[Overcome the conditions presented and escape. Time remaining: 162 hours 31 minutes.] It was a spontaneous idea, but even after a moment’s thought, it still felt like a solid one. Of course, it could have just been wishful thinking. Still, once the thought took root, the fact that everything around me—the poisoned stew, the delayed appearance of the system notification, and the utensils—seemed to support the theory only strengthened my resolve. My mana had been restricted, and the food would harm me, yet the utensils provided just happened to be made of mana? Not only that, but they would vanish after a short period. If I consumed them, the guards wouldn’t even know. It is a bit of a leap, sure, but it isn’t a completely outlandish plan. The tower never included anything truly insignificant, especially when it came to hidden missions. Every idea and action had potential. Looking at it from that angle, these mana utensils had to have a purpose. Naturally, there was a chance that consuming them wouldn’t boost my mana at all. After all, the cuffs’ description clearly stated that they restricted internal mana flow and that only a minimal amount could be utilized. However, considering how my physical stats had increased through training, it stood to reason that mana could work the same way. I pushed the endless speculation aside. Regardless of the outcome, it was better to try than to keep theorizing. That brought me back to my current issue: how exactly does one eat a spoon and bowl made from mana? Physically, I think I can handle it. After undergoing a metamorphosis, many of my skills had been absorbed into myself, Iron Skin included. Unfortunately, fitting something as large as the bowl didn’t seem physically possible. The spoon seemed doable, though. As long as I swallowed it head first, the handle was sure to follow. This damn bowl is the real problem. Maybe I can smash it against the wall and eat the fragments. Whether it could break was another matter, but I figured I would test things with the spoon first. Better to confirm whether it actually increases my mana before worrying about the rest. As soon as I actually tried to put the spoon in my mouth, however, I felt a wave of revulsion I couldn’t shake. Can’t blame myself, really. Eating cutlery isn’t some everyday occurrence. It wasn’t like I planned to chew it or anything. Will I be able to swallow it? Then again, if the spoon dissolves on its own, couldn’t I absorb the mana dispersing through the air? No, wait. If that worked, the other prisoners would have done that. Though the stew’s poison could potentially disrupt the absorption of mana as well, I only had a limited number of meals left. Taking such a risk and wasting one of my few chances would be costly. Yeah, this is way too long to swallow as is. I would probably have to swallow just the head, then push down on the handle. After a brief moment of hesitation, I tried bending the spoon with my hands. If it were even half the length, I could probably swallow it. Instead of bending, however, it snapped with a soft crack. I blinked in surprise. Thankfully, the spoon didn’t shatter or disappear. It didn’t even break unevenly or leave sharp edges. It looked as if it had been designed to break in two, cut cleanly along the middle. Fragments of mana scattered like fine dust in the air. May as well do it all in one go instead of dragging it out. Hmm, will I be able to do the same with the bowl? I put the broken spoon to my lips and slowly pushed it in. The thick, rounded end slipped past my uvula and down my throat. I immediately felt my gag reflex kick in. “Urgh—” Read complete versıon only at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚~𝙣𝙚𝙩 I clenched my teeth to suppress the sound, forcing the spoon farther down. I could feel my throat being stretched from the inside. It was intensely painful, and wave after wave of nausea accompanied the pain. The longer I stall, the worse it will be. I shut my eyes tight and shoved with everything I had. I could feel the two corners of the broken edge of the spoon jabbing into my esophagus as it went down. Likely thanks to my enhanced physique, it didn’t cause too much damage. I sustained only a few minor scrapes at most. A heavy, bloated feeling settled in my chest as the spoon finally slid all the way down. In that exact moment, I felt it dissolve inside me. The mana didn’t dissipate. Instead, it pulsed slightly before gathering near the right side of my chest. I have to admit, even though I came up with the idea, I really wasn’t sure it would work. 「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has identified the suspicious condition hidden in the food, completing the hidden mission ‘Poisoned Stew.’ Agility increased by 4.」 「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has absorbed a mana spoon, completing the hidden mission ‘Did You Just Find Mana?’ Mana increased by 5.」 「Invisible message: Stats gained from hidden missions will be applied after the seventy-fourth floor is completed.」 「Invisible message: Challenger Kwon Su-Hyeok has formed a second mana reservoir. Mana stored here is unaffected by the Shackles of Al Ferhadeen.」 [Overcome the conditions presented and escape. Time remaining: 162 hours 26 minutes.] It took some time, but I managed to get the mana bowl down, too. I had to swallow more fragments than with the spoon, so my throat burned like hell. Regardless, it was worth it. Through some unknown process, I had succeeded in stockpiling a small pool of mana. I tried circulating the energy gathered near my chest. It functioned just like regular mana, but it felt different from the kind that used to flow throughout me. Fortunately, controlling it wasn’t difficult. It almost feels like I have two distinct sources now. Most importantly, the amount stored in this new store was five times larger compared to the pitiful amount within me at the start of this floor. Assuming they give me three meals a day, I can probably break out in five days. I would just need to rip through the bars and use Flash Strike to get off this island. Honestly, rather than trying to escape the facility itself, it could be smarter to use Flash Strike to steal a key from one of the guards instead. Still, that was surprisingly easy. This was the power of thinking outside the box. Even now, I couldn’t help but feel a little impressed with myself. It turned out that the remarks I used to receive about being a gifted child weren’t totally unfounded, after all. As I smirked to myself, I recalled how things had felt the night before. Gosh, I was so lost yesterday. It wasn’t that I had given up hope, but the lack of information combined with the unfamiliar conditions had thrown me off more than I had expected. Now that I had found an easy path forward, all that early-morning anxiety seemed unnecessary in hindsight. Although maybe I could think this clearly now, thanks to that desperation. Either way, I felt much lighter. From what I could tell, the guards didn’t keep a close eye on me during meal distribution. Honestly, it didn’t seem like they paid much attention to any of the inmates. Then again, why would they? With poisoned food and mana-restricting cuffs in play, even I wouldn’t bother worrying. Just five more days. Just endure hunger, skip meals, and stay under their radar. Once I had gathered enough mana, I planned to immediately make my escape. Then, after returning to the waiting room, I would finally get to eat to my heart’s content. Even though my fast had only just begun, the hunger pangs were sharper than expected, likely because of my naturally high basal metabolic rate. Pushing aside my idle thoughts, I lay back on the bed and turned my mind to what mattered. First things first. I have to figure out where the key to these cuffs is hidden. The tower had undoubtedly planted a clue somewhere. I simply had to remain alert and not let it slip by. To be honest, though, I had a more immediate issue: the guard I met yesterday, Phiri. Avoiding attention would have been best, but it was already too late for that. I would have to act with caution going forward. That said, her interest could end up being useful. Through Phiri, I could catch a lead on the key’s whereabouts. Lying still for a while, I began to feel a little restless. I considered doing some light training, but my throat was still sore and faintly bleeding. Waiting until the bleeding stopped before moving around would be best. Come to think of it, none of the other prisoners seemed interested in me. After the ruckus with Phiri, they probably noticed that a new inmate had arrived. Honestly, I had expected a bit more attention. In movies, whenever a new prisoner appeared, someone would always step up to test the waters, whether out of curiosity or to assert dominance. There were faint whispers coming from further down the hall, but the cell next to mine remained quiet. Is there some kind of inner circle or prisoner hierarchy I haven’t been made aware of? Maybe the guy in the next cell is on the fringe of it all? That could explain why he reached out to me yesterday. Thinking back to how he had clammed up after calling me good-looking, I couldn’t help but think he was a bit eccentric. Or maybe he had been brought in recently, like me, and hadn’t quite integrated with the rest of the group. Yeah, that makes sense. If I hadn’t discovered that I could absorb the utensils, I would have needed to rely on the other prisoners for information. Cracking into that tight-knit circle would have been a serious challenge, especially if the only person willing to speak to me was an outsider. Not that it mattered anymore. Just as I was entertaining the thought, the prisoner next door suddenly asked, “Hey. What’re you doing?” “Me? Just lying here. Why?” Maybe it was because I was feeling more at ease, but despite how our last conversation ended on a sour note, my reply came out calm and casual. “No reason. Just bored.” “Oh? I thought you didn’t like talking to good-looking people.” Now that I had aired my complaint, the whole exchange struck me as funny instead of irritating. The prisoner let out a sheepish cough. “Ahem. Well, that was—” Whatever excuse he was about to come up with, I wasn’t interested. Still, with time to kill and a few lingering questions on my mind, I figured this would be the perfect time to dig for information. “So? Why’d you call me?” “Well, I thought maybe you’d be bored too.” Right. Says the guy clearly dying for conversation. Fine. Since we were already talking, entertaining him in exchange for some information didn’t seem like a bad trade. He definitely struck me as someone who would easily spill the beans the moment he was asked anything. “I’m not really bored, just curious. Mind if I ask you a few things?” “Of course not! I’ll have you know I’ve been here for a whole year. I’m no rookie like you!” The guy had a strange knack for making backhanded comments sound casual. Maybe that was why he didn’t get along with the rest. He looked like an easy target, and that was more than enough. Despite that, I didn’t want to just jump into asking about the prison’s layout or the guards. That would immediately raise suspicions. I needed to ease into it with small talk. Carefully, I began chatting. [Overcome the conditions presented and escape. Time remaining: 161 hours 31 minutes.] I ended up talking with the guy for nearly an hour, and I managed to gather a decent amount of information. According to him, no one had ever escaped this place before. There were only two ways to leave. Prisoners either died or their sponsors paid a ransom. After hearing that, I wondered if escaping was even necessary. Maybe Omniscient Thunder Axe had already paid my bail. Hmm. If that happens, though, would the tower consider that as failing to complete the floor? Not that it mattered now—I had a working plan. He also mentioned that this prison was run by a deity called Iron Bars of Despair. Apparently, that god had lost interest in the place a while ago. The guards here weren’t even his followers; they were hired from other worlds. It appeared that some planets weren’t bound to a single solar system and could traverse the cosmos freely. One example was the world with the sewers, where I had hunted those monstrous rats. Just then, the sharp, unmistakable click of high heels echoed from the end of the hallway. I had seen several guards come and go, but only one of them wore heels—Phiri. My instincts kicked in immediately. Something was about to happen. I shook off the haze clouding my mind and focused, ready for whatever came next. Soon, Phiri came into view, standing just outside the bars. “Kwon Su-Yeok? Su-Hyeok? Is that right?” “It’s Kwon Su-Hyeok.” “Right, get up. You’re coming with me.”