When Li Ban delivered the mimic rat to the cat-woman yesterday, she had been very pleased.
Moreover, Li Ban hadn't cut off the most delicious part—the tail.
But today, when the cat-woman saw the food Li Ban brought from a distance, her brows furrowed first.
Apparently, she and Li Ban had the same thought.
"For me?" Suspicious, the cat-woman reverted to her usual haughty tone.
"Yes." Li Ban paused before reminding her, "They said there'll be another portion tomorrow."
Hearing this, the cat-woman's expression actually improved slightly.
"Another one? Heh, I see." She grabbed the mimic rat with relief.
In one bite, the cat-woman severed the mimic rat's tail and slurped it up like noodles.
Having spent two years in Death Prison, the cat-woman had become Li Ban's intelligence source.
"Just work." Licking blood from her finger, the cat-woman said lazily, "Let me see how your combat training is progressing."
Clearing his throat, Li Ban began demonstrating the moves the cat-woman had taught him.
To learn basic combat skills from her quickly, Li Ban had scrounged for meat within Death Prison's confines.
Mostly insects dug up from vegetable plots and soil far from the prison's entrance.
These were the highest quality proteins Li Ban could currently obtain.
Fortunately, the cat-woman wasn't picky—she'd agreed to teach Li Ban in exchange for bugs.
The moves she taught were few and seemingly simple, but Li Ban practiced diligently.
With ample free time, he soon mastered the basic forms.
Unable to cultivate spiritual essence, Li Ban could only learn ordinary combat techniques from her—just enough to develop basic fighting awareness.
His earnest training had strengthened his previously frail body somewhat.
Though poor nutrition kept him thin.
After observing Li Ban's movements, the cat-woman scoffed, "You lack killer intent. Your punches look theatrical, not lethal."
Catching his breath, Li Ban sighed, "I'm putting in full strength."
"It's not about strength—you have no target... Never mind. This issue will resolve after you kill a few people. For now, master the power mechanics. Otherwise your form collapses at speed, making every punch useless."
Killing?
In the Witch World, everyone spoke of murder casually.
As if life held no value here.
Trapped in this world, Li Ban could only keep adjusting his mindset.
After several more drills under the cat-woman's guidance, Li Ban stopped, drenched in sweat.
Sitting to catch his breath, he asked, "Before obtaining proper Identity, is there any way to enhance elemental abilities? Teach me, and I'll get you better meat when possible."
The former jailer's right eye had saved Li Ban's life, but unlike Lu's tail, it offered no direct combat boost.
If possible, Li Ban would gladly swap for a tail element instead.
Mimic rat tails were easy enough to procure—just let the cat-woman skip one meal.
The cat-woman considered carefully.
She recalled recent meals of radishes, sweet potatoes and insects, then remembered how Li Ban always delivered mimic rats with tails intact.
Finally, she decided to trust him once.
This man possessed an innocence foreign to Death Prison.
But at least he kept promises.
"There's a crude method," the cat-woman said. "Train! Push your limits!"
She elaborated: "Your element is eyes, so your ability likely relates to vision. Train under extreme conditions. Even without spiritual essence, intense practice can yield minor improvements."
"Don't underestimate small gains. Sometimes marginal progress saves lives in combat."
"If you could... Never mind. Just start training first."
Li Ban had grown accustomed to the cat-woman's half-finished thoughts. Initially he suspected negotiation tactics.
Now he understood—some knowledge remained beyond his current level.
After watching the cat-woman finish eating, Li Ban left with his cart.
Back in the storeroom, he pondered how to train his ability.
His right eye granted Superhuman Vision—seeing in darkness and at great distances.
Li Ban studied the storeroom's two illumination stones.
He stacked crates, climbed up and removed one stone, hiding it beneath straw padding and blankets.
The room darkened considerably.
Even so, Li Ban's right eye saw clearly.
So he removed and concealed the second stone too.
Now only a faint glow from his bedding lit the room.
With the door closed, it became nearly pitch-black.
Sitting on a crate facing away from his bed, Li Ban slowly scanned his surroundings.
Initially, even with his enhanced eye, he saw nothing.
Gradually, patches of deeper and lighter darkness emerged.
He strained to distinguish each shadow until his eye ached.
Over time, Li Ban perceived more.
Outlines and shapes grew clearer in his vision.
Drawing on memories of the lit room, he attempted to identify objects.
"Square outline, sharp edges—that's a crate."
"Smaller, flatter object with overlapping curved lines—the rope I tossed in the corner."
Li Ban moved to a third object.
"Blurred silhouette, crate-height, rounded top, uneven base... Wait, did I put something there?"
Unable to identify it, Li Ban retrieved an illumination stone from beneath the straw.
Light flooded the room instantly.
To Li Ban's enhanced vision, it became bright as day.
He looked toward the corner again—and froze.
The corner... was empty.
"Holy—" Li Ban jumped off the crate.
He suddenly realized—the shape he'd seen resembled someone crouching in the darkness!
"The Witch World... could there be ghosts here?"
Holding the stone with trembling hands, he scanned every corner.
No crouching figures. No similar shapes.
Everything was exactly as before.
Returning to his bed, Li Ban kept watching the suspicious corner as he re-covered both stones.
Darkness returned. After his eyes adjusted, the crouching silhouette didn't reappear.
Li Ban quickly uncovered the stones, avoiding prolonged darkness.
Lips pressed tight, he replaced them on their shelves.
"Virtual worlds can simulate ghosts easily," he reassured himself. "I've lived here two weeks without incident. Should be fine..."
Despite this reasoning, Li Ban decided to leave the storeroom for sunlight.
Just then, the mission assistance system's voice echoed in his mind:
[Element "Eyes" has acquired second ability: Motion Tracking.]