"Should all menial workers live on the third level?"
Neither the tree-person jailers nor Zhou Gu had mentioned this to him before.
Of course, Zhou Gu probably wouldn't bother with such trivial matters.
But Tree-Person A had specifically told him to stay in the first-level storeroom.
Was it to keep an easier watch on him?
Should he take this opportunity to move down then?
Liu Mu replied, "There's no strict rule about it. Do as you see fit."
Li Ban temporarily set aside the thought. "When I was working on the first and second levels before, I hardly ever saw you all. Do you never come up?"
"The first and second levels are mainly managed by the tree-person jailers, and the slaves are purchased and used by them." Liu Mu suddenly said jokingly, "Sometimes when they're short, the tree-person jailers will use their own monthly wages to buy new ones."
"They just let them kill people like that?"
Liu Mu patted Li Ban's shoulder. "Slaves are cheap. Aren't they fished out randomly from the River of No Return?"
Li Ban didn't know if Liu Mu had climbed from slave to menial worker status, but his attitude toward slaves wasn't much different from the tree-people's.
Neither saw them as human.
Though Li Ban had only just been promoted from slave to menial worker, they already spoke their minds freely before him.
"Why are there so many living and dead people in the River of No Return?"
"No idea." Liu Mu couldn't care less.
Like why leaves were green or the sky was blue.
Li Ban said he'd consider whether to move to the third level and bid Liu Mu farewell.
Returning to the storeroom he'd lived in for months, he seriously contemplated it.
Tree-Person A had never told him he could move to more comfortable quarters on the third level, probably to keep better surveillance on him.
Moreover, if Li Ban were a mole, staying on the first level would prevent him from gathering information.
But now it was Zhang Baishan who first brought Li Ban to the Death Prison's fourth level, and Liu Mu had invited him to move - Li Ban could easily follow their lead and relocate to the third level.
After some thought, however, Li Ban decided to stay put for now.
It wasn't the right time yet.
Having made up his mind, Li Ban lay on his crate-bed and closed his eyes to absorb spiritual essence.
He needed to make the most of his time, as Zhou Gu would likely summon him soon to attempt increasing alcohol concentration through steaming wine.
Having had no chance to cultivate today, he seized this fragmented moment to practice.
The starry cosmos reappeared in Li Ban's consciousness, but just as he began, he was interrupted by the female voice of his mission assistance system.
["Iron Fish Scale" element has acquired a second ability: Flexible Defense.]
Li Ban bolted upright from the bed.
What the hell?
His second element had sublimated too?
Li Ban badly wanted to brag to the cat-woman but restrained himself.
That he could fuse a second element at first-tier Identity was something he couldn't tell anyone.
Suppressing his joy, he familiarized himself with the new ability.
Soon, Li Ban discovered the previously fixed transparent fish scales before his neck could now move according to his will, and remarkably fast at that.
Testing with a small knife, the Iron Fish Scale appeared instantly where the blade struck.
The knife met his skin with a dull "thunk."
Pressing harder, the blade slid aside.
His hand felt pressure, but much reduced.
The Iron Fish Scale not only blocked the attack but dispersed some force.
This made it even sturdier!
No wonder the cat-woman had been so envious hearing about his previous element sublimation - the second abilities seemed incredibly potent.
When Hai Dakui sold him this Iron Fish Scale element, he'd said if it were larger, even just vest-sized, it could qualify as a good-grade element.
A good-grade element worth hundreds of taels!
"But why can all my elements sublimate? Am I just lucky, or can all elements I fuse sublimate?"
Before, Li Ban might have attributed this more to his experimental assistance system's influence.
But now he immediately thought of the cosmic starscape he saw when absorbing spiritual essence.
His method of absorption seemed truly different from others'.
Excited, Li Ban practiced his new ability.
Beyond defense, he tried shifting the Iron Fish Scale to his hand.
A punch landed with almost no pain yet packed hammer-like force.
When fully saturated with spiritual essence, could one punch kill a bear?
In his excitement, Li Ban practiced the combat techniques the cat-woman had taught him.
Wrapped in the Iron Fish Scale, his punches sounded softer but hit harder.
Even rapid alternating strikes saw the scales instantly appear where needed.
After several rounds, Li Ban grew more adept at controlling the scales' movement.
Thus, the previously worthless Iron Fish Scale became a versatile weapon in his hands.
Just as Li Ban prepared to continue, he heard Tree-Person A calling for him on Death Prison's first level.
He rushed over to find Zhou Gu summoning him.
Entering Zhou Gu's room, the man first closed the door, then showed Li Ban the equipment laid out on the long table.
"The Eternal Tower excels at extracting elements from corpses - their equipment is the finest. Li Ban," Zhou Gu's gaze made Li Ban feel immense pressure, "I want results within seven days."
"Understood."
At this point, backing out wasn't an option.
He had to rise to the challenge!
Rolling up his sleeves, Li Ban began familiarizing himself with the equipment.
Zhou Gu stepped back, giving him space.
The materials provided were comprehensive and appeared exquisite.
Besides the equipment, there was alcohol and a small stove.
Since large-scale distillation wasn't needed, a well-fired small stove would suffice.
Li Ban began operations as previously conceived.
Zhou Gu observed silently.
He could tell Li Ban's movements were unpolished.
As Li Ban had admitted, he'd only heard of this alcohol concentration method but never practiced it.
This actually reassured Zhou Gu.
Had Li Ban been proficient, suspicions would have arisen.
For the next three days, Li Ban had no time to cultivate, spending each waking moment in Zhou Gu's room experimenting with distillation.
Fortunately, with precise instruments, increasing concentration wasn't overly difficult.
Li Ban succeeded after several attempts.
Now it was about improving efficiency.
Uncontrolled flame temperature and imperfect sealing affected outcomes.
After watching Li Ban several times, Zhou Gu gradually participated.
Soon he could distill independently, though still needing Li Ban's refinements.
By the third day, Li Ban no longer had to remain constantly in Zhou Gu's room.
On the fourth day, after further refining the process, Li Ban prepared to deliver meals to second-level prisoners.
He stored all equipment securely in a box Zhou Gu designated.
After a busy day, he finally returned to his storeroom to cultivate.
Just as he lay down, someone knocked - an unusual courtesy from tree-person jailers.
"Enter!"
Qi entered quickly, closing the door behind him.
Carrying a large bowl of food, ostensibly delivering dinner, but his furtive manner suggested ulterior motives.
"What's this about?" Li Ban took the bowl.
Qi approached hesitantly. "Brother Li, you've been absent these days. Master A has visited the storeroom several times. Today I saw him enter and stay awhile before leaving."