Damn it! Let's smash the darkness together!

"Ah? By that rule, am I half non-human too?"

Xu Shu's expression clearly paused.

But he quickly comforted himself, saying, "That can't be, can't be. I'm a Warrior, what does being an Alien Species have to do with me?"

He quickly dissociated himself from Black Widow and after pondering for a while, he chose the nickname "Tai Chu"

Which meant "Tai Chu Scroll."

The Tai Chu Scroll was the foundation of his existence. Naming himself after it, he was quite satisfied.

Once he finished inputting the nickname, under personal identity, it changed to [Gu Pan (Tai Chu), First-tier Warrior].

The real name was at the front, and the nickname at the back, and he could switch between them freely.

If he posted or chatted with others, they could only see the identity Xu Shu chose to display.

And the "profession and level" behind it could also be freely hidden or shown.

"Post."

[Insufficient Permissions. Please upgrade your Curse Seal to level 12 before attempting to post again]

"As I thought, it's not possible."

Xu Shu pondered for a while, then clicked on [Trade Channel]. This time it was even more hopeless; it directly showed [You currently have no Contribution Points, level 12 is required to view the Trade Channel]

"What the hell are Contribution Points?"

"Why doesn't the newbie guide have the important stuff neophytes need, refund my money!"

Xu Shu was somewhat annoyed.

But he thought about it, and Melanie's post mentioned, "Defeat monsters to level up," which was somewhat helpful.

Right outside the prison door was squatting a large shark; he could use it as a whetstone to test the strength of his newly acquired status as an "Alien Species Warrior!"

"But, I need to be careful this time, can't be reckless again."

"First simulate the journey into the future once to understand its level, figure out how to kill it, and it's like making a guide for myself."

Having learned from past experiences, Xu Shu became much more cautious.

He checked the time; it was already half-past five, and there was only half an hour left until daylight.

So, he dressed up and ran to the warehouse by the window, boredly browsing the forum while waiting for the sun to rise.

Fortunately, although he couldn't post, he could still lurk and see what these human Transcendents usually talked about.

[World Channel]

He clicked in and saw the posts were varied and about all sorts of topics, his eyes scanning over:

[Latest News From the Second Order Epic Land of Burial Ruins! Join the Discussion]—Xu Yingzhou

[Need two healers for pioneering in the Mist Sea North District, doctors or Enchanting Demon sisters preferred, Mother Goddess devotees stay away and don't come seeking abuse]—Minstrel Poet Mercury

[Bai Yujing is recruiting external disciples, five spots, generous rewards, interested parties send private messages, registration requirement: below 25 years old, First-tier Curse Seal of green quality and above, also need to provide a Judgement Department certified criminal record clean]—Mayfly Organism

[Every Transcendent is a precious treasure to humanity, reject job discrimination, let's start with me! Also, I'm single, seeking love]—(Ali, Third-tier Fallen Apostle)

[Exploring Abyss Sea, fully equipped, missing a veteran boatman to set sail, rewarding position, flight ticket included]—Luo Yin Liu Huo Zhan

[Advertisement: Barter, empathy, Ten Thousand Treasure Tower welcomes everyone to move to the trading area to check the inventory, fair prices, honest dealing]—Wu Qing Xuan Ge

...

...

"Uh this..."

Xu Shu slightly leaned back.

Damn, even in the apocalypse, with the internet around, it seems you can't escape cringy people, huh.

He chuckled wryly and closed the Promotion Drive, temporarily unable to find anything useful on it.

Looking at the time, it was just past five-thirty.

Xu Shu stood up and walked out of the warehouse, back into the jail corridor.

The hallway was eerily quiet, only the black blood and foul matter he had coughed out during his earlier breakthrough were still flowing, the entire corridor reeking like a slaughterhouse.

"Ugh—"

Xu Shu almost felt like throwing up.

It was a bit too stinky.

He could only fetch a bucket of water and a mop, planning to clean the floor while there was still time. After all, he needed to continue staying in the jail for a while, and it was too smelly to be livable.

Meanwhile, in cell 301, a person named Gu Qian and real name Gu Pan, sat dazedly, muttering to herself:

"This can't be possible, absolutely impossible..."

She seemed to not yet have recovered from the shock of seeing Xu Shu, a "non-qualified person", become a Transcendent.

It wasn't until Xu Shu appeared with the mop that she suddenly reacted and slapped the door, saying, "Hey, you can let me out now, right? You've already become a Transcendent, even if you are just level 1, it's still not something non-Transcendents can compare to, we pose no threat to you now."

"Level 1..." Xu Shu turned his head and looked at her.

This person, she seemed to know not just the things before becoming a Transcendent, but also seemed very familiar with the matters after becoming one...

Xu Shu noticed that there was still unexploited value in this person and thought, "There's no rush. There are a few monsters outside watching the place right now, letting you out wouldn't help you escape. Besides, it's November 11th today, just consider it spending Singles' Day inside."

"??" Gu Pan was confused.

Singles' Day, my ass! Who celebrates it in a jail cell?

She didn't really understand the meaning of Singles' Day, but that didn't stop her from realizing that Xu Shu didn't seem to want to let her out anytime soon, so she dejectedly sat down.

Xu Shu went back to the water room to fetch water. Passing by the intersection, he heard two bald human traffickers banging vigorously at their door to catch his attention.

"What's up?" Xu Shu asked as he got closer.

Li Sheng and Wang Qiang shouted one after the other:

"Big bro, we want to follow you, be your minions! Please take us in!"

"Yeah, big bro, we have no skills, just brute strength. You're a distinguished Transcendent, how can we let you dirty your hands with tasks like mopping the floor? Let us do those tasks from now on!"

These two were sticking their faces to the door and window, their attitude as obsequious as could be.

Even Xu Shu could clearly feel the huge difference in the attitudes of the two men compared to last evening.

Last night, they had submitted out of a desire for food, but deep down, they looked down on Xu Shu as just a petty man temporarily in power—they simply had to bow their heads because they were under his roof.

But now things were different; their eyes were filled with expressions of ingratiating themselves to those above them.

It was like watching two dogs wagging their tails and begging pitifully, too perfect to pretend.

"Indeed, before, I had to use food to force them, and they only pretended to submit, but in reality, they probably thought of doing me in after getting out;

"Now, seeing that I have become a Transcendent, there's no need to force them; they will kneel on the ground and beg me themselves.

"Strength! Everything comes down to strength!

"Strength is the rule for surviving in this chaotic world; without strength, everything is false!

"What about 'when you mix in the underworld, the background matters, and being able to fight is useless?' Wrong, totally wrong! That just shows you aren't able to fight enough!"

At this moment, Xu Shu felt a lot.

And he could be sure that even if these two men were released, they would never dare to double-cross him unless they found a more powerful backer or became stronger themselves.

But…

"What do you think you are, even thinking you can hang out with me?"

Xu Shu sneered.

He despised such people.

These two were purely bad people, bullies who feared the tough, easy to control, but their use was limited, and they could betray him at any time.

With just a few words, he made the two bald brutes turn pale. Then, carrying a bucket, Xu Shu went upstairs, knocking on a door.

"Hey, Gu Qian." Xu Shu pretended not to have discovered her true identity.

"Hm?" Gu Pan looked over with a puzzled expression.

"They're too disgusting; I detest them, but you did help me that time. Comparatively, you're more pleasing to look at, so I'll discuss something with you."

"Ah? What is it?" Gu Pan looked confused.

Checking the time, Xu Shu said indifferently, "In a moment, I'll let you out to move around for ten minutes. Mop the floor, and you can use the remaining time to go to the toilet or wash up. After ten minutes, you'll return to your cell. Deal?"

"???"

Mop the floor?

Me?

Damn, I mean...

Gu Pan glanced at the mop in Xu Shu's hand and after a moment's struggle, quickly agreed, "Deal!"

"Alright, just a friendly reminder. There are a few monsters outside this prison right now, probably thinking this place is a cafeteria. Many who escaped the day before yesterday got eaten. If you want to run, that's up to you."

Saying this, Xu Shu turned back and punched the door of cell 302 opposite him. The thick iron door clanged and flew inwards. The power of the blow was unimaginable to ordinary people.

And this was just a regular attack from a First-tier Warrior.

The gap between a mortal and a Transcendent was terrifying.

Then, Xu Shu pulled out a key and unlocked the door.

"..."

Gu Pan looked at him deeply, understanding that Xu Shu's sudden act of breaking the door was to flex his muscles, to make her see the clear difference and not think of any drastic actions.

"Phew!"

Gu Pan took a deep breath, then quickly picked up the bucket and began wiping the floor energetically, with tears flickering at the corner of her eyes.

At least this was better than before! To survive, there was hope!

She silently cheered herself on, then surprisingly cleared up the bloodstains in just five minutes.

Her movements were swift, her physical condition excellent. Even just mopping the floor had an air of mastery about it.

"This woman must have practiced the Body Refining Method, almost equivalent to a garrison's ordinary soldier in strength," remarked Xu Shu inwardly.

With the remaining time, she quickly asked Xu Shu for a roll of toilet paper, then rushed to the toilet, saying she needed to go for a big one.

"Heh, don't think I don't know, even for a small one, you'd bring toilet paper."

Xu Shu chuckled inwardly.

The smile soon faded.

Xu Shu wrinkled his nose.

It seemed...

Indeed, it was a big one, and... geez, not only does this little fairy shit, but it's also pretty stinky.

Xu Shu suddenly felt his mood dampen.

Ah, there went his fantasy.

After at least ten minutes, several flushes were heard from the toilet before the door opened.

Gu Pan, head bowed and body tense, walked out swiftly and passed by Xu Shu, who exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Your time's up, and what did you eat? It smells dreadful!"

"You!"

Gu Pan glared fiercely at him.

If it hadn't been for holding it in for many days! If it hadn't been for… because…

Her body trembled slightly, her fists turned white, but eventually, she said nothing and walked back to her cell, slamming the door shut.

At that moment, the eastern sky began to lighten, a faint glow breaking the darkness before dawn.

—

[The sun rises in the east, and all things revive. Welcome back to the Tai Chu Scroll, Oh great master]

[Today's remaining opening count: 3/3]

[You may freely choose between the following two modes]

[Epic Mode]

[Conquest Mode]