They returned to their cage and sat in a circle. Liam then asked, "Are you all okay with involving Kai in the plan?"
Everyone looked at each other, uncertainty written on their faces. Rin broke the silence. "Kai has been in our team for a while and hasn't shown any sign of distrust. I still don't trust him fully, but we should involve him in the plan."
Joon Ho nodded. "What about Mi-Na?"
Liam responded, "We haven't known Mi-Na for long, and we don't know anything about her. But if you all want to include her, then I will. If I could, I would help everyone escape, but that's not possible."
They all agreed to include Kai and Mi-Na in their team. Joon Soek stood up. "I'll go call them." He left to get them from their cages.
A few minutes later, Kai and Mi-Na arrived, greeting the group with cautious smiles.
"Hey, what's up?" Kai asked, his voice curious.
Mi-Na looked around the group, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Is everything okay?"
Liam nodded, gesturing for them to sit. "We have something important to discuss. I've come up with an escape plan."
Once everyone was settled, Liam began explaining. He drew a rough layout of the map of the area on the ground using a stick.
"This is our training ground," he said, pointing to a section of the map. "And this is where our cage is located. The training grounds of the other squads are different, but the paths to our cages are connected. There's a common gathering area where the commanders hold their meetings and where meal distribution happens."
He continued, drawing more details. "There are guard chambers in every corner and facility. The commander's chambers are in the inner area, heavily guarded. The key points to remember are the guard patrol routes, the blind spots in their surveillance, and the timing of the meal distributions."
Liam pointed to specific areas on the map. "We'll need to time our escape during the meal distribution when the guards are least attentive. We'll use the connected paths to move quickly and avoid detection. The blind spots in their surveillance will be crucial for our escape."
Kai leaned in, studying the map. "What about the guards? How do we deal with them?"
Liam smiled confidently. "I've been exploring the area as much as I could without getting caught. I've identified weak points in their patrol routes and potential distractions we can use. We'll need to be quick and coordinated."
Mi-Na nodded, her expression thoughtful. "It's risky, but it could work. We'll need to be careful and stick to the plan."
Joon Soek then asked, "Why can't we just escape right now?"
Liam replied, "We're all exhausted after training all day. Everyone achieved Qi Projection, and our bodies are not in good shape. We need rest."
He continued, providing more reasons. "Tomorrow is the last day to complete the task, and everyone will be training hard. We'll use the day to cultivate as much Qi as possible. When the night meal distribution starts, we'll make our move."
Everyone agreed with Liam's plan, nodding in understanding.
Liam then gave them a warning. "My plan may not work as intended, or it may fail. If any of you see the guards during our escape, don't engage. Quietly wait for the guards to go away."
He added an exception. "If the guards see you, kill them as soon as possible. Don't let them inform the other guards."
Liam pulled out all the swords and daggers from his inventory that he had stolen from the guards. Everyone was surprised to see him pull out so many weapons out of nowhere.
"I'll give you these weapons when we start our escape," Liam said. "Since there were only five of us when I killed the guards, I only have five swords, but our team now has seven members."
He handed the swords to Rin, Joon Ho, Joon Seok, Kai, and Mi-Na. Soo-Min spoke up, "I don't know how to use a sword."
Liam nodded and gave one of the remaining daggers to Soo-Min. "Learn some dagger skills by the end of the day."
He gave another dagger to Rin and took one for himself. Rin insisted, "Liam, take my sword."
Liam smiled. "I'm more comfortable with a dagger."
He put all the weapons back into his inventory and left one dagger for Soo-Min. "Don't take it out of the cage," he instructed.
Once that was done, Liam asked, "Does anyone have any questions or doubts?"
Joon Soek raised his hand. "What if we get separated during the escape?"
Liam responded, "Stick to the plan and regroup at the designated meeting point. If anyone gets caught, the rest of us will continue with the escape."
Kai asked, "What if the guards have reinforcements?"
Liam's expression turned serious. "We'll have to adapt and fight our way out. But remember, the goal is to escape, not to fight. Avoid confrontation whenever possible."
Mi-Na looked thoughtful. "What if someone gets injured?"
Liam nodded. "We'll have to support each other. If someone can't continue, we'll find a safe place to hide and recover."
Soo-Min asked, "What if we can't find the blind spots in the surveillance?"
Liam reassured her. "We'll use the distractions I mentioned earlier. The key is to stay calm and think on our feet."
Rin looked at Liam with determination. "What if we succeed? What's the plan after we escape?"
Liam smiled. "We'll find a safe place to regroup and plan our next steps. The goal is to get as far away from here as possible."
Once all the questions were answered, Liam looked at the group. "Get as much rest as possible. Tomorrow is a big day for us."
Kai and Mina left for their cage, while the rest layed down to sleep.
Everyone was nervous about tomorrow, but not more than Liam. He couldn't make any mistakes, because if something happened to him, the whole team and the escape plan would fall apart.
'We can't afford to get caught. To be honest, I think we need a bit more time, but something tells me that I shouldn't wait. I don't know… it's just my instinct.'
Rin rubbed her fingers on Liam's head and softly said to him, "Hey."
Liam smiled at her and blinked.
"I love you." Rin whispered into his ears before drifting to sleep.