Damn it! Let's smash the darkness together!

"Level 2 Curse Seal?"

"Just like that, eh."

"How come it doesn't feel like it added much strength?"

Xu Shu squatted in Cell 302, pounding on the iron door vigorously, turning it into a battered mess.

Poor iron door, standing guard since before the Great Catastrophe and never once failing—only to be destroyed in the trivial experiment of a newly emergent Transcendent. It's truly sad.

Gu Pan had just finished cleaning the corridor floor, wiping away all the bloodstains.

Hearing Xu Shu still grumbling, she snapped, "What more do you want? Did you expect your power to double when you moved from level 1 to level 2? A slight increase isn't bad; you think you can reach the skies in one step? Dream on!"

Reach the skies in one step?

From a mere mortal to a Transcendent, and harboring an Epic Curse Seal, wasn't that reaching the skies in one step?

Thinking this, Gu Pan felt somewhat frustrated as she went to throw away the dirty water, then came back with a gloomy expression.

Then, frowning, she asked, "Hey, you don't need to keep me locked up anymore, do you? You're already so powerful, why guard against me?

Besides, with all those monsters outside, I wouldn't dare run. Just let me move freely in the prison. I could even help you out when needed—how about that?"

Xu Shu walked out expressionlessly, nudging toward Cell 301 with his mouth, "Quit your yapping. Stay in there; don't force me to get tough. I'll let you out when I need you. Besides, isn't it comfortable in there?"

"You!?"

Comfortable my ass!

Why don't you try staying here?

Gu Pan's eyes nearly burst into flames, her chest heaving violently.

But seeing Xu Shu's robust figure, she eventually forced a fake smile and gritted her teeth, "Fine! Whatever makes you happy, sir!"

So, she was imprisoned again.

Xu Shu saw her inside, fuming as she hugged her knees and looked out the window, and he couldn't help but smirk.

There was no choice; he had secrets he couldn't let her know, and he wanted to extract more knowledge from her, so he had to keep her locked up.

Not to mention the cell wasn't so bad; at least it was safe, right? Except for the hard bed...

"Uh, right."

Remembering this, Xu Shu went to the warehouse to fetch two thick blankets and brought them in.

"You...?"

Gu Pan looked at him strangely.

"It's getting cold; use these, got plenty to spare—so you don't feel I'm imprisoning you," Xu Shu casually explained.

This isn't imprisonment???

With those words, Gu Pan's anger was triggered again, glaring furiously at Xu Shu.

But seeing him actually being considerate, making her bed neatly, she pursed her lips uncomfortably and said, "Well, thank you."

"Ah, don't mention it."

Click. Xu Shu locked the cell door, leaving Gu Pan inside with her expression changing by the minute.

*

*

By noon, Xu Shu, carrying simple canned food, fulfilled his promise to deliver a portion to Gu Pan, then walked back down to the first floor of the 'S' shaped prison, stopping by Cell 217.

Inside, that old guy was lying on the floor.

Counting since the day Black Widow died, he had gone about two days and nights without a drop of water, now having fainted, barely showing the signs of life with slight movement in his body.

He wasn't dead yet.

But he wasn't far from it.

"About time to settle this matter... Hehe, let's see, whether I was wrong or right!"

He felt he was now qualified to step over this hurdle.

Xu Shu squinted for a while, muttering under his breath.

Then, carrying water and food, he moved to the cells on the opposite side of the corridor.

"Wake up, time to eat." Xu Shu kicked the doors of Cell 101 and 102.

Li Sheng and Wang Qiang, starving inside, immediately rushed to the window.

"Sir, you finally came?" Li Sheng was somewhat restrained.

Wang Qiang, however, was completely sycophantic: "Sir, I've been thinking of you! I thought all night, if only I could follow you, sir, I'd be reaching the skies in one step."

They addressed Xu Shu, more than a decade their junior, as 'Sir' without a shred of shame.

In this world, the chasm between Transcendents and ordinary mortals was vast, and although they stemmed from an egalitarian era, just eighteen short years after the Great Catastrophe, everyone had already accustomed to "Transcendents holding esteemed status, superior to common mortals."

It was apparent that what revived along with the Great Catastrophe wasn't merely the weird tales but also the deep-seated class system ingrained in people's minds.

"Survive first."

Xu Shu expressionless, "This is food for all three of you today, distribute it amongst yourselves. I'm in a generous mood today, adding an extra can of meat. Think it over yourselves on how to divide it among the three."

"Ah, thank you, sir!" The two were endlessly grateful.

"Same rules as yesterday, whatever's left goes to the guy in 217. How much is up to you."

Xu Shu handed opened cans of meat to Li Sheng and Wang Qiang, watching them eat voraciously.

Suddenly, he casually brought up:

"The guy in 217 seems about to starve to death."

Li Sheng's ears twitched, but he remained silent.

Wang Qiang also kept his head down, not responding.

A few minutes later, Xu Shu asked, "You done eating?"

"Yes, all done."

Li Sheng was the first to wipe his mouth, handing over an empty can.

Xu Shu looked at it, then asked, "All finished? How come you didn't leave some for your starving brother?"