I Return From Hell

Chapter 25: Chapter 23: Imprisonment

Basement Level Two.

A room filled with all sorts of ”torture implements.” This was one of the pleasure rooms Brother Li had specially designed, also known as the ”interrogation room.”

Certain clients with special predilections loved this place.

The ’implements’ here were constantly being updated.

As for who received the ”torture,” it usually wasn’t any one person in particular. It was all up to the client’s wishes.

But for the past year, the one being punished here had been the same person.

She was called No. 7. Other than Brother Li, no one knew her real name. Even she herself had forgotten it.

She had been thrown in here for 365 days to receive punishments from different clients after being caught trying to escape the White Building.

Huddled in a corner, No. 7 had no idea what was happening outside. She watched in terror as Brother Li and two blood-soaked men walked in.

What she didn’t notice was that the new and old wounds on her body were healing at an incredible rate, and her strength was rapidly increasing as well.

”Brother Li, don’t close the door!”

Sister Yan, Ye Zilan, and two other women and a man slipped inside just before the door was shut.

No. 7 recognized the two women and one man. They were No. 1, No. 9, and No. 13, all of whom were on good terms with her.

Piercing screams still echoed from downstairs. Unsettled even after closing the door, the group barricaded it with various torture implements.

”Brother Li, with so many of us here, we’re sure to be found.”

Sister Yan’s voice rang out.

”What’s your brilliant idea, then? It’s all man-eating monsters out there. We have no idea if there are any on the floor above or the one below. Where else are we supposed to go?”

Brother Li licked his dry lips, still thoroughly shaken.

He had lived for forty years and done plenty of ruthless, despicable things, but even he was terrified by what was happening.

”Make them go out. Have them run upstairs.”

”They can lure the monsters away. Once those things get to the surface, they won’t come back down—there are more people outside. The police will get involved, the monsters will be killed, and we’ll survive.”

Sister Yan shot a vicious look at No. 1 and the others.

”Good idea.”

Brother Li’s eyes lit up. He gave Sister Yan’s ass a hard slap and pointed at No. 1, No. 13, and No. 7. ”You three, get the hell out.”

He kept No. 9 and Ye Zilan behind.

Seeing this, Sister Yan added, ”Those three alone probably won’t be enough to draw them away.”

Hearing this, Brother Li hesitated for a moment before turning to one of his heavily injured subordinates. ”Xiao Hu,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument, ”you go out, too.”

THUMP.

”Brother Li, please let me stay! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”

Xiao Hu’s face went pale, and he dropped to his knees to beg for his life.

No. 1 and No. 13 also fell to their knees, their sobs echoing through the room.

Brother Li had often beaten, berated, and psychologically manipulated them. Over time, they had become completely subservient, developing a form of Stockholm Syndrome. They subconsciously obeyed his every command, saw him as family, and had even fallen in love with him. They didn’t dare to resist now. Or rather...

...the very thought of resistance never even crossed their minds.

All they knew was fear and tears.

No. 7 didn’t know what was happening outside. Having been locked away for so long, she was actually looking forward to getting out.

”Shut the hell up!”

Startled, Brother Li immediately ordered, ”Xiao Cai, get them out of here! Now!”

His other subordinate, Xiao Cai, flinched. He wouldn’t dare disobey Brother Li, especially not when his own life was on the line. He quickly grabbed a machete and, with kicks and punches, brutally forced Xiao Hu and the others out.

None of the people left behind said a word to stop it.

Including Ye Zilan.

She looked on, unable to bear the sight, but the memory of the terror she’d just witnessed made her shrink back. ’It wasn’t me who forced them out, anyway,’ she thought. ’I had no part in it.’

’Even if judgment comes later, it won’t fall on me.’

BANG.

The door slammed shut.

”AHH!”

”Help! The monsters are back! *Sob...*”

”Don’t run! Let’s attack it together! Kill it!”

Panicked shouts, frantic footsteps, and the roars of monsters came from beyond the door.

Brother Li and the others turned pale. They held their breath, only letting out a heavy sigh of relief when the footsteps finally faded into the distance.

「At the stairwell leading to Basement Level One.」

A Mutant was pinning down No. 1, trying to devour her. At its side, No. 13 relentlessly swung a fire axe at it. Meanwhile, No. 7 held a long, black whip she had just grabbed from the interrogation room, wrapping it tightly around the creature’s neck.

These poor souls, imprisoned for so long in the White Building, had actually overcome their fear and found the courage to fight a Mutant together.

As for Xiao Hu, he had already fled to Basement Level One.

He never looked back.

A few seconds later, however, his bloodcurdling scream echoed from the floor below.

He died even faster than No. 7 and her two companions.

The next moment.

CRACK.

No. 13 accidentally struck the Mutant’s head, severely wounding it.

”It’s working!”

No. 7 shouted. ”Keep going!”

”RAAGH! Die! DIE!”

CRACK.

CRACK.

...

No. 13 was a man, after all, and much stronger. Now swinging the fire axe like a madman, his attack was devastating.

A few seconds later, the Mutant stopped moving.

”Stop! Stop chopping!”

No. 7 pushed aside No. 13, who was still hacking away frantically, afraid he might hit No. 1. But then she saw that No. 1’s neck had been torn open. Her body was convulsing; she clearly wasn’t going to survive.

”No. 1... No... no...”

Her hands drenched in blood, No. 7 stumbled backward, trembling, as tears streamed down her face.

Another one of her good friends was dead.

”Sister, they’re incredible. So weak, yet they managed to kill that monster.”

”Mother said humans have great potential.”

”Great? We just fought our way down from the second floor and didn’t meet a single one who could put up a fight. Even these two are no match for us.”

”And that’s why they get to be our prey.”

A brother and sister walked down from Basement Level One. They surveyed the scene, casually discussing it with detached interest.

No. 7 and No. 13 snapped their heads up.

The siblings were dressed primitively, with leaves covering their private parts. The brother, though young, was already muscular. His face was a mask of manic excitement, his eyes openly showing his hunger for what he saw as food.

The sister was much calmer, warily sizing up No. 7 and No. 13.

”Sister, she smells so fragrant. She must be delicious. You’re not allowed to fight me for her.”

The brother pointed at No. 7.

”I won’t fight you for her,” the sister warned, ”but be careful.”

WHOOSH.

The brother stuck out a scarlet tongue, licked his lips, and lunged forward.

But unexpectedly, No. 13 was faster. He charged forward, swinging the axe, only to have it kicked from his grasp. He didn’t stop. He threw himself at the boy, wrapping his arms around him. ”No. 7, run!” he screamed over his shoulder.

No. 7 froze, her body trembling.

”How touching.”

The brother sneered, his once cute, chubby face twisting into a ferocious scowl. ”Is this what human emotion is like? I really don’t get it.”

Before he’d even finished speaking...

SQUELCH.

No. 13 convulsed. A scarlet tongue pierced through his back, its tip wrapped around a still-beating heart.

Her last good friend was dead.

”NO!”

No. 7 snapped. Instead of running, she snatched the axe from the floor and charged, heedless of everything.

She was even faster now than she had been just a moment ago.

The brother tried to dodge, but found that No. 13’s arms were like iron clamps, holding him fast.

He couldn’t move.

As the axe drew closer to his head, the brother didn’t panic. He knew his sister would save him. He cursed instead, ”Damn prey, making me look bad.”

”I’m going to skin you alive!”

However...

THWACK.

The next moment, the axe slammed into his skull, sinking deep.

The brother’s body shuddered.

His face was a mask of disbelief.

As he collapsed, he saw his sister’s wide eyes as she, too, fell. Behind her stood a woman in a suit, a Butterfly Knife in her hand.

She was much prettier than his sister.

That was his final thought before he died.