The elevator ascended to the seventh floor, and the group of the guards marched forward through the volcano floor.

It didn't take long for them to start sweating.

With tail wagging, Fen trotted behind them and also looked quite uncomfortable because of the intense heat.

He hated this place.

He wanted to return to the dojo, which he had started to treat as home, and get petted by his mother, Aoi.

To get there as soon as possible, he was determined to help his father to achieve whatever goal he has in this place!

Most historians and those studying the close-to-extinct race of Magical Beast thought that their intelligence level was similar to ordinary animals.

They were very wrong.

Magical Beasts are actually very smart, and the stronger they become, the smarter they will be.

They soon reached the sixth floor, and as they were making their way down, Fen excitedly looked over to Julian's cell, and if he had an arm, he would be waving his hand.

"Ah…"

Julian looked at Fen with a shocked look and immediately closed his mouth.

'Kiernan is planning something. Is he intending Fen to do something? Will he even be able to do it?'

He wondered.

From floor to floor, Fen followed behind the guards until they finally arrived at the top of the prison—the first floor.

Since it was getting late, most of the prison guards were heading to their quarters to rest for the night.

Fen decided to follow the guard that looked the most important and followed him all the way to the Prison Warden's office.

Before entering through the door, the prison guard took off his hat, pressed it against his chest, and knocked on the door.

He looked quite nervous.

"Come in…"

With a deep voice, Prison Warden said.

"Sir!"

The prison guard opened the door, stepped inside, and saluted the large man behind the desk and the demon-horned man by the window.

Both Prison Warden and Vice Prison Warden were presently here.

"You came from the eighth floor. Is the situation there resolved?"

Prison Warden asked.

He was a really large man, and the chair under him seemed too small for him.

Instead of becoming a Navy Admiral, he decided to become the Warden to keep the most dangerous criminals of the sea in check.

His name was Mars, Prison Warden of the Downed Prison, and one of the most powerful men of the seas.

"Yes, sir! Prisoner Jack was fighting several prisoners. It is either because he lost his mind after the realization dawned on him that this place will be his home for a very long time.

"Or maybe he just wanted to try to fight for the King of the Eighth Floor."

The prison guard said.

"…Captain Jack. I'd like to meet him today. Arrange my meeting with him tomorrow."

Mars said.

"Tomorrow already? Oho, you think that he is a special case?"

Daemon asked with a smirk.

"…I read the report that those navy officers gave me, and I don't know, there is something off about it. It felt like the situation around his capture seemed… too easy.

"Captain Jack has been avoiding capture for over a decade, and the way he got captured seemed disappointing."

Mars said.

"I will arrange that."

The prison guard nodded, then saluted, and left.

However, a certain dark-furred creature stayed behind, looking curiously at the two Prison Wardens.

"I will find out the truth straight from his mouth."

Mars stood up, and Daemon bowed at him before they both started heading out. They turned the lights off in the room before leaving.

Alone in the room, Fen trotted to the desk, and using Ethereal Bond's phasing ability, he phased through the drawers to see the contents inside.

He went through several of them, just to find nothing, and then his eyes landed on a tall painting of Mars riding a seahorse on the wall.

It was like he could see something that no other person could.

In that moment, Fen phased his head through the painting, saw a hidden safe behind, and even phased through the metal.

Inside, there was some money, a leather-bound journal, but more important, a key with a red ribbon around it.

Fen opened his mouth, put the key inside his mouth, and moved his head out of the safe.

With a big cheerful smile, he walked through the solid wood door, ran to the elevator, and pressed the button.

…

It was dark on the eighth floor, and while some of the prisoners were shouting insults at Kiernan, he was relaxing in his cold ice bed.

A short moment later, he heard soft paw tapping noises, and then, Fen jumped on top of his stomach and licked his face with excitement.

"Fen…"

Kiernan scratched him behind his ears and looked around him but then looked confused as he asked.

"The key? Where is it?"

In that moment, Fen spat out the key, and it landed on top of Kiernan's chest.

He looked surprised for a moment and then immediately tossed it inside his inventory to hide it from plain view.

"Good job…"

He whispered, a small smile forming on his lips, and he then hugged Fen against his chest to borrow some of his warmth.

"Yip… yip…"

Fen yipped, sounding like he wanted to say something, but Kiernan couldn't quite understand him.

"What?"

Fen tapped him with the paw, then pointed at the cell door, and yipped again.

"Me? Go out?"

Kiernan tilted his head in confusion.

Looking slightly frustrated, Fen hopped on top of his chest and nudged his nose against Kiernan's face.

"I really don't get what you are trying to say…"

Kiernan said with a wry smile.

Fen patted heads with him, as if trying to headbutt him, but it didn't hurt him, as it wasn't the intention.

"Am I dumb? Okay…"

Kiernan turned serious and said.

"Are you saying that we need to escape now?"

Fen nodded rapidly.

"…I am not ready. I still need to form a whole plan."

Kiernan said.

Fen shook his head and jumped on top of his chest, as if he was in a great hurry.

"Did you hear something out there that will put me in trouble?"

He asked.

Fen nodded.

'Are they starting to figure out that I am not actually Captain Jack? If that is the case, and seeing how hurried Fen is, I might actually have to escape tonight!'

Kiernan hurriedly sat up, and the gears inside his brain started turning and twisting.

He really didn't like having to improvise this much, but since he already acquired the key, the next part of his initial plan was much more possible to do now.

'Very well then!'

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