Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe-Chapter 1677: Prison Break

In the underground prison complex, it was a scene of pure mayhem.

Rubble fell from above as sections of the ceiling gave way, chunks of stone crashing into the corridors. Dust and debris filled the air, choking visibility and turning every passage into a haze.

Through it all, the prisoners roared at the top of their lungs. Not out of fear and apprehension, but pure adrenaline and excitement.

They slammed against the bars, chains rattling, voices rising in a frenzy that echoed through every level. The noise fed the chaos, acting as fuel and making it harder for the guards to keep everything under control.

But keeping the prisoners in check was the last thing they had to worry about. Because one by one, the guards succumbed to their deaths. Serpents struck from the shadows, swift and silent.

A venomous bite, a brief moment of struggle, and then eternal darkness.

Bodies dropped along the corridors, leaving gaps in the lines meant to hold the prison together. The deeper it went, the worse it became. The excited roars of the prisoners and the ominous hisses of the serpents echoed.

And soon... all the guards were dead.

In the heart of the prison complex, within the chamber that served as the underground structure’s command center, the chaos was even worse.

Several Mana Vortex Magi lay dead, their bodies marked by venom.

Dozens of powerful serpents, big and small, slithered across the floor, coiling over the fallen Haynam Magi and feeding without pause. Their movements were slow and steady, as if they took great pleasure in devouring fresh human flesh.

A few of the serpents broke away, casting disdainful glances at their gluttonous brethren. They knew their work hadn’t yet finished.

The Dark King had summoned them and given them two clear instructions: first, kill all the guards patrolling the prison, and second, release the prisoners.

After the two tasks were completed, the serpents were free to have a grand feast. Of course, they were not allowed to harm the prisoners.

So these few serpents climbed onto the control panel, which was an array of rune magic and artifacts, and began moving across it. Their bodies brushed over symbols, sometimes triggering faint pulses of light.

They were searching, testing. From time to time, they’d look at the dozens of illusory screens hovering in the air in front of them. These screens depicted the scene of the prisoners going mad with excitement.

Meanwhile, the serpents spent several long moments finding a way to unlock every prison cell.

But in the end... they failed.

"Human consssstructsss," a serpent hissed in exasperation. "Confussssing!"

Another serpent nodded, its predatory gaze shifting to the dead Magi on the floor. It was tempted to abandon its work and begin eating.

"When in doubt," said another snake, raising its head arrogantly. "Desssstroy everything!"

And so they did.

Destroyed.

Everything.

Runes cracked under their onslaught, disk artifacts shattered one after another, and the system holding it all together broke apart in seconds.

The lights flickered on the control panel a few times, and the illusory screens hovering in the air wavered. Then everything went dark for a few seconds.

And then... a heartbeat later, a heavy series of clicks echoed through the prison. Doors unlocked, and cells opened.

All at once.

Inside the cells, the prisoners watched with wide eyes as the doors slowly creaked open. For a moment, they didn’t know what to do. They had been rotting in the small space within the cells, cramped against other cold bodies for so many years.

And now, when the door in front of them creaked open and light spilled inside, their eyes couldn’t help but glisten with emotion.

Somewhere, a prisoner slowly extended a shaky hand. It passed beyond the boundary between captivity and liberation. And then, he gradually took one step, and another, then another. Until finally, he stepped out onto the corridor.

His shoulders trembled slightly as he was overwhelmed by emotions. And then, he took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs as tears trickled down his haggard face.

"Freedom!!!"

Hearing his words, more and more prisoners escaped their cells. Their clothes were torn, their frames were malnourished, and their appearance utterly haggard.

Yet in that moment, when they finally stepped past their cell doors, their bodies were reinvigorated with newfound strength and hope.

One by one, they echoed the word and the feelings of the first prisoner to step out of his cell.

"Freedom!"

A moment later, another hoarse voice broke through the darkness, further deeper into the complex.

"Freedom!"

And then, like a domino effect, the prisoners spilled out of their cells and screamed in joy.

"Freedom! Freedom!"

"Freedom! Freedom!"

In the cold depths of the Jomuran prison complex, where misery thrived and despair consumed all, for the first time in many, many years, the sound of laughter was heard.

When the prisoners broke free of their cells, they laughed.

When they saw the guards lying dead, they laughed.

When they finally tasted freedom, they laughed.

So was it really so unbelievable that the man who gave them that freedom was none other than...

The one who inherited the will of the Laughing God?

Far above the prison complex, through the darkness and the falling debris, the ground above was consumed by fire.

In the great hall of the administrative center, the flames raged without restraint. They surged across the floor and climbed the walls, swallowing pillars and warping the air.

The Mana Core-level cultists and thier undead knights bore the brunt of it.

The only silver lining was that when they were affected by the fire magic, they snapped back to their senses and escaped the effects of the enchantment magic. Immediately after, the cultists’ undead knights protected them from the fire, while they quickly raised their defenses.

At the center of it all, the Dark King stood proudly, his hands clasped together as he guided the fire magic to wreak havoc.

He glanced at the walls and noticed they were still standing. He quickly attributed this phenomenon to the giant stone pillar outside, which had not only cast two barriers — one around the building, and the other around the city — but also reinforced this building.

His brow arched in thoughtfulness, and then he laughed.

"Very well. Let’s turn this into a funeral pyre!"