The Devil's Cage

Everyone froze like a statue with their gla.s.ses in their hands, not even making the slightest movement.

Starbeck threw his gla.s.s onto the table, his face turning extremely pale. He backed up a few steps as if he had stepped on a snake.

The b.l.o.o.d.y-red wine splashed onto the table and dripped onto the floor, the sound breaking the spell that had come over them.

"Impossible! I just got this from the kitchen!"

Jack looked at Kieran, and then at the gla.s.s in his hand. He did not dare drink it.

Unlike the prison guard, the rest of the team did not doubt Kieran’s words. They all believed him. Lawless, who had a good relations.h.i.+p with him, Starbeck, who had hired him, even compet.i.tive Zywane did not question him.

They knew that Kieran would not lie in such a situation. A lie would have easily been detected.

"We can try it and find out, or get a specialist," Kieran said.

"Very well. I think the prison doctor, Dr. Fenkes, can provide a reasonable judgement."

It was clear that Jack still had his doubts. As soon as Kieran agreed, he walked out of the room.

"Such a welcoming party! Seems like someone is not happy about our arrival!" Lawless laughed coldly as he stared at his gla.s.s.

"I’ll go check out the kitchen back there." Zywane stood up and left. This time Kieran did not challenge him, not because he had given up, but because he knew that Zywane would not be able to find anything.

If the culprit had been able to poison their wine so easily, then they must have been planning this for a long time and would definitely not have left any traces behind.

Zywane had been gone for about two minutes, when Jack entered the room with an elderly man. The man was wearing a doctor’s white coat and spectacles, and his bright white hair had been combed back.

No introduction was needed. It was obvious that this was the prison doctor Jack had spoken of, Dr. Fenkes.

The elderly doctor did not greet them. He just went straight for the gla.s.s of red wine, picked it up, and smelled it carefully.

"This is chamaejasme gra.s.s. It’s extremely poisonous," Dr. Fenkes said. "Who noticed it?"

It seemed that Jack had briefed the doctor on what had happened before he"d brought him in.

"Me!" Kieran stood up.

"Have you studied medicine?"

The doctor looked at Kieran’s surprisingly young face and unconsciously pushed his spectacles up his nose to take a better look at him. He had not expected such a young man to be able to instantly recognize poisonous chamaejasme gra.s.s.

Dr. Fenkes was a doctor, but it still had taken him almost a full minute to identify the type of the poison.

"No, no, I"m just-"

"Doctor! Doctor! Come quick, lots of people have been poisoned!"

Kieran’s explanation was cut off by an extremely anxious voice coming through the loudspeaker in the corridor.

"I could use your help. There"s many people that need help right now, and I’m the only doctor around here!"

The old doctor looked at Kieran while the latter nodded in agreement.

"Yes, of course!"

Just as Dr. Fenkes voiced his request, a Sub Mission notification popped up in Kieran’s vision.

[Sub Mission Unlocked: Poison]

[Sub Mission: You have just set foot on Alcatraz when you are served a poisonous drink. It looks like you were not the culprit’s only target! Your ability to quickly recognize the poisonous beverage has made quite an impression on Dr. Fenkes, who has requested your help in treating the poison victims in the prison. The more patients you help, the more your reputation at Alcatraz will improve!]

"What are we waiting for then? Follow me!" The doctor stood up and walked outside at a speed that did not match his age. Kieran followed tightly behind him, and so did Jack.

Lawless, Starbeck, and the two bodyguards were left behind, staring at each other.

"I’ve said it before, 2567 is extremely lucky! Of course, this is also about the reflection of his strength!"

As an eighth-timer, Lawless could easily guess why the elderly doctor had favored Kieran. It was just because Kieran had been able to recognize the poisonous drink.

Lawless also knew how Kieran had been able to recognize the chamaejasme gra.s.s poison.

[Medical and Medicinal Knowledge]!

"It"s such a coincidence that he bought the [Basic Medicine Crafting Platform] when the prerequisite skill was [Medical and Medicinal Knowledge]! How lucky!"

Lawless did not feel bitter over the lousy trade he had made with Kieran. He really was impressed by Kieran’s luck.

"No.1, when we get back to the lobby, contact Broker! Use all our resources to find a skill that can help differentiate between medicine and poison!" Starbeck ordered his bodyguard after the incident.

That poison could have killed him.

He could not even imagine what might have happened if Kieran had not warned them in time.

"This f*cking game!"

The elegant young man started cursing in a way that did not match his gentleman-like appearance.

...

Zywane was cursing as well.

After he had left the room where everyone was, he had gone straight to the kitchen, believing that he would find some clues there. Zywane thought that even if the culprit had been planning this for a long time, they would still have left a trace behind.

As he entered the kitchen to start his investigation though, he saw a prison guard who had been eating start to vomit white foam out of his mouth. Suddenly, the man fainted and fell to the ground.

Zywane tried to go up and check on him, but he was surrounded and pushed to the corner of the room by the other guards. They all pointed their guns at his head.

They seemed to have misunderstood the situation. Zywane wanted to explain, but no one was buying his story.

There were six pitch black guns pointed at his head. Zywane was smart enough to raise his hands up and shut up.

That"s when he saw Kieran enter the kitchen with an elderly man.

Unlike Zywane"s welcome, Kieran seemed to be treated with respect by everyone.

When he helped revive a couple of fainted guards, the people began to show even more respect towards him.

Sh*t!

Zywane watched Kieran use his finger and press down on the poisoned guards" tongues to make them vomit the remaining food in their stomachs. He was completely astonished.

He also knew that simple first aid method, but he had not thought of using it before Kieran had gotten there. Regret flooded his heart. He knew that if he had been quicker to perform first aid, he would not have ended up with guns pointed at his head.

His regret grew as the seconds pa.s.sed and Kieran kept saving the fainted guards before he looked through the kitchen and cafeteria.

After checking them both, Kieran laid the last poisoned guard down on the floor. As he had expected, the culprit had not left any clues behind. There was no trail to follow.

Kieran noticed the [Sub Mission: Poison (Completed)] notification and turned back to the doctor.

"This is all I can do. The rest is up to you, doctor!"

He was not being modest. Although he had easily completed the Sub Mission, that did not mean that he could also complete the next one just as easily. He might have poison-related medicinal knowledge and know how to bandage wounds, but he still did not have any healing skills.

Leaving that part to the expert was the best option.

The emetic first aid he had administered was just common sense. He had acquired that skill during his childhood as an orphan.

The old doctor nodded with a smile.

"You have done enough. I thought I might need to use emetics or pump their stomachs!"

Obviously Kieran had gained even more of the man’s favor. The doctor stood up and told the other prison guards, "Lads, help your comrades to the infirmary. They will need be to observed for a while!"

The guards moved quickly, following the doctor’s orders. Suddenly, an enraged voice was heard.

"I warned you people that his was not a place where you could just mess around! I told you to stick to the rules! Now look what you"ve done!"

The Deputy Warden rushed in with a red face, pointing at Kieran. He seemed to be holding him responsible.

"This man here just saved at least fifteen guards. He should not be getting scolded, Deputy Warden Swalker."

The doctor was about to leave the kitchen, but he stayed and stood up for Kieran. The other guards also frowned at their superior, fixing their eyes on the Deputy Warden.

Although it was only a fleeting expression on their faces, Kieran still caught it. The Deputy Warden was obviously not a crowd favourite.

Suddenly, the man showed exactly why he was not liked.

"You are just the prison doctor, Fenkes! I am the Deputy Warden here! You have no right to tell me what to do!" Swalker turned around and shouted at the old doctor.

"Then Sherko will tell you what to do!"

The old doctor seemed unfazed by the Deputy"s harsh words. He just pointed behind the Deputy, at the figure of a man approaching quickly.

"Sir Warden!" The Deputy’s rage dissipated by the sudden appearance of his superior.

He went silent as the old doctor turned to Kieran and smiled like a big child. Finally, the old man walked off, minding his own business.

"Swalker, I hope that you will reserve some respect for Fenkes! Not only because of your position, but also because of his age! He is old enough to be your father," an average-sized man with a stern face said in a strict tone.

"Yes, Warden." The Deputy seemed to mumble something, but that was the answer he gave in the end.

The man no longer wished to stayed there. Embarra.s.sed, he glanced at Kieran and Zywane before he turned around and left.

"Excuse him, I am the one who hired you. I"m Alcatraz Prison Warden Sherko!" the man apologized on behalf of the deputy before introducing himself.

"I’m 2567, and this is my colleague Zywane. There are four more of us staying in the room that you arranged for us. If it is not too much trouble, I would like to have you join us and brief us on the situation here."

Kieran once again represented his team in communicating with the natives. Zywane remained quiet. Although he was unwilling to admit it, Kieran’s performance was a lot better than his.

"Of course!" the Warden said with a smile.

Bang!

Just as the Warden and Kieran were about to head to the team"s room for the meeting, a gunshot was fired.

Then an abrupt, familiar scream was heard.