I Die to Rise: Resurrection System-Chapter 102: Rain Brains!

The door panel beeped, then it hissed open. And Kurt had exactly two seconds, maybe less, to react.

Using plastic man, his entire body compressed, stretched, and reformed in the blink of an eye.

He shrank down into a perfectly ordinary-looking plastic cup on the corner of the Warden’s desk, the kind of thing no one would ever look at twice. He even added a little fake coffee stain for realism.

The door completely opened up, and two people stepped in.

A higher-ranking guard. Kurt assumed so because he had access to the Warden’s office. And then Dane, the low-life scumbag who’d most definitely done in his mates for a few extra cores.

"Make it quick," the guard said with a clipped tone. "And it better be good, or you’ll be stuck on janitorial duty for the next six years."

"And I get five years shaved off my sentence?" Dane asked eagerly, rubbing his hands together like the greedy goblin he was.

The guard scoffed. "Depends on if it’s worth bringing to the Warden." He folded his arms. "So is it?"

Dane lowered his voice like the snitch he was and whispered, "There’s an Untouched in the Circle."

The guard went still. "That’s impossible."

He rubbed the side of his helmet like he was massaging a headache and lowered his head in a frustrated gesture. "I knew this was a waste of time." He sighed, already turning toward the door.

"I’m serious!" Dane grabbed the guard’s arm to stop him, then immediately let go as though he’d grabbed a live wire. "I saw it with my own eyes. He was killing D-rank monsters with his bare hands. Even with the collar on."

The guard’s eyes narrowed behind the helmet. "There are barely a handful of Untouched in the world. And prison isn’t exactly their usual destination or style."

"But do we really know anything about their ’style’?" Dane responded quickly. "Like you said, no one really knows much about them. Secluded and all that."

"Hmm." The guard rubbed the bottom of his helmet like he was attempting to rub his chin. "Let’s assume you’re right. Whoever they are still can’t do shit about the collar around their neck. One flip and it’s lights out."

Dane rubbed the side of his shoulder nervously. "So you’ll let the Warden know?"

The guard thought about it for a moment, hesitating. Leaving his access card with a prisoner, even temporarily, was against every protocol in the book. But if this intel was real...

He slapped the key card against Dane’s chest. "Don’t make me regret this. Clean up the Warden’s office and wait here when you’re done. And if anything goes missing, I’ll know exactly who to blame."

The guard left, closing the door behind him, leaving Dane alone in the office.

Dane stood there in the silence, shoulders relaxing for a moment before muttering to himself, "Serves that bastard right." Then he turned around and saw Kurt. Standing in the middle of the room, grinning.

Dane’s face went through confusion, shock, terror, recognition, and more terror. His brain unable to reconcile what was happening.

And when his mouth opened to scream. Kurt pointed two fingers at him and used Theft instantly, stealing Dane’s voice before a sound could escape. Dane’s scream died in his throat, mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out at all.

"Now, now," Kurt said calmly, stepping closer. "We don’t want to disturb the good people of the Circle, do we?"

Dane, unable to speak, started freaking out even harder. His hands clawed at his throat, eyes bulging, feet stumbling backward as he backed into the desk, knocking papers to the floor.

Kurt sighed. "Right. Can’t have you running off either." He opened a portal beneath Dane’s feet that connected straight into the black, silent heart of The Hole twenty floors down, and Dane plummeted into the abyss without a sound, arms flailing, mouth still screaming silently as darkness swallowed him whole.

It was one thing having your own voice to keep you company before you went insane down there. But without that? Dane wouldn’t last thirty seconds.

"Enjoy the Hole," Kurt called down after him. "I hear rats thrive in dark spaces."

The portal began to close. No matter how hard Dane tried to scream, nothing came out.

And when it finally winked shut, Kurt dusted his hands like he’d just taken out the trash, returning his attention to the massive piece of machinery before him and groaned.

He stared at the password prompt, mind racing. "Bloody hell. System, any chance you’ve got a helpful hint about cracking computer systems?"

A notification chimed in his head.

[NOTICE: A system’s data can be erased with a strong enough magnetic field]

Kurt blinked. "Well, bugger me. You actually answered." The System was finally being helpful for once.

"I believe I understand what you’re saying..."

He mentally navigated his interface and found Magnetic Field (F-rank). He dumped points into it immediately, pushing it all the way to C-rank.

[UPGRADE CONFIRMED]

[Magnetic Field → Electromagnetism: C-Rank]

[Cost: 30 Points]

[Available Points: 15]

[NOTICE: Magnetic Field has evolved to Electromagnetism]

[New Description: Control electromagnetic fields with precision. Can attract, repel, or manipulate metallic objects at range. Can emit short-range bolts of electric discharge capable of stunning or destroying electronics]

Kurt lifted his hand over the system terminal, and blue arcs of electricity crackled between his fingers. The screen flickered violently as text scrambled and files corrupted in real time.

Then the entire system short-circuited with a sharp pop, smoke rising from the vents as the screen went black.

A notification appeared in Kurt’s vision.

[ALL DATA ERASED]

Kurt grinned. "That’s the stuff."

But he wasn’t done yet.

He moved to the filing cabinets across the wall and began pulling them open one by one, searching through folders of criminal profiles to erase any hardcopy evidence as well.

One cabinet after another, he went through names and images until he found Lena’s file. Then Razor’s. Then his own. Then Riley’s. And lastly, Urm’s

He lifted them up, snapped his fingers, and they burst into flames. The paper curled and blackened, turning to ash in his hands.

Finally, he shaped his finger into the perfect key using Plastic Man, stretching it into the lock mechanism on his collar. With a twist, the lock clicked open, and the collar fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Kurt rolled his shoulders slowly and rubbed his neck, feeling the absence of the weight for the first time in days. "Much better."

He then glanced at the smoking system terminal, then at the ashes scattered across the desk. "Now what?"

Suddenly alarms started blaring, red lights in the Warden’s office blinking. For a second Kurt believed that whatever he just did to the Warden’s system was the cause of the sirens.

He phased his head through the door and saw guards rushing toward the Walk. "There’s a riot!" one shouted.

Kurt pulled his head back, grinning. Urm must’ve started it right on schedule. "Almost forgot about that." He grabbed a bottle of brandy he found on the Warden’s shelf and teleported away.

***

At the auction hall, the atmosphere was electric.

One of the wealthy patrons leaned back in his seat, swirling a glass of wine. "Whatever happened to Baran? He was the kind of goods that didn’t ask questions. Money was the only incentive he needed."

Another person snorted. "Last I heard, that fool Benji got him killed."

A third chimed in, adjusting his monocle. "I heard he was killed *along* with the fool. Didn’t live up to the hype, I guess."

The Warden noticed he was losing the crowd’s attention and cleared his throat into the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you, the next offering will be worth your time."

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight hit the stage.

Lena was paraded out onto the platform, wrists cuffed, tail swishing behind her. Every eye in the room locked on her immediately as conversations died mid-sentence. Even in prison rags, she commanded attention.

The auctioneer’s voice boomed. "Lot Seventeen! A Minari specimen of exceptional quality! Leopard variant! Documented B-rank hunter before incarceration! Agile, intelligent, and..." He paused for effect. "...remarkably submissive when properly motivated."

Laughter rippled through the crowd. Then the bidding started at one million credits.

"Two million!" someone shouted.

"Five million!"

"Eight million!"

"Twelve million!"

The numbers climbed higher and higher, voices overlapping, paddles raising across the room.

Finally, a woman in a luxurious fur coat raised her paddle. "Seventeen point five million."

There was a sudden silence as the auctioneer waited. "Going once... going twice..." He slammed the gavel. "SOLD! To the beautiful Lady Naga!"

Applause erupted across the room and Lena was escorted off the stage toward Lady Naga, who was handed a small remote device with a single measured dial.

Cassandra sipped her wine, watching Lena’s auction conclude with detached interest. The leopard Minari was impressive, but not part of the plan. Kurt and Riley were the priority. Everything else was noise.

Then suddenly, a loud blaring siren echoed through the hall.

The rich people weren’t panicking yet. They had faith in the Circle’s security like they had in their own money. But murmurs started spreading.

"What’s going on?" someone asked nervously.

A guard rushed over and whispered urgently in the Warden’s ear.

The Warden’s face twisted into a deep frown. Any pretend smile he’d had for the auction disappeared completely.

He stepped up to the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen. I’m afraid we’ll have to cut the auction short. You and your... goods will be transported to the VIP blimps immediately. The guards will escort you."

Everyone stood and began moving toward the exits in organized chaos.

As they walked, Lena got close to Cassandra and whispered, "Friend of Kurt’s? Caught a bit of his scent on you."

Cassandra’s lips curved slightly. "You could say that."

Meanwhile, the Warden was storming to the Walk, three guards flanking him as he moved towards an elevator.

"Twelve years!" he snarled, boots pounding against the metal walkway. "Not one goddamn riot in twelve years! And they pick today of all days?!"

He clenched his fists. "Something smells fishy here."

One of the guards leaned in. "Sir. Rumors are there’s an Untouched in the Circle. My informant was going to identify him later. You think it has anything to do with what’s happening?"

The Warden didn’t answer immediately. He reached into the interior of his coat and pulled out a device that looked like a detonator. All he had to do was input a prisoner number and flip the switch.

"I don’t know," the Warden said coldly, staring down at the device in his hand. "But I do know one thing."

He looked up toward the Walk ahead after the elevator door dinged open, where the riot was supposedly brewing.

"It’s about to rain brains."