I Can Devour Monsters' SSS Talents

The material of the walls deflected Mana, and various other protective layers became stronger the further they descended.

’I guess we’re going to a place where the most dangerous criminals are held... so does that mean I’m now considered a dangerous criminal too?’

’I guess my behavior was normal, though I don’t know if I should be proud of that or not.’ He quietly chuckled to himself.

He truly never thought he would end up in prison one day... and in a completely different world, by an unknown foreign race.

That was also a kind of honor...

”Why did you do such a thing?” Kael finally broke the silence.

”I just wanted to see my friends.” Lian looked at the moving wall.

The commander stared at his face for a few seconds, expecting to see a sign of joking or mockery.

But this human’s expression was completely calm.

”You wounded twenty-seven soldiers and broke into the Rootspire for those three fugitives?”

Lian gave a small shrug, his chains making a short metallic sound.

”They’re good friends.”

”One of them killed our soldier.” Kael frowned.

Lian said nothing.

”Another murdered the city’s archivist.”

Again, no answer came. He just turned his gaze back to the elevator wall.

Kael waited for a few moments. When he realized the conversation would not continue, he did not ask another question.

From his view, Lian had probably done such a crazy attack just to see his three companions.

This perception was useful for Lian’s plan.

The less Kael knew about his main goal, the less likely unwanted information would reach others.

The elevator finally stopped. The roots around the platform opened, and a short corridor was in front of them.

Of course, he didn’t know the truth, nor was he in a position to be told it.

Unlike the previous levels, no ordinary guards could be seen here. Only two Cindari in gray robes stood by a black door.

Their eyes glowed with a faint orange light.

Kael stepped forward, and one of the guards checked the seal on Lian’s chains.

Then he opened the door. The interrogation room was not large.

Its walls were made of polished black roots, and a few metal lines moved on their surface.

A heavy table was in the center, and two chairs were installed on both sides.

The chair facing the door was fixed to the floor, with rings for locking the chains on its arms.

A man was sitting behind the table. He was tall and thin.

His skin was grayer than most Cindari, and the veins on his face were dull orange instead of bright red.

His hair was short and black, with part of it turning gray on both sides of his head.

His right eye was amber.

But his left eye was behind a black lens. Very thin lines moved on the lens, and every time his gaze shifted, a small light lit up in its center.

It was clearly some kind of device.

This device could probably record changes in Mana, heart rate, body temperature, and involuntary reactions of the person in front of him.

The man was not wearing full armor.

He wore a long gray and black robe, and metal gloves covered both his hands.

Despite his unthreatening appearance, Predator’s Instincts gave a calm but continuous reaction.

His name was Tharos. He raised his gaze from a tablet in his hand, first examining Lian’s chains.

Then his eyes moved over the wound on his side and the battle marks on his armor.

”What is your name?”

”Lian.”

”Lian?” He pronounced the name precisely.

”I am Tharos Keln. The head of all military and classified prisoners in the Rootspire.”

”You may leave.” Then he looked at Kael.

Kael did not move.

”The direct transfer order was for classified interrogation. I prefer to stay until—”

Tharos cut him off.

”From here on, the responsibility is with me.”

His tone was not loud, but it left no room for argument.

The commander looked at Lian for a moment, probably still not trusting him and not wanting someone he had personally arrested to be interrogated without his presence.

Nevertheless, Tharos’s authority in this section of the prison was higher.

Kael finally signaled the guards to attach Lian’s chains to the chair.

The metal rings locked around the wrist and chest locks, then the commander turned to the door and, before leaving, looked at Lian one more time.

”Don’t do anything else foolish.”

The door closed behind him.

The two guards also stayed outside.

Now only Lian and Tharos were in the room, and for a few seconds, neither spoke.

The black lens on the man’s eye adjusted with a very faint sound, and orange lines moved on it, fixing on Lian’s face.

”What do you know about that language?” He then asked directly.

”Don’t you want to interrogate me about my crimes?” Lian leaned back comfortably in his chair, not wanting to seem tense.

”Your crimes have been recorded.”

”So I’m here for decoration?”

”Answer the question.”

Lian examined him for a few seconds.

Tharos made no mention of the listening device. He did not ask where the metal piece was or how they had obtained it.

He had gone straight to the language.

So the matter of the native prisoner was more important to him than Lian’s infiltration of the Rootspire.

”We’re from the same world.” Of course, that wasn’t entirely correct, but he didn’t have the patience and didn’t see the need to tell the truth.

A small change appeared on Tharos’s face. His eyebrow rose only a few millimeters. The black lens on his eye released a faint light.

”You and the prisoner?”

”Yes. My people’s language is different from his, but I know his language.” Lian continued without pausing.

This claim was a calculated lie. He and the prisoner were not from the same world.

Earth and the Ruined Realm had no direct connection to each other.

But the Cindari had no way to verify this claim.

Unlike Earth’s Awakeners, they did not have a System that automatically translated unknown languages.

If the prisoner had refused to cooperate, the Cindari had probably been unable to understand his words.

Tharos tapped his metal fingers quietly on the table. The sound of the taps echoed in the room.

”Prove it.”

”How?” Lian asked.

”You said you understand his language.”

”I need to talk to him myself for you to understand.”

Tharos said nothing. His eye lens flashed several times, as if examining Lian’s body reactions.

Then he stood up and left the room through a side door without explanation.

Lian was left alone.

Two listening devices were in the corners of the ceiling. This time, even without looking carefully, their presence was obvious.

Tharos did not want anything from the interrogation to remain unrecorded.

Lian also turned his head slightly, examining the chains attached to the chair.

Each was made of several links. The outer locks were opened with Mana from Tharos or the guards, but the center of the chains had a physical structure.

If he released all his physical strength and activated Iron Fortress for a moment, he could break the connections.

’This part of the prison definitely wasn’t built recently, but why was it built? For the Ruined Realm natives? Or for other creatures that belong here?’ He thought to himself.

Another thing that also seemed interesting to him now was that there were structures and units to protect the borders, as if the Cindari were worried that something might cross those borders and attack them.

Where did this worry come from?

A few minutes later, the door opened.

Tharos returned with a piece of gray stone.

The stone was different from the metal piece found. Its surface was smoother, and its edges showed it had been intentionally prepared for writing.

He placed it on the table in front of Lian. A few lines in that same old script were carved on the stone.

”Read it.”

Lian fixed his gaze on the writing. The shape of the letters was familiar.

It was the same writing structure he expected, but this was the first time a complete sentence was placed before him.

At first glance, he only recognized a few words, and then the System reacted.

[Unknown Linguistic Structure Detected.]

[Translating...]

The letters shifted for a moment in his vision. Not that they really changed, but his mind received the concept behind them.

The sentence was short.

And its meaning made Lian stare at the stone for a few seconds. Then a sudden laugh escaped from his lips.

His laughter echoed in the cold interrogation room.

”What does it say?” Tharos frowned.

”It says: I’m not telling you idiots anything.”

The prison head’s face turned cold. The orange veins on his face became slightly brighter.

”Are you sure?”

”Completely.”

”Exactly that?”

”No threats, no requests. Just that he’s not telling you idiots anything.”

Tharos picked up the stone and stared for a few seconds at the lines he had been unable to read for so long.

Apparently, the prisoner had written this sentence during one of the past interrogations, and the Cindari had imagined it contained important information, a location name, or even some kind of code.

But all this time, what they had carefully preserved was only a direct insult.

”It seems that bastard needs to learn a lesson.” His tone was without shouting, but a cold violence was in it.

Lian moved his gaze from the stone to Tharos’s metal gloves.

This was probably not the first time the prison head had decided to ”teach” a prisoner.

He still did not know the Ruined Realm native. He did not know what he had done, why he was arrested, or whether he was truly innocent.

But now he was almost sure the Cindari had spent years trying to extract information from him by force.

”From now on, you are our translator.” Tharos put the stone aside.

”Excuse me?” Lian remained motionless for a few moments and then tilted his head slightly.

”You heard me.” Tharos raised an eyebrow.

”I feel like I misheard.” Lian continued with a calm tone and then added.

”Did you just speak to me in a commanding tone?”