D-Block was one of the largest sectors of Ravenstone Penitentiary. Divided into five floors, each floor held a hundred of the world's most dangerous killers.
"The safest way out is the stairs at the end of the corridor. Using the lift would just be plain suicide…" Xavier whispered, weighing his options as he analyzed what he remembered of his surroundings.
For security purposes, whenever inmates were moved from their cells, their eyes were always covered with dark cloth. It ensured no prisoner remembered the facility's layout. But Xavier had spent weeks observing subtle details and using others' mistakes to piece together what he could. Even before the chaos broke out, he had already made up his mind—he would not rot in this place while the monsters who had destroyed his life walked free outside. Monsters… that was what they were in his eyes. Not humans.
Each corridor stretched for about a hundred meters. Xavier's cell was located at the far end, so it took him some time to reach the main hall.
"Fast…" His eyes flashed as he looked back at the distance he had covered in a single breath. Covering such ground so quickly would have been impossible for him in the past.
But before he could dwell on it, a middle-aged man with a long scar cutting horizontally across his face stepped into view, closing the distance between them.
Seeing him, Xavier's eyes narrowed, his body tensing instinctively.
Jack "The Butcher." One of the most infamous and dangerous criminals in the entire penitentiary.
When Jack noticed Xavier's gaze, he chuckled darkly.
"Little brother, I saw what you did back there. That tiger was strong, but as soon as it got close to you, it dropped dead inexplicably. And I also saw you pick up a certain book afterward…" His lips twisted into a sinister grin. "I want it."
With every word, he inched closer, until less than a few meters separated them.
Xavier said nothing. He simply stared, the coldness in his eyes deepening with each approaching step.
When the distance between them closed to two meters—sizzle! The faint hum of something slicing the air sounded. Out of nowhere, a golden beam of light shaped like a sword appeared in Xavier's hand.
"Take one more step forward… and die."
Though spoken indifferently, the words froze Jack in place. For a moment, even he looked unsure. Finally, he forced a smile.
"No need to go that far. I was just curious how you killed that tiger so easily. I'm sure everyone here wants to know, right?"
Hearing him, Xavier's gaze flickered toward the sides. Indeed, he could feel the heat of countless eyes fixed on him—eyes filled with greed, jealousy, and barely hidden killing intent.
None of the prisoners here were fools. The way Xavier had felled that monstrous tiger without breaking a sweat… there was something unnatural about it. And in a place where strength was survival, a secret like that could change everything.
Maybe there was even an unspoken agreement among D-Block's upper-floor inmates. While Xavier watched in silence, they slowly began to close in, greed and desperation mixing into madness.
No one could say who started it, but soon a voice came from the back.
"If I can get that glowing sword from his hands, my chances of survival will skyrocket!"
It was the common thought among all of them. The world had changed—they all sensed it. And now, only power mattered.
"Hmph! Bunch of lowlifes trying to take advantage of the situation…" Jack snorted, though his eyes gleamed with the same intent.
Within moments, Xavier found himself completely surrounded. More than ten prisoners had encircled him, each emanating the kind of murderous aura that could make normal men wet themselves. His only escape route—the stairs leading upward—was blocked.
At that point, Jack spoke again.
"No hard feelings, brat. Just hand over whatever treasure that 'Infinite Record' gave you, and we'll let you live."
Hearing those words, Xavier finally couldn't hold back—uncontrollable laughter burst from his mouth.
"You pieces of filth think you can stop me? What guts… how dare your pitiful minds even entertain such thoughts?"
Rage surged through him, wild and suffocating. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to erase Jack from existence. It took all of his willpower not to unleash his Mysterious Soul Skill right there. He knew from the earlier message that he only had two uses left, and each activation might be his last resort in truly dire moments.
But before any decision could be made, the prisoners lost their patience. Ignoring the zombies drawn by the noise, they charged forward.
"Kill him! Whatever he's hiding will be ours!"
The fragile unity they had collapsed instantly. Everyone rushed at Xavier, desperate to be the first.
They remembered how easily the tiger had fallen—and assumed whatever item Xavier had gained would drop again when he died.
There was still some distance between him and the prisoners. Xavier exhaled once, focusing his mana. The manasaber in his hand pulsed with fierce light as he poured more energy into it, following intuition drawn from the skill book.
Terrifying waves of heat rippled outward. The saber's length increased slightly—from one meter to nearly one and a half.
Without hesitation, Xavier swung.
Caught off guard, the nearest prisoner's neck was cleanly sliced open. Xavier felt almost no resistance. Before the others could even react, he sidestepped and slashed again, killing two more in succession.
[You have absorbed the soul power of Level 1 humans ×3]
Jack and the other inmates could only watch in horror as Xavier cut them down like vegetables. Realizing how dire things had become, Jack turned without a word and ran toward the stairs—deciding facing zombies was safer than facing Xavier.
"Not so fast. None of you are escaping."
If it were before, Xavier might have let them go. But not now. Anyone who had seen him fight the tiger had to die—not just the prisoners, but anything that could move on this fifth floor.
Without hesitation, Xavier dumped ten mana points into the saber. It flared blinding gold, its length doubling instantly.
Jack had barely taken two steps when he felt a horrifying heat at his back. Before he could look, a golden flash pierced through his chest, followed by the stench of burning flesh.
The reality finally caught up to the remaining prisoners.
"Run! Scatter! That's our only chance!"
They bolted in every direction, but Xavier only snorted. His body moved faster now—his agility honed by workouts, amplified further through leveling up.
The golden sword in his hand shimmered and transformed into a more flexible, whip-like extension of mana. Channeling another ten points, he swung it in a wide circle.
The whip sliced through the air with devastating precision. Those too close were instantly cleaved in half. Only one lucky man managed to reach the stairs—but with the zombies swarming below, he chose the only path left.
He jumped.
"Arghhh!" His scream echoed before a sickening crash silenced him.
[You have absorbed the soul power of Level 1 human.]
[You have absorbed the soul power of Level 1 human.]
[You have leveled up to Level 3. You gain 2 status points to distribute freely.]
Xavier had killed nine prisoners in total, including Jack. Although the experience wasn't as rich as the tiger's, the accumulation still pushed him to the next level.