Self-harm isn't the way to go

When a cave collapses, the main character will find themselves in a dead dragon’s lair. When falling into the deep sea, the main character will come across an ancient civilization’s legacy. When stranded on a deserted island, the main character will unlock a secret tomb. Even when besieged by a thousand enemies, enlightenment will suddenly hit them and they can fight their way out.

Emerging as the final winner in any unfavorable situation, such was the existence of a main character.

It would be great if they, the underdogs, could borrow some of that plot armor.

Of course, there were also sadistic narratives where characters in the limelight fell like moths on fire right after the audience got attached to them. Or stories where close friends and comrades were sacrificed or used as stepping stones, leaving only the main character with an empty victory.

But this was an academy-centered fantasy with romance as the primary focus. The world spun on its axis for the female lead.

Hale’s original plan was to trigger a respiratory arrest using the electroshock bars. The captors wanted them alive and clearly didn’t have enough for the quota, so they wouldn’t let Hale die. Whether they send him to the medical bay he saw when scouting or administer a potion in the cage, it would create opportunities. Mungo’s card and password could be used at the exit and he already had the route through the passage memorized.

But there were too many loopholes and uncertainties and he was worried that the kids would get harmed in the process. Many of them already had scrapes and signs that they were beaten. Mercy could not be expected of these captors. On the other hand, if he escaped on his own and called for help, what if they were alarmed to his absence and switched bases? Hale wasn’t sure if this secretive group could be located again.

The price of failure was too heavy. Hale couldn't face himself if any of these children got shipped out of Phasmopia. Once outside, it would be very unlikely they could be traced.

“It’s a bad habit to do everything yourself,” Katharin interrupted his thoughts.

"Fine, let's hear it." The great female lead’s plan.

They sat away from the surveillance and Katharin moved her lips exaggeratedly so Hale had an easier time lip-reading. Lily and Chase seemed to have caught onto something because they blocked the two and started a noisy and distracting girl talk.

Hale gave some ideas of his own and after some discussion, the plan felt good to go. They didn’t have to break out or wake the drowsy captives. They didn’t have to try to outrun pursuers. Although some of the criminals might get away, capturing them was secondary. All in all, it was a lot safer than Hale winging it.

But there were a few problems.

it turned out that the time frame was tighter than expected—they didn’t have till the end of the festival.

The children had communicated with those still awake in the other cages before and it seemed that they were subjected to a strong sedative gas at intervals. If the calculation was right, the next release was in about 2 hours.

And they needed the coordinates for teleportation plus a medium to draw the magic circle with.

“My blood, maybe? I have fast regen,” Hale joked.

Katharin didn’t find it funny, glaring at the boy. “You won’t have enough. And the smell would be telling.”

“Alright alright. Leave it to me. I’ll work out something.”

Hale laid down on his side and subtly pinched his nose. It was a lot easier to leave his body if he shocked his system somehow, whether it was through hypoxia, a strong physical impact or some other means. And it was a blessing in disguise that the dungeon was warded against spirits. (It was better not to have any witnesses, dead or alive.) Especially at a time when spirits all over the world gathered in one place, leaving a suitable body like Hale’s empty was just asking to be possessed.

And the wards didn’t work on Hale because, strictly speaking, a living soul wasn’t considered a spirit.

Hale floated in front of Katharin. For a moment, he thought their eyes met but it seemed that she was looking at the man keeping vigil behind him. Strange, this female lead was very strange. Hale attributed this strangeness to her main character status but was that really all?

He had lied that his Gifts were clairvoyance and telekinesis and she wasn’t the least bit surprised. It even felt like she already knew what he was capable of, to be able to conceive such a plan in the first place.

But it wasn’t the time to question her. Hale set out to look for what they needed and returned as quickly as he could but the cage was slightly different from before.

His body was gone.