novelraw Chapter 649
Chapter 649
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 649: The Space Police Bureau (5)
‘What on earth is this letter reacting to right now?’
Yeongwoo blinked rapidly.
Since it was a letter handed to him by Chancellor Herisa—whose schemes were anything but ordinary—and since it even contained a commission worth fifty billion, he had already guessed it must be something unusual.
That was why he had naturally assumed the seal would only be released once he got close to Ketu.
But this reaction now…
‘This isn’t because of Ketu. If it were, the letter should’ve started heating up back at the entrance to the detention wing.’
With that thought, Yeongwoo naturally turned his gaze forward.
Ketu and the guards had already taken their positions, and right now Shero had just climbed onto the large platform above them and was gesturing for them to come over.
‘No way.’
The Security Wing transport device.
In other words, the method that goes straight to the detention block where Class-3 beings are imprisoned.
And just then Shero shouted in an urgent voice.
—Please hurry! We’re departing now!
In fact, lights had already begun glowing beneath the platform, so Yeongwoo quickly hoisted himself up onto it.
Thud!
Then Shero moved toward the center of the platform near the guards and said,
—Be careful not to fall outside. Every space within the Security Wing is made of traps.
“Traps…?”
No sooner had Yeongwoo tilted his head in confusion than the platform carrying them all slid forward.
Sssshaaaaa!
—Yes. The entire Security Wing is filled with defensive devices meant to recapture escaped prisoners. With every step, different traps are triggered.
“So this place is basically an escaped-prisoner blender…?”
Yeongwoo looked around the Security Wing—constructed like a massive cylindrical structure—with a horrified expression.
—Without a security mark, even a guard of Pahalufe cannot freely walk within the Security Wing.
“Who has those security marks?”
At Yeongwoo’s question, Shero glanced subtly toward the shadowed corners scattered throughout the Security Wing.
—Only the agents stationed within the Security Wing, and Executor Ketu, who is responsible for Pahalufe, possess security marks.
In other words, even the guards currently accompanying Ketu could not guarantee their survival if they happened to fall to the bottom of that Security Wing.
“No… shouldn’t they at least give fellow guards a pass?”
—Those imprisoned in the detention block each possess tremendous backing. Even now, outside Pahalufe, there are constant attempts to break prisoners out.
“….”
For some reason, Yeongwoo felt as though his conscience had been pricked.
Meanwhile Shero lowered his voice even further.
—Though it’s rare, there are occasional cases where a guard is bribed by outside forces. That is why the security marks are extremely restricted.
“…True. In this universe, if you have enough money, there’s nothing you can’t make someone do.”
As he said this, Yeongwoo’s expression had grown noticeably darker.
After all, it had occurred to him that he himself might have come here to break someone out in exchange for fifty billion.
‘Can I even get out of here…?’
Fortunately, as a visitor for now, he had been able to see it firsthand.
The security of Pahalufe, which went far beyond merely strict.
Moreover, if he caused trouble here and ended up imprisoned in Pahalufe…
‘Terrifying.’
Of course, the bond worth fifty billion was left aboard the Earthship, so even if he failed to escape, as long as he finished reading the letter he could at least leave fifty billion karma to his successor.
But what use was that?
‘Without me, a mere fifty billion won’t restore our current standing. At best, they’d just tuck their tails and run whenever they encountered an enemy.’
Which meant he had to get out of here safely, no matter what.
“….”
As Yeongwoo slowly scanned the surroundings from atop the platform, Shero approached and whispered very quietly.
—Mr. Yeongwoo, you seem anxious.
“I’m a criminal in the end. Do I look like someone who wouldn’t be anxious? You just said we’re about to enter the highest security area.”
—Even so, you are officially a visitor, so you need not worry. The Executor has no grounds to detain you.
Except that such grounds might appear soon enough.
“….”
Looking completely unconvinced, Yeongwoo stared ahead.
Then he saw a white point rapidly growing larger.
—That is the entrance to the detention block.
The detention block.
Pahalufe’s highest-security prison where Class-3 prisoners were held.
The entrance to the detention block was a circular door made of white metal.
Like a bank vault.
Kiiiiiing…!
As the platform carrying Ketu and the visitors approached the entrance, the white disk emitted a sharp signal tone and began sliding sideways.
‘…So the real prison begins now.’
A Class-3 being meant individuals like the Chairman or Mara.
In other words, beyond that point lay a space where people who were like the sky itself to Yeongwoo were imprisoned as criminals.
Trdrdrdrk!
Soon the white disk opened completely, and the platform Yeongwoo was riding began slowly pulling inward.
Into the perfectly circular entrance of the detention block.
Swoooooosh…
The Security Wing transport carrying the guards and Yeongwoo came to a precise stop at the boundary between the Security Wing and the detention block.
Thanks to that, Yeongwoo was able to see inside the detention block, which had been thoroughly concealed by the Security Wing.
‘…My god.’
White.
Everywhere was white.
The strange material covering the vast floor that filled the endless space, and the towering walls rising far into the distance—all of it was white.
And at the ceiling at the far end of those towering walls…
“What is that?”
Yeongwoo’s mouth fell open.
Hundreds of opaque cubes were floating in midair within the detention block.
And inside each cube was a silhouette of some kind, each with a different shape.
‘Don’t tell me those are the prisoners?’
It was something he could tell instinctively, and indeed Ketu pointed into the air as he spoke.
■ Do you see them? Those are the prisoners of the detention block. Once, they were the ones who plunged the universe into chaos.
Ketu smiled wickedly.
Then he stepped out of the Security Wing transport and jumped down onto the pure white floor of the detention block.
Paaaat!
At the spot where his foot landed, a dark-red wave spread out, leaving behind a footprint.
“What function is that supposed to be?”
As Yeongwoo muttered, Shero, standing right beside him, quietly explained.
—All surfaces in the detention block are composed of motion and mass sensors. Even if a prisoner capable of invisibility attempts to escape, their position can be identified immediately.
“That’s insane.”
Did it really take this much to imprison Class-3 beings?
“Then what about that? Are the prisoners stuck in there all day?”
When Yeongwoo pointed at the prisoners inside the opaque cubes—who looked almost frozen in place—Shero nodded.
—Prisoners in the detention block have no daily routine. They must remain inside there until their sentence ends.
“They just have to stay in there doing absolutely nothing?”
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Yeongwoo’s mouth hung open.
Because he understood that alone was already a horrifying punishment.
‘It’s like waiting a hundred million years every single day…’
—However, very occasionally, prisoners of the detention block do come out of their individual prisons.
“…When would that be?”
—When an escape attempt occurs from the outside.
“Ah.”
—Prisoners who participate in the escape will all receive increased sentences and additional punishment. However, those who do not participate and remain in place will instead have their sentences partially reduced.
“Their sentences get reduced? Then I bet there are plenty of people just waiting for someone else’s escape attempt.”
—Not only that, but a prisoner who renders great service in stopping the escape attempt…
“Uh…?”
Yeongwoo’s eyes widened reflexively.
And then the rest of the sentence came from an unexpected direction.
■ Half of their sentence will be commuted.
In truth, Ketu had been listening to their entire conversation.
“What? Half the sentence gets commuted? You mean the remaining sentence gets cut in half?”
Ketu glanced back over his shoulder.
■ Of course not. Half of the total sentence.
“What.”
Which meant that if a prisoner had already served half their term, they could be immediately released by stopping escaping prisoners.
‘Then who would try escaping themselves? They’d just catch the ones trying to escape and reduce their sentence.’
Only now did Yeongwoo understand why Pahalufe was considered a high-grade prison.
For a Class-3 prisoner to escape, they would have to overcome not only Pahalufe’s security systems but also other Class-3 prisoners just like themselves.
■ Do you understand now? The kind of place you have come to.
Pahalufe.
An ultimate prison that even uses powerful prisoners themselves as part of the security system.
It was such a shock to Yeongwoo that a groan escaped him.
“…Ugh.”
Then once again—
“Ugh?”
At the moment another groan slipped from his mouth, Yeongwoo realized something.
‘No, damn it. What’s wrong with this thing?’
The blood-red letter from Chancellor Herisa that he had been carrying against his chest had heated up like lava.
Tssaaaaaa!
It was even burning his skin in real time, so Yeongwoo hurriedly pulled the letter out from inside his armor.
Whap!
The floor near Yeongwoo instantly became blotchy as it detected the intense heat.
At that, Ketu, Shero, and all the surrounding guards turned to look at Yeongwoo.
■ …What is that? 2142.
Executor Ketu stared at the blood-red letter that looked suspicious to anyone.
Shero, who seemed to grasp something from the situation, alternated his gaze between Yeongwoo and the envelope and forced a smile.
—Ha… haha, please put that away quickly. I thought it was a weapon and was startled. Even for a visitor, holding anything in your hand is prohibited.
But Yeongwoo didn’t smile.
Because Ketu had already raised a finger and was pointing straight at the envelope.
■ I have a feeling the reason you came here lies inside that. Bring it here, 2142.
At those words, Yeongwoo sensed the surrounding guards shifting their stance.
If necessary, they were ready to rush him and seize the letter.
So instead, Yeongwoo boldly unfolded the paper and spoke.
Flap!
“There’s no need for you to read it yourself. I’ll read it out loud. It’s a letter meant for you, after all.”
■ What?
As Ketu tilted his head inside the steel mask, Yeongwoo lowered his gaze to the writing on the blood-red paper.
“Please do not forget. For the contract to be completed, you must read the contents written here aloud.”
■ …?
“First… I would like to say that I’m sorry. For this letter to have meaning… you must first fall into danger?”
■ What exactly are you doing?
Just as Ketu clicked his tongue and signaled the guards as if he had heard enough, Yeongwoo hurriedly read the next part.
“My friends are imprisoned in Pahalufe! If you are reading this letter, it means you have already entered the detention block, or that Ketu is standing right in front of you!”
■ Detention order. Arrest 2142.
Just as expected, the moment Ketu moved his hand toward the whip at his waist—
Yeongwoo lunged toward him like an arrow.
Whuaaaaaak!
“Look at the bastard’s belt! And don’t mix up the order!”
The bastard’s belt.
The place where three gemstones following the three primary colors of light were embedded.
Yeongwoo’s hands were already rummaging fiercely at Ketu’s waist.
As he shouted,
“Red-green-red-red-blue! There’s only one chance!”
■ 2142…!
Ketu let out a voice more urgent than ever before and swung the whip in his hand toward his own body.
Chwiaaaaaaaak!
And almost at the exact same moment—
Clank!
From above the chaotic hall, a series of sounds rang out as though something were opening.
—Uh…!
Shero’s shocked voice followed.
All the white ground of the detention block turned dark red.
From the sky, Class-3 prisoners were falling like rain.
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