Awakening Zhongli Template, Retiring on Terra

"How about we tell ghost stories? The loser has to drink. Wait, I'll go get some strong liquor."

Exusiai acted as soon as she spoke, her execution flawless. She went to the counter and asked Ivan if he had any alcohol for sale.

Unfortunately, the shop hadn't restocked alcohol. To buy some, they'd have to go to a town about one or two kilometers away from the hot springs. And at this hour, the liquor stores were already closed.

Exusiai had initially planned to ride her motorcycle there, but after learning the winery was closed, she had to give up. Since they were staying at this shop for a few days, she figured she could buy some during the day if necessary.

She was a restless person, so she asked Ivan for a deck of cards and returned to the room to play with everyone else. Shi Lei was penniless and politely declined when he heard they were betting money.

Later, Exusiai modified the rules, changing the bet from money to the winner flicking the loser's forehead three times.

Shi Lei was disqualified due to his Jade Shield and sat on the side watching Texas and the other two play cards.

Even though he wasn't playing himself, the joy was contagious. Exusiai paid a heavy price for the rules she had proposed. Both Texas and Croissant flicked her so hard she cried out.

The wind and snow outside raged even harder, letting out a "wooo"

"waaa" sound. This was a frozen wasteland, and the outdoor temperature was much lower than in Lungmen.

Around eleven-thirty, the group suddenly heard a violent impact outside the fence. The sound only lasted for a moment before being quickly swallowed by the howling wind and snow.

"Hey, did you guys hear that?"

After Croissant's reminder, Shi Lei seemed to have indeed heard a noise. Since he wasn't playing cards, he took it upon himself to go investigate, joking:

"You guys keep playing, I'll go take a look. Maybe it's some wild game delivered right to our doorstep."

Shi Lei activated a Jade Shield on himself and headed towards the source of the sound.

The high fence outside provided cover, and he easily stepped onto the outdoor ground by creating a Rock Spine beneath his feet.

In the snow, a little girl lay on the ground, seemingly ten-something years old, her clothes dirty.

She wasn't wearing shoes, or perhaps her shoes had fallen off. Her bare feet were red from the cold. It was hard to imagine how she had gotten here; she looked quite pitiful.

Additionally, on the little girl's left arm, two diamond-shaped black Originium crystals were attached to her skin.

She was Infected.

If Shi Lei hadn't encountered her, it would have been fine. But since he had, he wouldn't ignore her. He used his mind to form several Rock Spears to support the little girl's body, lifting her into the courtyard.

Back inside, Shi Lei also applied a Jade Shield to the little girl to protect her from the severe cold. But she had already fallen unconscious and needed to be warmed up first:

"Texas, take her to soak in the hot springs first. And maybe give her some food."

"Okay."

The little girl's clothes were a bit dirty, but Texas didn't mind. She scooped the child up with one arm under her neck and the other supporting her thighs, quickly leaving the scene. Exusiai and Croissant stopped playing cards and followed to help.

Shi Lei's identity made it inappropriate for him to enter the women's bathhouse, so he stayed in the room. However, not long after, he heard arguing in the hallway outside.

"Sir, put aside your kindness! This is a disaster, it will bring you misfortune!"

"Oh, come now, don't get so worked up. After all, she's a living being. We can't just leave her to die when we see her, right?"

Shi Lei followed the sound out of the room, only to see Ivan pull out a crossbow from under the counter and yell sternly:

"If anyone finds out there's an Infected here, the money invested in this shop will be wasted! This is an ill omen, throw her out immediately! Now!"

Seeing a Jade Shield form on herself, Exusiai's words became more confident:

"Put down the crossbow and calm down. There are no other customers here right now. If you don't say anything, and we don't say anything, who else will know? Relax, I promise it won't affect your hot spring business."

She had thought that by communicating properly with Ivan, they could find a solution that benefited everyone. To her surprise, his attitude was exceptionally stubborn, and he even started driving away the guests:

"Damn it, you're not welcome here! Pack your things and leave immediately, we're not doing business with you! Get out of here with her, now!"

Croissant's expression was strange, finding this guy utterly baffling:

"We are invited guests, what kind of attitude is this? I've traveled so many times, and this is the first time I've seen a merchant drive away customers. It's so late, where do you expect to drive us to?"

Shi Lei also felt that the merchant's actions were inappropriate. They hadn't stated beforehand that they refused Infected, and now they were not only adding a rule on the spot but also unilaterally demanding to terminate the contract, which severely violated the spirit of the pact.

He walked over and applied a Jade Shield to Croissant, just in case Ivan resorted to underhanded tactics and launched a surprise attack.

Shi Lei had spent a month reading in the library and knew that Infected were not well-received in other countries.

Since there were no documented records, he had no concept of this discrimination. It felt like a genuine contempt, similar to how some people viewed Black people. He hadn't expected Ursus's attitude towards the Infected to be so harsh.

At this moment, Texas emerged from the women's bathhouse carrying the little girl. The latter had regained consciousness but still looked very weak. Her pale little face was buried in her hood, and her lips were chapped.

Seeing the guests carrying out an Infected person, Ivan trembled with rage. The madman actually pulled the trigger, intending to shoot the little girl on the spot!

Texas reacted quickly, dodging the bolt with a sidestep. Before she could counterattack, Croissant and Exusiai quickly moved forward, subdued Ivan, and disarmed him.

"What are you doing? She's just a child!"

Ivan didn't think he was wrong and even blamed the guests for being naive and ignorant:

"But she's Infected."

"So what if she's Infected? Don't they only spread it after they die and explode? What are you afraid of?"

Ivan stared intently at the little girl, his fierce gaze seeming like he wanted to devour her. Exusiai helplessly knocked him out, tied him up, and placed him behind the counter.

She took some snacks from the counter and fed them to the little girl in Texas's arms. After eating a little, the girl finally had the strength to speak, and what came out was a stream of babble.

Everyone exchanged glances, unable to understand what the little girl was saying. The only one who understood was Shi Lei, seemingly thanks to the Embarrassing System's built-in translator.

"She said to go save her people."

The little girl realized she could only communicate with him. She stared at Shi Lei, extending her fingers and gesturing repeatedly.

"She said they were a small unit of the Reunion, migrating towards Sargon. The snow was too heavy today, so they were forced to take shelter in the mine. Then, the local villagers found them and collapsed the mine with Originium bombs."

Hearing him perfectly relay her meaning, the little girl anxiously broke free from his embrace, intending to kneel and beg for help. Fortunately, Texas reacted quickly and stopped her.

Shi Lei didn't have much experience interacting with the Infected, so he approached the situation more rationally:

"What do you think? Should we go save them, or pretend we didn't hear? If we save them, we'll likely clash with the locals, and we can forget about playing for the next few days. If we don't save them, given Ursus's harsh stance on the Infected, I feel like those people will surely die tonight."

Exusiai, with her straightforward thinking, stated her personal stance:

"Of course, we have to save them. We can't just watch them die, can we?"

Seeing Shi Lei look her way, Texas responded:

"I don't mind, I'll follow your lead."

Croissant was similar, leaning towards reason:

"We're your spear, and you're our shield. Save them or not, I'll listen to you."

The vote was now 1 to 2, with Shi Lei's single decisive vote needed.

Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.

He felt there was no need to ask the boss or Isu, and made the decision on the spot: "Alright, let's go. We'll make it quick. But we can save them for now, not for life. After we leave the icefield and return to Lungmen, we can't control what happens to them."

"Oh, why are you thinking so much? If we save them now, we're giving them another chance at life. As for their future path, that's for them to consider, it has nothing to do with us."

Seeing these strangers agree to help, the little girl was moved to tears and chattered on.

Shi Lei omitted some parts and translated:

"She said she's very grateful and asked us to please save her people, and that she'll repay our kindness."

The Penguin Logistics messengers were wading into this mess purely on a whim. Neither Shi Lei nor the other three expected any repayment from the Infected.

After a brief regroup, it was decided that Croissant would stay behind to keep an eye on Ivan, at least preventing him from tipping anyone off.

Exusiai drove a motorcycle, using its headlights to clear the path ahead, while Texas drove the car carrying people behind.

Since the little girl insisted on leading the way, they couldn't leave her at the hot springs and had to bring her along.

The four set out, following her directions north for about a kilometer or two, and indeed, they spotted a small town.

It was the dead of night, and a biting cold wind whipped at their faces. Only a few scattered lights flickered in the town, like solitary lamps adrift on a vast sea, emitting a dim, yellowish glow.

They didn't enter the town, nor did they stop. Based on the little girl's general impression, they detoured towards the mine.

At the same time, about five kilometers from the town.

In the pitch-black night, dark figures darted through the snowy woods. Their footsteps were light, crunching on the accumulated snow.

The faint moonlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, illuminating a banner bearing the 'Reunion' insignia.

"Have you made contact?"

Someone whispered in the darkness. The voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows:

"No, we've lost contact with three small squads. They're likely in grave danger tonight. And the Ursus guys are still in pursuit behind us. We need to withdraw as soon as possible to avoid being caught by the main force."

"You all go ahead, I'll wait here."

"No, Deputy Commander Mudrock. If you choose to stay, none of us will leave."

Mudrock AI pantyhose limited edition.jpg

066 Moonlit Stroll (Two-in-one)

"You all go ahead, I'll wait here."

A Sarkaz wielding a hammer and clad in heavy armor volunteered to stay behind and cover their retreat. Their black and white attire completely concealed their face, leaving not an inch of skin exposed. Judging solely by their appearance, it was impossible to determine the person's age or gender.

"No, Deputy Commander Mudrock. If you choose to stay, none of us will leave."

Many Infected clustered around them in the woods, treating Mudrock as their leader.

At this moment, an Infected Caster wearing a hooded coat approached the group, asking with some resentment:

"Why are you dragging your feet? Such slow progress, are you planning to betray the organization?"

Before Mudrock could explain, a Sarkaz swordsman beside them jumped in, retorting unceremoniously:

"Damn it, why are you speaking so rudely? We just don't want to abandon our lost comrades and want to stay to provide support. Don't you have any family? You like to throw around accusations of treason!"

The Infected Caster's lips twitched, wanting to lash out on the spot. But these Infected all deferred to Mudrock, and he was outnumbered, so he forcibly swallowed his anger:

"If you want to stay and provide support, then stay. But I won't risk everyone's lives to go on a suicide mission. Until we find a safe haven, any action that halts our progress will harm our Infected brethren!"

"If you want to leave, then leave. Why all the extra nonsense? Since the Deputy Commander wants to cover our retreat, we'll support them with all our might, even if it means going through hell."

Seeing everyone only followed Mudrock's lead, and that he as the captain had no credibility. The Infected Warlock knew he couldn't win over these Sarkaz mercenaries, so he left with a threat:

"Fine, don't regret this later!"

Before the Catastrophes, the Infected were scattered like loose sand everywhere. Even when they faced unfair treatment, they could only suffer in silence.

This current group of Infected wasn't the legitimate Infected. They hadn't yet rendezvoused with Talulah or Exusiai, and were a spontaneously formed organization of Infected. It was perfectly normal for them to have their own small factions within.

Mudrock and her subordinates, for example, were formerly Sarkaz mercenaries. After Theresia's death, they refused to acknowledge Theresis's status as 'new king'. They left Kazdel and joined this Infected group they encountered halfway. They migrated everywhere, searching for habitable places.

The Warlock's suggestion wasn't without reason. Perhaps rushing ahead was the most stable course of action. But Mudrock greatly valued the lives of her Sarkaz kin and wouldn't abandon them easily. It was understandable that she wanted to stay behind to cover their retreat.

"Captain Mudrock, ignore that ** (expletive), we joined the Infected because we believe in you. If you leave, we quit too!"

"I'm very grateful for your trust and support, but we really can't afford to split our forces anymore. You all go with the main group, I'll choose a pass to stay behind and cover the rear."

As she said this, Mudrock suddenly froze. She turned her heavy armor and looked up at the dark night sky.

Impossible, absolutely impossible! In this world, how could anyone still wield that kind of power of the earth?

Now, let's rewind the clock ten minutes.

Shi Lei, led by the little girl, arrived at a mine near the town. No miners were visible here, only three kerosene lamps burning lonely.

"Wuwu, wah..."

Seeing her tugging on his sleeve and pointing at the collapsed mine shaft, Shi Lei understood everything.

He walked to the entrance and surveyed the stone wall built from rubble and cinders. He conjured a Rock Spear with his bare hands, poked it into the rock crevices, and stirred it back and forth.

Unfortunately, the effect was minimal.