''Wait... why is she speaking differently from the madman?''


    It suddenly struck him—her way of speaking was more modern, while the madman and the others used an old-fashioned style.


    If this was really a memory from a long time ago, then she should''ve been talking like the rest of them. But, she didn''t.


    This meant one thing: she had knowledge about the modern world, and that made her different from everyone else here.


    ''Is she ying with me?'' he muttered to himself.


    He stared at her, considering whether she would react if he tried to grab her by the neck..


    But before he could act on his n, the metal gate began to creak open, drawing everyone''s attention to the entrance.


    This time, a group of soldiers entered. Each one carried a katana and wore ck and blue kimonos that looked more like uniforms than traditional attire.


    Their appearancecked any aesthetic ir, and even their hairstyles were the same: long hair tied up in a topknot.


    They also didn''t seem like hunters—judging by how they carried themselves.


    Reign might have lost his powers in this ce, but he still remembered how Hunters breathed. After killing so many of them, their habits had be ingrained in his memory.


    When the guards reached the center, one of them, taller and meaner looking than the rest, shouted, "Listen!"


    "Additional hands are required for the mine. You there, and you, apany us at once!"manded by him.


    As luck would have it, Reign was one who got picked up.


    But he didn''t move right away, unwilling to be separated from Aika.


    She was his only lead, and he had just begun to uncover some clues.


    "What are you waiting for? Did you not hear mymand?" the guards growled.


    Seeing that he wasn''t nning to move, the guard lifted his foot and kicked Reign hard in the stomach.


    THUD!


    He rolled on the floor, gasping for air and trying not to throw up.


    The pain was intense. Even though he should already have a high pain tolerance, it felt like all of that was gone.


    "Imanded you to move!" The guard kick him again , this time sending him closer to the gate, he got kicked multiple times until he could barely breath.


    "Seize him!" the guard ordered.


    At hismand, the others grabbed Reign by his hair and yanked him off the ground.


    His head jerked back as he it was pulled roughly.


    He was then dragged across the floor like a ragdoll, his feet stumbling and scraping along the rough surface.


    He struggled to keep his bnce, but the brutal pulling made it almost impossible.


    "Take me along with you!" the madman screamed.


    The guards ignored his pleas and continued their work.


    Frustrated, he rushed after them, shouting and throwing a tantrum.


    "Take me along!"


    "Take me along!"


    "Take me along!"


    He tried to argue multiple times, desperate to join the other prisoners.


    "Take this madman and let him meet his end in the mine!" one of the guards spat in frustration.


    It was a scary order, but instead of showing fear, the mad man simply smiled and cooperated.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He even began to skip along, his carefree attitude a stark contrast to the chaos around him.


    As Reign walked alongside the others, the mad man leaned in and whispered into her ear.


    "Do not fear, little one. With the two of us, there is nothing to worry about. Even these guards are but illusions. Fake "


    ''You gain ? '' Reign couldn''t believe his bad luck.


    After his body had been pummeled, now he had to deal with this awful smell.


    It was so stinky that he almost wished the guards would punch him in the nose, just to numb his sense of smell.


    Unfortunately, his current strength limited his options, so he chose to y it safe for the time being.


    ***


    ***


    ***


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    CLANG!


    The sound of metal hitting stone filled the air, echoing through the walls.


    People were bent over, swinging their pickaxes with tired arms. Sweat covered their bodies, and their faces looked pale and exhausted, but no one dared to stopped.


    Every hit of the pickaxe felt heavier, but fear of the guards watching kept them going.


    The guards, dressed in leather armor, stood at the edges and kept a sharp eye on the workers. They held long sticks, ready to punish anyone who worked too slowly.


    One miner''s arm dropped as he tried to catch his breath. A guard noticed and stepped forward.


    Without hesitation, the stick cracked down on the miner''s back.


    He cried out in pain but quickly forced himself to keep working, afraid of worse punishment if he stopped again.


    Meanwhile, the other workers nced over but quickly focused on their tasks, knowing that one moment of rest could lead to the same fate.


    The endless nging of metal on stone continued, mixed with the asional crack of the stick, seemed like it would never end.


    "Another group ising!" a guard shouted, dragging along dozens of people bound in chains, all tied together as one.


    Everyone looked terrified, knowing this ce was known as the "Graveyard."


    It was a ce where people were forced to work until they died. There was no escape, no hope for freedom.


    The guards didn''t care if the miners were sick, weak, or exhausted. They would keep working until their bodies gave out, and then, they would be reced.


    ''I can''t believe I have to suffer again,'' he sighed, feeling more annoyed with each passing second.


    He had grown so used to having overwhelming power at his fingertips that he had forgotten what it felt like to be weak and vulnerable.


    Now, without the system to back him up, he had to rely on himself again.


    Unfortunately, thest time he remembered doing that, he had been kidnapped, experimented on, and died in the end. So, he wasn''t exactly a good role model.


    ''I need to go back to that chamber... I need to see Aika again,'' he muttered to himself.