Li Ban experienced true murderous intent for the first time.
It felt like the northern wind - sharp as a blade.
He also realized this killing aura was just the unconscious pressure radiating from the cat-woman, not specifically directed at him.
"She's locked up and shackled - normally can't get out. Even if Death Prison doesn't care about slaves' lives, they wouldn't just release prisoners."
Li Ban estimated the shackles' length only allowed her to approach the bars.
"For safety, better not get too close. Don't want to get stabbed through the bars."
The rattling iron cage cart didn't seem to catch her attention. Li Ban called out:
"First floor, cell thirteen. Cat-woman, your food's here."
The cat-woman opened her eyes, gray pupils slanting to glance at Li Ban.
"Clank... clank..."
The cat-woman lazily rose and approached the wooden bars.
Li Ban's estimation was correct - the chains only let her reach the bars.
Her arms could extend halfway through.
Walking too close to the bars could get him grabbed and killed.
If captured as hostage, the tree-person jailers wouldn't care about his life.
Seeing the mimic rat in the cage, the cat-woman's eyes widened slightly. "Aren't you going to deliver it?"
Li Ban remained expressionless at her attitude.
He studied the cell's small door, considering how to safely unlock it.
Noticing Li Ban staring at the lock, the cat-woman suddenly kicked - the small lock fell right off.
Li Ban immediately retreated further, watching her warily.
"Newbie, that lock's just decoration." She pointed at the iron collar around her neck. "With this shackle, you needn't worry about me escaping. Hurry up with the rat."
Though still haughty, Li Ban detected urgency in her tone.
Observing her emaciated figure... probably starving badly.
The mimic rat in the cage trembled violently.
Looking at it now, Li Ban felt nothing but numbness.
He took out his keys, aligned the cage door with the cell's opening, first using the iron hook to open the small door while standing sideways - hook in one hand, keys in the other.
Remaining cautious, ready for another mimic rat ambush.
But the rat kept trembling fearfully throughout.
Instead of driving it out, Li Ban aligned the cage opening perfectly with the cell door - same height, same size.
He'd found the proper food delivery method.
Then he moved behind the rat and jabbed its rear with the hook.
"SQUEAK!!"
The pained rat leaped forward half a step.
That was enough.
The cat-woman's arm shot out, reaching the rat's face.
Her previously human-like nails suddenly extended five centimeters, stabbing straight through the rat's eyes and cheeks.
Slowly retracting her hand, she dragged the shrieking rat into the cell.
Just watching made Li Ban's own face hurt, recalling his lost eye.
He kept his expression rigid.
"Earlier, the tree-person jailer hinted I should put food in the waste bucket. They clearly don't care if prisoners eat. Meaning even as a slave here, I have some leeway to mess with inmates."
Li Ban pulled the cage cart back without further action.
"But there's no point. Beyond sadistic pleasure, it gains me nothing."
He'd always believed in kindness. Though wanting to change now, tormenting prisoners wasn't part of it.
Enough enemies already - no need to make more arbitrarily.
As long as someone lives, you never know what the future holds.
While Li Ban pondered, the cat-woman had returned to her spot to feast.
The rat, her size equal, offered no resistance in her grasp, now limp.
Not looking at Li Ban, she gripped the rat's jaw with one hand, its shoulder with the other, bringing it to her mouth—
CRUNCH! She bit clean through its neck!
The horrific sight of decapitation made Li Ban instinctively look away.
But remembering his circumstances, he forced himself to look back.
If he didn't toughen up, there'd surely be another "logout failure."
The scene wasn't as gory as expected.
No blood sprayed from the severed neck.
When he'd cut the rat's tail earlier, there'd been bleeding - why none now?
Observing closer:
After biting the neck, the cat-woman sniffed the head, then disdainfully set it aside before sniffing the body.
Only at the severed tail did her eyes light up with interest.
She started gnawing the rear.
One bite removed a huge chunk of flesh - now blood flowed.
Eating effortlessly, half the rear soon disappeared.
The bleeding gradually stopped.
She devoured the remaining body and legs like eating bread.
Li Ban watched closely - no bones or organs, just pale pink meat.
Only skin and flesh.
Finishing the remains, she licked her lips regretfully.
Such a large mimic rat - devoured completely in minutes!
Recalling what he'd seen, Li Ban speculated: "That rat probably only had vital parts near its tail. The rest was just mimicked illusion!"
Being mimetic, it only had exterior - no internals.
Just that pink, unnamed filling.
Edible, but unpleasant.
Only the tail area had real flesh - hence the bleeding there.
The cat-woman eagerly ate that part first, then less urgently elsewhere.
Having witnessed the meal, Li Ban prepared to leave.
Gripping the cart handle, he slowly backed up until touching the wall before turning.
Then the satiated cat-woman spoke:
"You cut off the tail."
She looked up at Li Ban, yet her attitude looked down on him.
"Tch. A nameless slave took the tail - planning to graft it onto yourself?"
"You don't actually think 'tail' element is easy to fuse, do you?"
"Tail" element?!
Was the slave girl taking the tail for element fusion?
Li Ban stopped mid-step, staring at her.
Her hair remained disheveled, slightly bedraggled, but she smiled keenly - no prisoner's demeanor.
"Surprised? Don't even know what elements are?"
Licking blood from her fingertips, she gazed at Li Ban like he was another mimic rat.
"If ignorant, why do you have the former jailer's eyes in your sockets?"