"Give me an order of toast, a glass of milk... what's that over there? Braised Lalafell? I'll take one of those too."
Yaxiu sat down with his meal tray and observed the diners in the cafeteria.
Aside from the convicts wearing the classic skin, quite a few guards were eating here as well. The prison didn't seem to maintain much of a hierarchy; the guards and inmates appeared equal. Or rather, the guards simply ignored the prisoners, and the prisoners avoided deliberately provoking the guards, mutually fostering a harmonious environment.
Yaxiu could understand why the guards didn't bother the prisoners—slacking off was human nature, after all. But why did the inmates keep their distance from the guards?
Anyone with half a brain wouldn't commit a crime in the first place. The people who ended up in prison were bound to be fools who couldn't read the room, like a certain cult leader who had been hauled in by a handful of local officers (hunters).
By the same logic, these convicts couldn't be very bright either, so why didn't they taunt or mock the guards?
"Because they're locked."
Sword Princess sat down beside him and casually poked the braised Lalafell with her finger. "The chips in the back of your necks are locked. You aren't allowed to attack anyone, insult anyone, or harm yourselves. That's why Shattered Lake Prison is so liberal—every single bone and nerve in your body is shackled and dragging chains.
"Look over there. The wall even has a poster about 'Building a Model Civilized Prison,' showing a photo of death row inmates together with students. It seems their civility campaign has had great success; they even have students coming here for spring and autumn field trips."
Yaxiu instinctively touched the back of his neck, his eyes widening. "Th-this is like having a bomb strapped to your neck—"
"Do you really have to talk so loud?" Sword Princess pointed toward the inmates glancing over at the sound of his voice.
Yaxiu immediately stuffed his mouth with toast. *[Then as long as I have this chip on, isn't breaking out completely impossible? It must have a tracking function!]*
"More than that. If they wanted to, they could make the chip discharge a strong electric current to stop your heart on the spot." Sword Princess spread her hands. "So you're right. In theory, it's impossible for you to escape this prison. Never mind escaping; the moment you try to dig a tunnel with a spoon, the chip will stop you from damaging public property."
*[In theory there's no way, but what about in practice?]* Yaxiu took a sip of milk and found it surprisingly sweet.
"In practice... there's no way either." Sword Princess rolled her eyes. "I'm not from around here. How would I know so much?"
*[Then where did you get the intel you just shared?]*
"There was a copy of the Shattered Lake Prison Encyclopedia in the folder on your light screen. I browsed through it when I had nothing better to do."
Yaxiu paused, then realized it made sense. Sword Princess was just a 2D anime girl from a game; how could she know anything about this world?
Still, this was trouble. She could actually browse other files on his light screen. He had been planning to see if this world had any mysterious yellow-and-black websites...
"I can't help with prison breaks, but if you want to grow stronger, I have a few ideas," Sword Princess said. "In any case, find someone to fight first. Nothing is easier to grasp than combat. Isn't that right, Watcher?"
*[Wait, if inmates aren't allowed to attack each other, how am I supposed to pick a fight?]* Yaxiu finally realized that the prison had fundamentally eliminated any chance of convicts brawling.
"Why ask me about everything? Are you the one escaping prison, or am I?" Sword Princess sneered. "If you get hungry, do you have to call for your mommy too?"
*[Mom! Grandma!]*
"You're asking for it!"
Yaxiu rubbed his forehead. It was so unfair—Sword Princess was clearly non-corporeal, so why did her flick to his forehead hurt so much...?
Glancing around, Yaxiu noticed the burly bald man from earlier drinking a glass of milk. He walked right over and sat down across from him—knowing that others couldn't hit him had emboldened him significantly.
"Hi, I'm Yaxiu. What's your name?"
"Hi, Yaxiu. I have a boyfriend." The burly bald man was very cordial.
Yaxiu was completely dumbfounded. Feeling the nearby guards and inmates turning to look, he hurried to explain, "I didn't mean it like that! I just have a few questions for you!"
"I understand, I understand, truly." The burly bald man nodded with deep empathy. "When trying to pick someone up, running into someone like me who openly admits having a partner must be very awkward for you. But my love for my boyfriend is pure and true, without room for the slightest doubt, so stating my position from the start is best for everyone. You're a fine young man, Yaxiu; I'm sure you'll find love of your own."
"I... no... I'm just..."
"Ask away," the burly bald man said, gesturing with encouraging eyes. "No need to feel so embarrassed. Getting rejected is perfectly normal. If you can't think of an excuse of a question right away, I can wait. But honestly, Yaxiu, your way of getting my attention was really cliché—deliberately knocking over my milk like an elementary schooler..."
Well, isn't this great? Eyewitness and physical evidence all accounted for; there was no room for Yaxiu to deny it.
Yaxiu instantly felt the surrounding gazes turn subtle and knowing. He opened his mouth, only to give up on explaining. "I wanted to ask... if I want to get into a fight, is there any way?"
The burly bald man paused slightly. "You're new here? Ah, I remember now. You're that trending figure on the news lately... the leader of the Four Pillar Cult?"
"Mmm~ I'm actually quite interested in the Four Pillar Gods. Unfortunately, I already have a boyfriend, or else I might have given you a chance..."
Yaxiu couldn't take it anymore and wanted to turn and leave, but the burly bald man's next words forced him to stay and listen.
"If you want to stretch your muscles, you've come to the right person—ah, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Langna, a member of the Death Match Club."
"Death Match Club?"
"Because of the chip, we aren't allowed to harm others. But the Death Match Club obtained permission from the warden. During a death match, our chip restrictions are temporarily lifted so we can fight. That's an exclusive perk for Death Match Club members."
Yaxiu was rather surprised. "The prison even agreed to that? That accommodating?"
Langna shook his head. "There is a price, though. The biggest price is the origin of our club's name."
"Death match?"
"That's right." Langna finished his milk, stuck out his broad tongue to lick the milk mustache clean, and looked at Yaxiu with a calm gaze.
"If you participate in a death match, it can only end when one side dies. A fight to the death—combat until dead."
Yaxiu blinked. "But... the prison goes to such lengths to restrict us. Would they really permit us to kill people?"
"Someone dying doesn't mean you've killed someone," Langna chuckled. "Right next to the death match arena is the infirmary. As long as the corpse remains intact and hasn't been dead for more than five minutes, dragging it into the infirmary will bring them back. Of course, what kind of lingering aftereffects remain is hard to say.
"Besides, even if an inmate really dies, the prison won't care. After all, every prisoner here is going to die."
That statement had a distinct ring of 'people die if they are killed.' Yaxiu echoed, "Yeah, yeah, after all, everyone dies eventually."
"Hm? It seems you've misunderstood me." Langna was somewhat surprised. "Haven't you heard of Shattered Lake Prison's reputation on the outside? Haven't you watched the Blood Moon Trial on the first and fifteenth of every month?"
"Huh?"
"Every single inmate in Shattered Lake Prison—all of them—is on death row," Langna said calmly. "There are no appeals, no escapes, and lifetime deprivation of political rights.
"Once inmates enter this prison, they can eat well, sleep well, work out, watch movies, and play video games. The only thing not permitted is taking a life—even one's own. Because for us, there is only ever one end awaiting—
"To participate in the Blood Moon Trial and, before the eyes of millions, die a truly wretched death."
Chapter 15