in the prison cell.
Anyone who didn't know better might have thought he was paying tribute to the scene in *Iron Man 1* where the Mark I suit was hammered out by hand.
After striking for a while, the fat jailer grew tired.
Although Pirate Ren Arakawa's constitution was quite good, after being hit for so long, his head was also ringing. He simply closed his eyes.
Seeing the prisoner dare to "sleep" right in front of him, the fat jailer finally lost his patience. "Go get me a bucket of ice water!"
"Splash!"
Bucket after bucket of ice water was poured over Ren Arakawa's head. The bone-chilling cold made his body tremble involuntarily.
The prolonged torture made it impossible for him to concentrate. His Iron Body sometimes succeeded and sometimes failed, and it wasn't long before his head was beaten bloody.
The sharp pain from the steel rod striking his head made his consciousness blur.
And the scalding branding iron that the fat jailer immediately pressed against him was the last straw that broke the camel's back!
The skin on Ren Arakawa's face emitted a burnt smell, and the pain was unbearable.
Pirate Ren Arakawa's heart was in turmoil. He was trying to determine if he could reach the Starvation Hell on the third level of Impel Down if he made a run for it with all his might right now.
If he succeeded, he would be one step closer to Level 5.5, the Newkama Land.
One step closer to freedom.
But if he failed, what awaited him would be even more brutal torture.
As well as tighter security and an even slimmer chance of escape.
However, as the fat jailer once again pressed the branding iron onto his face, Ren Arakawa finally couldn't take it anymore.
A hint of resolve flashed in his eyes!
He said softly, "Come here, Captain Jailer, sir. Come over here, and I'll whisper to you what Iron Head told me."
Hearing Ren Arakawa's words, the fat jailer stopped what he was doing, a trace of triumph flashing in his eyes.
He thought Ren Arakawa had finally submitted. He slowly approached Ren Arakawa, bringing his ear close to Ren Arakawa's mouth.
"Closer, a little closer," Ren Arakawa's voice was low and hoarse, as if he were about to reveal a truly important secret.
The fat jailer, unsuspecting, moved a little closer.
Just then, a cold glint flashed in Ren Arakawa's eyes!
He suddenly opened his mouth and, with all his strength, bit down on the fat jailer's neck!
This bite was filled with the power of anger and desperation. His teeth sank deep into the fat jailer's flesh.
The fat jailer cried out in pain. His hands instinctively tried to push Ren Arakawa away, but Ren Arakawa bit down hard and wouldn't let go, his eyes burning with a bloodthirsty light.
It was the kind of light you would only see in the eyes of a wild beast struggling for survival in a desperate situation!
The skinny jailer at the side stared at this scene, so frightened by Ren Arakawa's beast-like gaze that he stumbled back two steps.
His face was pale, and the steel rod in his hand nearly fell.
He had never seen such a frenzied act, nor had he ever imagined that a prisoner would dare to fight back under these circumstances.
The fat jailer's struggles gradually weakened, his strength fading as he lost blood.
Ren Arakawa finally released his jaw. The fat jailer's body fell limply to the ground, blood gushing from his neck, staining the prison floor red.
Only then did the skinny jailer react. He realized he had to act immediately.
He dropped the steel rod and said to Ren Arakawa in a trembling voice, "You... you madman! He-help! Murder! Someone's been murdered!" As he spoke, he was about to press the alarm button in the room.
But just at that moment,
A black streak of lightning shot towards him.
"Pfft!"
A tail with a sharp hook at its tip pierced through the skinny jailer's throat.
"Clang~"
As the body fell to the ground, something shiny caught Ren Arakawa's attention.
It was...
A set of keys.
(end of chapter)