CHAPTER 419: STRAIGHT TO THE GOLD ZONE

I folded my arms as we walked past the lines of soldiers. My mind was still stuck on his earlier words, twenty-three abominations, all kept alive instead of destroyed. I wanted to know more, to strip away the vague answers and see the truth for myself.

"Where exactly are these prisoners held?" I finally asked, my voice low but direct. "A prison this massive... how do you keep so many abominations locked up?"

The man beside me, still walking at a brisk pace, glanced at me. There was no hesitation this time, just a matter-of-fact tone.

"The prison is divided into zones. Anyone below level one hundred and fifty is contained in the Bronze Zone. It’s to the east. There, an underground fortress serves as their cage. The walls are layered with runes—seals, restraints, suppression arrays. They cannot move freely."

I nodded slowly, picturing it in my mind. Abominations clawing against walls, thrashing at seals that never broke. "And those above one-fifty?"

"From level one hundred and fifty to two hundred, they’re contained in the Silver Zone. That one is further south, another underground system. The architecture is more reinforced there, and the seals are heavier. Not just restraints, but collapsible formations that can crush everything inside if a breach is detected."

That answer made me pause for a moment. Cold, ruthless efficiency. The empire was not just keeping them, it was preparing to erase them in an instant if control ever slipped. I continued walking, my boots echoing against the stone path. "And the strongest?"

His expression hardened. He let out a slow breath before answering. "Levels two hundred to two hundred and fifty... they’re in the Gold Zone."

"Gold Zone?" I repeated.

He nodded. "That place is different. It isn’t a simple prison of walls and bars. The Gold Zone is split into multiple domains.

Each abomination or unique existence is granted an environment tailored to its nature. A swamp abomination lives in a swamp domain. A flame entity is given a volcanic chamber. The logic is simple: restrain them by giving them something close to their true nature. Otherwise, containment would be impossible."

I slowed, absorbing his words. A prison that wasn’t really a prison. Instead, it was a network of domains. Control through familiarity. Fascinating, and dangerous.

"Among the twenty-three... are any of them truly unique?" My voice was sharp this time. I needed to know.

The man hesitated. His jaw tensed, his eyes flicking to the side. But eventually, he nodded. "Yes. Three in particular. Unique even among abominations."

I said nothing, waiting.

"The first," he began, "is a shadow-walker. Unlike others, it doesn’t rely on brute strength or corrupted essence. It uses shadows as extensions of itself. We’ve seen it slip between one shadow and the next, even when heavily restrained. It once erased an entire squad of soldiers in complete silence. We only contained it by locking it in a domain with permanent light."

A shadow-walker. My Psynapse tingled at the thought. A summon like that would be deadly in any battlefield.

"The second," he continued, "is a beast covered in crystalline scales. It isn’t fast, but its defense is absurd. Swords, spears, even high-level essence techniques have broken against its body. Its roar shatters formations, and it can regenerate its scales within minutes. Many call it the Living Fortress."

A wall of flesh and crystal. My hand twitched. Useful, extremely useful.

"And the third..." His tone dropped, as if even speaking of it made him wary. "...is something stranger. We call it the Dissonant One. It manipulates sound in ways no one understands.

It doesn’t just scream or deafen its enemies, it bends sound into illusions. Men have wandered into their deaths chasing phantom voices. Once, a commander tried to resist its influence, only to slit his own throat believing he was cutting through chains. Its domain is built underground, lined with silence wards, but even then..." He trailed off, leaving the implication clear.

A shadow assassin. A living fortress. A creature of illusions. Three possibilities. Three weapons. My pulse quickened at the idea.

"Where are these domains located?" I asked flatly.

The man waved his hand and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. He held it carefully. He handed it to me. I unfolded it and studied the lines. The Gold Zone was sketched in a ring, domains marked as spheres within it.

Symbols denoted elements, terrain, even hazards. I traced the marks with my finger. I wasn’t just here to confirm what the man said, I was here for a shopping spree, searching for my next companion.

Lyrate leaned over my shoulder, her violet eyes scanning the map. She said nothing, but her expression was thoughtful, calculating.

I folded the parchment and slid it into my pocket. "Stay here," I said, turning back to the man. "Don’t follow me. Don’t send anyone after me."

He stiffened, clearly wanting to protest, but one look at my face silenced him. He swallowed hard and nodded. "Understood."

My body rose from the ground, lifting smoothly into the air. The courtyard shrank beneath me as soldiers paused in their duties to glance upward.

I turned my gaze west, where the Gold Zone loomed beyond the walls of this small base.

Without hesitation, I tilted forward and let myself drift into flight. The currents wrapped around me as my speed grew, the world blurring into streaks of motion.

Behind me, a flare of violet light followed. Lyrate had lifted off as well, her hair whipping in the wind as she matched my pace. Her presence was steady, unshakable, as if she had already decided she would follow me no matter what.

My heart was steady, but beneath that calm was a spark of anticipation. This was no longer about the empire’s prison. This was about me, about what I could seize, about the summons I could claim.

And as the Gold Zone came into view, its fractured domains rising like a patchwork of random landscapes, I knew one thing with certainty.

This would not be a simple visit.

This would be almost an adventure.

I turned my head toward Lyrate, meeting her eyes.

"So, what kind of summon do you think we should add to our team next?"