"Thud!"
A faint falling sound echoed.
The young slave's knocking on the lid ceased.
The manure pit sounded deep.
Li Ban was currently on the underground first level, but there seemed to be many more levels below.
These manure pits likely connected directly to the bottom.
It was unclear whether the young slave had died from the fall... or from drowning.
That tail must be the element the girl had fused with.
Like Li Ban's right eye, it possessed extraordinary abilities.
On Uncle Ma's carriage, Ze hadn't recognized the girl either.
So she was genuinely lucky to dare fuse with an element.
Even a little girl in this world could be so viciously capable.
Li Ban slowly retreated to the iron cage cart and hastily pushed it away from the fork in the path.
Only after returning to the storeroom and sitting on the wooden crate bed left by the previous occupant did Li Ban finally exhale wearily.
After just one day in this world, he already felt exhausted as if half a lifetime had passed.
But there was no choice.
There was no going back.
Early next morning, Li Ban washed up casually and pretended ignorance while fetching breakfast outside the water room.
Death Prison slaves got three meals a day.
Having been punished without dinner last night, this morning's meal was thin porridge with greens.
The rice was coarse, the vegetables picked from fields - supposedly there were still reserves stored in the water room.
Not tasty, but filling.
After eating, Li Ban returned to the storeroom without concerning himself with the girl or the absent young man.
The tree-person jailers must have discovered the former jailer's body turned to ashes - it was only a matter of time before they questioned him.
Li Ban rehearsed his responses again, exhaling nervously.
Strangely though, nobody came for him even after lunch.
Pacing hundreds of circles in the storeroom with hands behind his back, Li Ban grew impatient waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Enough waiting!"
He pushed the door open.
Staying anxiously in the storeroom awaiting judgment was pointless - better to check on the cat-woman.
After leaving her alone for a day, he wondered if she'd reconsidered.
This time without the cart, Li Ban went to Cell 13 on the first level.
The cat-woman sat in the same casual pose as yesterday, but immediately stood upon seeing Li Ban.
"Little brother~~~" Her voice undulated melodramatically, "You finally came."
A furry tail extended before her, which she grabbed and twirled with slender fingers.
Yesterday's haughty queen now acting so coquettish?
Unfortunately, Li Ban was too preoccupied to entertain her.
"If you can't speak normally, I'm leaving."
The cat-woman hastily released her tail, resuming her somewhat arrogant expression.
"Let's cooperate," she proposed.
"Why should I?"
"Because you returned without bringing food." Her lips curled seductively until seeing Li Ban's stern face, making her quickly change tone. "Though a prisoner, I have other value. As someone new to Death Prison, surely there are things you wish to know?"
Her mood shifts were impressively fast - Li Ban wondered about her pre-prison occupation.
"Go on."
Crossing his arms, Li Ban leaned against the opposite wall, maintaining his imposing stance.
He planned to extract free information first.
The cat-woman bit her lip, seemingly wanting to negotiate, but seeing Li Ban's expression, her arrogance shifted to perfectly measured melancholy.
"Fine, what do you want to know?"
Li Ban immediately asked, "Explain everything you mentioned yesterday - identity, elements, fusion, backlash."
Organizing her thoughts, the cat-woman hesitated - some concepts were so fundamental she didn't know where to begin.
"Most lives in this world are ordinary - no illnesses or disasters, yet barely reaching a hundred years. But there exists a group of cultivators who, by absorbing spiritual essence, can transcend mortal limits, gaining both power and extended lifespans."
"We call them Spirit Practitioners."
Spiritual essence? Spirit Practitioners?
Sounded like xianxia tropes.
The real world had sci-fi labs and space capsules, yet this virtual Witch World leaned toward immortal cultivation.
Li Ban struggled to reconcile this with his past life's knowledge.
His contemplative expression remained neutral.
Noting his reaction, the cat-woman continued, "However, Spirit Practitioners face two strict requirements. First, one must possess an 'Identity' - without it, perceiving spiritual essence is impossible."
"Identity?" This surprised Li Ban. "What's that? Since I fused an element, does that mean I already have one?"
The cat-woman chuckled, her pride resurfacing, "You're just a Death Prison slave now - what identity? Those without one might, through luck and willpower, survive element fusion. But only once - any more attempts would be fatal. Only those with Identities can fuse multiple elements."
"Then how do I get an Identity?"
"That... I can't tell you. You'd need to ask your superiors."
Li Ban suspected she knew but was withholding.
He didn't press - free information came cheap. "What about elements?"
"Identity is necessary for absorbing spiritual essence, while elements represent a practitioner's abilities." The cat-woman tilted her head, staring at Li Ban's eye. "Having fused the former jailer's eye, you must understand abilities?"
Of course Li Ban knew.
His eye granted supernatural vision.
In Death Prison's gloom, this provided significant advantage.
"Elemental abilities strengthen by absorbing spiritual essence. But you needn't worry yet - without Identity, you can neither perceive nor absorb it."
So it circled back to obtaining an "Identity."
This Witch World's system resembled game mechanics.
Like players needing faction membership to level up.
Thus Li Ban needed to acquire Identity from the tree-person jailers.
Only then could he cultivate spiritual essence, grow stronger, and avoid being casually killed as "food."
But he'd likely already offended the jailers.
A rough start!
He'd have to mend relations later.
The failed forced logout weighed heavily.
Survival came first now, then completing whatever mission would exit the Witch World.
Sigh...
Yet he didn't even know what the mission was.
Seeing no further questions, the cat-woman gripped the bars, "After sharing so much Spirit Practitioner knowledge, you'd better bring me extra food!"
Li Ban unfolded his arms, "You know I can't get mimic rats now. But I can share my rations. Radishes, sweet potatoes, wild vegetables - what do you want?"
Slumping against the bars, the cat-woman slid down miserably.
"I want meat..."
Meat was impossible - Li Ban couldn't get any himself.
Returning to the storeroom after leaving the first level, Li Ban suddenly heard the tree-people's raspy, strange voices outside.
"Everyone out!"
It's happening!
Li Ban's heart raced.
Despite fearing punishment, he hurried out immediately.
To change the tree-people's opinion and obtain Identity faster, he needed to perform well.
Playing the submissive? He'd done it before.
Last life for money, this life for survival.
No shame in that.
When Li Ban emerged and carefully observed the tree-person's expression, he noticed something odd - the jailer didn't seem... particularly angry.
Recognizing the bark patterns - it was Tree-Person A.
Tree-Person A stood at Death Prison's entrance, with Li Ban arriving first.
The slave girl followed seconds later.
The two new slaves stood side by side, each harboring ulterior motives.
"A slave fell to his death in the manure pit yesterday."
Surprisingly, Tree-Person A first mentioned the deceased young slave.
Was a newly purchased slave more important than the incinerated former jailer?
Li Ban hardly believed these tree-people valued life.
"From now on, you'll handle manure transport for the fields."
Li Ban looked up sharply to see Tree-Person A addressing the slave girl.
Her thin frame swayed slightly, but she only nodded obediently.
Did the jailers know she killed the youth?
Yet her punishment for murder was just extra labor?
What about him?