The Useless Prince Is A Gangster
Chapter 103. Creatures

Chapter 103: 103. Creatures

Draven crouched by the trapdoor, staring into the dark where Leo had dropped.

Sylo slid up beside him, her voice sharp with doubt. "Bet he’s dead from that fall."

Draven’s smirk was cold, his amber eyes gleaming. "Nah. If he’s really the Ruler, he’ll make it through one round at least." He glanced at the Wolves below, their faces tight with rage. "If he survives, you can kill him yourselves. Call it a prize."

Leo fell fast through the tunnel, his dark blue coat flapping in the wet, rushing air. His wrists burned, tied tight behind his back with knots so good he’d need to lose skin or bone to get free. A faint light glowed ahead, showing the tunnel’s end.

Leo focused, pulling wind mana to his legs, a soft shimmer wrapping around him.

The tunnel spit him out into open air. Twisting as he fell, Leo used the wind mana to slow his drop. He hit the ground hard, crouching, pain surging through his legs even with the mana’s help. His jaw clenched, but his tied hands stayed whole.

Breathing slowly, he stood, looking around. The smell is worse here—rotting meat and death, so bad his stomach twisted. Half-eaten bodies littered the stone floor, bones shining in the weak torchlight. The huge room felt like a grave.

Deep growls broke the quiet and its not an animal, but something worse. Leo turned, his red eyes narrowing. Shapes stepped from the shadows were human-like creatures, but with bony bodies, gray, peeling skin, and empty, hungry eyes. They moved wrong, jerky, their moans freezing the air.

"What the hell?" Leo muttered, his heart speeding up.

Draven’s voice boomed from nowhere, mocking but amused. "Welcome to Treachery Prison’s eighth floor, Ruler. Meet my pets—our new weapons. They won’t stop ’til your heart does. Good luck."

Leo’s eyes flashed, his voice sharp. "Where’d you get these damn zombies mother fucker?"

[Sub-Mission Alert!]

[Kill the Test Creatures: 0/38]

The zombies rushed him, fast and shrieking. Leo sighed, smirking. "Zombies weren’t on my bucket list to see in this world, but okay."

One zombie lunged, claws out. Nimbus burst from Leo’s shadow as a panther, slamming it down, claws ripping its throat.

[Creatures Killed: 1/38]

Two shadow wraiths appeared, purple eyes glowing, tearing through a group of zombies, gray flesh flying.

[Creatures Killed: 3/38]

The shadow wraiths zipped through the fight like ghosts, their claws tearing through zombie flesh with deadly skill, but there were too many creatures. They couldn’t break free to cut Leo’s ropes. His wrists burned, the tight knots digging into his skin.

A zombie burst past the wraiths, crazy fast, claws reaching for Leo. Hands tied behind his back, he ran, its sharp nails just brushing his dark blue coat. He spun, jumped at the nearest wall, and kicked off the wet stone. Twisting in the air like a dancer, he smashed his boot into the zombie’s head, crushing it. The creature hit the ground, skull broken.

Immediately, Leo called a short sword from his item box. The blade appeared with a flash of mana, floating for a second. He lunged forward, grabbing the hilt in his teeth and dropping to one knee by the zombie, he drove the sword down, stabbing its heart.

The blade sank into the stone floor with a heavy thud, pinning the body.

[Creatures Killed: 7/38]

A deep growl pulled Leo’s focus from the fight.

Two zombies broke through the wraiths’ defense, but the sword stuck in the zombie’s body was his shot. No time to wait. Leo yanked his head back, dropping the hilt from his teeth, and rolled away, dodging the first zombie’s claws by inches.

He jumped up, running for the sword as the second zombie swiped, its sharp nails grazing his shoulder. His dark blue coat ripped, blood trickling out, but Leo clenched his jaw, pushing the pain down.

He slid to his knees by the sword, twisting to rub the ropes against the blade’s edge. The zombies’ roars grew louder, their steps closing in. Leo sawed fast, the ropes fighting back, burning his wrists. A strand broke, then another, the knots giving way.

A creature loomed, claws raised to kill. Leo’s eyes flashed, and with one last, hard yank, the ropes cut. He rolled as the zombie’s claws smashed the stone, sparks flying. Grabbing the sword, he pulled it from the corpse and spun, slicing off the zombie’s head in one clean move. Its head rolled, body dropping with a spray of blood that splashed his coat.

The second zombie rushed him. He ducked its claws, stabbing his sword up through its chest. Blood poured as he twisted the blade and kicked the body off, watching it collapse.

[Creatures Killed: 13/38]

Leo glanced at Nimbus and the wraiths, tearing through zombies like they were nothing. "Boys!" he yelled, getting their attention. The shadows stopped, purple eyes on him. "Back off—let me take this."

The wraiths paused, then sank into the ground, gone with Nimbus in a ripple of shadow. The zombies turned, snarling louder, and charged towards Leo, a wave of claws and teeth, hungrier than ever. Leo’s smirk was icy. "Alright, you stinking freaks. Let’s end this."

Up above, in a viewing room, Draven, Sylo, and Warden watched through thick glass, eyes wide as the wraiths vanished.

Sylo’s voice filled with disbelief. "What were those things?"

Warden frowned. "Summoned creatures? How’s he doing that?"

Draven’s jaw tightened, amber eyes narrowing as dark tendrils shot from the stone below, stabbing three zombies through the chest and pinning them to the walls like bloody trophies. Blood dripped, pooling below.

"Pride powers," Draven growled, voice low and bitter. "He stole them from Demon Commander Valtharion."

In the fight, a huge zombie—bigger, faster—charged Leo, towering over the rest. Leo stood firm, pulling wind mana into his legs, the air around him glowing faintly.

As the beast swung a giant arm, Leo jumped, flipping over its head like an acrobat. Mid-air, he pierced his sword into its skull, the blade sinking deep. He landed behind, pulling the sword free as the monster crashed down, shaking the floor.

[Creatures Killed: 35/38]

The last three zombies moved together, much quicker, their screeches ear-splitting. Leo roared, using his wind mana for one huge leap. He flew over them, twisting in the air, and landed behind, slashing his sword in a wide arc. Two heads fell, bodies dropping.

The final zombie lunged. Leo grabbed its wrist, twisted hard, and drove his sword through its chest, pinning it to the ground. Its moans stopped, eyes going dark.

[Creatures Killed: 38/38]

Leo stood, breathing hard, sword dripping blood. His dark blue coat was soaked, red stains mixing with the fabric. The room was quiet, a mess of torn-up bodies around him. His smirk came back, tired but bold. "Not a bad start."

[Sub-Mission Completed!]

[Rewards: 500 Mana Shards, 800 EXP Points!]

Leo spotted an iron door across the room. He walked over, kicking it open with a loud clang, and stepped out. Beyond was a prison hallway, lined with cells of iron bars. Inside, more of those creatures screamed, their bony hands reaching out, claws scraping the air.