The Mafia King Escaping from the Devil Prison

My name is Victor Woods. I'm 24 years old, half Chevonian and half Mistralian, and I've spent the last six years locked up in Eastside Correctional Facility for attempted murder. Today was the day I was getting out, but Mike Martin called me to meet him in the exercise yard behind the prison. It seemed like Mike wanted to talk to me alone. It was just the two of us in the yard, with two guards watching us from a distance, not even remotely concerned we might try to escape. Mike wasn't very tall, and one of his eyes was blind. People said he lost it in a gang fight when his opponent stabbed him. But what he did afterward was something no one could've imagined. He ripped out his stabbed eye, bandaged it himself, then grabbed an AK-47 in one hand and a machete in the other and fought his way out. That battle made Mike famous. From then on, he became the underground king of Northvale. Like me, Mike had yellow skin, which made him stand out even more in this foreign prison. But it wasn't like Mike took pity on me because of our shared ethnicity. He simply believed I was the only one who could carry on his legacy. There were plenty of people in Northvale, but not many made it to Eastside Correctional Facility. This place housed spies who'd stolen national secrets, assassins who'd killed presidents, and warlords who'd massacred tens of thousands of people. Every single one of them was ruthless and dangerous. The only reason I ended up here was because of Mike's connections. I once asked him why he went to the trouble of getting me transferred here. Mike told me to shut up and think about how he managed to pull it off instead. He wouldn't explain, and I couldn't press him for answers. But I knew Mike was the ruler of Eastside Correctional Facility. No one dared defy him. Even the leader of Northvale's biggest gang had to swallow his pride when Mike arrived. So, I had no choice but to follow his orders. To be honest, I was scared of him. Killing me would've been as easy for him as snapping a twig. But what made me respect him was that, on my second day in prison, I was almost stabbed to death. If Mike hadn't stepped in, I probably wouldn't have survived. And on the day I was transferred, I saw with my own eyes the body of the guy who'd tried to kill me being carried out of the prison. That was the kind of power Mike had. After I joined Mike's crew, the first question he asked me was whether I wanted revenge. I dreamed of killing the b*stard who ruined my life. If it weren't for him, my sister wouldn't have died. If it weren't for him bribing the officers, how could I have ended up in jail for attempted murder and almost got killed in prison? So, I told Mike I wanted revenge without hesitation. I wanted to kill his entire family. Mike didn't encourage me. Instead, he slapped me across the face and made me stand in the corner to reflect on my actions. I spent three days thinking and still couldn't figure out what I'd done wrong. Finally, Mike handed me a report. It was evidence of how my sister had been r*ped and brutally murdered. He told me that revenge wasn't about acting on impulse but about patience and planning. "If you can't even keep calm, how can you take revenge?" he asked me. That was when I started learning to endure and stay calm. No matter what happened, I'd think it through first. Mike began teaching me fighting skills. From hand-to-hand combat to survival techniques, he taught me everything without holding back. In six years, I transformed from a hot-headed, impulsive guy into a ruthless killer. And that was exactly what Mike wanted. Now, the day had come for me to leave prison. Mike stood beside me with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the rising sun. He let out a faint sneer and said, "Humph, it's been a long time since I've watched a sunrise. It's an exception today to watch it with you." I could tell Mike didn't want to part ways, and it made me feel emotional too. After all, in these six years, we'd lived together. He'd taught me everything I knew. I'd long since started to see him as my family, or at least as a mentor. "My teacher..." I finally called him that for the first time in six years. Since I was about to leave, I didn't hold back from showing him my utmost respect. After all, I knew I'd never see him again. "Good. You seeing me as your teacher proves you still have some conscience. As they say, 'Your teacher is like your family.' Now that you're leaving, I have one last gift for you." Mike pulled a ring out of his pocket and handed it to me. It was a black ring with a dragon's head in the center, surrounded by the coiled body of a snake. The dark dragon head exuded an intense, terrifying aura. "Victor, I know you want to seek revenge, but your enemies have grown stronger and more powerful. With your current abilities, it's impossible to seek revenge. Take the Dragon's Embrace and go find my daughter. Help her grow stronger. Only with strength will you have the power to take revenge." Mike slowly took two steps forward, his trembling body showing clear signs of age. I hadn't expected Mike to stop me from seeking revenge, but his willingness to give me the Dragon's Embrace showed that he still wanted me to avenge myself. He simply believed I needed a stronger foundation before doing so. Yes, it had been six years. My enemies wouldn't just sit around waiting for me to confront them. Even if I'd mastered some skills, what good were they without a powerful backing? And even if I succeeded in taking revenge, what then? Should I die along with them? Mike continued, "I'm old now. I can't go out and rebuild from scratch. The Fighters need someone like you to grow stronger. My daughter, after all, cannot establish herself in a big city like Northvale." He added, "You've learned everything I know. In terms of strategy and combat, you've surpassed me. As long as you assist her, the Fighters will undoubtedly become the leading gang in Northvale. Both the political and business worlds will have to respect you. By then, revenge will just be a piece of cake." Mike lost one eye, but he was a shrewd man of vision. I finally understood why he brought me here. He was entrusting his daughter to me. Over the past six years, his full effort in training me had been nothing more than preparation for me to assist her. If I wanted revenge, I'd need backing, and Mike's daughter would be my strongest backing. "Alright, I agree. Do you have any other instructions?" I stood up straight and responded. Mike let out a long sigh and looked toward the rising sun, clearly satisfied with my answer. "One more thing here: the Fighters don't belong to the Martin family. It exists for the Chevonian community in Northvale, who suffer from injustice. But right now, it is surrounded by dangers. When you go out, you must learn to use your wisdom to face them. Brady will help you. Now get the f*ck out of here and become the ruler of Northvale." The next moment, a prison guard walked up and said in a less-than-polite tone, "Mr. Woods, time's up." To an outsider, it might have seemed like I was about to be executed. On this day of freedom, why did I feel such a heavy weight in my heart? After giving his instructions, Mike never turned back to look at me. I could only bow deeply to him in the sincerest way before leaving. The prison guard handed me my belongings and said, "Congratulations, Mr. Woods. You're the first person to leave Eastside Correctional Facility alive. I hope you don't come back." Like h*ll I'd want to come back here. If it weren't for Mike's influence, I wouldn't have been in this cursed place to begin with. I was never coming back. Walking out the door, I saw the desolate road littered with countless fallen leaves. At the end of the road, a black Ford suddenly roared to life, its engine screeching as if announcing that my era had arrived.