The 14:00 shift change was a period of loud, shuffling chaos as Henchman-A and the day watch were relieved by the evening crew. This new guard, Henchman-B, was a quiet, hulking figure who spent most of his time leaning against the wall near the door, a low, unnerving hum emanating from his throat.
Henchman-B. Strength 9, Agility 4. Weakness: Low Perception (DC 40 to spot silent activity), but High Awareness (DC 70 to sneak past).
Heuk-jae waited for the 22:00 shift change. This was the critical transition: the shift change from the watchful, bored evening guard to the Night Watch—a skeleton crew whose routine involved checking the locks only once every two hours.
The lantern above flickered, sputtered, and finally died just before the 22:00 clatter began. The cell plunged into absolute, oppressive darkness, lit only by a thin crescent of cold moonlight struggling through the high air vents.
This was his window.
Heuk-jae subtly shifted the loose floorboard and freed his legs. He settled into a cross-legged position, pulling the steel sliver from his tunic. His immediate problem was not detection, but the physics of the Drake-Forge lock.
The lock was designed with a double-pin tumbler, common in the northern regions of The Evering. It required a long, rigid pick for the first set of pins and a thinner tension wrench for the second set. The steel sliver was rigid, but too thick for both.
Heuk-jae had to forge two tools from one piece of steel using only friction and the coarse surfaces of his environment.
He spent the first hour focusing solely on the Tension Bar, rubbing the sliver against the bolt's rough curve, using the rust and the iron's natural abrasion as a whetstone. The grinding was excruciatingly slow, and the metallic shhhhk sound, though muffled by the surrounding chains and straw, sounded deafening in the silence.
He needed to create two tools: the Tension Bar—a small, right-angled lever—and the Tumbler Pick—a long, thin point with a minute hook.
He spent the first hour focusing solely on the Tension Bar, rubbing the sliver against the bolt's rough curve, slowly creating a notch and then snapping off the smaller piece. He felt a sharp, burning pain across his thumb as the tiny piece of steel broke free, but he didn't allow himself to cry out.
The resulting piece was crude, but functional. It was exactly 1.5 inches long, perfect for applying rotational pressure.
The remaining piece of steel was now his Tumbler Pick. This required finesse. He flattened the tip against a smooth, damp piece of timber, grinding it down until it was needle-sharp, and then, using the tiny gap between two floorboards, he worked the tip back and forth until a microscopic hook formed—the precise shape needed to lift the pins of the Drake-Forge.
Heuk-jae's entire body was aching. The stench of iron and sweat filled his nostrils. He was exhausted, but the mental projection of the lock mechanism—a perfectly clear diagram from the game's official strategy guide—kept him going.
01:00 AM. Night Watch Check.
A heavy set of boots stopped right outside the door. Heuk-jae froze, shoving the two pieces of metal beneath his body, and forced his breathing to mimic the shallow, ragged breaths of a sleeping prisoner.
The door bar rattled once, a terrifying, loud clang that vibrated through the floorboards. The guard didn't come in. He simply listened for movement, concluded everything was quiet, and then slowly paced away.
Heuk-jae waited five full minutes before moving. The fear was a sharp, bitter taste in his mouth, far more real than any simulated game failure.
He slid the Tension Bar into the lock's keyway. He applied minimal, steady pressure, turning it just enough to engage the cylinder. Then, with the Tumbler Pick, he began fishing inside the complex mechanism.
Pin 1: Too high. Need less pressure.
Pin 2: Got it. Click.
Pin 3: Sticking. Apply slight torque.
The pins were stiff, rusted, and unforgiving. Time stretched, measured only by the rhythmic scrape of the steel against the brass tumblers. He worked in pure muscle memory, his eyes closed, seeing only the glowing schematic of the lock.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the pick caught the final pin. He gave a final, agonizing turn to the Tension Bar.
CLICK. SSSSCHKK.
The lock sprung open. The heavy, humiliating slave collar fell loose in his hands, no longer clamped to his throat.
He was free. Day 1, Phase 3: Complete.
The weight of the iron collar in his hands was staggering. He was still chained to the floor of the slave cell, but the connection was now severed. He could walk away.
Heuk-jae quickly fastened the collar back around his neck, carefully placing the master key inside the heavy lock, but not turning it shut. The illusion of being locked was paramount.
As the morning light began to gray the air vents, Heuk-jae was no longer an Extra. He was an Operator. He had his key, his knowledge, and his first quest reward.
A new message, glowing faintly against his eyelids, announced the next step.
[QUEST COMPLETE: SLAVE ESCAPE - DAY 1]
Reward Acquired: Commoner's Grimoire Skill Tree Unlocked.
New Objective: Acquire Allies.
Condition: Find and convince the Target of Opportunity (ID: 'The Healer') to join the escape.
Failure: The Healer is sold to the Crimson Baron (Destroys Quest Path 3).
Heuk-jae smiled again, this time with true confidence. The Healer. He knew exactly who that was, and more importantly, he knew why she was the single most valuable person in the entire holding facility. He would need her if he was going to survive the next 48 hours.