Future Masters in Modern Times

Chapter 10: Confinement

Zhao Wuji’s authority among the inmates in Block B grew stronger by the day. That day, the astonishing sight of him holding a barbell weighing hundreds of kilograms with one hand as if it were weightless once again stunned everyone. Both inmates and guards believed that his rise to the position of leader of Block B was absolutely well-deserved. However, Zhao Wuji longed for the outside world and had no intention of spending the rest of his life here, even though his current status made him seem formidable to the other inmates. Inside the prison, aside from Sections A and B and a few security zones, Zhao Wuji was not subject to any restrictions on where he could go or when. In recent days, the place he visited most frequently was the morgue where he had once been held; over time, he was able to gather a considerable number of living souls from there as well. Behind the gray prison block stood a barbed-wire fence; beyond it lay the prison’s medical center—a two-story building that also housed the morgue. The building was about a hundred meters long, with two entrances and exits at the far left and far right, respectively. Medical staff were constantly coming and going through these entrances and exits, carrying stretchers; they were always swamped with work. This speaks volumes about the level of violence in this prison. The inmates who run rampant outside the prison show no restraint once inside either. Zhao Wuji faced no resistance as he walked straight through the barbed wire fence and entered the medical zone. Just as he reached the building’s entrance, he collided head-on with someone. Zhao Wuji, of course, didn’t budge an inch, while the other man was sent flying a good distance backward. “Did I just run into Satan today? Damn it!” He hadn’t run into Satan, but he had run into Zhao Wuji—a man even more terrifying than Satan in the eyes of the inmates. The man vented his frustration, cursing as he looked up, only to freeze in shock. “It’s you?” Zhao Wuji also recognized the man lying on the ground—it was none other than the doctor who had first discovered his resurrection. “I know you—you’re that guy who came back from the dead, right?” The doctor struggled to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes with both hands, and asked curiously. After all, that kind of experience wasn’t something just any doctor could witness casually; he’d been fortunate enough to witness it firsthand, and it had left a lasting impression on him. “That’s right, Dr. Brida.” Zhao Wuji glanced at the name tag on his chest and correctly stated the doctor’s name. He felt a certain gratitude toward Dr. Brida; after all, it was the doctor who hadn’t harped on the fact that he’d come back from the dead, but had simply dismissed it as “apparent death.” Regardless of his motives, the help he’d provided had been tangible. “You lucky bastard. Looks like you’ve been doing pretty well lately.” Dr. Brida pushed his glasses up and gave him a once-over. “So, what brings you here?” Dr. Brida didn’t think Zhao Wuji was there for medical treatment; at the moment, there wasn’t a single scratch on him. “Nothing much. I’m just going in to get some bandages—my cellmate got a little hurt.” Zhao Wuji casually made up a lie to brush off Dr. Brida. Then he entered the medical center. The morgue was right next to a huge room filled with hospital beds—there were at least several dozen of them. In the eyes of the prisoners, corpses were all too common, so it wasn’t unusual for the morgue to be right next to the ward. Zhao Wuji walked into the morgue with practiced ease. At a glance, he saw that at least twenty corpses still harbored living souls. Slowly approaching the first corpse, Zhao Wuji began absorbing its soul essence. Before long, he exhaled a long breath, furrowed his brow, and thought to himself, “The soul essence from this first corpse has increased my soul storage capacity by less than one percent—the results are unsatisfactory.” In fact, this was to be expected; most of these deceased prisoners were weak. Prisoners with stronger physiques wouldn’t die so easily. Adopting the mindset of “absorbing whatever I can,” Zhao Wuji continued the process. Zhao Wuji remained in the morgue for nearly an hour before he had absorbed all the vital spirits into his body. “With these vital spirits absorbed, along with the previous five percent,the amount of vital spirits within my body has reached twenty percent. With another eighty percent, I’ll be able to undergo my second enhancement. At that point, my strength will double from the last time, and the strength in a single arm will skyrocket to 4,000 jin—a full two metric tons. If this were the age of cold weapons, I’d definitely be a force to be reckoned with, capable of taking on ten thousand men.” Zhao Wuji’s eyes burned with an intense, searing glow before the fire faded. “It’s just a pity that in this era, such enhancement is still far from enough.” Zhao Wuji assessed himself clearly: “I must work hard to collect fresh souls and continuously enhance myself until I have the strength to obtain everything I desire.” Zhao Wuji was eager to witness the wonders of the outside world. As Zhao Wuji stepped out of the morgue and prepared to return to Zone B Prison, he came to an abrupt halt just outside the medical building. He sensed a force drawing him in—a force similar to human vital souls, yet incredibly pure. With a look of confusion, Zhao Wuji slowly made his way in the direction of the force until he finally stopped. Lifting his head, Zhao Wuji looked at the massive police tape before him, his expression as still as water, a sense of reluctance welling up inside him. “How could this happen? I was so close.” Zhao Wuji clearly sensed how crucial that force was to him, yet he found himself blocked just outside the boundary. Ahead lay the prison’s restricted zone—an area under heavy defense by the Special Forces—and just a dozen or so meters further on, whatever was drawing him in might very well be right there. In just a split second, Zhao Wuji made up his mind. Opportunity often goes hand in hand with danger, and Zhao Wuji decisively chose to take the risk. His gaze was resolute and sharp as he fixed his eyes firmly on the target ahead. Then, dodging obstacles with every muscle in his body tensed, he shot forward like a sharp arrow, effortlessly breaching several lines of defense. “Whoosh”—a piercing gunshot rang out. Zhao Wuji came to an abrupt halt, thinking to himself, “I’ve been spotted!” A sniper bullet had struck the ground half a meter in front of his feet, leaving a bullet hole still smoldering with blue smoke. “Stop right there, immediately.” The sound of military boots pounding the ground echoed as a special forces soldier, shouldering a Barrett . 50-caliber sniper rifle, emerged from somewhere ahead. He was a fully armed white man, clad in a full set of individual combat gear. His sleeves were rolled up at the elbows, revealing his muscular arms. His face was etched with vigilance as he fixed his gaze on Zhao Wuji. Zhao Wuji had the distinct feeling that if he made even the slightest move, he would be shot. “Now, step back. Put your hands on your head. Immediately.” The special forces soldier slowly approached Zhao Wuji, never lowering his raised rifle. Throughout this process, he kept reporting the situation over the walkie-talkie on his shoulder. Finally, he reached Zhao Wuji. Zhao Wuji complied with his orders, backing up step by step. His sharp gaze settled on the special forces soldier’s arm patch, which prominently featured a sword with a triangle on it. The identity of this soldier immediately flashed through Zhao Wuji’s mind: “Delta Force!” Delta Force is the largest, best-equipped, and best-funded unit in the world today. Founded in the late 1970s, it is a key force in United States counterterrorism efforts and is renowned for its secrecy in the eyes of the world. Stationed at Lobestan Prison was a small squad from Delta Force, responsible for year-round security at the facility. For inmates like Zhao Wuji, who appeared to be attempting to breach the restricted zone, the standard procedure—after warnings proved ineffective—was to shoot them on sight. Zhao Wuji crouched down, clutching his head, while the special forces soldier slammed the butt of his rifle hard into Zhao Wuji’s back. A flash of cruelty crossed Zhao Wuji’s eyes; though he appeared calm on the surface, he was actually brewing the most ferocious attack. “Don’t blame me,” Zhao Wuji silently muttered to himself. He suddenly leaped to his feet with such ferocity that a gust of wind swept past him. Raising both arms with a strength capable of tearing a wild beast apart, he brought them crashing down with a thunderous blow on either side of the soldier’s ears. The entire sequence unfolded in the blink of an eye. A look of shock still lingered in the special forces soldier’s eyes, but his consciousness had already been instantly obliterated. The force behind Zhao Wuji’s full-power strike exceeded two thousand jin; such immense force striking the ears—such a vulnerable spot—was enough to kill instantly. The soldier’s brain had been thoroughly destroyed by Zhao Wuji. With a “thud,” the body crashed to the ground. Zhao Wuji cast a cold glance at the corpse, showing no sign that he had just killed a man with such ease. “It’s best to leave as soon as possible. Before long, more special forces soldiers will arrive.” No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than he heard at least a dozen people rushing toward him. “Get down, get down.” “Damn, it’s too late.” With his keen senses, Zhao Wuji immediately realized that all his escape routes were blocked by gunfire; the moment he moved, he’d be riddled with bullets. For now, he had no choice but to feign weakness. “Pete!” A startled cry rang out as a special forces soldier stepped forward from the approaching squad. He hurried over to the body of the soldier Zhao Wuji had just killed, gave it a quick check, and when he looked up, his eyes betrayed not only fury but also deep apprehension. He fixed Zhao Wuji with a piercing glare and spat out, “You’re as good as dead.” Then he took a few steps back, clearly realizing just how terrifying Zhao Wuji was. Come on—anyone capable of killing a fully armed special forces soldier couldn’t possibly be an ordinary person. “I am Jero, commander of Delta Force Team 13. I am placing you under arrest. If you resist, I have the authority to shoot you on the spot.” They were soldiers—and among the most elite in the military—bound by strict regulations. Although Zhao Wuji had killed one of their own, under the current circumstances, as long as he wasn’t in an aggressive posture, they couldn’t take any action against him. Everything had to be reported up the chain of command before any punishment could be determined… “Move!” A dozen or so gun barrels were trained on Zhao Wuji. His expression remained calm as he slowly raised his hands and followed the squad away. Staying calm in the face of any situation—that was the only way. The atmosphere along the way was eerie. Zhao Wuji could feel every team member staring at him. In all these years, he was the first prisoner who had dared to attack Delta Force—and had even killed one of their members. It was simply unimaginable. Delta’s camps are located both outside and inside the prison. At that moment, Zhao Wuji was led into Delta’s camp inside the prison—a heavily guarded area. “Go in!” At the command, Zhao Wuji entered a specialized structure—a prefabricated building designed to be both lightweight and sturdy. As soon as Zhao Wuji entered, he was fitted with sturdy alloy handcuffs. Then several Delta Force members, glaring menacingly and holding their guns, aimed their barrels directly at Zhao Wuji. Under these circumstances, Zhao Wuji had no chance of escape; as before, all he could do was wait for a miracle. Jero emerged from a building, the medical officer’s words still ringing in his ears. “Pete’s brain has completely turned to mush, and there are no signs of a struggle on his body—he was killed in an instant.” ” As a squad leader in Delta Force, Jero’s abilities far exceeded those of ordinary people. But when he analyzed Zhao Wuji’s capabilities in light of the medic’s words, it became clear that Zhao Wuji was a monster. Not only within Delta Force, but among all military units in the world, there might not be anyone like him. If such a person were out in the world, he would undoubtedly be a disaster for ordinary people. Jero’s eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions as he hurried toward the prison, apparently in the direction where the warden was located.