The Cyber Ascension Arc 4 — "The Manipulations That Started Before They Even Existed"
Volume 4 | Chapter 38 — "The Time of Prisoners"
Silence hung heavy inside the stone-built underground prison. Only the faint dripping of water echoed through the vast, hollow corridors—slow… steady… almost like the ticking of a countdown toward something catastrophic.
Two bodies lay motionless on the cold floor.
Jin Yuan.
Rionaz.
Both unconscious, bound, and stripped of their armor.
Torchlight flickered across the walls, painting their shadows like distorted monsters.
Standing in front of them was the man who brought them here—
Kunashi.
Shoulder-length brown hair. Sharp brown eyes that scanned everything with cold calculation. His expression was calm, almost bored, as if knocking out two soldiers was just routine for him.
Kunashi:
"…Hmph."
He exhaled slowly, then waved his hand towards the nearby guards.
"Wake them up. I want information extracted. I need to know who they are—and why two rookies from the 8th and 9th rows would dare try sneaking toward Queen Victoria Reona's castle."
He turned away and exited the chamber, his boots echoing against the stone floor.
Once he left, the cruelty began.
---
The Awakening
Two soldiers walked toward Jin Yuan and Rionaz, ropes in hand. They didn't bother being gentle. They tied the prisoners' wrists tightly with thick, ancient rope woven with iron threads—hard, unbreakable, meant for beasts.
Soldier:
"Oi, rookies! Wake up!"
They struck them with long wooden staffs—each hit sharp, stinging.
Jin Yuan's eyes snapped open instantly.
No panic.
No surprise.
Just a sharp, deadly focus.
Rionaz woke next, coughing, head throbbing.
Rionaz:
"Ah… Jin Yuan…"
He glanced around, quickly understanding the situation.
---
The Interrogation
Soldier:
"Why did you try to approach Queen Victoria Reona?"
He swung the staff again.
"Speak!"
Jin Yuan remained silent—watching, calculating, observing every weakness in the room.
Rionaz coughed again, struggling to breathe.
Rionaz:
"W-We came to warn her… Hell's forces are killing our soldiers and stealing their Phoenix power! We wanted to inform her before the gates are broken!"
The soldiers exchanged amused glances.
Soldier 1 smirked:
"Perfect. We'll kill you both… and give this information to the Queen ourselves."
Soldier 2 laughed:
"We'll be praised. Maybe even rewarded."
They drew their blades.
---
The Moment Everything Turned
Jin Yuan lowered his head.
A faint smirk crept across his lips.
He twisted his wrists—
SNAP.
The iron-thread rope tore apart like dry grass.
Rionaz:
"J-Jin Yuan! Careful—!"
Jin Yuan stood. Slowly. Calmly. His shadow stretched across the blood-stained floor.
Jin Yuan:
"Don't shout like children."
His voice was ice.
"Just die."
Before the first soldier could react—
SHHHK—!
Jin Yuan's katana sliced downward, splitting the man cleanly from skull to torso.
Blood sprayed across the walls.
Rionaz froze, eyes trembling.
Another soldier lunged.
Jin Yuan moved first.
THUMP.
A clean decapitation.
The head rolled across the floor like a falling stone.
The third soldier turned to run—but Jin Yuan's blade flashed again, severing him diagonally from shoulder to waist. His body collapsed in two pieces.
Blood pooled around Jin Yuan's feet.
The prison stank of death.
Rionaz gagged, unable to handle the sight—and vomited onto the floor.
Jin Yuan silently cut his ropes.
---
The Plan Behind His Eyes
While Rionaz wiped his mouth, trembling, Jin Yuan's expression didn't change.
His mind was already three steps ahead.
"I want him alive.
He knows this place well.
Killing him now is unnecessary."
Jin Yuan:
"Rionaz. We're leaving. We don't have time."
Rionaz nodded, still shaken.
They stepped over bodies and exited the prison into the night air.
---
Into the Forest
Dark clouds drifted above. A cold wind rustled through the trees.
Rionaz led the way.
Jin Yuan followed silently, scanning every shadow.
Jin Yuan:
"This forest… are you sure it leads to the castle? This route is different from before."
Rionaz:
"If we go the same way as last time, the First Army's soldiers will find us again. This is a shortcut—straight to the main entrance."
Jin Yuan nodded, though his eyes never stopped analyzing the terrain.
They reached the center of the forest when the ground trembled—
GROOOOOOAR—!
A colossal 11-foot bear, its fur bristling like steel needles, emerged from the darkness.
Before it could even fully raise its claws—
ZRAKK—!!!
Jin Yuan disappeared.
Then reappeared behind the bear.
The beast collapsed into a rain of a thousand pieces, each slice cleaner than a surgeon's cut. Flesh hit the ground like wet hail.
Rionaz stumbled backward.
Rionaz:
"Y-You're so fast!!"
Jin Yuan didn't respond.
He wiped the blade and walked forward.
Jin Yuan:
"Move."
---
Thoughts That Cut Deeper Than Blades
As they walked, Jin Yuan's mind drifted—not backward, not forward, but beyond.
"Even if the world ends… my mind won't stop."
"No one is important to me."
"Emotions are distractions. If I want true freedom for my friends… everything else must be pushed aside."
"People hide their true nature until the moment it benefits them."
"Believing anyone is the most foolish thing in this world."
His eyes grew colder.
His steps grew heavier.
And the path to Queen Victoria Reona's castle…
grew darker with every breath.