Chapter 88

In Qin Ran's line of sight, an extremely thin wire, as fine as a hair, extended from the gap under the prison cell door, skillfully slipping into the lock of the cell door and continuously probing.

If it weren't for his D+ level perception and the activation of [Tracking], and the sound that reached his ears, Qin Ran might not have been sure of what he saw.

Instinctively, Qin Ran blinked.

Then, his gaze sharpened!

Because, in his memory, this cell should have been where the elderly man with the nickname 'Master Thief' was held.

Instantly, Qin Ran recalled the brief encounter with the man.

The man had a content smile on his face, completely unlike the numbness or anger of other prisoners.

At the time, Qin Ran didn't understand why the man had such a relaxed demeanor.

But now, he understood.

It was because Alcatraz Prison couldn't hold him at all.

And there was an even more important point: the man remained unharmed in the presence of the无形游魂 (intangible spirits).

After all, Qin Ran had just conducted a relatively thorough inspection, and any remaining guards or prisoners in the building were already dead.

"Being able to leave freely, yet willing to stay in this hellish place!"

"And ignoring the danger posed by the intangible spirits!"

"Then... what was the purpose of giving me that note?"

Qin Ran narrowed his eyes.

He felt that he might have been used.

Because, based on the information he now had, the man was well-prepared.

Even if he hadn't appeared, those two notes would have ended up in someone else's hands.

For example, a righteous guard? Or more 'interested' parties.

Qin Ran leaned towards the latter.

But regardless of which side, a conflict would inevitably occur.

Then, the man would use this conflict to achieve certain goals.

Just like now!

"Another Kilfen Hedges?"

For some reason, Qin Ran thought of the邪教首领 (cult leader).

Perhaps their methods were different.

But their goals were so similar.

Qin Ran gestured to Stanbeck to stop.

While Qin Ran walked towards the cell.

Click!

The iron lock on the cell door sprang open with a crisp sound.

Creak!

The door was pushed open from the inside, and the poorly oiled hinges immediately emitted a harsh screech. However, the 'Master Thief' inside the cell showed no sign of a competent thief, let alone a 'Master Thief.'

He completely ignored the harsh screeching.

On the contrary, he increased the force, making the door open even faster.

Qin Ran stood in the corridor, watching the scene unfold.

He confirmed again that the man knew everything that had happened in Alcatraz Prison.

Because only then would the man be so brazen.

The only thing the man hadn't anticipated was that Qin Ran hadn't died in the conflict or been killed by the intangible spirits.

Another point was also confirmed: the man had given him the two notes not out of kindness.

In fact, it could be said to be malicious.

It was a means the man used to achieve his own goals.

Therefore, when the cell door was fully opened, the [M1905] was already in Qin Ran's hand, and the gun was pressed against the man's head.

"It's you?!"

"I think we might have some misunderstandings!"

The 'Master Thief' immediately recognized Qin Ran and raised his hands high.

"Misunderstandings?"

"I think our misunderstandings are quite significant!"

Qin Ran spoke with anger, not moving the gun, and the force on the gun pressing against the man's head increased, making the man's head tilt back.

"I can explain!"

"Let me explain!"

The man repeatedly said loudly, fearing that Qin Ran would shoot without hesitation in his anger.

"Then, can you explain what's happening here?"

"Why are they all dead, but you are alive and well?"

Qin Ran didn't reduce the force, keeping the gun pressed against the man's head, making him explain.

Of course, more accurately, Qin Ran wanted to know the man's purpose.

The appearance of the half-dead person had already foreshadowed that Alcatraz Prison was not ordinary.

Even if Zhang Wei had unintentionally fueled the situation, without a substantial foundation, no matter how hard Zhang Wei tried, he couldn't make a boss-level monster, which should appear at least in the sixth dungeon, appear in a dungeon with an average difficulty of the fourth.

In fact, if it weren't for Wu Tian, they would have already faced a total wipe.

Qin Ran was well aware of this.

But what Qin Ran was even more aware of was the benefits he could gain by uncovering this 'foundation.'

He initially joined this temporary team dungeon, besides the high price offered by Stanbeck, to gain even greater benefits, right?

That's why he had tracked Zhang Wei's footsteps here without hesitation.

It looked risky, but danger and opportunity coexisted!

Qin Ran had known this principle long ago.

Moreover, the 'Master Thief' in front of him seemed to be a presence that could reduce danger.

"Before entering Alcatraz, I had someone tattoo a magic array on my body!"

"With the help of a spirit medium—when he learned that I was entering Alcatraz because of Kilfen Hedges, he provided me with this help for free!"

"And now, I am very grateful that I accepted the spirit medium's help!"

"It protected me from the persecution of those evil spirits!"

The man explained, pulling down his collar.

On the left side of his neck, there was a pattern the size of a one-yuan coin.

The pattern was intricate and complex, and Qin Ran couldn't identify it at a glance.

It was a magic array far more complex than the 'Great Demon Seven-Star' he had seen before.

It should be real!

Qin Ran evaluated the magic array in his heart.

But the man's words didn't satisfy Qin Ran.

A spirit medium?

In the confined environment of Alcatraz Prison, such words couldn't be verified.

Simply put, the magic array that protected him from the evil spirits might be real.

But the man's words could be false.

There were too many loopholes.

The man was still beating around the bush.

This made Qin Ran frown.

The next moment, Qin Ran punched the man in the stomach.

Thud!

With a dull sound, the man bent over like a large shrimp.

Before the man could recover, Qin Ran raised his elbow and smashed it into the man's back.

Thud!

This time, the man fell to the ground directly.

Qin Ran's [M1905] was once again pressed against the man's head.

Only this time, it was the back of his head.

The gun pressed hard, making the man's face stick tightly to the floor, unable to move.

"My patience is limited!"

"I hope you can tell me your purpose!"

"Instead of phrases like 'because of Kilfen Hedges'!"

Qin Ran emphasized again.

And he sped up his speech, making his tone sound impatient.

"Or, are my methods too gentle?"

"Should I cut off your fingers one by one to make you understand what to do?"

Qin Ran said, pulling out a dagger and waving it back and forth over the man's fingers.

"I, I'll talk!"

When the sharp dagger cut into the skin of the man's index finger, he shouted repeatedly.