Chapter 54: Chapter 52 Voting Segment
Ash opened his eyes and found that he had left Shattered Lake Prison.
Because his light screen popped up with the message, “Alert, you have now left the special service area of Shattered Lake Prison. The Kaimon service area welcomes you. Reply with ‘KM’ below this message to receive the latest travel information for Kaimon City.”
But he hadn’t completely left.
After all, Shattered Lake Prison was just ten steps away behind him.
It might not sound like much, but as mentioned before, the main reason Shattered Lake Prison had become an exclusive luxury hotel for death row inmates was its absolute confinement.
And this absolute confinement was based on the fact that Shattered Lake Prison was a water prison isolated within an inland sea.
So when Ash looked down, he could see the Blood Moon reflected in the dark lake tens of meters below, so beautiful as to make one doubt whether it was a dream, so magnificent as to make one feel the insignificance of oneself.
This should have been a romantic moment that made one want to express their thoughts and feelings,
But the only thing Ash couldn’t help was his trembling legs.
After all, when a person stood dozens of meters above the sea surface with only one square meter to stand on, you would tremble too.
Not far away, a death row inmate screamed tragically, “How did I end up here? Let me go back, let me go back!”
“Wasn’t I just walking out of the restaurant?”
“This isn’t the place for the Blood Moon Judgement!”
“I want to make a complaint, I want to complain to the council, you are ignoring the human rights of death row inmates!”
As the death row inmates yelled and screamed, a familiar and frightening voice rang out from behind them, “Gentlemen, ladies, death row inmates, it’s 8 PM Kaimon time, good evening, I am your supervisor for tonight, Nagu McMillan.”
The death row inmates turned around and discovered that they were indeed on the sea-view rooftop. The lights on the rooftop were bright, and Nagu stood at the edge of the rooftop, but he wasn’t looking at the prisoners. Instead, he was looking at six floating orbs that seemed to be burning eyes.
Although it was his first time seeing them, Ash guessed by intuition that those six orbs were the recording devices of this world.
“As everyone can see, the Blood Moon Judgement has already begun. Viewers who want to browse the specific data about the death row inmates can focus on the inmates’ faces, and those who wish to change viewing angles can focus on different camera eyes on the left. Everyone can directly watch this judgement by mentally saying ‘Kaimon First Channel,’ and the rules of the judgement will be on the right side of the video.”
With a thought, Ash mentally said ‘Kaimon First Channel,’ and indeed, the live broadcast appeared on his light screen.
He could even see someone in the broadcast sneakily turning their head back, which looked rather comical—it was himself.
“Our mode tonight is the new mode ‘Confession on the Steel Wire,’ and the specific rules are as follows.”
Nagu calmly stated, “First, this is the breeding season for ‘Finger-tip Sharks’ in Shattered Lake’s reverse currents, and according to records from previous years, there are 35,000 finger-tip sharks gathered in Shattered Lake. Any animal that falls into Shattered Lake will vanish into a splash of blood. The Fishing Association reminds that due to the profusion and availability of ‘Finger-tip Sharks’ this month, the fishing points for ‘Finger-tip Sharks’ will be temporarily canceled this month. Attention all members.”
As he spoke, Nagu kicked a dead pig into the lake.
When the dead pig hit the lake and splashed water, hundreds of finger-sized sharks swarmed, and the water seemed to boil.
Two seconds later, the carcass of the dead pig had disappeared.
Not to mention the flesh; the bones were gone too!
Seeing this scene, Ash’s legs were not just trembling; they were also getting soft.
“Second, the Meteorological Mage announced that tonight the Technique Spirits are in storm mode, and the northeastern territory of Kaimon is a no-fly zone. The Mage Association advises that storm faction mages please take safety precautions tonight and remove all metal objects before entering the Void Realm.”
Nagu pulled out a metal strip and threw it into the sky.
A bolt of lightning cleaved the night sky, shattering the metal slab!
“Third, when the judgment vote begins, the ‘Executioner’ will be generated on the platform where the death row inmates currently stand. This time, the Executioner will be empowered with the ‘Purification Flame.’ The Purification Flame will burn around the Executioner, causing no physical harm, but it will intensely scorch the sinners’ souls, burning away their sinful delusions.”
“However, rest assured, death row inmates, as long as you are innocent or truly repentant, you can completely ignore the effects of the Purification Flame.”
Got it, so the options are either to jump off and become fish food or stay put and be painfully tortured to death… Wait a second!
Ash suddenly realized a loophole.
He wasn’t actually Heath Ash; what sins did he have?
He had almost gotten too immersed; he was an innocent Wandering Soul from the Otherworld!
“Fourth, there is a steel wire in front of the death row inmates, extending to a safety platform in the distance with various weapons placed on it.”
When the lights shone over, Ash finally saw the thin steel wire under his feet, which seemed like it could easily slice a person in half.
At the end of the hundred-meter steel wire, there was a large platform on the ground cluttered with various weapons, including swords, spears, guns, and even cannons.
“Fifth, this is the well-known rule of Blood Moon. When the voting segment ends, the death row inmate with the most votes will have the privilege of winning tonight’s redemption slot; if someone reaches 50% of the votes earlier, the voting segment will end immediately, entering the execution phase.”
“Every single vote will empower the Executioner. The Executioner, infused with the righteous sense of countless citizens, will execute the death row inmate, personally sending his soul to the Heavenly Kingdom of Blood Moon, where the Extreme Master of Blood Moon, benevolent and righteous, will forgive his sins and faults.”
“These are the rules of the Blood Moon Judgement.”
Nagu turned to look at the death row inmates and snapped his fingers.
“Now, please, central control room, release the restraints on the eight redeemers.”
As soon as Nagu finished speaking, multiple messages popped up on Ash’s Light Screen:
“Void Realm access allowed”
“Magic Power output allowed”
“Attack restrictions lifted”
Message after message appeared, dozens in total, and coupled with the sensation in his body like a sudden relief from constipation—this was indeed what the Medical Practitioner had mentioned, the only time when a death row inmate got all their freedoms back: during the Blood Moon Judgement, the prison would lift most restrictions on the prisoners!
“All you sinners, please make an effort to repent. Under the illumination of the Blood Moon, repentance is the only path to redemption.”
Nagu smiled slightly, spread his arms, and loudly declared:
“The voting segment begins! Dear audience, please cast your solemn vote, transform it into a force for justice, into kindness for the redemption of sinners!”
“This moment is the time of judgment!”
Ash suddenly felt a chill, as if the temperature around him had dropped ten degrees.
He looked down and saw the radiance of the Blood Moon on the platform twisting and changing like tentacles, gradually forming into a crimson, fierce spike monster, appearing right behind him!
Its body was entwined with a bluish intense flame, illuminating Ash’s terrified face!
Ash instinctively stepped back.
But as he stepped back, his heel hit the edge!
Had he not adjusted his balance in time, he would have nearly fallen down to become a midnight snack for the Finger Sharks!
Why me… As Ash issued the mental cry that every unlucky person emits, the information that popped up in the upper left corner of the live Light Screen broadcast answered his confusion:
“Current highest vote-getter: Heath Ash, 49 votes.”