Chapter 127

In Syracuse, the treatment of those infected is far less severe than in other countries. This is because, at least, those infected can reason with others, unlike their family members.

They only act according to the rules that benefit their own families, and force ordinary people to obey.

Aya went into the kitchen and soon came out with two bowls of Syracuse Noodles. However, there wasn't much meat sauce in the bowls, probably because the ingredients were almost gone.

The infected children brought their own plastic bags and poured the noodles into them. They then bowed to her to thank her for the treat.

"Hey, don't go."

Aya saw them about to leave and quickly called out to them:

"My Barber Shop just opened today. I'll give you a haircut in a bit. Don't worry, it's free."

The infected children hesitated, looked at each other, and finally agreed.

Seeing Aya return to the hall with an empty bowl, the Exusiai witnessed this scene spoke up:

Aren't you afraid of losing money by doing this?

"Sigh, how much can a few bowls of Syracuse Noodles cost? But this food can save their lives. We don't expect to make money from this; we'll save as many as we can. Palermo's economy isn't doing well right now, and we're just doing what we can."

After Aya went back to the kitchen to wash the dishes, she went out to give the children haircuts after they finished eating.

After Texas and the others finished their Syracuse Noodles, they returned to their respective rooms.

Shi Lei had just finished dinner, and his stomach was still digesting. Unable to sleep, he stood by the window gazing at the bright moonlight. When he looked away, he could see Aya's Barber Shop from his spot.

She filled a basin with water to wash the children's hair, and soon the basin was full of black water. She had to fill several basins with water before she could wash all four of them.

The children looked embarrassed, but they still sat obediently in their chairs. Afraid of troubling Aya, they insisted on washing their hair with water, refusing shampoo.

After she shaved off the frizzy hair with clippers, the infected children looked much more energetic.

"Knock knock".

Suddenly, the innkeeper's voice came from outside the door:

"Guest, is this a convenient time for you? I've boiled a basin of hot water for you so you can soak your feet tonight."

Shi Lei thought for a moment, then stepped forward and opened the door.

The innkeeper placed a wooden basin filled with hot water and white towels near the chairs, reminding guests:

"Just leave the wooden tub in the house after you're done washing; you don't need to break it. There's a lot of dust here at night, so it's best to keep the windows tightly closed. Put a basin of water in the house, and your throat won't be so dry in the morning."

Shi Lei thanked him and praised him:

"Your service is quite attentive."

"Well, there's nothing we can do. Our small town can't compare to the big hotels in other Mobile Cities, so we have to focus on service. We hope our attentive service will make our guests feel right at home. If there's nothing else, I'll head out now. If you need to use the restroom tonight, it's at the end of the corridor on the first floor."

"Okay, I've got it."

After the hotel owner left, Shi Lei took off his socks and started soaking his feet in hot water. Soaking his feet before bed does indeed help him sleep. Afterward, he sat on the bed and played on his phone for a while. Feeling that his stomach was almost fully digested, he turned off the lights and went to sleep.

April 27, 7:30 am

Everyone got up very early in the morning.

The hotel owner even specially prepared a meat sauce pizza for the guests to see them off.

Business is slow during the day, so he and his daughter Aya sit in the lobby and watch them eat.

As a pizza lover, Exusiai n't help but praise it after just two bites:

"Your pizza is tender inside and crispy outside, with a great texture and taste."

The innkeeper chuckled and replied modestly:

"No, it's just home-cooked food."

Seeing that her father didn't want to talk about it, Aya, who was standing to the side, took the initiative to reveal the truth to everyone:

"My dad used to be the head chef at a big hotel. Then the economy went downhill, and he opened a hotel here. Now I have my own Barber Shop, so I can save up some money to renovate this hotel..."

Before the words were even finished, the hotel exploded! The surging heat and shock engulfed everyone present.

191 The Demon God Descends (3K)

The hotel was suddenly struck by a violent explosion, catching everyone off guard. In a flash, Shi Lei had an idea and cast a protective shield around the hotel owner and his daughter Aya.

The other people's Jade Shield remained intact and did not need to be reapplied.

The explosion kicked up clouds of smoke and dust, instantly turning the entire hotel into ruins.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!"

The hotel owner thought he was going to die and screamed in agony. Only after the explosion ended did he realize with astonishment that he had survived unharmed.

The hotel owner checked on his daughter Aya and was relieved to see that she was unharmed.

However, this was followed by feelings of sadness.

The inn, which had been in business for many years, was reduced to ruins by a bomb that appeared out of nowhere. Although the decor was old, it was still the result of the father and daughter's hard work.

The valuables stored in the hotel were also reduced to ashes in the explosion.

Shi Lei didn't explain the function of the Jade Shield to the father and daughter; instead, he flew into the air to take a look.

Looking around, he saw rolling hills. He observed carefully but found no suspicious people.

Could it be a remote-controlled bomb?

Shi Lei remained in the air for two minutes, but still found nothing amiss, before slowly descending.

There was no doubt that the explosion was aimed at them. The poor hotel owner was caught in the crossfire and inexplicably suffered Unforeseen Disaster.

Seeing that Shi Lei could actually fly, Lappland's eyes lit up, and her interest in him grew even stronger.

Is there anything you can't do?

After Shi Lei landed, Texas asked:

"Did you find anything?"

"No, we didn't see any suspicious activity nearby. It's probably a remote-controlled bomb."

The innkeeper, gradually regaining his senses, realized that the father and daughter had survived entirely thanks to this man. Suppressing his grief over the loss of his shop, he bowed in gratitude.

"Sir, thank you for saving my life."

"Don't say that. This matter started because of me, so I should clean up the mess for you and make up for your losses."

After saying that, Shi Lei summoned countless rock pillars to the innkeeper's utter astonishment. After clearing away the ruins, he rebuilt a three-story inn. He even built Aya's Barber Shop along with it.

Shi Lei can control the summoned rock pillars, and whether they have the function of rock resonance. The innkeeper often helps infected children, so he definitely can't use resonant rock pillars.

Once the hotel was built, Shi Lei began to speak:

"Boss, I'm so sorry to have dragged you into this unnecessary trouble. This explosion was originally intended for us."

Yes. I've already built the hotel for you, and the quality is absolutely reliable. However, you'll need to purchase the beds and furniture again. Don't worry about that. I'll find the person who planted the explosives as soon as possible and make them compensate you for your losses.

The hotel owner's emotions were like a rollercoaster ride. First, he was terrified he was going to die, then he realized he was alive and well. He was grieving the destruction of his hotel, but in the blink of an eye, it was rebuilt, and even better than before.

"Don't trouble yourself with this matter. I'm already very content that the inn can be kept open again."

The innkeeper got into trouble because of them, so how could Shi Lei abandon him?

"Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt its debtor. Whoever did this must pay the price. Boss, do you know which families are in town?"

It's obvious without even guessing that the explosives used to blast mines were likely being used by a local family.

Before the innkeeper could answer, Lappland, who had been silent all along, suddenly interjected:

"You have no evidence now, so asking this is useless. Even if you go to their doors one by one, they won't admit it. Who would confess to something like this?"

Shi Lei nodded, agreeing with the statement.

"Then... should we go directly to Madam Sicily?"

Lappland instinctively felt that such a thought was utterly absurd. The Madam Sicily unified Syracuse was not someone just anyone could meet.

But if it were him, perhaps he could really do it:

"If you can meet her and she is willing to help, Madam Sicily will appoint Twelve Families to investigate and give you a satisfactory answer."

Shi Lei nodded in response, then greeted him:

"Texas, come with me."

The latter didn't ask for the specific reason and followed him. They arrived at a deserted place:

"What's wrong?"

"I'd like to know if Syracuse has any high-end combat forces that are more powerful than the Wolf Lord?"

Texas pondered for a moment, somewhat uncertain:

"There shouldn't be any more. The most troublesome one I can recall is the Wolf Lord. A little less formidable is Father Agnil, Madam Sicily brought back from Laterano. But he's not so invincible as to be ridiculously powerful. The immortal Beast Lord are the most troublesome. I left Syracuse three years ago, so I don't know if there have been any new high-end combatants recently. Why don't you call Lappland over and ask?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Lei called Lappland over and asked her the same question. The answer was the same: Syracuse lacks high-end combat power; perhaps the most troublesome element is the immortal Wolf Lord.

"There is more than one Wolf Lord. However, they rarely fight personally anymore, instead focusing on developing their 'Fangs.' In Syracuse, they engage in strategic maneuvering among themselves."

With Syracuse confirmed to lack high-end combat capabilities, Shi Lei will face no further pressure in his promotion.

His ascension to the Archon Realm caused a huge commotion. According to the system's description, the resulting celestial phenomena were visible throughout Palermo. He figured he couldn't hide it from his colleagues anyway, so he simply decided not to.

Shi Lei currently has two options: to be promoted in Palermo, or to go to Volcini for another promotion.

Palermo has a smaller population in comparison. Perhaps the unusual phenomena that occurred during his promotion could bring a small recovery to the local economy.

His choice to be promoted in Palermo rather than Volcini also gave Madam Sicily time to prepare.

Having made up his mind, Shi Lei said to the Twin Wolves:

"Since ordinary people cannot get justice in Syracuse, I will seek justice for them today."

After saying that, he flew directly into the air.

Open the system panel and prepare for promotion.

Shi Lei was unsure whether the subsequent energy waves would spread out in a ring or in Round Ball.

If it's the former, the impact of releasing energy waves while flying in the air will be smaller. If it's the latter, there's no difference whether or not it flies in the air.

[Bite!]

[Congratulations on your advancement!]

[Current Roleplay Value: 0 points (1000 points are needed to advance to the fourth tier, Seven Archons Realm)]

[Current Realm: Archon Realm (Possessing the strength of the Rex Lapis thousands of years ago.)]

[The rules for obtaining Roleplay Value have changed. Please click here for details →]

The instant he clicked the promotion button, the clouds in the sky rapidly converged above Shi Lei's head, gradually forming large swirling clouds, resembling Cataclysmic Clouds.

It is so large that it can be seen from all over Palermo.

Seeing such a terrifying celestial phenomenon, Texas knew he had regained the power of the Archon fragment. While shocked, a look of worry appeared on her face.

Texas is now unsure whether she can control Shi Lei in the future. If he has an emotional outburst like today, she won't be able to stop him at all.

Lappland felt a strong sense of frustration when she saw that Shi Lei could not only fly but also summon Cataclysmic Clouds.

This guy is only in his early twenties, how come he's so strong? He's infuriatingly strong!

The Jade Shield alone, which grants immunity to all damage, is Originium Arts that many people dream of.

As it turns out, she just missed three more opportunities. Besides summoning rocks to quickly build houses, he can also fly and summon Cataclysmic Clouds. This isn't a question of strength anymore, but rather, what exactly is Shi Lei's potential limit?

Lappland believed her talent was already exceptional enough. She was like a natural-born killer, possessing many combat skills.

They are all innate, learned without a teacher.

But compared to Shi Lei, he's nothing!