Chapter 4

I was placed in a cell surrounded by the glowing eyes of several guards, making it extremely difficult to escape.

My hands were bound with iron chains, and my feet were shackled with heavy fetters. I never thought I would experience something like this.

However, the chains on my hands were noisy, and the fetters made it hard to move, so I was starting to get bored.

I'll break them.

With that thought, I raised my hands high and struck the extended chain against my knee.

The chain easily snapped with a metallic sound. Wow, I'm impressive.

When I tried to crush the fetters in the same way, the guards must have noticed the sound and came over, shouting at me.

"What are you doing!"

I immediately put my hands together to make it look like the chain hadn't broken.

"Trying to break the chain? But it's futile. These chains are special."

Damn, I broke them.

I thought to myself but didn't say it out loud. The guard gave an unpleasant smile and returned to his patrol.

Now, let me explain why I'm openly avoiding combat.

As you might have noticed from when I broke the chain, I'm probably quite strong. I should be able to dominate lesser foes.

However, that's only against lesser foes. I didn't want to engage in combat until I knew how well my physical abilities would hold up against someone who uses a lot of magic.

Therefore, I think I should engage in combat only after I can create things to a certain extent. I know it might sound strange, but I'm actually quite cautious.

So, the only thing I can do in this cell is practice creation.

"Hey, new guy. What are you doing?"

Just as I started practicing, someone called out to me.

I was the only one in this cell, but there were several prisoners in the cell across from me.

I must have looked like an interesting spectacle to them, creating mysterious objects called konnyaku one after another. That's why they called out to me.

"Where are the guards? Why aren't they here?"

"Probably slacking off. You can't get out of here anyway."

I see, with a cell this secure, it doesn't really matter if the guards are there or not.

"By the way, new guy, what is that?"

"Konnyaku. Do you want to eat it?"

"Are you serious!?" "No way!?" "Give it to us!"

The moment I said that, the prisoners, who had seemed uninterested, started banging on the iron bars, demanding konnyaku.

"We haven't had a decent meal in a while!"

"It's not very tasty, though."

Well, I can create as much as I want, so I might as well give it to them. I created a lot of konnyaku and sent it to their cell.

The prisoners immediately swarmed around it and started munching. Seeing this, I realized I was hungry too, so I ate some konnyaku.

"True, it's not very tasty, but it's better than nothing."

Despite their complaints, the created konnyaku was quickly gone.

I was thanked and treated like a hero.

Since I was here, I decided to gather information about this world by chatting with the prisoners. I can practice creation anytime.

"Are you not going to escape?"

"No way, no way. We've lost our strength and magic, and we don't have the will to escape."

"Hmm, so you're going to live here forever?"

There was a moment of silence.

I must have said something quite serious. It became a bit awkward.

"By the way, why are you here? I mean, you must have committed some crime, right?"

"No, we didn't commit any crimes."

"Huh? Then why?"

"We... knew a secret."

A secret, huh? That sounds intriguing.

"Tell me more."

"...Sure."

---

According to what I heard, the world is divided into two major powers.

One is the Demon King's forces, and the other is the humans.

Guilds and other organizations are becoming active worldwide, aiming to defeat the Demon King.

This country was about to launch a full-scale campaign to defeat the Demon King, and they were attempting a "Hero Summoning."

The Hero Summoning required a significant amount of magic power, which they were collecting from the general public and draining from the prisoners.

Behind the Hero Summoning, the king had a plan to conquer the world after the Demon King's defeat, and those who discovered this plan were imprisoned.

"But the ones you let go were real criminals."

So it seems.

"By the way, aren't you being used to replenish magic power? What happens after the Hero Summoning?"

"...Probably we'll be killed."

"Wow, that's terrible."

"You'll be killed too."

"I'm going upstairs."

Like a prince or something.

"Impossible."

The conversation with the prisoners ended there, and I returned to practicing creation.

---

It was a good wake-up. Thanks to this fluffy bed, I think I slept for about five hours. The prisoners across from me seem to be asleep, so it must be night.

I stretched and got out of bed, only to be greeted by a large pile of konnyaku at my feet.

I had practiced creation so much before going to bed. During this process, I successfully created a bed.

Through various experiments, I felt I was gradually understanding this ability.

First, I can't create things I can't clearly imagine. I need to not only think about it but also visualize where I'm creating it, what it is, its structure, and what it can do.

This was surprisingly difficult, but I found that it was easier to create objects that were easier to imagine.

What I lacked was imagination and creativity. As a fan, it's embarrassing.

The biggest limitation of this ability is that it drains my stamina, or mental energy. I didn't notice it with something as small as konnyaku, but when I created the bed, I felt a slight fatigue.

In other words, creating things consumes something like MP.

It's still unclear why konnyaku appears when I fail.

Now that I'm awake and my mind is clear, I'll try to escape.

I headed to the iron bars, avoiding the konnyaku on the floor.

The prisoners in the opposite cell, who had been noisy during my creation practice, were now snoring.

I didn't want to wake them, so I quietly left the cell.

"Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, Hooooo, H