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The enormous prison beast launched its attack, instantly tearing the team of guards before it to shreds. Against this formidable creature, even the elite guards stood no chance of resistance.
With just a few bites, the prison beast devoured their bodies whole.
Inside his Seastone cell, Rojen felt a surge of pleasure and satisfaction in his mind.
Through telepathic command, Rojen ordered the prison beast to retrieve the key from the guard's waist.
With a thunderous rumble, the prison beast lumbered back to Rojen's cell.
The other prisoners had been keenly observing the commotion. When the prison beast had initially departed, they were surprised. Now, witnessing its return without any signs of aggression, their astonishment grew even deeper.
"This kid... he's got something strange about him!"
Prison beasts were the undisputed rulers of the sixth level. No prisoner in their right mind would dare provoke these brutes before achieving complete liberation.
What shocked the onlookers even more was when the prison beast regurgitated a string of keys and tossed them to Rojen.
"Those are... keys?!"
"This kid... he's controlling the prison beast?!"
In an instant, the prisoners snapped awake, their eyes fixed on Rojen with disbelief.
Holding the keys, a faint smirk curled Rojen's lips. He glanced at them briefly, noting the numbered tags: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, five keys in total.
After handing over the keys, the prison beast shuddered once more and lumbered away with a thunderous rumble.
But this single act ignited a frenzy among the prisoners. In the darkness, their faces flushed crimson with excitement.
"Hey, kid! Give me the keys, and I'll get you out of here!"
"No, kid, give me the key! I can do so much for you!"
"Give it to me! Just give me the key! I'll pledge my loyalty to you if you get me out of here!"
A chorus of desperate voices erupted as the once-despairing prisoners were suddenly filled with renewed hope.
Rojen listened to the clamor with a faint smile, but remained silent.
Beside him, Golden Lion stared in shock, speechless for a long moment.
This kid is truly extraordinary, utterly baffling! He's controlled the prison beast and obtained the key!
"Shiki," Rojen suddenly called out.
Through the darkness, their eyes met, one face smiling, the other etched with complex emotions.
"What number is your key?" Rojen asked again.
Though his voice was soft, it ignited another frenzy among the prisoners.
"Kid! Give me the key! I'll do anything for you!"
"Give it to me! Please, I'm begging you!"
"I have a treasure map! It leads to countless treasures! Give me the key, and the map is yours!"
In the sixth level, the prisoners had gone completely mad.
"The handcuffs are No. 4!" Golden Lion said gravely, his voice suppressed but the excitement clear.
Rojen smiled. "You're lucky!"
With a flick of his right hand, a key flew through the gap between their cells, landing before Golden Lion with a clink.
Without hesitation, Golden Lion bent down to retrieve the key, aimed it at his handcuffs, and with a click, the frenzied prisoners fell silent once more.
"It's real!"
"It works! The key is real!"
"Oh my god, there's finally hope! Thank goodness!"
Hope swelled rapidly in the prisoners' hearts, driving them to the peak of frenzy.
"What do you want in return?" Golden Lion asked Rojen, taking a deep breath.
"Teach me Haki - Domineering," Rojen replied without hesitation.
"Alright, that's easy!" Golden Lion nodded, giving Rojen a long, appraising look, and committing his face to memory.
In his darkest hour, this act of kindness was akin to saving his life. How could he ever repay such a debt, especially for merely being taught Domineering Haki?
Immediately afterward, Rojen turned to address his cellmates, who were now in a frenzy of excitement.
"There are only five keys. I've given one to Shiki. The remaining four are numbered:"
He paused, letting the tension build among the prisoners.
"2, 6, 8, and 10!"
"Mine's here!"
"Mine too! Yes! There's still hope for me to get out!"
Those whose numbers matched the keys immediately shouted out in triumph.
These keys were merely for unlocking their Seastone shackles, not for escape, but they offered immense convenience and, more importantly, hope.
"Name your price," Rojen said calmly. "If I'm satisfied, the key is yours."
In an instant, the prisoners whose numbers corresponded to the keys began shouting out their offers.
But Rojen remained silent, not reacting to any of the prices. The prisoners understood this meant their offers were unsatisfactory. Frowning in frustration, they racked their brains for something that might sway him.
Time slipped by unnoticed. Fifteen minutes later, a large group of guards rushed into the sixth level, their faces tense.
Their expressions changed drastically when they saw the carnage: bodies torn to shreds, blood splattered across the floor.
"Check on the prisoners first!" the head guard of the sixth level barked, leading his men forward at a rapid pace.
The prisoners immediately fell silent as the guards approached.
An eerie tension spread among the inmates, many of whom turned their gazes toward Rojen.
If the guards discovered at this moment that Rojen had stolen the key, the boy would be doomed. However, everyone knew that Rojen was currently their only hope of escaping, so no one dared to betray him.
"No. 1 present."
"No. 2 present."
"No. 8 present."
The head guard led his men from cell to cell, conducting a thorough headcount. After completing the check, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness, no one escaped. It seems this was just an accidental prison beast attack."
The warden muttered to himself before turning to issue orders.
"Issue a command: everyone stay vigilant. Keep a close watch on the prison beasts, this must never happen again!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers stiffened. While prison beast attacks weren't unprecedented, they hadn't occurred in a long time.
This incident served as a wake-up call for all the soldiers.
The jailers quickly dispersed, and silence returned to the sixth level.
"Boy, what I offered you just now was the best I can give. If you're not satisfied, then I have no choice but to abandon this deal."
The ancient voice echoed through the chamber.
"I believe you have something even better."
Rojen smiled slyly, offering no further response.
"Hmph!"
The old man huffed in anger, falling silent.
"Oh, right," Rojen added, as if just remembering something.
"I can still obtain keys. Whether any of them belong to you remains to be seen, but you can make reservations!"
A single sentence instantly reignited the crowd's excitement.
"As soon as you obtain the corresponding key, those who pre-booked can immediately obtain their reward!" Rojen continued to tempt them.
"Limited opportunities! Only five spots available! Bid now if you want it!"
This time, however, fewer people spoke up. Earlier, four individuals had sequentially bid, offering increasingly extravagant terms, one even pledged an entire nation, but Rojen had rejected them all.
Clearly, this young man had an insatiable appetite.
Everyone was silently calculating what they were willing to offer, something within their means, yet sufficient to satisfy him. It wouldn't be easy.
Meanwhile, Rojen closed his eyes and began training. He wasn't in a hurry; in fact, he realized that by staying here, he could obtain immense benefits far beyond what he could achieve outside!
A group of old-timers trapped for so long, their possessions must be extraordinary!
For a while, he wasn't in any rush to leave.
(End Of This Chapter)