Chapter Four: Escape Plan
The burly man spoke again, his voice calmer now after a moment of thought.
"That makes sense. You know nothing because you've only just arrived in this world."
He leaned back against the wall behind him and continued,
"You're currently in an empire called Vireina—a vast land made up of 702 kingdoms. Just yesterday, we were in a kingdom named Infrida."
"Long ago, this world knew peace… until monsters from the Abyss swept across it. No one knows where the Abyss truly lies, and no one ever returns from it."
"That's why it's called that."
"The monsters came without warning—and with them, something else appeared… something known as The Tower. No one knows who created it, or why, but it gave us something invaluable: the Heart of Orin—a power beyond human limits, one that gave us the strength to fight back."
He raised a finger, as if pointing to some eternal truth.
"The Heart of Orin changed everything. It made humans stronger, faster, sharper… gave them abilities that exceeded their natural limits."
He went on,
"The last major attack from the Abyss was a hundred years ago. We were nearly wiped out. Even now, we're still struggling to recover. The empire is vast, but only the kingdoms are truly habitable. The lands between them… no one dares to explore. They're still haunted by the aftermath of that catastrophe."
"For now, we haven't strayed far from Infrida."
Suddenly, the iron door to the cell creaked open. A masked man—one of the kidnappers—entered, holding a wooden tray with food and water. He said nothing, didn't even look at them. He simply placed the tray on the ground and left in silence, slamming the door shut behind him.
The seven men hesitated, then slowly approached the tray.
The bread was stiff, dry, its cracked edges looking more like stone than food. The water was murky, with bits of dirt and bubbles floating on the surface, served in dull, corroded metal bowls.
But hunger has a way of silencing hesitation. They were seven men, exhausted and starved, lost in the unknown. They ate in silence, exchanging pained glances with each bite.
Daniel forced down the hard bread with the others, trying to swallow past the knot in his throat. The silence in the cell grew heavier—until the man spoke again, his voice low but steady.
"According to what we know… the Tower has multiple floors. A person climbs it by clearing one floor after another. But there's a condition to enter: reaching the Fourth Mana Circle."
He paused, letting the words sink in, then went on:
"What the Tower placed inside you is called the Heart of Orin. It holds a spatial connection to the Tower itself. Through it, you can refine mana and store it in rings—or rather, circles—around the Orin core. But this only becomes possible once your core is strong enough to handle those circles."
"The more circles you form, the stronger you become. That kidnapper who took the hit you mentioned? He's probably only reached the First Circle. There are also things called Ira—they're like vessels you can channel your refined mana into to gain a specific ability or power. I think he used an Ira known as Skin Hardening."
"You'll understand all of this in time... if you survive long enough."
A tense silence fell again before he added, voice now sharper:
"Now… close your eyes. Try to feel something near your heart. I know it won't be easy—you haven't refined mana or strengthened your Orin core yet—but just try."
Those who were listening did as he said. They closed their eyes and focused, trying to listen to their own bodies—to feel something unfamiliar.
Daniel slowly shut his eyes, drawing all his attention inward, toward his chest. Then… he felt it.
(There's something… right beside my heart. I really can feel it…)
(But… there's no movement. No pulse. It's just there—like some foreign organ that's been placed inside me. Completely still. Paralyzed.)
(Is this… the Heart of Orin? It's there… but it feels dead.)
A relatively long time passed before the kidnappers' voices rose again down the hallway. Everyone listened intently as the noise gradually grew louder. It became clear that the kidnappers had already started their celebration; they were now gambling, laughing loudly, eating meat, and drinking wine.
Daniel watched them for a moment, then turned to those with him and said in a low voice, "You haven't answered one question yet... can we escape from here?"
The three looked at each other, exchanged a brief glance, then chuckled softly at his question. One of them said, "Escape from here? Impossible... for one reason: we're normal people just like you. We don't have any Aira."
Another added, "That's exactly why they only need one or two people to stop us."
Daniel looked back toward the kidnappers, who were beginning to show signs of drunkenness, then said, "You think everyone's celebrating now?"
One of the three shrugged. "That's normal... even those workers who grind us down, you see them celebrating now. Didn't you hear them before? They said they have no work for the rest of the day, and no one will come from outside either."
The third, the one with the mustache, asked curiously, "Do you have a plan to escape from here?"
Daniel repeated the word as if testing its meaning: "Plan..."
Then he lifted his head and said calmly, "Our plan is to wait... just a little."
The nervous man suddenly raised his voice in protest, "You bastard! Are you trying to fool us now?"
Daniel sighed deeply before replying, "First, no cursing."
Then he nodded toward the hallway and said, "Second, look at them... they're already helping us escape from here."
A tense silence settled among the men as they watched what was happening outside. And while the scene looked like a chaotic, undisciplined celebration... the idea began creeping into their minds.
(The end of the celebration... is the perfect moment.)
The nervous man looked at Daniel with half-desperate eyes, then said sharply, "Impossible... even with this!"
But Daniel cut him off immediately in a serious tone, "Impossible or not... we're going to try. Isn't that better than sitting here waiting to be sold like merchandise?"
A moment of silence followed, before the third man intervened, pointing with his eyes toward one of the kidnappers, "The hardest part now... is getting the keys."
Daniel followed his gaze and saw the keys dangling from the waist of one of the three kidnappers, lightly swinging with every movement he made.
"Yes... but how?" asked the heavyset man, worry rising in his voice as he stared at the distant keys like they were an impossible treasure.
Daniel whispered confidently, "I have an idea... leave it to me."
Then the heavyset guy furrowed his eyebrows, "And if we succeed... how will we cross the desert to reach the kingdom?"
The man with glasses replied this time, suddenly remembering, "Didn't you forget? The carts they brought us in... will be our next destination. Luckily, those carts were placed in the palace, specifically in the room with the balcony where we first entered."
The third, the one with the mustache, shook his head annoyed and said skeptically, "This is a very random plan... we don't even have confirmed information. What if there's someone outside who's alert and hasn't drunk? Then our plan will fail completely."
But the man with glasses replied calmly, as if weighing his words carefully, "At least... we'll try. And it's likely everyone will be drinking tonight. That's the most probable scenario."
He also added with a faint smile, "Yes, and even if we fail, they won't do anything to us. Did you forget we're their valuable money? After all, we're their merchandise; they can't easily harm us."
**📢 [Special Announcement] 📢**
**Lovers of *Throlm: A land shrouded in magic and mystery*!!! **!!!! ** ✨
Are you ready to delve deeper into the mysterious world of Thrulim? 🔥 ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Exclusive new chapters** are waiting for you on **Patreon**! Join us on this journey to uncover hidden secrets and untold adventures.
🎁 **What do you get?
- Early access to upcoming chapters �
- Catch your opponents there before you're done
**👉 Link in the comments:**
Thanks for being a part of this magical adventure! Let's unravel the mystery together