Chapter 314 - 309 — Core
"HEY! You spineless fucking motherfucker!"
The whistling stopped.
"Yeah, you! I’m fucking talking to you! Who taught you to whistle like that, your momma? Because all I hear is a fucking pussy! I’ve always heard northerners were mummy’s boys, but damn, I didn’t know it was this bad. What, you miss sucking on mummy’s titties that much? Must be a rough year for you."
For several seconds, there was silence. Then Kaiden heard footsteps. Fast. Heavy. And judging by how hard each one struck the floor, he’d definitely gotten the bastard’s attention.
Kaiden immediately backed away from the prison bars, making sure the shackles remained loosely clasped around his arms and legs.
The northern cadet soon came into view.
He was tall like most northerners, with long, flowing hair and sharp eyes. Kaiden remembered seeing him with Malach and the other elites the night he was captured. He was one of their elites too, though clearly lower-ranked than the others.
The cadet stopped in front of the cell and simply stared at him.
For a moment, he seemed almost too stunned to be angry, like he couldn’t quite believe Kaiden had actually said all that to him.
Then his expression darkened.
"...what the fuck did you just say, southerner?" His voice came out as a low growl.
Kaiden smirked. Instead of answering, he puckered his lips and made several exaggerated sucking noises.
"Ohhh, now I get it. You look really disappointed, huh? Thought you’d find some titties waiting for you in here? Sorry, big guy. I’m not your momma."
"I’m going to fucking kill you."
The cadet’s hands immediately moved in furious signs, carving several runic symbols into the air before him. They shot towards the cell door, which flared brightly before snapping open.
The cadet stepped inside. Metal aura was already churning violently around his body, and the look he gave Kaiden promised nothing pleasant.
Kaiden began backing away as he approached.
"Scream as loud as you want. No one’s coming for you. By the time I’m done, you’ll wish you’d kept that fucking mouth shut."
"Oh, really?"
Kaiden continued retreating until his back finally pressed against the cold stone wall. There was nowhere left to retreat, but that was fine. After all, the cadet was already deep inside the cell.
Kaiden’s lips slowly stretched into a wide smile.
"Well then... I’d really love to see you try."
He released his hold on the shackles. They dropped from his arms and legs, their heavy thuds against the stone ringing through the cell.
The cadet’s eyes widened.
"You—"
Kaiden’s fist moved like lightning, tearing through the cadet’s metal aura and smashing into the bridge of his nose.
A sickening crack echoed through the cell as blood sprayed out, the cadet staggering backward. But Kaiden didn’t give him a chance to recover.
He erased the distance with quick, tight steps, moving the way he’d watched Zephyrion do a million times. His fist crashed beneath the cadet’s chin, snapping his head back, then another slammed into the side of his head and sent him crumpling to the floor.
Kaiden remained still for a moment, staring at the unmoving cadet. Then, just to be safe, he stepped forward and kicked him hard in the head.
Only when he saw his still unmoving body did Kaiden release the breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. His gaze shifted from the unconscious cadet to the open cell door, then back again, almost as though he needed to make sure this had actually happened.
’Holy fuck... I actually did it. That stupid shit actually worked.’
Honestly, when he came up with the plan, part of him had thought he was being too full of himself. He hadn’t actually expected the damn thing to work!
’Wait, where’s the little bastard?’
Kaiden quickly turned towards it and found the tiny thing pointing one hand at him.
He stared.
’Is that... a fucking thumbs-up?’
Kaiden’s expression twitched. There was no doubt about it.
Zephyrion was definitely a crazy person.
Snapping out of his daze, Kaiden scooped up the stickman and hurried out of the cell, breaking into a run down the hallway.
"Alright, little guy, we’re out. Now what the hell do we do?"
Perched on his shoulder, the stickman raised one arm and repeatedly traced a circle through the air.
"Yes, the bastion core. I fucking remember." Kaiden rolled his eyes. "The question is how the hell do I get there, genius?"
Experience had already taught him that he had no chance against several elites at once. Worse, it was daytime. The moment he stepped out into the open, someone would spot him.
Unfortunately, the stickman offered no brilliant solution this time, simply continuing to draw circles in the air.
Kaiden frowned.
’What would Zephy—’
He immediately caught himself, shaking the thought from his mind with an irritated exhale.
’No. Fuck that. What would I do?’
As he reached the door leading out of the prison, Kaiden suddenly stopped, an idea forming in his mind.
’Wait... that could actually work.’
The bastion core was on the same level as the jails. And if every fortress had the exact same layout, then...
Kaiden slowly turned towards the wall on his right before lowering himself into a deep stance.
’I just need to reach the core before these bastards catch me again. Fuck subtlety. I’m going straight there.’
He drew in several deep breaths, his expression slowly hardening until his eyes took on the ferocity of a beast.
Then his metal aura erupted. It surged through the hallway like a flood, filling the entire space.
"Slip State. Pulse Break."
Kaiden shot forward.
Metal aura rapidly condensed around the front of his body as he barreled towards the wall. The instant he struck it, a violent impact traveled through his entire frame.
BOOM!
Stone exploded around him as he smashed straight through and burst into the room on the other side.
Several northern cadets were inside, busy enchanting armor and weapons. They immediately sprang to their feet at the sight of him, but Kaiden didn’t even slow down.
He kept charging like a beast and slammed through the next wall.
More startled faces greeted him on the other side, but before any of them could properly react, Kaiden was already crashing through another.
"What the fuck?! It’s the prisoner!"
"How the hell did he escape?!"
"Catch that bastard!"
Shouts erupted behind him, followed quickly by the sound of pursuing footsteps, but Kaiden barely paid them any attention. He kept going.
Soon, he smashed through another wall and burst into a room filled with blinding light.
Kaiden’s eyes immediately lit up.
’There you fucking are.’
The bastion core. However, just as quickly, he came to an abrupt halt.
"Well, well. Look what smashed through the wall."
"The prisoner escaped? Hah. Guess the Prime wasn’t being paranoid after all."
Kaiden’s expression darkened. Several northern cadets stood around the bastion core, all of them now staring at him coldly. Malach must have stationed them here permanently after his previous attempt.
’Of fucking course he did.’