"Drip… drop…" "Drip… drop…"
The dark prison cell had, at some point, become damp. Water vapor that had been gathering on the ceiling for days finally condensed into droplets, falling to the floor.
In a certain enclosed space, viscous swamp became the sole defining feature.
Yes, the only one.
The entire vast space was devoid of any emptiness. A massive amount of swamp occupied every area, even the air was squeezed so tightly that there was hardly any room left to stand, or, to describe it, space was the swamp.
Impel Down, Level 2. The thin line of swamp connecting to the cracks had been silently withdrawn at some unknown time.
Wilder gazed at the empty cell opposite his own, a wild grin spreading across his face.
The plan was now officially on track.
But before that, he needed to prepare for a few things in advance.
Taking one last look at the opposite cell, Wilder got up and walked to the back of his own.
The plan at this point had deviated slightly from the original, and Wilder had to dedicate some effort to guard against that troublesome Eigg.
Regardless of whether he now had the initial means to avoid danger, Wilder didn't want his actions to be discovered prematurely.
His body transforming into mud, Wilder entered Eigg's cell once again.
Low whispers sounded, but no one knew about any of this. Naturally, no one would know what they discussed, only that from this day forward, Wilder would set aside some time each day to do one thing.
To open a passageway between his cell and Eigg's.
Compared to that project, this task was much easier for Wilder now.
Unlike that other project, Wilder didn't need to be cautious inside the cell. He pried up two floor tiles, which would serve as cover later, and directly touched the ground with his palm. Instantly, the spot where his hand touched turned into swamp, and the area rapidly expanded.
Although it was much easier compared to that other undertaking, it was only relatively so. The swamp assimilation consumed a considerable amount of Wilder's stamina. Therefore, Wilder didn't complete the swampification of the passage all at once, instead opting for a method of assimilating a bit each day.
Besides the need to keep his stamina topped up at all times, Wilder also wanted to drag things out, making himself appear weaker.
Unnecessarily, Wilder did not want to put all his cards to other's eyes, especially a two-faced underling who could stab him in the back at any time.
At this point, Wilder's preparations were almost complete. Next…
Wilder's eyes glinted with a light that was both excited and reckless. It was time to personally inspect his grand project.
The thin line of swamp once again passed through the cell and into the crack in the floor. Wilder's body turned to swamp, following the flow of the line into the opposite cell.
"Gloop…" "Gloop…"
In the pitch-black cell, swamp converging from several directions gradually formed a thicker line. Wilder's consciousness felt as if it had become a puddle of swamp; and, to be precise, it had.
It was as if this swamp pulled his consciousness into the same proportions. Whatever shape his own swamp took, that was the shape of his consciousness.
The line-like swamp snaked into the cracked floor. Amidst the soft glopping sounds, Wilder felt as if he had plunged into water, only this water was thick and heavy.
"Nyehehehe…"
Wilder wanted to laugh wildly at this moment, but being enveloped in the swamp, he couldn't.
His inner excitement and elation were completely unrestrained, and Wilder's body moved freely within this sea of swamp.
This was his domain, a world that belonged solely to him… Wilder Lucifer!
"Nyahahaha! Nyahahaha!"
The immense, crushing pressure of the boundless swamp seemed like it would crush anything within it, yet Wilder's body was like a fish in water, becoming the only flowing swamp within this static expanse.
"Nyahahaha… What should this be called?" Wilder's excitement reached its peak. No one knew how long he had endured for this moment. He had never lacked ambition. For the sake of his plan, he could endure anything. But once the plan succeeded, he dared to tear anything apart!
Wilder knew he wasn't composed at all at this moment; his reckless and unrestrained excitement made that clear. But so what!?
Disguise? Concealment?
He didn't need them here!
"Nyehehehe… Should this be called Impel Down, Level 2.5… Swamp Hell!?"
This place belonged to him. From now on, Wilder had a preliminary escape route, because here was a hell that belonged to him, unique and unparalleled, a Swamp Hell that no one but him could enter!
This was the ultimate goal of Wilder's meticulously planned step-by-step project, the reason he had spent so much time and effort to complete this undertaking.
Excitement was justified, recklessness was justified, and Wilder allowed himself to indulge in them at this moment. But he hadn't forgotten the purpose of his entry this time.
Creating this personal Swamp Hell was only the first step in his four-year plan. He would have many more such plans to come.
So, after the initial excitement subsided, Wilder calmed down. While ambition raged wildly in his heart, Wilder also maintained excellent control over his emotional fluctuations. Momentary recklessness was nothing; only those who could rein themselves in after such outbursts could go further.
To break through to hell, connect the passages, and establish a personal pathway between the various levels of Impel Down, each with its own Swamp Hell.
This was Wilder's plan and ambition.
But for now, he needed to open the passage between Level 2 and Level 3.
With that thought, Wilder hesitated no longer. His swampified body flowed in a specific direction.
"The Starvation Hell… Let me see what it's like, nyehehehe…"
At this moment, no one knew that, silently, a place filled with swamp had appeared between Level 2 and Level 3.
"Crack!" The sound of fracturing was extremely faint due to the interference of the swamp. A crack silently opened in the stone slab at the top of Level 3.
Flowing swamp, like a thin thread, seeped out from the crack and flowed down the wall.
"Not a cell…" As soon as he entered, Wilder noticed that his landing point wasn't inside a cell.
But this wouldn't affect his plan in any way. On the contrary, if it had been inside a cell, Wilder would have had to go to more trouble.
The swamp on the wall looked like dried moss left behind after water had flowed by. Wilder carefully controlled the swamp line, making it even thinner.
Soon, the thread-like swamp gradually coalesced into a human form on the ground.
But the moment he stepped onto the floor, Wilder couldn't help but frown.