Master Of Astral Summoner-Chapter 178: Black rye bread

Just as Shaan felt his hope begin to crumble, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching the door. Someone stopped outside. A key slid into the keyhole and turned, ready to unlock it.

"Hey, this is our chance," Shaan whispered to Theo. "The moment the door opens, we rush out with all our strength."

"That's a risky plan," Theo said as he slowly rose to his feet. "But we don't have another option. Let's try it."

A few seconds later, the door swung open. Shaan and Theo immediately charged forward with all their strength—but their plan failed. Two officers stood right outside. They blocked the way and shoved both of them hard, sending them crashing to the floor.

"Ah, damn it!"

"You think we're idiots?!" The brown-haired, curly-haired officer spat right in front of Shaan. "You all underestimate the members of the resistance."

"Hey, what do you guys actually want?!" Theo's gaze was cynical as he looked at the two officers in their black robes. "What?!" "

"Hey, what do you actually want from us?!" Theo shot them a sharp glare, staring at the two officers in black robes. "What?!"

The officers didn't answer. They only laughed. One of them tossed some food onto the floor and looked at Shaan and Theo with cold contempt.

"Eat. And stop asking questions."

After that, the two officers slammed the door shut, leaving Shaan and Theo alone inside the cell once again.

"Damn it! Damn it!" Theo slammed his fist against the floor, anger written all over his face. "Those damn officers make me sick. How dare they treat me like this?"

"Theo, we'll think of another way," Shaan said, trying to calm him down. "For now, we should eat and figure out how to—"

"No!" Theo shook his head firmly. "I refuse to eat that garbage."

'Grroooowwl'

Shaan raised an eyebrow. "Theo, you're starving."

Theo's face flushed red, and he immediately turned his head away. "Yes, I know that. I still won't eat that weird food."

'Jeez… he's really stubborn.'

"Fine, whatever you say."

Shaan stepped closer and took a better look at the food on the floor. He froze. His appetite vanished instantly the moment he saw what the officers had given them.

'W-wait, what is this? '

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary round loaf of bread. But its color looked completely absurd—dark gray, almost black. Honestly, Shaan had never imagined food could come in such a disturbing shade.

Not only that, but the bread gave off no smell at all. When he poked it lightly, he felt how hard it was—nothing soft or fresh about it. He could only stare at the strange bread in confusion.

'Damn… this bread feels more like a rock.' Shaan knocked it against the floor. It made a dull, solid sound. 'This is insane. It doesn't even crack. Who could actually eat this?"

"So?" Theo laughed when he saw Shaan's expression. "Still interested in eating it? You'll regret it. I guarantee that."

"Uh…"

"But if you insist, go ahead," Theo said arrogantly. "Here's a tip—dip it in water first. At least that'll make it a little softer. That's better than chewing it dry."

"Ah, okay."

Shaan grabbed a cup of water and dipped the bread into it, following Theo's advice. After a moment, he took a large bite. The second he chewed, his face twisted.

"Haha! I warned you," Theo said, laughing loudly. "Why don't you ever listen to me? That's black yeast bread. It always tastes like that. Bland. Dry. Awful." He stuck out his tongue in disgust. "It's disgusting."

"Hey… how do you even know about this food?"

"Someone gave me that bread before," Theo replied confidently. "But my tongue doesn't tolerate cheap food like this."

'The way he talks really starts to annoy me…'

Shaan wiped his mouth and glared at the rock-hard bread on the floor, his frustration growing by the second.

"If you want, take mine too. I refuse to eat that disgusting thing," Theo said as he lay back down. "But don't eat too much. Your mouth might start foaming.

"Foaming? What—"

Suddenly, an idea sparked in Shaan's mind.

His eyes widened. Without wasting a second, he rushed toward Theo and shook him before he could fall asleep.

"Theo! Theo! I've got it!" Shaan tapped his shoulder repeatedly. "I know how we can get out of here!"

"Hey! Hey! Have you lost your mind?" Theo shot him an irritated look. "What are you doing?"

"Theo, I'm sure this will work," Shaan said enthusiastically. "But I need your help."

"Yeah, yeah. Just say it already."

Shaan quickly explained his idea in detail. At first, Theo looked skeptical and dismissed it as nonsense. But as Shaan continued laying out his reasoning and possible outcomes, Theo's expression slowly changed.

"So, what do you think of my idea?" Shaan said eagerly. "It's good, right?"

Theo gave a small nod. "Yeah… It's interesting." He crossed his arms. "As long as I don't have to suffer too much, I think it might work. Fine. Let's try it."

"Good." Shaan grinned. "Then it's time to put the plan into action."

***

"Guard! Guard!" Theo shouted as he pounded on the door. "Help! Help!"

"Hey! Keep it down!" the guard snapped from the other side.

"Guard! My friend—he's poisoned!" Theo yelled in panic. "You need to check on him! He needs help right now!"

"What?!"

The guard quickly unlocked the door and stepped inside. The moment he entered, his face stiffened. He saw Shaan's body convulsing violently on the floor. Thick foam kept pouring from Shaan's mouth—so much that it spilled across the ground.

"Damn it… How did this happen?" The guard knelt and checked Shaan's pulse. "Don't tell me he already—"

"Bam!"

A heavy blow struck the back of the guard's head. The guard collapsed instantly and lost consciousness.

"Nice timing," Shaan said as he sat up and wiped the foam from his mouth. "Good thing that worked."

Theo tossed aside the metal tray he had bent to use as a weapon. "I admit it. Your plan was crazy." He smirked slightly. "But it worked."

"This is our chance." Shaan grabbed the unconscious guard's key. "We need to get out of here and find the others. They might need our help."