Chapter 1922 – 1922. Dark Moon
I know you have a lot of complaints about the meals. But we’re short on budget, so there’s nothing I can do. Just be grateful you’re getting food and eat it.
Grateful, my ass.
The prisoners ate their food with sour expressions.
The new warden, with great audacity, embezzled funds as soon as he arrived at the prison. Everyone in the prison knew that his whining about the lack of budget was because he had embezzled all of it.
The guards kept their mouths shut, even though they knew. Unlike the prisoners, the guards’ welfare was relatively good. While the prisoners ate stinky, rotten soup, the guards could cut into steaks and drink decent wine. They had also received their paychecks properly three days ago.
Of course, there were also prisoners who ate bread, meat, and salad instead of this dog-shit soup. They were mostly the bosses of gangs. Those who could manage a lot of money even while imprisoned. They offered cash bribes to the warden.
After breakfast, there was a walk time. It was only about 20 minutes, but it was a time to enjoy the sunlight.
“Room 1, prepare for walk.”
A guard said. The prisoners prostrated themselves on the floor. The door opened, and the prisoners went outside with the guards.
The prisoners had to crawl on all fours during their walk time. It was a new rule at Lemen Prison. If they disobeyed, their limbs would be cut off, and they would have to crawl for the rest of their lives.
At lunchtime, they did nothing. They sat on the prison floor with their backs straight. The moment they lay down on the floor outside of the designated time, they would be dragged out, hung upside down from the ceiling, and beaten.
Of course, there was no lunch. But today was different.
-Today, we will provide a special lunch.
The prisoners whispered in low voices.
“What’s with the crazy warden?”
“Did something good happen?”
“There’s no way that bastard would treat us well just because something good happened to him.”
“He said it was special, so can we expect something?”
“Don’t expect anything. You’ll be betrayed.”
“Betrayed, my ass. I don’t trust that bastard.”
Surprisingly, lunch was proper food. At least, it looked like it. Roasted meat. It had a purple, sticky goo on it, but the smell and taste were excellent.
“Wow!”
The prisoners, who had only eaten garbage, exclaimed in admiration and ate every last drop of the sauce.
The guards looked at the prisoners with pity.
‘I heard that’s instant food the company supplied. Something like Poison Boar meat?’
Food that hadn’t even been certified.
The warden had taken money from the company and fed the prisoners unverified food. In other words, it was human experimentation.
-This afternoon, a special show has been prepared for you. Everyone, gather in the exercise yard. Guards, make sure the prisoners don’t riot. You can kill anyone who shows signs of rioting. I permit it.
“……”
The prisoners were on edge. Two days ago, a prisoner had been executed for showing signs of rioting. That prisoner had only made eye contact with the warden. The signs of rioting were the warden’s mood.
The prisoners gathered in the large exercise yard. Beyond the exercise yard fence, they could see the female prisoners gathered. It was a rare sight. Usually, they were strictly forbidden from encountering each other.
The male prisoners grinned. Most of the female prisoners were ugly, but there were a few pretty ones mixed in. They stuck out their tongues, shook their hips, and pulled down their pants to expose their genitals, displaying lewd behavior towards them.
The female prisoners didn’t back down either. They shook their breasts and buttocks, opened their mouths, and made sucking motions. Some even lifted their clothes to show their breasts and genitals.
However, they were quiet. They knew that the crazy warden would go berserk the moment they made a sound.
The warden appeared with the guards. Deputy Warden Captain Kevin was also nearby, but his right eye was bruised, and blood was streaming from his nose, as if he had been beaten. The guards and prisoners knew that the warden had beaten him, but they pretended not to notice.
Warden Leon Schneider scanned the prisoners with indifferent eyes. The prisoners trembled. He was the kind of guy who would execute anyone he didn’t like, whether they were on death row or not.
Fear gnawed at the prisoners. At the same time, a sense of rebellion surged.
The prisoners here were all criminals who had once been big shots. Murderers? Common. More than 90% of the prisoners had committed murder. There were also serial killers. As such, they thought they could kill the warden if they had the chance. Especially the prisoners who belonged to organizations.
‘We can’t keep living like this.’
‘The boss will do something about it.’
‘The one who kills that crazy warden is the true master of Lemen Prison.’
The bosses of criminal organizations didn’t not kill him because they didn’t want to. The warden had almost no openings. There were times when he left the prison, but no one knew where he went. It was difficult to take action because his whereabouts were unknown.
‘Deputy Warden Kevin… that incompetent fool. Does he not even know where the warden goes?’
‘It’s not good to make a move inside the prison. We haven’t won over all the guards. The chances of failure are higher.’
‘If we report this situation to the higher-ups or leak it to the media as a human rights issue… wouldn’t that guy be imprisoned too? If he just comes to prison, I’m confident I can love him for the rest of his life.’
The bosses of the organizations were watching for an opportunity more than anyone else. If only that warden was gone, they would be the ones who controlled Lemen Prison.
“Bring him out.”
The warden said.
The guards brought out a prisoner with no lower body. A man with burn marks all over his body. It was Matthias, the boss of Cabrahim, who was once one of the rulers of Lemen Prison.
The warden snapped his fingers.
Alchemy activated, and a large cross appeared from the ground. The guards hung Matthias on the cross.
What is he trying to do? The prisoners watched with a mixture of fear and curiosity.
“Matthias, the boss of the Cabrahim gang and the mascot of Lemen Prison.”
The warden opened his mouth. He swung his fist at Matthias, who was tied to the cross. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! A typical beating ensued. Matthias gritted his teeth and glared at the warden. There was a murderous intent that he would definitely kill him.
“Cabrahim will kill you and everyone related to you! Family, relatives, friends! Everyone will die resenting you!!”
Matthias’s voice was so chilling that even the most heinous criminals hesitated. And his words would be carried out. Cabrahim, the notorious gang from the west that didn’t hesitate to commit massacres, still served Matthias as their boss.
“That’s absurd. You still haven’t realized your situation?”
The warden shook his head without even twitching an eyebrow.
The smile on his lips was a sneer. To so easily take on the momentum of that heinous Matthias. As expected, the warden was no ordinary man. The prisoners were impressed inwardly.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The beating continued. Matthias’s blood soaked the dirt of the exercise yard. But Matthias’s fierce momentum did not falter. The warden, who stopped punching before Matthias passed out, opened his mouth. His voice clearly pierced the ears of everyone gathered in the exercise yard.
“Matthias. You said you would kill all my family, relatives, and friends. And you dared to say that to my face.”
“Does it sound like nonsense?”
“I believe your words. Isn’t revenge the reason why gangs are scary? But you know what? Revenge isn’t exclusive to you. You can be happy, Matthias. Today’s show is also for you. Bring them out!”
The warden shouted. The guards brought out a group of people who were bound. There were about 20 of them, half of whom were women, and most of the rest were boys and girls who were not yet adults.
Matthias’s face, which had been filled with hatred, contorted. He was shocked and cried out desperately.
“You bastard!!!”
The warden flicked his fingers. The oldest woman in the group was grabbed by the guards and dragged forward. The old woman knelt before the warden.
“My son! My son was wrong! It’s all because this old woman didn’t educate her son well! My daughter-in-law and grandchildren are innocent! Please, please! This old woman will do anything, just spare the children…”
Bang!
The old woman’s body exploded. It was magic. The old woman’s blood and guts fell directly onto Matthias’s body.
“You talk too much for a traitor’s mother.”
“Uwaaaaaaaah! Mother!!”
“Don’t scream. It’s not over yet.”
The guard trembled with fear and pushed a woman forward. The woman couldn’t even stand up. She collapsed on the floor and wet herself. She looked up at her husband tied to the cross and then looked at the warden. Soon, she lowered her head and tightly closed her eyes.
The hatred and murderous intent disappeared from Matthias. With a desperate expression, he pleaded with the warden as if he was about to cry.
“D-don’t do it…! My wife is innocent…!”
“The victims you harmed were also innocent. Is it a double standard? Well, I understand. I’m the same way.”
The warden flicked his fingers. Telekinesis grabbed the woman’s body and lifted her up.
“Kyaaaaaaah!”
The woman’s scream echoed. The warden didn’t care. He lifted the woman above Matthias’s head and twisted her upper and lower body like a rag. Blood and guts poured out of the woman’s twisted body. Matthias, who received them on his head, had a blank expression.
The executions continued. Matthias’s second wife was crushed to death by gravity, and his third wife died with her skin and guts turned inside out.
Their corpses gathered below Matthias’s cross. They were lumps of meat that could not be called human.
“D-dad…”
A young son stood in front of Matthias, crying.
“Stop…! I’ll talk! You’re curious about who ordered the attack on you, right! I’ll tell you anything, so please stop!”
“That’s enough.”
Snap.
The warden snapped his fingers.
Whoosh!
“Aaaaaaaaah!”
The young son’s body burst into flames.
“This is revenge. You said you would kill my family, so I’m killing your family first before my family dies. Well, don’t worry. All of Cabrahim’s gang members will meet a similar end as you.”
The executions continued.
The warden didn’t discriminate between men, women, or children. He killed them. Just because they were Matthias’s family.
When the executions finally ended, Matthias looked at the warden with tears of blood streaming down his face.
“God will punish you…!”
“Is that what you resort to in the end? Even you look for God? But don’t you think the victims you harmed would have prayed the same prayer?”
“……”
“I wonder if God will listen to the prayers of a pitiful criminal.”
The warden turned his body. He looked around. Everyone, guards and prisoners alike, avoided his gaze. The prisoners were even sweating profusely. The image of their own families being brutally executed flashed through their minds.
The expressions of the prisoners and guards were not good. Some had vomited, and some had collapsed on the floor.
The only ones who maintained a blank expression were the most heinous serial killers. They were more afraid of Matthias’s miserable state of being alive than of their families dying.
“Did you enjoy the show?”
“……”
“You’re such stupid criminals that you don’t know manners. If you’ve seen a show, you should applaud.”
“……”
“Applaud.”
When the warden’s voice became laced with annoyance, the guards nearby were startled and began to clap.
Clap! Clapping!
Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap!
The applause echoed towards the sky. In contrast, fear sank deep into the prison.
It was the moment when the worst tyrant in history ascended to the throne of Lemen Prison.
