This is simply going too far!

Although Herbert now possessed the ability to open portals within the Third Precept, the ability was not yet perfected, and his clearance level remained insufficiently high.

He only had access privileges to the first five floors.

Furthermore, Herbert had to physically enter one of these layers first before he could initiate a teleportation, otherwise he would be left standing outside the door with nothing to do.

"This is a bit troublesome. I have to light up the coordinates at least once before I can teleport. What kind of game dungeon is this? Why do I have to kindle bonfires?"

Herbert felt helpless and could not help complaining in his heart:

"Where is my Fire Keeper? Where is my little wooden maiden? My witch... Oh, not that kind of witch who can transform."

He was not referring to the Witch Path.

In addition, from the results of this test, Herbert could also draw a somewhat unexpected conclusion.

The nine semi-planes of the Third Precept were not stacked vertically from top to bottom as he had previously imagined.

Instead, the Endless Labyrinth, serving as the primary region, was the central plane, surrounded by a ring of eight smaller semi-planes.

"In other words, once my clearance level is high enough in the future, I can directly enter the ninth region..."

Thinking about this, Herbert continued walking through the darkness, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding shadows that he previously could not pierce.

He discovered that after acquiring night vision, the scenery here had undergone dramatic changes.

It was not completely empty here.

The ground was actually covered with various intricate patterns, the walls were adorned with massive murals, and even the vaulted ceiling featured exquisite arched architecture painted in vibrant colors.

In other words, if this place were brilliantly illuminated, it would resemble a royal ballroom rather than a prison cell.

Herbert was intimately familiar with ballrooms of this design—he had once been a regular guest at the Crystal Frost royal ballroom, frequently waltzing there with the young ladies and matrons of various noble families.

"But why on earth is this space designed this way?" Herbert grew slightly confused, unable to understand why the monastery would design a cell like this.

Giving preferential treatment to prisoners?

Did they hope to reform them through humane care?

Herbert pondered for a moment and strolled over to the black iron coffin.

"Hmm?"

He walked around to observe his surroundings and discovered that the black iron coffin happened to be positioned in the exact center of the Prison Without Light.

Moreover, the black iron coffin was embedded precisely into a recessed hollow in the middle, rather than being moved here from elsewhere.

"Hmm... Hmm?"

Seeing this scene, a bizarre thought suddenly popped into Herbert's mind.

Could this place...

Have originally been Eliza's home?

The more Herbert thought about it, the more plausible the idea seemed. He carefully inspected the surrounding patterns and compared them with the scenes stored in his memory.

That's right.

They bore a striking resemblance to the palace patterns he had once seen in the memories of Prince Fart.

So, was she actually... working from home?!

Ah, right, community-based correction.

However, that didn't seem right, did it?

Whose community-based correction involves moving the criminal along with their entire house straight into a prison!

At this thought, Herbert drew in a sharp breath of cold air and clicked his tongue: "Goodness... Isn't that a bit too overbearing?"

How outrageous!

Even an insider like him couldn't bear to watch this.

He shook his head and sighed with emotion: "This is truly excessive..."

Click.

A soft sound came from inside the coffin, and a pair of eyes emerged from the narrow gap, gazing gloomily at Herbert.

"Excessive? Who did you say is excessive?"

Eliza gnashed her teeth in resentment, glaring at the white-haired youth outside the coffin, and snapped angrily, "Who could possibly be more excessive than you?"

As a member of the clergy, he actually refused to honor his debt... He was a bully.

This was simply too bullying!

At the mere thought of this, Eliza's heart kept bleeding.

Drip.

Drip.

Before Herbert could reply, he heard the sound and tilted his head in confusion, wondering aloud, "Hmm? Where is that sound of water coming from?"

Whose pipes are leaking?

"Hmph! Mind your own business!"

Eliza simply let out an unamused, angry snort, pouting as she said, "It's all your fault, you damned paladin, for breaking your promise!"

She clutched her chest, pressing the flowing blood back inside.

Yes.

She was literally bleeding from the heart!

Because Eliza was exceedingly weak, the wound Herbert had previously inflicted on her chest with his sword had not yet fully healed.

Flying into a rage caused her blood to surge, squeezing a few more drops of her vital essence straight out of her heart.

Other people's girlfriends might leak air when broken.

She, however, leaked blood...

Seeing her so vexed, Herbert smiled, shook his head, and said, "Oh, don't put it that way. How did I break my promise? Didn't I come here to fulfill it?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't give it to you; I'm just giving it to you a tiny, little bit later."

Yes.

There was merely a ti~ny~ li~ttle~ issue with the cash flow, and he just needed his colleagues to temporarily weather this difficult period together with the company...

"Really?!"

Hearing those words, Eliza's eyes suddenly lit up, though she remained somewhat skeptical, staring at him suspiciously as she said, "You better not go back on your word this time."

"Really, really. Would I lie to you?"

Herbert straightened his expression and said with a straight face, "I am a paladin, after all, and I never lie."

Herbert had lived a righteous life, never changing his name wherever he went, and never uttering a single falsehood.

A man like him wouldn't even deceive a female fire dragon, let alone a little bat-demon like her!

Eliza narrowed her eyes, remaining silent for quite a while before reluctantly nodding and saying, "Well... fine then. I'll trust you for now."

Although she still harbored some doubts, the goods were still in the other person's hands, leaving no room for her to question him further.

What if he got annoyed by her questioning and refused to pay up altogether!

She had compromised, but at that moment, Herbert fell silent again, staring at her back and forth with a very strange gaze.

?

What was the meaning of this?

"What's wrong? Are you going to renege on your promise again?"

"No, I'm just..." Herbert shook his head, his lips twitching, and finally let out a sigh of deep emotion, lamenting, "She doesn't look like her at all!"

The contrast between how ridiculously cool and dominant Eliza was in her vital-essence memories and the bratty tsundere gremlin she was now dealt him a massive psychological blow.

Time truly was a ruthless butcher.

"Sigh..."

Eliza: ???

Sighing while looking at someone else's face... What did this fellow mean?

Was he deliberately trying to pick a fight?

Just as she was about to press him for an answer, Herbert had already proactively pricked his finger, extended it toward the gap in the coffin, and said casually, "Here, ten drops. Help yourself."

!!!

Eliza voiced no complaints; her eyes were locked entirely upon that jade-white finger.

Blood!

Real blood!

Yet before Eliza could open her mouth, her suspicious nature struck again, and she asked doubtfully, "Is this real?"

"Cut the crap! Waste any more time and I won't give it to you."

Herbert rolled his eyes speechlessly, making a motion to withdraw his finger.

Eliza panicked instantly and lunged forward to bite—but that narrow gap made it utterly impossible for her to stick her mouth out.

In her desperation, the starving Eliza actually stretched out her tongue, trying to catch the falling drops of blood.

My blood!

At the exact same moment.

Herbert looked at that little pink tongue, and only a single thought flashed through his mind—if he were to close the coffin lid right now...

Would she cry for a very long time?