Fresh red blood scattered across the arena like wine stains.Austin felt a wave of panic wash over him.He was taken aback by the gap between his and Barette's strength.He knew that Brian had been holding back during their fight. But he believed he had a chance of winning even if Brian went full out.Besides, according to what Brian and the others had said, Barette's strength was not far off from Brian's.He thought he might be able to defeat Barette.Austin didn't expect Brian to go so easy on him in their fight just now!Deafening cheers erupted in the cells.They turned this deathmatch into a long-lost raucous celebration.Barette stood his ground. He didn't press his advantage.His ferocious face was full of disdain. "You couldn't even withstand one punch. How are you going to defeat me?"Barette's confidence surged after he saw Austin waver from his attackHe turned to face the furious Brian, who was standing at the gate.Then, he shrugged and said calmly, "Brian, I'
Austin threw a pitiful look at Barette, as if he were mocking him.Barette's expression sank for a second before monstrous anger appeared on his face.His eyes turned red, and veins could be seen popping out across his face.The muscles on his body were even making clicking sounds as they tensed up from intense anger.As the de-facto leader within the prison, his reputation was not built upon by the praises of others, but it was built upon by the death of his victims.Not a single soul within the prison could match Barette in terms of physical strength or speed.Even Brian had to be more careful than usual when dealing with him.And yet a newcomer was already making such snarky remarks after barely avoiding his attacks."You…! Wanna die?" shouted Barette.Barette rushed toward Austin like a human tank with terrifying speed. He raised his hands and started to strike with his palms.Austin was surprised, but he managed to maintain his composure. "That's like a sumo wrestler…"
Amidst the uproar, all the inmates were thinking of the same thing. They wondered if Austin had gone crazy.A double hammer fist from Barette was powerful enough to crush even the toughest skull.And yet, Austin would pounce forward and meet the attack head-on rather than defend himself in such a grave situation.Many of the inmates could not help but close their eyes or look away as they realized that Austin was going head-to-head against Barette's attack.They were already expecting that Austin's head would be crushed into pieces like a watermelon.At the entrance of the prison, Brian suddenly smiled. "What desperation… This actually reminds me a lot of Aldus."When Austin rushed toward Barette, a trace of surprise could be seen flashing within Barette's eyes.Neither Brian nor any of the leaders from the nine other prison districts would have dared to face his hammer fist head-on like Austin.This newcomer sure was arrogant! Barette's fists did not slow down despite his co
Austin's calm demeanor in the face of danger was enough to convince everyone of his victory.Brian, who was still at the prison's entrance, shouted, "Bring Barette to the doctors."One of his men was taken by surprise as he explained, "But sir, the inmates aren't allowed to be given access to the medical facilities!" Everyone involved with the prison had already gotten accustomed to seeing corpses being moved out of the prison on the daily.Inmates within the prison were locked up like wild beasts and were denied any basic rights, including the right to receive medical treatment.Not even the leader of the prison could regain such rights.Even if Barette were to die, he would just be tossed out of the prison as a cold corpse like any other.Brian's expression sank as he shouted, "Rules are made to be broken. Just do as I say!"The rest of his team was slightly frightened, and no longer tried to argue with Brian. They immediately ran into the ring and carried the unconscious Ba
The man was none other than Barette!Austin frowned as he immediately stood up.He wondered if Barette was let into his cell by the wardens.Upon closer look, he realized that the cell's iron bars were already twisted out of shape.It was apparent that Barette had torn apart the iron bars by brute force alone to force his way inside.Nashville was visibly horrified as he asked, "What do you want, Barette?"The other four inmates within the cell were already cowering in the corner.Even if he was no longer the alpha wolf of the prison now, Barette's presence was still very much traumatizing for the inmates.Suddenly, Barette knelt down on one knee and angrily exclaimed, "Thank you… For sparing me."Austin was startled. "You're not here for revenge?"Nashville and the other inmates were similarly surprised and confused.Barette shook his head and explained, "I've come to thank you. Nobody would have faulted you if you had killed me after our deathmatch… But you spared my life.
Barette's eyes lit up as he smiled. "I've been the leader of the 9th district for two years now… I consider myself at the very least knowledgeable about the other nine leaders of the other districts. I am aware of some of their weaknesses."Although it won't be enough to secure a victory for you, I'm sure knowing about their weaknesses would still increase your chances of winning, Austin. Besides, I'm also friends with the fifth and the tenth district's Fenrir and Fallen Angel respectively…"He finished his explanation and just stared at Austin with anticipation.Austin greeted him with a casual smile. "I see. I'll allow you to stay by my side from now on."Being able to learn about the weaknesses of his opponents in advance would indeed increase his chances of winning.At the very least, Austin would not have to test the waters with the risk of injury like his deathmatch with Barette today.He also understood the implications behind Barette's words.It meant that he could even
"You can think of the 1st district's leader as… a special case even when it comes to our prison."Barette gradually lowered his voice as his eyes seemed to have lost their light. He chuckled and continued, "Austin, can you imagine an inmate being treated even better than the chief warden in this prison?"Austin felt as if a storm was raging within his heart.He tried his best to suppress his fear, but his fists were so tightly clenched that veins were popping out of his skin.Would an inmate still be considered an inmate if he was treated even better than the wardens?The self-mockery on Barette's face became even more apparent as he continued, "The leader of the 1st district has held onto the throne for two decades by overwhelming power alone. He had gained more authority than that of the chief warden over time. But then again, he could not freely enter and exit the prison."He's probably the only inmate that could achieve such a level of… 'Freedom.' And he's also basically the
The strong stench of disinfectant filled the room.Austin's face was rather pale, but he was already in stable condition as he was fortunately rescued in time.Right next to him was Cecily, whose appearance seemed haggard and exhausted.Further at the side were Dahlia, Ezra, Aldus, and Raquel.Everyone was staring at Austin with worried expressions.Austin smiled weakly with a hint of embarrassment. "What are you all staring at me for? The doctor already said I'm fine, didn't he?"Cecily tried her best to hold back her tears. "How can we not be worried? Do you know how much blood you lost? I've been so scared for the past few days…"She then threw herself into Austin's arms and started crying out loud.All of Cecily's suspicions about Austin had disappeared when he had blocked a knife for her.She now felt nothing but guilt and remorse for doubting Austin.Austin gently patted Cecily on the head and smiled. "I had to protect you, of course. I'd rather take the hit and bleed o