In a perfect world, you start by relying on your own strength.

Shi Geng silently stepped out from behind the hunters, his tattered clothes as a commoner standing out starkly against the somber atmosphere around him.

Upon seeing this, Fanti urgently exclaimed, "Commander-in-Chief Jingnan! 4066 attacked the common people, showing utter disregard for the law. If he is allowed to approach the city lord, there could be serious consequences!"

Jing Nan didn't stop walking, only turning her head slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes: "This is Lord Morgan's order. Are you trying to question Lord Morgan's decision?"

Fanti's face turned pale and then red, and he gripped the long whip tightly. In the end, he dared not say another word and could only glare hatefully at Shi Geng's back.

The group walked through the corridors and headed towards the top floor where the city lord was located.

They walked in silence, following Jingnan through the clean, cold passage of the lighthouse. The metal walls gleamed with a cold white light, which clashed with Shigen's dusty clothes.

The group quickly arrived at the central hub connecting the various departments. The winding staircase spiraled upwards, and the center was empty. From time to time, a faint blue light flowed and flickered at the top of the shaft.

"This is the central electromagnetic cannon of the Lighthouse? I heard that it can blast a King-level Devouring Beast into dust with a single shot."

Ran Bing looked around curiously, clearly it was her first time stepping into this area.

Shi Geng followed her gaze and saw a spiral staircase encircling the empty central shaft. A dense and violent energy emanated from its depths, causing even the surrounding air to tremble slightly. At the top of the shaft, blue light flickered, like the breath of a lurking beast.

Jing Nan, walking ahead, spoke calmly: "The central electromagnetic cannon is the Lighthouse's ultimate defensive trump card, and it does indeed have the power to severely injure a King-level Devouring Beast. However, the cost of activating it is enormous, and it will never be used lightly unless in a desperate situation."

During their conversation, Shi Geng narrowed his eyes slightly.

In the Lighthouse today, the only thing that can pose a truly fatal threat to him is the electromagnetic cannon hidden deep within its core.

However, Shi Geng was not too worried. Even if the central electromagnetic cannon was powerful, he was in the lighthouse at the moment, and the electromagnetic cannon posed almost no threat to him.

Before long, the group ascended the spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse. Pushing open the heavy metal doors of the city lord's hall, Lord Morgan was already seated on his high seat, his gaze sweeping down upon the crowd below.

"City Lord."

Jing Nan bowed slightly, and Mark and Ran Bing followed suit.

Only Shi Gen simply looked up and stared straight at the highest authority of the lighthouse, neither servile nor arrogant.

Morgan's gaze was very calm, making him look like an ordinary old man. He first nodded slightly to Mark and the others, then looked directly at Shi Geng and asked, "4066, what do you think of the Lighthouse?"

"Not very good."

Shi Geng scoffed, his tone filled with undisguised contempt.

Morgan was not angry when he heard this. He simply turned his head to look out the window, watching the passing clouds and the setting sun that was about to disappear.

"The lighthouse has stood in the sky for so many years, protecting the survival of humankind."

Morgan stood with his back to the crowd, his voice low and calm, revealing no emotion.

"In your eyes, it may be cold, cruel, and hierarchical."

He paused slightly, his fingertips gently resting on the windowsill.

"But do you know? The ground has long since become the world of Devouring Beasts. Without the Lighthouse, humanity would have been wiped out long ago."

As soon as he finished speaking, Morgan slowly turned around, his weathered eyes falling once more on Shi Gen.

"Your strength is extremely valuable to the Lighthouse. I can give you the opportunity to escape your status as a commoner, and even make you an instructor for the hunters, giving you the same treatment as the upper class."

"What are the conditions?"

Faced with conditions that would drive any commoner mad, Shi Geng remained calm and unmoved.

He never believed in free lunches, and he certainly didn't think that Morgan, the old fox who had been in charge of the beacon for many years, would offer such generous terms for no reason.

Since the establishment of the three laws of the Lighthouse, the common people are the common people, and the superior people are the superior people. The ironclad rules have never been an exception.

Morgan turned around, his cloudy yet sharp gaze falling on Shi Geng. After a long while, he slowly spoke: "The conditions are very simple."

"The power you displayed in the ruins of the old world far surpasses that of ordinary citizens, and even exceeds that of the hunters. The Lighthouse needs combat power like yours."

Shi Geng looked up and calmly met his gaze: "I want to hear the important points."

Morgan smiled knowingly: "First, your power can only be used to protect the lighthouse, hunt the Devouring Beasts, and gather resources."

"Secondly, Dustman 4066, from now on, you are no longer a number, but an Upper Citizen, enjoying all the rights of an Upper Citizen. But you must remember—you are the first and only one to be made an exception by the Lighthouse."

At this point, Morgan's tone suddenly turned serious:

"Therefore, secondly, you must make sufficient contributions, enough to silence all the upper class and prevent all the lower class from harboring disloyal thoughts. Otherwise, making exceptions will be the source of chaos."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:

"The last point—you must be honest with me about the source of your power."

"I don't care if you've modified relics from the old world or used some other bizarre methods, the Lighthouse cannot tolerate uncontrolled monsters."

"Agree to these, and you will become an upper-class citizen, an instructor for the hunters, possessing privileges, resources, status, and even... the right to have your own genetically matched partner."

"I'm sorry, I refuse."

Without a second thought, Shi Geng immediately refused Morgan's request.

Morgan's aged face showed a barely perceptible furrow of the brow, and his expression darkened slightly.

He sat high above, his gaze slowly falling upon the boy below, a mere mortal. His voice, though not loud, carried the unique authority of a ruler of the Lighthouse: "4066, do you know what you're saying?"

Jingnan's expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously took a step forward, but Morgan raised his hand to stop him.

Shi Geng slightly raised his eyes, his gaze calmly meeting that of the supreme ruler of the beacon, without the slightest fear, but rather with a hint of indifferent mockery: "Are you getting old? Are you hard of hearing? I said I refuse."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice not loud, but clearly carrying throughout the entire council chamber: "Do you think someone with my abilities would care about these things?"

Morgan slowly stood up, looking down at him: "Do you think you can defy the entire Beacon on your own?"

Shi Geng raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a cold smile.

"defy?"

"I'm just telling you—"

"The three laws of the lighthouse: You can manage others."

"You're not qualified to control me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the air in the entire council chamber seemed to freeze.

Morgan's eyes, which had been dulled by the passage of time and no longer revealed much emotion, finally flashed with a hint of coldness.

Mark and the others all kept their heads down, not daring to even breathe.

Morgan may appear kind and composed on the surface, but they all know all too well just how ruthless this old man can be.

The three cold, ruthless, and inhumane laws on the lighthouse were established and implemented by him personally.

The council chamber was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone was waiting for the ruler to unleash his fury.

Morgan didn't roar, but slowly opened his eyes, his cloudy yet sharp gaze sweeping over the area below: "You all go out first."

Jingnan's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she bowed, as if about to speak: "Lord of the City..."

"Get out." Morgan said calmly, his tone carrying an unyielding authority, revealing no trace of joy or anger.