When Askan narrowed his eyes, a red light flickered and disappeared.

It was that moment.

Whoosh!

Flames started to move in all directions, engulfing the space where the children were trapped.

Currently, Askan had summoned a total of four flames. Originally, he should have lost his sanity, but strangely, his mind remained clear.

While the instinct to destroy everything had not completely disappeared, it didn’t dominate his thoughts to the point of paralysis.

Askan had gained control over the ability to manipulate fire for the first time.

Initially, the space made of iron seemed impervious to fire, but as time passed, even the iron began to melt.

The expressions of the researchers watching this gradually turned pale.

The tranquilizer had no effect on Askan. They realized that if this place was breached, their lives could also be threatened.

“Hurry, let’s get out of here!”

The researchers hurriedly tried to leave their positions, but before that, the flames created by Askan shattered the reinforced glass.

Crash!

As the reinforced glass broke, fire spread into the room where the researchers were.

In an instant, the place transformed like an inferno.

“Aaaah! Save me!”

Askan looked at the researcher writhing in pain from being engulfed in flames with an emotionless gaze.

They were the ones who ignored the pleas when numerous children cried out for salvation. Askan felt no sympathy for them.

It was when the researchers were dying one by one.

Suddenly, the door of this place opened, and a man dressed in elaborate attire entered.

He was a man with dark brown hair and strong features, possessing green eyes. He resembled a formidable beast.

Even at a glance, it felt extraordinary. This was because the man’s clothes and the aura he exuded were on a different level from ordinary people.

The problem was that following the man, numerous troops appeared. They all moved with a restrained manner, indicating that they were skilled individuals.

‘Is this the limit?’

Askan didn’t expect new members to be replenished like this.

If they intended to kill Askan and the lab children, it seemed difficult for them to survive here.

‘It can’t be helped. I’ll just take as many of them to hell as possible.’

In a moment when Askan sharpened his eyes, ready to intensify the flames, the man in elaborate attire spoke first.

“Wait. We didn’t come to harm you.”

At the unexpected words, Askan couldn’t help but pause.

At that moment, someone approached the man, speaking.

“Third Prince, what should we do?”

The unidentified opponent who suddenly appeared was none other than the Third Prince Helcyon of the Kalua Empire.

As all the other children were collapsed on the ground, and only Askan stood alone, the two naturally faced each other.

Helcyon looked at Askan attentively and spoke.
“Father seems to have already decided to stop the human weapon experiment, so if our appearance is revealed, it’s going to be a headache. Kill all the researchers here and secure any remaining data.”

“Yes, understood.”

Askan quietly listened to their conversation. Although it was a brief exchange, he could infer quite a lot.

While the Emperor of the Kalua Empire seemed to have made up his mind to halt the human weapon experiment, Helcyon appeared to have some other agenda.

Helcyon, who was standing still, asked Askan,

“Are all the people here survivors of the human weapon experiment?”

“…And if so?”

In response to Askan’s brief answer, a knight standing next to Helcyon burst into anger.

“How insolent! Do you even know who this person is?”

Askan seemed on the verge of laughter for a moment. The enraged knight’s face felt too similar to him.

“Do you think I should be grateful to the Kalua Empire that kept me imprisoned in the lab for my entire life?”

If possible, Askan wanted to eliminate everyone associated with the human weapon experiment.

Growing up in the lab, it was only natural. Even if the person standing in front of him was the Emperor of the Kalua Empire, it would have been the same.

Unexpectedly, Helcyon seemed to have no intention of pointing out Askan’s disrespectful attitude. Instead, he calmly spoke to the knight, as if signaling him to stop.

“Feeling discontent toward the Kalua Empire is regrettable. However, I came here to rescue you all and offer you a chance to live a new life.”

“Rescue us? You?”

Askan looked at the children collapsed on the floor. Among them was Bill, who had shared the same room.

Although they were all in a state where they couldn’t move due to the tranquilizer, they hadn’t lost consciousness, so they were listening to the conversation.

Helcyon frowned, looking at the ceiling, as if it would collapse under the blazing flames at any moment.

“First, let’s change our location. This doesn’t seem like a suitable place for a conversation.”

Askan didn’t want to accept it, but before he could say anything, the knights began to move the children who were lying unconscious.

Since it was impossible for Askan alone to move everyone, he had no choice but to follow them outside.

Outside the lab, it was quiet.