"Finally!" Yan Zaizen excitedly exclaimed. He took a deep breath and released a powerful gust of internal breath. It took him three months to achieve a breakthrough from the initial success to the minor success. This jump may seem to be divided by a single word, but the change was immediately noticeable.

He grew a few centimeters taller, his body grew more muscular and defined, his eyes radiated with vibrant energy, and he was informed by Tao that his features were becoming more masculinely handsome. At first, Yan Zaizen didn't believe him, but after he got some of the women and men to partake in the critique, it seemed that he was growing better-looking.

Yan Zaizen had always had average looks, but to think there would be such a change. If before he could be considered a five in a scale of ten, now he was about seven. This delighted him and even made him wish to cultivate more.

The others were suspicious of his development, but after some thought, they dismissed their ideas. If Yan Zaizen wished to use his remaining energies to better his looks, what should they say to such a fool? If Yan Zaizen knew what they were thinking, he would probably rub his nose in embarra.s.sment.

Regardless, he had to continue on this road of development. He could tell his soul wasn't even close to reawakening. At the moment, this was his only path available.

Deep Mines, Day One-Hundred Eighty-Six:

"I can't do this anymore!" A young boy, not even eight years old, jumped off and into the deep pit.

Yan Zaizen, Tao, and the rest couldn't even spare their energy to intervene. This boy had sought to commit suicide several times in the past week, but each time Yan Zaizen stopped him and tried to instill him with hope, but he seemed to have given up. As he jumped off, and seconds later realized that no one was going to save him, he screamed a scream a boy should never have to scream. A deep regret permeated the air.

Everyone couldn't help but feel their hearts grow colder. The boy wasn't the first to do so. He was just the first that was so young. A few of the old miners threw themselves over, accepting the warm embrace of death in this cold hole.

"The world is cruel," Tao said.

"If you don't have the desire to struggle, then you've already been defeated," Yan Zaizen added. The earlier look of hope towards humanity was dwindling. His eyes were opened a lot towards the result of deprivation and lacking one's will to survive.

A young woman who originally used other means to make her quota couldn't reach it. However, she didn't kill herself or try to kill others. This woman believed herself cunning, and she had an idea for possible freedom in her eyes. When the overseer arrived due to her quota being unfulfilled, she immediately took action.

"I apologize, I hope you can show mercy." Her voice was filled with the most amount of charm she could muster. The overseer couldn't help but smile, his eyes filled with l.u.s.t and contempt. When the others witnessed this, especially the other women, their eyes widened with surprise but also hope. If they could bewitch the overseer then, they would be able to ride through their sentence with ease.

The overseer informed her that he'll be giving her 'punishment,' took her away, and laughed triumphantly. When the others saw this, they hated themselves for not thinking of it first. Despite this, none of the women were going to throw their quota aside. What if that overseer was absent, and another, maybe a woman appeared. What would they do? Die?

Deep Mines, Day One-Hundred Eighty-Nine:

Three days later, the overseer returned. In his hands was a naked body.

It was the woman!

She was alive, but her breathing was shallow as if she was in a vicious battle for three days and three nights. Her body had bruises all over, and her eyes were dim. When the others witnessed this, their eyes were filled with a little dread. The men looked at the overseer in fear, but some held envy.

He grabbed the exposed body of the woman and held her out. Despite her lack of breath, she struggled to speak, "Master, thank you for bringing me back." She had a feeble smile with those words. Yan Zaizen and Tao looked onwards with complex emotions.

"Let me ask you all something." The overseer said, his eyes filled with amus.e.m.e.nt as if looking at a group of worthless sheep. "Do you know how it feels to die?"

What?

Everyone was a little confused but largely held fear in their eyes at his words. No one answered, simply stared with caution.

Seeing this, the overseer laughed wildly. "She's about to find out." When he said that, he grabbed the naked woman by the nape of her neck and lifted her up for all to see. She wanted to struggle after realizing the circ.u.mstance she was in, but there was nothing she could do with her weak body. The overseer exerted pressure on his grip. One could see her skin around her neck tighten, imprinting the shape of his fingers. The grip continued tightening, there was a rubbery sound of something being squashed slowly taking place.

Yan Zaizen gulped.

Tao stared calmly.

Some clenched their teeth in hatred at themselves.

The women looked onwards with fear and caution.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The woman somehow mustered enough strength to grip at the fingers embedded into her neck, trying to wrench them away, her legs kicked wildly, and her throat released a stifled sound. Her eyes seemed to be nearing the state of popping out of her skull, and lines of saliva formulated on the sides of her lips.

CRACK!!!

A final crack resounded. Her struggles ceased. Like a puppet who lost its strings, she went limp, her head lingered powerlessly to the side, and the struggle in her eyes ceased. A malicious laughter resounded from the overseer, his eyes filled with disdain and contempt at all those he looked at. "If you miss your quota, you'll know how it feels to die. Hahaha!" With that, he took off in flight causing everyone to have complex expressions, the body of the woman dropped into the deep pit.

"Cruel," Tao muttered.

Yan Zaizen stared at the overseer, his eyes flas.h.i.+ng with a murderous glint.