Evolution of the Ruined Heir

Chapter 314: Prison

Malakai left the room and came into a long hall. He began sprinting at a steady pace. His legs were still bare, and he made sure his steps were nonexistent.

As he came by his first turn, the sounds of two people conversing reached his ears. Malakai’s gaze flashed cold.

’Pulse silence.’

His blood churned then stilled. His heartbeat slowed to a crawl and his temperature plummeted until he was as cold as the underground air.

’Blood anchor.’

Malakai was on his feet the next moment, his blood solidifying on the soles of his feet and palms. He stuck to the surface of the wall, moving up to the ceiling.

“…I’m telling you, cold mashed potatoes taste better than warm.”

“That’s because you’re a lunatic.”

“No, it’s because I have taste buds that work.”

“You wish.”

Malakai watched calmly as the men walked away without being able to see him.

’Sanguine warriors.’

He calmly thought. Aside from the people clad in white lab coats, the only other people he’d seen were from the sanguine clan.

Malakai landed silently on the ground just as the two men turned into another hallway. He continued moving without wasting time.

With his vita field active and senses on high alert, he was able to evade any and every person he came across. He was lucky they were mostly node formation evolved.

The sounds of whistling and wheels being pushed echoed in his ears, and like clockwork, Malakai erased his presence and stuck to the wall.

He soon caught sight of the sanguine man pushing the cart of empty plates.

The cart had more plates than when he’d first seen it through the screen.

’He visited other prisons.’

Malakai dropped silently behind the man. He was a node formation evolved. He whistled without a care in the world, ignorant of the fact that there was someone behind his back.

Malakai’s hand moved like lightning, impacting the back of the man’s neck. He caught the man before he could slump down to the ground.

’The key.’

Malakai grabbed the key off his waist and dragged the man and cart towards the closest prison.

With this many prisons, and with the single key he found, Malakai surmised that it was a master’s key. He opened the prison door, throwing the man and cart into it before entering and shutting the door.

It took a moment for his eyes to settle in the darkness, but the same couldn’t be said for the startled prisoners.

“You bastard!”

Malakai heard a scream, and a fist was flying towards him.

He didn’t dodge. His palm met the punch, erasing its momentum.

Malakai’s eyes cleared just in time to see a shocked Gor’Mekhai, eyes wide. He recognized her face, but it did nothing to change the coldness in his gaze.

His grip tightened, and her fist cracked.

“Ahhhhh!” A scream tore from Lina’s throat, but it halted as Malakai closed the distance and dug his fist into her gut.

The air was knocked out from her lungs, and she was sent hurtling across the room the next moment.

“Malakai?”

Malakai heard his name, but still made sure to glance across the room and assess the situation.

’Gor’Mekhai.’

He realized. There were a number of them, enough to form a large crowd. Ranging from men to women to children. They all stared at him with the same look in their eyes, fear.

’No Renlo.’

Malakai ignored them and fixed his eyes on the one who’d called his name.

’Luna.’

It was Grunde’s partner. She gazed at Malakai with a smile as though him being here was a good thing. Malakai didn’t think so.

“Hezne’th!”

Luna was about to speak when Lina’s sharp curse rang out from across the room, interrupting her words.

She spat a mouthful of blood, gripping her crushed fist. The pain she was feeling was hard to describe.

“You bastard!” Lina bellowed, struggling to stand. Her eyes were filled with nothing but hatred.

“I knew it! You were working with them! It’s all your fault! It’s after you came that they attacked our coven!”

Lina shot towards Malakai, ignoring the pain roaring through her gut and fist. But she had barely crossed halfway when she met his gaze. She froze.

It was like staring into the abyss. They had both met before and could be said to be acquaintances, but the Malakai she met in the past was not the one who currently stared at her.

’He’s different.’ She realized.

A cold chill washed over her, and she felt her hatred vanish.

“Lina! Stop your stupid acts and think for a second.” Luna struggled to move with her one leg towards her sister. She gestured towards the familiar guard laying unconscious on the floor.

“He’s clearly not with them!”

Lina considered her words and when she realized they were true, she gritted her teeth and remained silent.

Luna turned towards Malakai, who calmly observed. She seemed to have aged a few years since he’d last seen her. Black hair rumpled, eyes weary, and wrinkles all over her face.

“Grunde?” Luna asked, hopeful. Malakai simply shook his head, sparing the elaborate details.

Her brows furrowed.

“You didn’t come here to save us?”

“I came here for Renlo.”

Luna frowned. She didn’t know that name, but it was the least of her worries.

“The city attacked our settlement a day after you left. Some of us were captured from the attack.”

Malakai’s eyes narrowed. ’The day of the ambush.’ He realized. ’She decided to handle all the threats together.’

It was the smart thing for the fourth pulse to do, if he had to be honest.

“Where’s Grunde?” Luna pulled him out of his thoughts. “Does he know about the attack?”

’Should I leave them?’ Malakai wrestled with the thought.

Grunde had been nothing if not good to him. And while it hadn’t happened yet, Malakai knew Grunde wouldn’t hesitate to help him if he got the chance. It felt… wrong if he abandoned Grunde’s partner here.

Malakai heaved a deep breath.

“We were also ambushed on the same day, with the intention to kill.” Malakai’s words caught Luna off guard, but she listened with a serious expression.

“Grunde is currently fighting for his life, and I’m not sure of his current status. I came here looking for one of my squad mates captured during the ambush. Have you seen him? He has crimson hair and eyes just like me. Chubby cheeks. His name is Renlo.”

Luna tried hard to maintain her composure. She shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen hi—”

“Renlo.”

Malakai’s gaze snapped towards a young girl standing quietly in one corner of the room. She flinched under his gaze.

“Do you know him?”

Montem’s eyes searched for Luna, who nodded reassuringly.

“Renlo… yes.” She nodded and pointed towards the guard on the floor before pointing towards a glassy surface on the wall.

“Guard took, there.”

Malakai vanished and appeared by the wall. As he peered through the glass, his eyes couldn’t help but darken.