Chapter 503: Dangerous Variable

Stan’s gaze sharpened. "What did you see?"

The commissioner took a slow breath before answering.

"Damien Bale appears to have awakened some sort of... ability."

Camilla, who had been sitting nearby, immediately shifted her attention toward Stan. She had been quietly listening to the conversation, but those words were enough to catch her interest.

’he comprehended dao?!’ Stan, however, remained silent. His expression showed little emotion, although his eyes had become noticeably more focused.

The commissioner continued.

"I know how strange that sounds."

"Go on."

"According to the prison records, Damien was attacked by several inmates shortly after being placed in the general population."

Stan’s eyes narrowed.

"Attacked?"

"Yes. Apparently, some of the inmates recognized him from the news and knew about his background. From what we can tell, they wanted to establish dominance over him. They beat him badly."

There was clear disgust in the commissioner’s voice as he recalled what he had seen in the footage. Prison violence wasn’t exactly unheard of, but the circumstances surrounding Damien’s case had made the incident particularly significant.

Stan remained silent for a moment before asking, "How badly?"

"Badly enough that the officers initially thought he might require medical attention."

"And then?"

"This is where things become strange."

The commissioner paused, as though he was still trying to make sense of what he had witnessed himself.

"Some time later, the surveillance footage shows Damien getting back on his feet."

Stan’s expression changed slightly.

"His injuries had healed?"

"That’s what it looks like."

"Completely?"

"Almost."

The commissioner hesitated before continuing.

"There were no obvious signs of the injuries that should have been visible from the earlier beating. He had been badly injured, but when he stood up again, most of those injuries appeared to have disappeared."

Stan’s fingers began tapping lightly against the armrest of the sofa as he processed the information. His mind immediately began considering the possibilities.

It’s normal for cultivators like him, His sis and Camilla to have enhanced regeneration, but Damien’s own seemed to be on another level...

Though whatever healing Damien is capable of can’t compare with Camillas but it can compete with Stan’s natural healing...

Anyways the commissioner continued speaking before Stan could ask another question.

"Then Damien confronted the same prisoners who attacked him."

"What happened?"

"He beat them."

Stan’s expression remained calm. "That’s not exactly surprising if he was angry."

"Stan..."

The commissioner’s tone became noticeably more serious.

"He didn’t simply overpower them."

"He overwhelmed them."

Stan’s eyes narrowed.

"How?"

"The footage shows him throwing one of the inmates several feet."

The commissioner paused briefly before continuing.

"Another inmate tried to restrain him from behind. Damien grabbed him and threw him into the wall with enough force to knock him down."

"And the third?"

"He was apparently beaten unconscious."

Stan remained silent. He could already tell that the commissioner wasn’t calling merely to tell him that Damien had won a prison fight. There was something more significant about what had happened.

The commissioner confirmed that suspicion a moment later.

"After that, Damien walked over to the cell door."

"And?"

"He bent the bars."

Stan’s expression became even more focused.

"The metal bars?"

"Yes."

"With his hands?"

"Yes."

Silence settled over the call.

The commissioner seemed almost reluctant to continue.

"I watched the footage three times."

His voice carried a trace of disbelief.

"The bars didn’t break because they were damaged. Damien physically bent them apart."

Stan’s fingers stopped tapping.

That detail was far more significant than the prison fight itself.

Blackridge’s cell bars were designed to withstand enormous amounts of force. Damien had previously been an ordinary human, at least as far as Stan knew. There was no reason he should have been capable of bending reinforced metal with his bare hands.

Yet the footage apparently showed him doing exactly that.

The commissioner continued.

"He squeezed through the opening and escaped his cell."

"Then what?"

"That’s where things got worse."

The commissioner’s voice became heavier.

"Damien began opening other cells."

Stan slowly leaned forward, his attention now completely fixed on the conversation.

"How?"

"The same way."

"He bent the bars?"

"Exactly."

Stan’s eyes narrowed further.

"How many?"

"We haven’t determined the exact number yet. The footage from several sections was damaged during the chaos, but he opened enough cells to release a significant number of prisoners."

For several seconds, Stan didn’t respond.

The information running through his mind was becoming increasingly concerning. Damien had entered prison as an ordinary man. He had been beaten by other inmates, apparently survived injuries that should have left him incapacitated, and then demonstrated physical strength powerful enough to overpower several prisoners and bend reinforced metal bars with his bare hands.

More importantly, he hadn’t simply escaped.

He had created an opportunity for other prisoners to escape alongside him.

It might make him look like a good Samaritan, But Stan knew Damien was just utilising the chaos caused by other prisoners to facilitate his own escape...

Stan’s gaze became cold. "How long was he inside the prison after the first cell was opened?"

The commissioner hesitated.

"We’re still reconstructing the timeline. The chaos made it difficult to determine exactly when certain events occurred, especially after multiple sections of the prison went into lockdown."

"Did the guards confront him?"

"They tried."

"And?"

"The first response team was overwhelmed."

Stan’s expression darkened.

"How many officers were involved?"

"Six initially. More arrived afterward."

"And Damien?"

"He managed to get past them."

"By fighting?"

"Partly. But according to the footage, the situation became chaotic once the other prisoners realized what was happening. Some of them joined Damien, while others simply used the opportunity to escape."

The commissioner sighed.

"Once enough cells had been opened, the prison effectively lost control of the situation."

Stan leaned back again, his expression becoming thoughtful.

"So Damien didn’t just escape. He triggered a mass prison break."

"Yes."

"Do you know where he went?"

"No."

"Any surveillance outside the facility?"

"We’re checking every available camera set all over the city, but so far we haven’t been able to establish his current location."