Chapter 202 - Chapter 202: Chapter 194 Prisoner (2/2)

Thinking this, Byrne suddenly couldn’t stop laughing, gripping his hand tightly and feeling a deep sense of irony in his heart.

As the mainstay of his family, he had to maintain a mindset that could confidently face anything.

——

A few days earlier.

Silver-white moonlight filtered through the damp walls, casting a feeble and sinister glow atop the unbearable mustiness that filled the corner of the cell.

“Ah, ahh, ahhhh, ahhhhhh, ahhh!”

Darren’s skin, scorched by fire, was severely swollen, blistered, and even ulcerated, making him feel as if every inch of his body was being continuously ravaged by extreme pain.

That pain never ceased.

He had not imagined that the agony of full-body burns could be so great, to the point where he wanted to die, but the Rhea’s forced treatments prevented Darren from succumbing to death.

“Ahhhh, ahhhhhh!”

Darren’s appearance had become too ghastly to bear; his body covered in repulsive ulcers, hardly anyone had the courage to look at him for long.

At that moment, he suddenly felt a surge of life force emerging from outside his body, slowly healing the severe wounds throughout his flesh.

“Ugh, cough, cough cough…cough cough…”

It was the Power of Consecution from the old butler, Theo, the ability of “household management.” Darren immediately knew what it was and felt somewhat relieved.

The family hasn’t abandoned me! Yes, they would never abandon me; father would certainly not ignore my plight!

The abundant life force made his breathing more stable, and the pain began to subside, though the external traces of his skin burns showed no signs of improvement.

“Huff, huff…”

The prolonged suffering finally began to ease, and though it was still uncomfortable, it had lessened considerably, at least to a bearable level.

Overwhelmed by immense fatigue, he quickly grew drowsy and eventually fell into a deep sleep.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Darren finally awoke from his deep slumber and soon felt intense pain throughout his body again, yet he could endure it this time.

Where on earth is this?

He surveyed his surroundings and found the area very dim, with nothing but darkness visible beyond the iron bars. He quickly realized he was in a cell.

Outside the cell were the wails and sobbing of many people, their cries emanating continuously from the darkness, undoubtedly indicating that the cell was within a vast prison.

A strong sense of fear quickly rose within Darren as he realized the direness of his situation.

“Ahh, ahhhh, ahhhhhh!”

The immense pain and fear were too much for Darren’s mind to bear; he shook uncontrollably, on the brink of collapse, screaming and crying incessantly.

Why?

Why has this happened to me, how have I ended up here?

Damn it, damn it! Motherfucker!

He trembled with disbelief and pain in the moldy, stinking cell, his mind filled with struggle, regret, and rage.

I want to escape and go back. Who can save me, someone please save me; father, mother, Uncle Chris, Aunt Irene… The Meyer family deserves to die, damn it!

“Great, great Lord of the Lost, Lord of the Lost…”

He muttered the name of the Lord of the Lost shakily, as if merely articulating the name could alleviate the pain in his body and the despair in his heart.

He didn’t know how long he had been reciting, but suddenly, the door to the cell opened.

Several Rhea medics came in to check his body and were surprised to find that Darren’s injuries had greatly decreased. He wouldn’t have much trouble even without their further treatment.

“It seems he’s one of the Extraordinary Exponents that excels in recovery. We have to be careful not to let him have the chance to escape.”

Shortly after, several guards came in and fastened Darren with numerous shackles, specially crafted alchemical tools designed to suppress the power of Bloodline and spellcasting talent.

For Extraordinary Exponents below the Transmutation Level, wearing these specially crafted alchemical shackles would render them no different from an ordinary person.

“Ah! Ahhh! Get away, don’t, don’t touch me!”

Darren howled in pain, but those people paid no heed to his feelings and were rough and cruel, leaving him disgusting gruel for food.

“You Cyart bastard, this is the fate you deserve, pah! Rot in your cell!”

He quickly understood that the Rhea’s intent was merely to ensure he wouldn’t die.

Once those people had left, Darren reluctantly took a few bites of the ghastly gruel. It was so vile, like cow dung, that he instinctively spat it out, then ate a few more bites before he couldn’t help but break down in tears.

The fear, the grief, the pain, and the despair in his heart mingled together, and he writhed on the ground, unable to stop crying for a long time.

“Whimper, whimper…”

At that moment, his eyes started shining with a strange black light.

The sobbing Darren froze for a second, then realized with wild joy what it was—the gift from the great Lord of the Lost, the power of spirit runes!

“Destruction”?