Chapter Fifty-three: The Bright Moonlight at the Cave Entrance

The shrill buzzing sound nearly roused every prisoner in the entire facility. At that moment, whether quickly or slowly, to varying degrees, they all realized something: The cell doors were actually open—!?

Yet, in a remarkable tacit understanding, the prisoners all fell silent. There was no riot, no uproar. An eerie stillness settled over the surroundings.

Until—

A thunderous, earth-shaking roar erupted. Everyone could see clearly that the thickest gray stone wall, the one directly connecting to the outside, had been blown open with a huge hole!

Silvery moonlight spilled through the opening. The free night wind outside drifted in, brushing against the heart of every prisoner.

A wild, animalistic cry broke out.

The riot ignited in an instant! Prisoners surged forward like locusts, scrambling to escape. Some on the second floor even vaulted over the railings, thinking that taking the stairs would only waste precious time.

Armed guards, jolted into action by the alarm, responded swiftly. They wielded non-lethal weapons loaded with rubber bullets, unleashing firepower mercilessly into the mob. One frenzied prisoner after another fell like wheat before a scythe, but for every one cut down, another took his place.

There were simply too few guards. In no time, many prisoners had already escaped through the mysterious hole, fleeing into the boundless wilderness.

Ivan’s three cellmates, naturally, had all run off. Among them, the young man serving a forty-year sentence was the most eager—his legs moved like a rabbit’s, leaping with astonishing speed.

If Ivan had encountered such a scene when he was first imprisoned, he would have been more zealous than that young man; anyone who dared block his way, he’d have rushed out and smashed their head in.

But Ivan was no longer the same. Years had worn away his rough edges. Besides, he had only five months left before release—there was no need to join this chaos!

Sleep, sleep—

Ivan pulled up his blanket, intent on burying his head and going back to sleep.

But just then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure…

A spectral figure…

Ivan sat up abruptly, fixing his gaze on the man!

The newcomer appeared to be a white man in his forties, dressed in a black prison guard uniform. A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth as he looked at Ivan.

This man was definitely not one of the prison guards. Ivan, a seasoned inmate, had at least some impression of every guard, even if he didn’t know them all by name.

But this man—he had not the slightest recollection!

“Who are you?” Ivan lowered his voice, trying to sound composed.

The middle-aged man—or rather, Zhong Shenxiu—did not answer Ivan’s question. Instead, he began to speak on his own:

“Ivan Vanko. Father: Anton Vanko. Once worked under Howard Stark, researching the Arc Reactor. Later, the family was deported by Howard Stark. Your mother, as a result…”

“Who are you!” Ivan could no longer remain calm. Every word from Zhong Shenxiu sent shockwaves through his heart.

He had never spoken of his father’s past to anyone.

Seeing Ivan’s reaction, Zhong Shenxiu nodded in satisfaction. He had picked up this trick from that black-hearted, bald egg—clearly, it worked well.

Then he got straight to the point: “Who I am doesn’t matter, Ivan Vanko. You are a rare talent. Come with me.”

Ivan didn’t reply. Instead, he fell silent, his wrinkled eyelids drooping, his eyes, usually murky, now glinting with a trace of sharpness.

Zhong Shenxiu made no move to rush him. He folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

He knew that a few words would not be enough to persuade Ivan Vanko to leave with him—especially when Ivan’s prison sentence was almost up, and he would soon be free, and legally so.

Therefore… Zhong Shenxiu needed to play his trump card at the right moment.

After a brief silence, Ivan spoke again, asking, “Did you open all these cell doors?”

“That’s right.” Zhong Shenxiu admitted readily.

Ivan’s reaction was calm. After all, this man wore a guard’s uniform; sneaking into the control room to unlock the cells would not be too difficult if one was careful.

Ivan figured that if he had a guard’s uniform, he could do the same; it didn’t strike him as particularly impressive.

But… when he glanced up at the gaping hole in the wall, through which countless prisoners had escaped, he asked again:

“Did you make that hole too?”

“Yes,” Zhong Shenxiu nodded again.

The same answer, yet it landed in Ivan’s ears with a wholly different weight.

It was as though something had exploded in his mind! A chill ran from his spine to his skull, and his usually dim eyes widened in shock.

He pressed urgently, “How did you do it? Did you plant explosives in the wall beforehand? No, no… A wall that thick would require a massive amount of explosives. The guards on patrol would never miss it…”

“Was it a missile? No, no… The watchtowers would never allow any missile launcher to get close, nor could anything slip past St. Petersburg’s surveillance…”

He muttered to himself for a long while, then suddenly looked up!

Fixing Zhong Shenxiu with a piercing stare, he demanded, “How… how did you do it?”

Zhong Shenxiu was unfazed by the interrogation. He slowly straightened, then snapped his fingers lightly in Ivan’s direction.

In an instant!

A wild, indescribable gust of wind blasted toward Ivan, sending his gray hair streaming backward.

His excitement was blown into utter stupefaction.

The scene before his eyes—

He simply could not comprehend it.

“Just like that,” Zhong Shenxiu replied calmly.

The Devil’s Cleave, one point of magical power. Ever since it had fused with chaotic magic, the Cleave—a basic transformation of magical energy—had changed considerably.

Its destructive power was greater, and it was simpler to control.

For a long time, Ivan could not recover from that single, casual gesture. Shock overwhelmed his features, his mouth agape in disbelief.

In a lifetime of hardship, he had never witnessed such power!

“Now, will you come with me?” Zhong Shenxiu’s lips curled up faintly as he made his invitation once again.

At these words, Ivan finally emerged from his stupor. He thought for a moment, then asked, “If I go with you, does that count as an escape?”

“It does,” Zhong Shenxiu answered without hesitation.

After all, he was no S.H.I.E.L.D.—he couldn’t cover the sky with his hand. Going with him was indeed an escape, and Zhong Shenxiu had no intention of deceiving Ivan on this point.

“Then… I’ll pass. I’m out in five months…”

Perhaps having seen Zhong Shenxiu’s extraordinary power, Ivan spoke very tactfully.

It was a refusal, but with an implicit suggestion:

I have only five months left—how about you come back then?

But—

Zhong Shenxiu slowly shook his head, rejecting Ivan’s proposal. He said,

“Ivan Vanko, you haven’t seen your father in fifteen years. Would you like to know how he’s doing?”