Jack looked back at the cells. Ten aura infused with twisted with malice. And two with more neutral, less corrupted ones.
Flint Edgecrow, the Supernatural Sorcerer. A pragmatic thief who stole too much. Zendo, the Martial Monk. An audacious murderer who targeted nobles.
They weren't saints. Their records proved that. But they weren't monsters. Not like the others.
Jack wasn't a fool to refuse aid in a prison break. Even if it was just a spiritual aid. But trusting outright evil went against his nature.
He wasn't freeing a horde of demons and psychopaths just for a boost. Risk assessment might told him it would make the next stage easier. But, his own principles dictated otherwise.
Jack's spectral hand grabbed the keys hanging on the wall. Heavy. Iron. Marked with runes that seemed to hum with dormant power. He studied them briefly. Just necessary tools.
He moved to the first cell he had marked. Flint Edgecrow. The Supernatural Sorcerer. With the specialties... Shadow Control and Stealth. His crimes were... Large Scaled Thefts, Extensive Property Damage, Resisting Arrest.
The man was chained to the wall. Seals were glowing faintly on his skin and restraints. He was gaunt but held a core of stillness.
Jack selected the right key. The one that thrummed with a subtle energy counteracting the seals. He inserted it. Turned. The seals flared. Then brittlely cracked. The chains retracted into the wall with a grating sound.
Flint Edgecrow dropped to the floor. Rubbing his wrists. His eyes, sharp despite the gag covering his mouth, scanning the specter who had just freed him.
The gag dissolved as the last seal faded. He coughed. Taking deep breaths.
"A ghost?" Flint's voice was raspy, unused. He looked Jack over, or through him. With unnerving calm. "Didn't expect that I would be saved by a ghost."
"Come on!" Jack invited him. But didn't elaborate. He moved to the next cell.
Zendo. The Martial Monk. His specialties were... Hand-to-Hand Mastery, Complete Body Control, Ki Control. And his crimes were... Murdering Nobles, Disrupting Public Order, Resisting Arrest,
This one was seated in a perfect lotus position despite the chains and seals. His eyes were closed.
Again, Jack found the correct key. It pulsed with a faint, balanced energy. The seals on Zendo were different. Intricate patterns designed to stifle internal energy flow.
The key nullified them. The chains holding his limbs to the wall, ceiling, and floor snapped back.
Zendo opened his eyes. Dark and clear. And stood in a fluid motion. His gag was also dissolving.
He stretched. A slight ripple of energy beneath his skin. He regarded Jack with a steady, assessing gaze.
"The chains held." Zendo said softly. Testing his joints. "But the spirit remained free. And now the body too. You... are not of this place's usual keepers."
Jack floated slightly. Observing them both. "No. I was also a prisoner. Trying to escape this place. What about joining me to do so?"
Flint flexed his fingers. The air around them seeming to shimmer with latent shadow. He asked. "Escape? From the Underworld Prison? You're a ghost. What's in it for you?"
"Freedom." Jack stated flatly. "Even specter like me wants freedom, you know? I invited both of you because your karma suggests you aren't beyond redemption. Unlike the other monsters here."
Zendo tilted his head. "Others?"
"Ten more in this block." Jack said. His gaze was drifting towards the other cells. They were still bound. Still radiating the dark, churning energy of deep-seated evil.
"I have an ability to perceive good and evil. I've used my sight on them. They are beyond saving. Too evil. Too dangerous. I'd rather face this escape with two neutral parties than ten actively malicious ones."
Flint grimaced. "Seen their kind before. Locked up for good reason, usually. You... you can see that?"
"Yes." Jack confirmed. It was simpler than explaining [Eyes of Judgement] and karma analysis. "They stay. We go."
"Understood." Zendo said. His posture was straightening slightly. "Wisdom seems to guide your path. How shall we proceed?"
"There's a way out ahead." Jack said, pointing further down the corridor. "But I felt it requires cooperation to solve whatever problem was in there. And probably dealing with whatever guards this place puts in our way."
They moved out into the corridor. Jack, floating in front, took the lead. Phasing through walls and being invisible occasionally to scout ahead.
Flint and Zendo followed. Their footsteps were surprisingly light and soundless. The prison was silent but watchful. Runes on the walls pulsed occasionally. Barriers or alarms were dormant until triggered.
The three of them were surprisingly an effective team. Jack handled the scouting and detecting alarm traps. Flint disabled the traps and picked the locks. And Zendo incapacitated prison guards quickly with fluid, non-lethal, barehanded strikes.
And finally, they reached a large, circular chamber. In the center was a raised stone pedestal. Covered in complex carvings.
Three depressions were carved into its surface. Shaped like key holes. A faint golden energy shimmered above it. Unable to reached the complex carving. Indicating its function was somehow blocked.
"Teleportation pedestal." Zendo's voice echoed faintly in the room. "The Gateway to Freedom. The most precious jewel for freedom seekers like us. But it was unfortunately locked. And it needs three keys of destiny to unlock."
Flint examined the pedestal. "And conveniently, there are three of us." He eyed Jack. "Do you want to split up?"
"It's the fastest way." Jack replied. His assessed the prison layout. Confirming three distinct paths leading away from this chamber. Each was likely containing a key.
"We meet back here. If one of us doesn't return quickly enough, the ones who are already here will decide themselves if waiting is smarter or fetching the latecomer." He elaborated.
Zendo nodded. "Efficiency is the way of the wise. I shall take the path to the right. It is very likely the soothing dwelling place for the weary prison wardens. My senses are as sharp as a tempered knife. I shall be fine, handling myself in tight spaces or against multiple foes."
Flint shrugged. "Left for me then. It should be the direction of the kitchen or the warehouse. Darkness and shadow are my allies. That place should have plenty of both."
"So, straight ahead for me." Jack said. "I'll move fast. You know my ability now. Don't freak out if I come to fetch you, and phase through something unexpectedly."
There was no elaborate farewell. No handshake agreement. Just mutual understanding. They were prisoners. In a terrible place. Cooperation was practical.
Flint took the path to the left. Zendo took the path to the right. Jack, turning invisible, moved straight down the central corridor.
The corridor was short. Leading into a much larger chamber. It was a torture chamber. Iron racks. Hooks. Benches studded with spikes... Rusted instruments of agony were hanging on the walls.
The air was thick with the residual psychic residue of suffering. Even if no one was currently being tortured.
And there were guards. Four of them. Huge, hulking figures. Their bodies a grotesque mix of human and panther. Added with sharp horns curving back from their heads. Horned Werepanthers.
They paced the chamber. Their powerful limbs moving with predatory grace. Occasionally sniffing the air. Though clearly lacking the keenest of senses.
Wait! Why would they patrol within the Torture Chamber? What were they even guarding? Or watching? Someone coming to steal tools for torture?
Jack shook his head. Facepalming at the logic.
But he quickly decided to forget that. Instead, he immediately used [Eyes of Judgement] on them. He expected to see deep dark evil karma. Given the location.
[Entity: Prison Warden Unit 7]
[Species: Horned Werepanther]
[Karma: Neutral]
[Power Level: High]
[Power Class: Prison Guard (Specialized)]
[Current Status: Active]
[Specialty: Brute Strength, Intimidation, Tracking (Scent - Moderate)]
[Personalities: Dutiful, Stoic, Follows Orders]
[Crimes: None (Performing Assigned Duties)]
[Name: Prison Warden Unit 8]
[Species: Horned Werepanther]
[Karma: Neutral]
... and so on for all four.
Neutral? Prison Wardens doing their job? Jack mentally filed that away. This place wasn't just for locking up the irredeemably evil. It was a system. Albeit an unsettling one.
The key Jack needed was visible. Hanging on a thick cord around the neck of the largest Werepanther. Who seemed to be the shift leader. It was a heavy, metallic key. Glowing faintly with restrictive runes.
The Werepanthers didn't seem to notice him. Their sight was good. Their sense of smell was moderate as the info panel stated. But they couldn't detect an invisible, intangible specter.
Jack needed the key without alerting them. Combat was an option, of course. Judge Jack could certainly handle four Werepanthers. But the goal was escape in this trial. Subtlety seemed preferred.
And why would he fight creatures that were just doing their job? And they weren't even evil ones?
This trial wasn't about indiscriminate violence. It was about finding a way out. Possibly testing resourcefulness and discretion.
He floated closer. Silent as thought. The lead Werepanther paused its pacing near a rack. Letting out a low sigh that sounded more like a rumble. Jack focused. This required a delicate touch.
He extended his spectral influence. Not to attack. But to soothe. Tapping into the trait abilities he could use optimally in this forn... [Mysterious Anomaly].
Jack didn't use it for creating chaos or nightmare this time. But for calming effects. For nice dreams.
He targeted the minds of the four creatures simultaneously. Gently pushing waves of tranquility. Suggesting pleasant thoughts for them. Comfortable environments. The satisfaction of a job well done. Leading to peaceful rest.
He layered the illusion. Soft beds. Sunlit fields. Warm weather. Faint lullaby. The scent of home. The satisfying aftertaste of meat feast.
One Werepanther yawned. A massive display of fangs. And then, he settled onto the cold stone floor. Tucking its head under its massive paws. Another leaned against the wall. Its heavy eyelids drooping.
The lead one, the one with the key, shook its head once. As if trying to dislodge an annoying fly. But the soothing presence was persistent. Insidious in its gentleness.
Soon, it too was breathing deeply. Its powerful body was still. Save for the slow rise and fall of its chest. The last one followed suit.
They were asleep. Deeply. Dream-lulled by a specter.
Jack approached the sleeping leader. The obsidian key rested against its chest. He focused. Extending an ethereal hand. It passed through the key initially.
But, he overlaid it with [Mysterious Anomaly]'s aspect of telekinesis control. He adjusted. Focusing his will. Shaping the telekinetic energy.
Slowly. Painstakingly. The key was lifted from the cord around the Werepanther's neck. It hovered in the air for a moment. Heavy and dark. The first key... acquired.
He silently moved away from the sleeping guards. Back towards the corridor he entered from. He didn't rush. There was no alarm clock ticking.
The trial wasn't about speed, it seemed. But successful completion. He reached the corridor. The key trailing behind him. Like a dark, floating shadow.
Back in the circular chamber with the pedestal, Jack let the key settle near one of the depressions. It clicked softly against the stone. He waited.