Chapter 103. Suffering
In the brightly lit corridors, the black-robed Meeh'eks held Charles in their tight grasp and moved forward. The captain of the Narwhale wore a calm expression tainted with a hint of melancholy.
He never expected that they would kill Salin just like that. It wasn't Salin's death that saddened him but rather the indifference the Meeh'eks showed toward their lives.
Their survival in this place was solely dependent on the roles they were assigned and the fates they met hundreds of years ago.
"Phew, lucky we got the script of 134. If we had gotten the role of 704, we would have probably ended up in dismembered pieces," Richard mentally muttered to himself in relief.
The corners of Charles' lips lifted into a cold, icy smile as he asked, "Do you consider this to be some good news?"
"What's so good about this? We need to find a way to get out of here. If this continues, who knows where we will end up dead in their pretend game!"
Charles' gaze darted toward the black-robed Meeh'eks that were dragging him forward. He could deal with the two holding him in their grasps, but killing them might cause more trouble than it was worth. He had to devise a different strategy to escape. Embark on a quest to the commencement at n0v#lbin★
"Keep a mental note of our path. I will confirm our location on the map and try to identify where the Foundation keeps all the test subjects captive," Charles instructed Richard.
Since Salin had managed to break out with such a strategy, he could definitely replicate it with the same result. Moreover, he had an advantage over Salin. He had experience in Laboratory 3 and was also in possession of the map of Laboratory 2. This was his golden opportunity.
"Fine, do your thing," Richard grudgingly responded.
One after another, Charles pinpointed the locations where the test subjects were held captive in his mind and matched it with the map's details in his memory.
Charles wanted to physically mark down the location, but the reality of his circumstances afforded him of no such luxury.
Clank!
Charles' limbs were shackled to the steel frame once more, and cold iron chains bounded his body again.
Looking at the Meeh'ek behind the glass, Charles let out a resigned sigh. He had a rudimentary plan in mind, but there was no way he could execute anything in his current predicament.
Fortunately, he didn't need to worry about his death in the short term. The real 134 was still in Sottom. If she had survived so many years till date, the Foundation clearly didn't execute her when they were still around.
Crack!
A fresh whip mark appeared on Charles' torso.
A new round of misery had begun.
Charles had no idea how much time had passed since the misery started. The excruciating pain and itch had consumed his mind, and his consciousness had plummeted into chaos. Only one conviction remained—He would not die here. He would definitely survive and escape.
After a full day and night, the white-robed Meeh'ek was evidently exhausted and helplessly waved its hand. Charles was released from his bindings, and another capsule was forced into his mouth. He was then dragged away by a black-robed Meeh'ek.
While in a daze, Charles was jolted awake by the sound of a slap.
"Hey! Wake up! Stop sleeping. Time to get down to work. They’ve stopped tormenting us." Richard controlled his right hand to repeatedly slap his right cheek.
"Where is this..." Charles scanned his surroundings and found himself lying on a soft, pink wooden bed.
An array of plush toys was within the room. There was even a brand-new princess dress on the small table in front of him.
"They seemed to have realized that a harsh beating on 134 won't work and changed to a softer approach," Richard commented.
Charles examined himself and realized that his wounds were all gone. Clearly, the Meeh'eks had used something on him to completely heal his wounds.
134 had relentlessly hunted him down, but he briefly felt a pang of sympathy for the little girl. The torment was unbearable for him, even though he was a grown man. He could only imagine how much worse it had been for a child.
Charles composed himself and leaned on the bed.
"Do you know our exact location?" Charles asked.
"I figured it out earlier. I was still conscious when they were moving us here. Look at this," Richard exclaimed as he lifted the bedsheet up. The soft blanket underneath had been violently torn apart, and a detailed map of Laboratory 2 had been drawn on the fabric beneath it.
"We are here," Richard said as he pointed to a corner on the map. "It's not too far from where we were previously held. If we don't run into any obstacles, we’ll get there in five minutes at full speed."
Charles scanned the map carefully. He couldn't afford to wait any longer. God knew what the white-robed Meeh'ek had in store for 134 to force her into submission. The temporary freedom was a rare and precious opportunity.
"Here, here, and here." Charles pointed at a few spots on the map before saying, "According to the map, these are where the test subjects are held. If we want to escape, we have to set them free."