Tyler and the other captives stayed hidden in the cell for now.
He wished they could move already instead of sitting there doing nothing, but the current situation didn't allow it.
Most of them were too weak to move right after being freed. Their bodies had been in one position for too long, their joints stiff and their muscles numb from lack of use.
They needed a little time to recover, to let their minds catch up with their bodies before they could stand or walk properly.
If not for Tyler's recent breakthrough to the Early Stage of the Mana Initiation Realm, he would have been in the same condition.
The others didn't have that advantage. They needed rest before they could even think of running.
For now, Tyler gathered everyone into a single cell, the one farthest from the corridor entrance. It was the safest spot for the moment, hidden deep in the back in case a guard came to check the area.
The prison layout was simple. It was built like a long, narrow corridor, with one side made of blank stone walls and the other lined with metal-barred cells. There were more than twenty cells in total, and the last one sat far from the main door.
"You guys stay here," Tyler said, his voice steady. "I'll go check the area ahead."
He was the only one among them who could fight. The only one who had actually killed before.
The others stayed behind to rest while he made his way down the corridor toward the entrance.
[Anyone ever told you how bad of an idea this is?]
The voice inside his head, that sharp, ever-present inner voice spoke with its usual sarcasm.
If even it thought this was a bad idea, then maybe it really was.
But Tyler had no choice.
He sighed.
Ever since coming to this world, he hadn't been given the chance to make a single choice for himself. Every decision he'd made so far was born out of necessity, a case of either act or die.
It was exhausting. It was unfair.
He clenched his jaw. If he survived this ordeal, he promised himself one thing: he would leave this cursed kingdom behind.
He would find somewhere far away, a quiet place where no one could force him into doing anything ever again.
[You know you can still have that life, right?
Abandon your classmates. Leave them here and run. Save yourself.]
Tyler tightened his grip on the knife in his hand and kept walking, pretending not to hear it.
[Damn it, Tyler! Be reasonable! You don't owe these people a single thing. They made your life hell, remember? Why risk your neck for them?]
The voice grew louder, angry that he was ignoring it.
[You've done enough. You've already freed them. Now's the time to get out... Alone.]
Tyler stopped halfway up the staircase and closed his eyes.
Maybe the voice was right. If it were just him, he could escape more easily. He could disappear without a trace and finally be free.
But then what?
He would have to live with the guilt, knowing he could have helped his classmates, but chose not to. Knowing they were probably being tortured again… or worse, executed for trying to escape.
He couldn't bear that thought.
He couldn't live with himself knowing he'd abandoned them when he had the power to save them.
So no, he wasn't going to leave them behind.
[You're a damn idiot, Tyler Lockwood! The dumbest, most frustrating fool I've ever met!]
Tyler stopped in front of the large metal door that led out of the prison block. He took a deep breath and readied himself.
He adjusted his stance, holding the knife in a position that would allow him to strike the moment the door opened.
BANG!
He kicked the door with all the force he could muster. It burst open, crashing to the ground with a loud clang that echoed through the whole floor.
The noise alerted the guards stationed nearby. They shouted in alarm and grabbed their weapons.
But Tyler was already moving.
Woosh! Woosh!
He dashed forward, a blur of motion. Before any of the guards could react, their heads rolled off their shoulders.
Five of them gone in seconds.
Unlike the Magus in the earlier fight, these guards were ordinary humans. Even if he hadn't acted so fast, Tyler could have easily taken them down. But being cautious was better than being sorry.
He looked around quickly.
The area was larger than he expected, a wide underground chamber shaped like a square corridor. Doors lined the walls on every side, all tightly shut. In the corner, a spiral staircase led upward.
That had to be the way out.
Tyler crouched beside the fallen guards and gathered their weapons. Spears, swords, shields, anything that could help.
He strapped a shield to his arm, took one sword for himself, and carried the rest back down the corridor toward the others.
When he reached the cell, his classmates looked up at him, tired, but hopeful.
"I've checked the area," he said firmly. "We have to move now if we want to make it out alive."
They didn't have much time. If the sound of the door breaking or the fight reached the upper levels, reinforcements would be coming soon.
Even at his current level, Tyler knew he couldn't fight off a whole army, especially if more Magus joined the fight.
The classmates, though still weak, nodded in agreement. Their eyes showed fear but also determination. They knew the truth: if they stayed here, they would die.
It was either move now or be caught and returned to the cells, where they would suffer again.
No one wanted that.
Even if their bodies were at their limits, even if their legs shook beneath them, they would rather die fighting than go back to being slaves and test subjects.
One by one, they stood up.
Tyler handed out the weapons he had taken. The stronger ones got spears and knives. The rest would follow behind him, unarmed but determined.
Tyler himself chose a sword and shield.
"Stay close," he said, taking the lead. "Don't make any noise unless you have to."
The group nodded.
With Tyler at the front, they began their march through the corridor, each step echoing softly against the cold stone floor.
They walked the path to their Freedom.