The World's Strongest and Most Evil Noble Strives Humbly and Diligently ~ Using Knowledge of the Original Story and Unique Magic to Avoid a Destruction End ~ - Chapter 11: Garzak Underground Prison

Chapter 11: Garzak Underground Prison

The Klein Kingdom currently has a faction of the international criminal organization called the Great Demon Order hiding within it.

Through a traitor in the Ministry of Magic, they accessed information from the Magic Catalog Arcanum and kidnapped mages with rare factors.

(In the original story, Hollow also got abducted by the Great Demon Order in several routes, leading to the Void Extraction End…)

To avoid that, I worked with Fiona and registered my unique magic as <Refraction> instead of <Void>.

But that’s beside the point.

Tonight, the members of the Great Demon Order’s Klein Kingdom branch will attack Garzak Underground Prison to steal the Demon King Factor stored there.

(If I leave it alone, it won’t cause immediate problems, but…)

The Great Demon Order is one of the main bosses in the main route.

If they gain too much power, it’ll be troublesome, and thinking ahead, I want to weaken them a bit.

So, here I am at Garzak Underground Prison.

This place has the tightest security in the Klein Kingdom, and ordinary people aren’t even allowed to approach.

But being from the Heisenberg family, one of the four noble houses, makes a difference.

“Lord Hollow, I presume? We’ve been informed by Lord Heisenberg. Please, this way.”

“Very well.”

With just a word from Papan, I was let in easily.

I was guided to the special guest room, accompanied by five guards as escorts.

“Lord Hollow, your tea is ready.”

“Lord Hollow, please have some snacks.”

“Lord Hollow, would you like a massage?”

The guards were very kind to me… but I get it, I totally get it.

I’m definitely in the way, right?

No doubt, I’m just a nuisance, aren’t I?

Having a brat like me show up for what feels like a social studies field trip must be nothing but annoying, right?

I understand that feeling, I really do.

I’m truly sorry, but please bear with me just a little longer.

Something’s about to happen soon.

I glanced at the wall clock and started counting down in my head.

(Five… four… three… two… one…)

Zero.

Right on time, a huge explosion shook the prison.

The entire facility trembled, and the <Warning Alarm> magic activated.

Amid the blaring noise, frantic voices came from outside the special guest room.

“What… what just happened!?”

“Intruders at the northern gate! Probably that Great Demon Order causing trouble!”

“Those filthy thieves… Their target is definitely ‘that thing’ underground! Let’s intercept them, follow me!”

Meanwhile, the guards assigned to me were torn.

“What do we do? Should we go fight them?”

“But we have to protect Lord Hollow…”

They seemed to be struggling between continuing to guard me or joining the fight.

Time to give them a little push.

“Don’t worry about me. Do your duty.”

“But that would leave Lord Hollow…”

“No need to worry. I can protect myself. Or are you saying the next head of the Heisenberg family looks so weak that a lowly thief could take me down?”

“N-no, not at all! —Alright, let’s go!”

The guards rushed off to suppress the attackers.

(Alright, now I can move freely.)

The way is clear.

Time to take action.

I have two goals this time.

First, to dispose of the Demon King Factor.

And second—to gather real combat data on the Void.

“Let’s see here…”

I stood up from the plush sofa, hand on my chin, and studied the prison’s floor plan on the wall.

The special guest room is in the topmost administrative area.

The upper interrogation area, the middle execution area, the lower punishment area, and the lowest prison area—all ominous names. But I felt a slight unease about the lowest prison area.

This floor plan… something’s clearly off.

In the deepest prison area, there’s an unnatural empty space at the back.

(Got it, that’s the place.)

I memorized the coordinates and activated <Void Transfer>.

Ignoring all obstacles, I teleported straight to my destination.

(Bingo.)

The destination—a place that should’ve been empty—had a vast space with a creepy building that looked like an experimental facility.

From behind the towering, thick iron door, I heard pained groans.

“Good, it hasn’t been stolen yet.”

I beat the Great Demon Order to it.

The Demon King Factor is as good as secured.

(Now for the Void combat data—oh, here they come.)

The wall behind me exploded dramatically, and the attackers arrived.

Navy-blue frock coats… no mistake, it’s the Great Demon Order.

At a glance, about twenty of them. A nice number.

Noticing me, they stopped in their tracks.

“Who are you…? What’s a kid doing in a place like this?”

The man leading the group gave me a suspicious look.

At the same time, the men behind him unleashed offensive magic.

“<Flame>!”

“<Lightning>!”

“<Blizzard>!”

Fire, lightning, ice—various spells came at me but vanished into the Void just before hitting.

“What the…!?”

“What just happened!?”

“The magic… disappeared!?”

The enemies were visibly shaken.

(Yup, <Void Possession> is perfect.)

Void Possession creates a thin Void membrane around me, sending anything that passes through it to the Void Realm.

After tons of tweaking, it now automatically identifies and redirects only dangerous things.

It’s fully optimized and running 24/7, from morning to night.

“Honestly, your subordinates need better training.”

I said this while calmly extending my right hand.

(First, let’s check the basics.)

Focusing magic into my crimson eyes, I created a black vortex in empty space, swallowing ten of the cultists into the Void.

“What!?”

The Great Demon Order members widened their eyes in shock as I analyzed the valuable combat data.

(Up to ten targets at once. The more targets, the less precise it gets, huh.)

In practice, I managed up to fourteen targets, but…

Moving enemies make coordinate targeting tricky.

Still, compared to the twelve-year-old Hollow in the original story, who could only open three Void portals at once with poor accuracy, this is pretty good progress.

“That was… a space-control unique magic!?”

“Don’t underestimate this kid…!”

Two men in black jumped out from the group, attacking from both sides to flank me.

(They instantly figured out my magic’s traits and moved to close the distance.)

Space-control unique magic excels at long-range combat but struggles in close quarters.

As expected of the Great Demon Order—they know how to fight, unlike random bandit groups.

“Take this!”

“Die!”

They raised their blue dragon swords and swung with full force.

But,

“Wha…!?”

“What…!?”

The two blades passed through my body, striking each other’s chests.

Both took fatal wounds and collapsed.

(Good, <Void Flow> is perfect too.)

The moment the swords reached me, I sent only my torso to the Void.

As a result, the blades cut through empty air and hit each other’s chests.

I practiced Void Flow like crazy, so I knew it’d work, but… having blades come at me still made my heart skip a beat.

As a gentleman, I won’t say what exactly, but a giant dragon and golden jewel shrank in fear.

While casually thinning out the small fry,

“Well, you use some interesting magic.”

The boss-looking man stepped forward.

His name was… Igva, maybe? I don’t remember clearly.

“I am Igva Norland, deputy chief of the Great Demon Order’s Klein Kingdom southern branch. For a noble purpose—”

“—Collecting rare magic factors, right?”

I cut off Igva’s line with his own words.

It’s the same as in the original story, and I know their goal.

“…Who the hell are you?”

“A villainous noble hated by the world’s scenario.”

“Hmph, not answering properly, huh?”

Igva snorted in irritation and raised his right hand.

“Then I’ll make you talk by force! Take this, <Water Lance>!”

A sharp spear made of clear water shot out at incredible speed.

But,

“—<Void Return>.”

“…Wha…?”

The <Water Lance> aimed at me reappeared behind Igva, piercing his body deeply.

A vivid flower of bl00d bloomed, and he collapsed forward.

“Not bad.”

“…Y-You… what did you do!?”

“Didn’t you say you’d make me talk by force?”

“Guh…”

Honestly, it wasn’t anything complicated.

I opened Void A in front of me and Void B behind Igva.

The water spear shot through Void A and came out of Void B, stabbing Igva in the back.

It’s a basic Void technique, nothing special.

(Absolute defense <Void Possession> is a given. Transparency with <Void Flow> and counterattack with <Void Return> are all solid. Now I just need to increase the number of simultaneous Voids and boost the base specs.)

I mulled over the combat feedback while giving the Great Demon Order members minimal treatment.

“Now, shall we head home?”

I sent the unconscious cultists to Void Town in the Void Realm.

The Void’s embrace is vast.

They’re part of my family now.

They can work with Grad’s bandit group to help develop Void Town.

(But I got something interesting.)

Igva is an Elite Class unique magic user with <Water Blessing>.

By absorbing his water magic factor, Void Town’s water situation will improve greatly, advancing its civilization level.

(Factor collection… this is a good idea.)

It’s not like I’m copying the Great Demon Order, but it’s very beneficial for Void Town’s growth.

It’s also fun as a collection element, so I’ll actively kidnap—er, recruit—rare magic factors from now on.

Of course, I’ll only target serious criminals.

If I kidnapped innocent people, I’d be no different from the Great Demon Order.

As I thought about this, I heard the clanging of footsteps rushing down the stairs from above.

Probably armed guards.

(If they find me here, it’ll be… well, pretty troublesome. I’ve secured the Demon King Factor, so it’s better to move to somewhere less conspicuous.)

I turned on my heel, activated <Void Transfer>, and sent the entire creepy experimental facility to Mount Garan, owned by the Heisenberg family.