In front of the mystical scrap box, Hawker, Caeson began speaking.
"After you went back into the Mind Palace, a fleet of armed warriors arrived and threw me into a prison cell. At first, I thought they were saving me… but now I'm going to be executed tomorrow."
He clenched his fists.
"They think I'm an intruder. There's no point trying to explain anything—they've already decided my fate. I only have one choice… to run away from this place. But I need your help."
After hearing everything, Hawker fell silent.
How does a person end up in such terrible situations again and again? he thought.
Well… everyone makes mistakes. Even I do.
He's explaining everything, but I already saw it all from the Mind Palace.
I didn't have this ability before… but ever since we arrived in this world, I can see through reality—almost like I'm looking through his eyes.
Still… I won't tell him that. If I do, he'll never stop bothering me.
Hawker spoke with an awkward tone.
"So… what now? What's your plan? The Emo-Circle isn't complete yet, so I can't give you anything."
Caeson, however, had already thought of something.
"Do you remember that rope? The one that moved on its own? Can you establish some kind of connection with it? I think it can help me."
Hawker paused, recalling the rope.
"…Alright. I'll try to concentrate."
The scrap box began to float slightly, defying gravity. Inside the darkness of the Mind Palace, a faint wave of light spread outward. That light flowed through Hawker before fading again.
Caeson dropped to his knees and tapped the box gently.
"You okay?"
Hawker replied,
"I tried to contact it… but that rope has a very twisted personality. It's roaming somewhere and has no interest in saving anyone."
Caeson frowned.
"You're the one who stores these items. Don't you have any authority over it? It saved me before from that zombie."
"I told it that," Hawker replied, "but it said it only acted because it doesn't accept anyone as its master. It even claimed it has a name… and that it's a 'man.'"
Caeson rubbed his forehead.
"I don't get it…"
"…How does a rope even have a name and gender?"
Hawker sighed.
"At a time like this, you should be more worried about yourself. I can't fully open before the Emo-Circle completes… but I did sense something. Something I might be able to focus on."
Caeson was about to ask more—
—but suddenly, he was pulled out of the Mind Palace with a jolt.
A prison guard was shaking him awake.
"You're not from here," the guard said. "But we believe in God and our traditions. Before death, a person's final wish must be fulfilled."
From inside the cell, the other prisoners laughed.
"Wow, Caeson! You get to experience heaven for one last day!"
The guard unlocked the cell and pulled Caeson out, placing handcuffs on him to prevent escape.
As if I'd try something that obvious… Caeson thought, glancing at the guard's muscular build.
After some time—
Caeson was brought into a room.
A table stood at the center. Behind it sat a blue-haired woman wearing a formal white-and-yellow uniform. She held a list, looking slightly annoyed. The guard stood beside Caeson.
"What is your final wish?" she asked.
Caeson thought to himself.
This is my last moment… I should at least enjoy something. Let's start with food.
"What food can you offer?" he asked.
The woman replied,
"There aren't many options. Fig salad, fig soup, fig sweets, and—"
"Okay," Caeson interrupted softly.
After hearing the history earlier, he already understood.
This place doesn't have much food. Everything revolves around figs. They probably have animals too… but those are for royalty, not prisoners.
Still… who would risk their life eating figs?
…Well, I'm already about to die.
But figs? Nah.
There's something else I've never tried wines or a whisky.
"Alright," Caeson said. "Give me some wine."
The woman nodded.
"Anything else?"
Caeson hesitated.
I wanted a girlfriend… In my past life even after many one sided stories, I didn't even kiss a girl. I wanted that… badly.
But he couldn't say it.
Inside the Mind Palace, Hawker watched everything.
Grow up, he sent a sharp thought toward Caeson.
Caeson's expression changed. He took a breath and steadied himself.
"I want to go to the library," he said. "I want to read books."
The blue-haired woman and the guard were both stunned.
Who would spend their final moments in a library?
The woman's throat tightened slightly with emotion.
Without another word, the guard escorted Caeson to the prison's basement library.
Inside, two people dressed like doctors in white coats were already present, researching plants.
Caeson glanced at them.
Looks like they're working on growing plants without sunlight…
But he ignored them.
Instead, he walked to a cupboard, picked up a pink book with a dying mermaid on its cover, and sat down on a chair.
He quickly became absorbed in it.
The guard watched him, feeling strangely emotional.
"Your wine will arrive soon," he said softly, before turning to talk with the researchers.
Meanwhile—
Caeson hid his face behind the book.
Tears silently fell onto the table.
Not because of his execution…
…but because of the mermaid who died in the story.
Minutes passed.
His tears kept falling, one after another.
Then—
Knock.
The basement door opened.
A waitress entered, carrying a tray with golden-colored wine and glasses.
She approached Caeson and tried to get his attention.
The guard also shook him slightly.
But Caeson didn't respond.
It wasn't surprising. A man about to die couldn't be normal.
Still, the guard wanted to ease his pain. He gently tried to take the book from his hands—
In the next second—
The book slipped.
Caeson's tear-filled eyes were revealed.
And then—
A scrap box appeared out of nowhere.
Caeson's voice turned sharp.
"Give me a mask."
The box—Hawker—opened.
A black mask, like those worn by factory workers, appeared.
"This time you worked properly, buddy," Caeson said.
He quickly wore it.
The guard immediately drew his short sword.
"You can't leave this place! Your last wish is allowed, but breaking the rules is not!"
The tension snapped.
And then—
Crack.
A sharp sound echoed.
It was like something breaking through a wall.
From the corner of the room—
Something emerged.
It was the rhino soft toy. Walking on its own.
"…Hey," Caeson muttered.
Hawker also recognized it.
Everyone froze in confusion.
But the guard reacted instantly and lunged forward.
"Stop—!"
"Now," Hawker instructed.
In the next moment—
The rhino released a thick green gas from behind.
Within seconds—
Everyone in the room burst into uncontrollable laughter.
They collapsed onto the ground, unable to breathe properly.
Caeson didn't waste a second.
He grabbed the key from the guard's pocket. The guard tried to resist—but couldn't even stand.
Caeson took Hawker in one hand—
—and ran toward the underground path the rhino had just created.
Escape was almost finished.