Chapter 3

After the Security Chief showed up.

I gathered as much info as I could while also pushing myself to practice my powers harder.

I had already felt it firsthand—if I wanted to escape this place, I needed to know how to use my abilities.

Because the only thing that could counter a power was another power.

But still, my powers wouldn’t activate.

Was I thinking about this all wrong?

Maybe… my powers themselves had changed because of some variable I hadn’t considered.

Like, the core had shifted, and now a different superpower was manifesting or something.

Or maybe, since Quaker’s past was only briefly touched on in the original story, my initial powers were different from the original Quaker’s.

Either way, I had hit a wall trying to activate my powers on my own.

So, I needed a helper here.

“Hey, how did you first use your powers?”

“…Are you seriously asking me that?”

Seeker, sitting across from me, gave me a look like I’d lost my mind.

Yeah, I’d be shocked too.

If I were a local here, I’d be too embarrassed to even ask.

The question I just asked was no different from asking, “How do you walk?”

If you’re human, you’re supposed to naturally have powers and awaken them instinctively.

I’m not sure about the exact mechanism, but at least in the hero project I knew, that’s how the world worked.

Even if the powers were practically useless, you could still use them.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been eating that tasteless porridge, but my powers just won’t come out…”

“…You’re going to die anyway, so does it even matter?”

“You really think I’m going to die?”

“There’s no way anyone could survive that insane experiment. They’re literally scrambling your brain to artificially enhance your powers… Anyone can see you’re going to die.”

Wow, they’re running some mad scientist-level experiments here.

No wonder none of the people taken so far have come back.

No human could survive that kind of experiment.

If this were some sci-fi near-future setting, it’d be a different story, but sadly, this world was one step away from becoming Gotham City.

Villains running wild, heroes stepping up.

“Still, I have to do what I can.”

“…Even if what you’re doing has no meaning?”

“Since when have humans only moved when there’s meaning?”

Humans have always progressed by doing pointless things, after all.

I closed my eyes and stretched my arms forward.

“…Why are you so fixated on that method? Has it ever worked before?”

“…Maybe?”

“That’s a weird answer.”

But it’s all I know.

Still, Seeker’s words made sense.

But… even if I tried a different posture or movement, how would I even do it?

After a while of deep thought, I realized there was something I hadn’t tried yet.

Maybe that method would work.

I picked up one of the few items in this place—a pillow.

A completely ordinary pillow.

I imagined pouring strength into my hand while holding the pillow.

“…Oh.”

The pillow felt slightly lighter, as if it were floating in the air.

The rise was so subtle you wouldn’t even notice it if you crouched down, but hey, it’s progress.

I guess I was too fixated on Quaker.

A young Quaker wouldn’t have mastered their powers yet, so it’s not like I could use them as easily as Quaker did.

Maybe I wasn’t thinking straight because of the situation.

Even if I was in a hurry, I should’ve taken it step by step from the basics.

“Thanks, kid.”

“…I have a name, you know. It’s Ryumina.”

Oh, didn’t know that.

In the original story, she was only called Seeker until she tried to take down the protagonist with her, so I had no way of knowing.

But her telling me her name must mean she’s warming up to me.

That’s a good sign.

If no one’s coming to rescue us, we’ll have to escape this place ourselves, and for that, I really need Seeker’s help.

“Thanks, Mina.”

“…Just keep practicing.”

I watched as Mina turned her head away, embarrassed, and then went back to practicing my powers.

Until I collapsed from exhaustion.

———————

It’s been about a week now.

Of course, I’m counting based on sleeping and waking up, so it’s not exact, but it’s been a while.

During that time, I’ve seen countless people being taken away, which only strengthened my resolve to escape.

I don’t want to meet my end in a place like this.

“…But my powers are still…”

Maybe it’s because I’ve only just started being able to use them.

Or maybe Quaker actually succeeded in the procedure.

My powers were extremely limited and weak.

I could push or pull things from my body.

To put it more scientifically, it felt like I was manipulating gravity and repulsion.

But as I used them more, I noticed the strength was increasing slightly, so with enough training, I might be able to control gravity like Quaker.

If I could do that, living quietly somewhere wouldn’t be a problem.

But first, I need to get out of here for any of that to matter…

Well, let’s give it a try.

I raised a finger and focused all my power into it.

I started to feel a lukewarm air wrapping around my finger.

In that state, I carefully touched the shadowed wall, the kind that wouldn’t draw attention.

And then—

I alternated between repulsion and gravity, slowly pushing the wall away.

Normally, I’d be pushed back too, but if I applied gravity to the soles of my feet to keep myself as steady as possible while pushing…

“Man, you gotta hand it to those government workers.”

If you’re gonna kidnap people and build a facility like this, at least make it sturdy. They just slapped some cement together, so of course it’s easy to make a hole.

I crouched in front of the hole and cautiously spoke up.

“Hey. Can you hear me?”

“…”

“Hey…”

“…Who’s there?”

A middle-aged man, maybe.

I paused for a moment, then quietly relayed my message.

“Don’t you want to escape?”

“There’s no way…”

“If we all work together, there’s a chance.”

He sounded as hopeless and drained as I expected.

But to survive, we have to get past hurdles like this.

“Do you have family outside?”

“Without me… they might’ve starved to death.”

“Then shouldn’t you go out and check?”

“…Is that even possible? And maybe it’s better to just die here. Not knowing what happened to my family… sometimes it’s better not to know.”

Facing despair is worse than clinging to a pathetic hope and dying… is that it?

Maybe he’s right. Maybe it’s easier that way.

But…

“So you’re okay with having your brain scrambled and dying?”

“…”

No response.

He doesn’t want to die.

He probably wants to see his family too.

But since there’s no hope of escaping, he’s just convincing himself with comforting lies.

I don’t like it.

“Your body will be used for experiments until there’s nothing left, then thrown into an incinerator without a trace. Your family will never know what happened to you.”

“…Stop it. What can I even do?”

His voice, filled with pain, struck my chest.

Talking like this makes me uncomfortable too. But I hate the idea of just giving up and dying even more.

So, I clenched my teeth and responded to his despair.

“There’s a kid here who can figure out what’s going on outside the prison. With their help, we can escape this place.”

“…Even so…”

“…How old is your child?”

“…They’d be in high school by now.”

“That kid’s around the same age.”

Right now, I have no power, no money, no strength.

So, I have to bet everything on emotion.

“…”

“Please. How many people here actually want to die? If we all work together, we can survive.”

“You’ve only convinced me so far, haven’t you?”

“Starting now, I’ll convince everyone.”

This world, inside and out, is hell compared to where I came from.

But that’s no reason to give up on life.

“…You’re full of energy.”

“It’s just youthful recklessness.”

“I see. When I was your age, I charged ahead without thinking too. Got beaten up a lot, but I also achieved things. Like when I asked my wife to spend her life with me, even when I could barely take care of myself…”

I’d taken the first step.

I smiled with satisfaction and said,

“In three days, I’ll have a plan for all of us to escape.”

Given that three people are taken away regularly, it can’t be too long.

And escaping in a short time is impossible.

Just three days.

I have to prepare everything in that time.

“…Might as well give it a shot.”

Who am I, anyway?

I’m inhabiting the body of a villain, aren’t I?

Even if I’m just an ordinary person who can’t live up to that image, I should at least try, right?

I immediately started digging a hole in the opposite wall.