Chapter 1410: 1410 Adjudicator Game: Game Invasion 15
Rita did not hold back.
In less than two minutes, she drove Ragtag’s health down to the critical threshold of 2%.
But instead of finishing her off, she looked into Ragtag’s despairing eyes and asked,
"Would you like to participate in an experiment?"
"...What kind of experiment?"
A flicker of hope appeared in Ragtag’s eyes.
The gap between them was simply too large.
With their attributes compressed to similar levels, she had still only lasted two minutes.
Tactics, strategy, counterattacks, none of it had mattered.
Yet just as she had fallen into despair, her opponent seemed interested in some kind of cooperation.
"Join my game. Help me explore the prison’s secrets and limits. You’ll be the first test subject. Failure means death."
"My game?"
Ragtag studied the Prisoner before her.
A red and white battle coat.
A Vineborne’s signature vines condensed into a slender sword.
A face impossible to forget.
A unique presence that seemed to carry the scent of flowers wherever she went.
The only unusual thing was her black hair and black eyes.
This strange Vineborne was remarkably patient.
Even when Ragtag remained silent, she neither pressured nor rushed her.
Instead, she said,
"I’ll give you thirty minutes to think about it. Answer me after that."
When the time was up, Ragtag asked her first question.
"If failure means death, then what’s the reward for success? Besides staying alive, what do I gain?"
"Freedom."
"Freedom?"
The word felt both familiar and utterly foreign.
So foreign that Ragtag found herself silently repeating it several times before remembering what it meant.
Freedom.
Freedom...
Freedom!
"Yes. Freedom. You’ll still experience pain. You’ll still awaken skills because of ideals you cannot achieve, failed wars, or the honor of your people. But not because someone is threatening you with death. Skills born from talent will belong to you for as long as you live. After death, they’ll be passed on to other Prisoners."
Rita paused.
"Sorry. Even if we succeed, I can only offer a limited form of freedom."
"No. That sounds wonderful."
Ragtag’s breathing trembled.
She struggled to steady her heartbeat before asking carefully,
"What should I call you?"
The strange Vineborne crouched before her and smiled.
"You can call me... Adjudicator."
The flower sword dissolved into a shower of petals.
Her elegant hand slowly opened.
A book radiating white gold light appeared in her palm.
Invisible winds gently turned its pages until they stopped at a particular Chapter.
Then Adjudicator asked,
"Step one. Enter my world. Let’s see whether the Prisoner Game will register you as dead. If that works, you’ll qualify for further cooperation."
But Ragtag’s attention was completely captured by the page before her.
The dense writing was blurred beyond recognition.
She clearly lacked permission to read it.
Yet...
Was it an illusion?
Why could she see the shadow of Nuclear Flash?
Unable to stop herself, she reached toward the phantom image above the page.
"Nuclear Flash...?"
"Yes. Ragtag’s Nuclear Flash."
The hand holding the book moved closer.
The phantom image overlapped with Ragtag.
The projection of Nuclear Flash settled over her small body.
It felt as though an entire world had embraced her.
"I’ll do it... I’ll do it! Adjudicator! I will!"
Even if the experiment failed.
Even if she died.
Being able to embrace Nuclear Flash one last time was enough.
She would have no regrets.
"Then..."
Adjudicator lowered the hand holding the book onto Ragtag’s head.
The cool back of her hand rested against Ragtag’s forehead.
In the shadows, her beautiful smile filled nearly Ragtag’s entire field of vision.
Then she said,
"Prisoner of Nuclear Flash, I wish you success in escaping."
The white gold light from the book descended upon Ragtag.
For a moment, she felt as though she were pledging loyalty to a god.
Or perhaps a devil had seduced her soul with only a few words.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing within Nuclear Flash.
At the same moment, back inside the arena, Rita heard the prison’s announcement.
[Detected loss of life signs from Prisoner1332-Nuclear Flash-98241132.]
[Congratulations to Prisoner8017-BS-319365910 for winning the Prisoner Game.]
[Scanning Prisoner Relic...]
[Error detected...]
[Scanning Prisoner Relic...]
[Prisoner Relic missing.]
[...]
[Determination: Prisoner Relic destroyed by Prisoner.]
[Correcting records.]
[Congratulations to Prisoner8017-BS-319365910 for winning the Prisoner Game.]
Rita stood expressionless in the center of the arena.
Inside, however, she felt both astonishment and disbelief.
Whatever entity managed the prison’s games was highly intelligent.
Too intelligent.
It behaved like a living being.
Upon discovering an error, it immediately attempted to cover it up.
Could it be another Mechanoid?
The arena returned to normal.
The shackles reappeared on her wrists.
Rita did not immediately release Ragtag.
First, she needed to change her designation.
Her consciousness sank into the book.
Her figure appeared within Nuclear Flash’s Sigh.
There, Ragtag lay sprawled on the ground in a starfish shape, quietly experiencing Nuclear Flash.
There was no warmth.
No wind.
No rain.
No scent of flowers.
Yet Ragtag looked as though she had already found freedom.
Only when a shadow fell across her face did she open her eyes.
Then she asked nervously,
"If it failed... could you at least let me die here?"
Rita shook her head seriously.
"No."
The light instantly vanished from Ragtag’s green eyes.
Even her curly green hair seemed to droop.
"...Sorry."
"Because the first step of our prison break succeeded."
A mischievous smile appeared on Adjudicator’s face.
"Prisoner1332-Nuclear Flash-98241132 no longer exists. Now we begin phase two."
Ragtag’s eyes widened.
She stared blankly at the crouching Adjudicator.
Apparently, overwhelming happiness made thinking impossible.
Like an idiot, she asked,
"Phase two?"
"What’s your name?"
"JinX."
"Good. JinX. I’m going to remove your Prisoner designation and give you a new name. Is that okay?"
Rita knew perfectly well that the game did not identify people solely by their IDs.
Any entity capable of managing 9,999 prisons would never be foolish enough to lose track of someone just because their name changed.
But she needed to give the prison administrator a reason.
An excuse to ignore JinX.
A bold escape attempt.
A silent test.
The administrator had already demonstrated a willingness to invent explanations for its own mistakes.
Would it also choose to close its eyes and pretend not to notice a Prisoner without a number?
"A new name?"
JinX carefully reached out and caught a drifting petal from Flower Crown Murder.
Looking up expectantly at Adjudicator, she asked,
"You’re choosing it for me?"
"Nuclear Flash JinX. What do you think?"
The world became the surname.
The personal name came afterward.
From this day forward, there would be no more Prisoners.
Only living beings who carried their world as their family name.
"Nuclear Flash JinX? Nuclear Flash JinX... Nuclear Flash JinX?!"
"Yes. Nuclear Flash JinX. Do you like it?"
"I do! I really do!"
