Awakened Zhongli Template, Retiring in Terra

The books were a gift she had bought for Shi Lei after noticing how often he went to the library.

Watching her bustle about and direct the workers as they arranged the bookshelves, Exusiai slipped over to Croissant's side and lowered her voice.

"Croissant, look. Doesn't Texas seem like the lady of the house now?"

Croissant nearly burst out laughing. Seeing that Shi Lei was not looking their way, she quickly raised a finger to her lips.

"Shh, keep it down. It's enough that you know it. If she hears you, she'll definitely kill you."

They were not blind. They had long noticed that something was going on between Shi Lei and Texas. However, the two had never acted intimate in public, so they were not sure whether they were really in that kind of relationship.

"Heh heh, what's there to be afraid of? As long as we don't say anything, it'll be fine, right? Yan seems to have a saying: 'Good water doesn't flow into outsiders' fields.' That's pretty much this situation, isn't it?"

Exusiai's words made Croissant cover her mouth and snicker. Just as she was about to spill some gossip, she suddenly caught sight of Shi Lei walking over. She immediately stopped herself and forced her expression straight.

"What are you two talking about? You seem so happy."

"Nothing. Just some private girl talk. You'd better not listen."

Hearing Croissant say that, Shi Lei did not press further.

When he turned his head and saw Texas and the furniture store workers heading outside, he took the initiative to meet them.

At the same time, District 27, Lower City.

"Bad news, boss!"

A Sarkaz mercenary rushed up to the third floor in a panic and shoved open the door to the clay sculpture room.

Mudrock was molding a clay figurine, her hands covered in sticky, undried mud. Hearing this, she stood up and asked in confusion, "What happened?"

"Boss, V's Originium-related illness is acting up!"

Bounty Event Over, Extra Updates Begin Tonight

Only one update was posted today. It wasn't because I didn't want to update. I wanted to add an extra update tonight and post them together.

The update will be out before 1 AM on January 5th, 4K words. After that, I'll try for three updates a day and repay the bounty as soon as possible.

The author would like to solemnly thank every reader who has supported this book.

As of 12 AM on January 5th, the bounty figures were as follows:

Total:

Recommendation Votes: 4712 (+2 updates)

Monthly Votes: 563 (+2 updates)

Tips: 36476 (close enough to 40000, counted as 4 updates, +4 updates)

Blades: 482 (close enough to 500, counted as 5 updates, +5 updates)

Total Extra Updates Owed: 13

A Difficult Choice (Two-in-One)

Across all of Terra, if one had to name the race most closely tied to war, the Sarkaz would undoubtedly hold one of the top three spots.

On the battlefield, the lives of both sides were as cheap as chives. For ease of address and remembrance, mercenaries generally chose simple codenames.

Some Sarkaz inherited their names from weapons, such as W, using a single letter or word. Others used their initials, such as Victor, abbreviated as V.

He lay on the bed now, feeling intense pain throughout his body. The Originium crystals on his skin gave off an obvious burning sensation, itchy and scorching, making V feel as if he had been thrown into a high-temperature steamer.

Death was not exactly rare to them. Everyone died eventually. Especially for mercenaries, who lived with their heads hanging from their belts, dying at any time was no surprise. Not to mention that he was an Infected, which increased the odds of death exponentially.

If his Originium-related illness had flared up a few days ago, V would have felt that death was death. Kick the bucket, and eighteen years later he would be a good man again. The deaths, partings, and hardships he had experienced in Ursus had long numbed his heart beyond recognition.

But now, V did not want to die.

Now they had a base and a home. It was not large, but it was enough for their small squad to live in.

Once a person had hope, their heart could no longer turn cold. They no longer had that ruthless resolve to go all the way to the end. When facing death again, they were no longer as resolute as before.

Mudrock entered the room and examined her subordinate's condition. Seeing V's pained expression, she frowned slightly.

"How do you feel?"

Among the twenty-one members of this squad, only four mercenaries had not fallen ill. The other mercenaries, including Mudrock herself, as well as the eight women and children, were all Infected. Her Originium-related illness had flared up before, and she knew exactly what kind of torment it was.

"Hot... hurts..."

Mudrock sighed, rose to her feet, and walked to the door. She looked back at him and promised, "I'll find a way to get you some suppressants."

V had actually wanted to say that he might as well die here. But when the words reached his lips, he could not utter a single one.

He could not bring himself to snuff out hope with his own hands. All he could do was watch helplessly as she went out to find medicine for him.

The mercenaries crowded around her as they entered the corridor, asking:

"Boss, are we really going to save him?"

Mudrock put on her heavy armor, preparing to head out.

"If we were still wandering the tundra without any means of treatment, I would personally dig V a grave. But we're in Lungmen now. There must be a way. Whether or not we can get an inhibitor, I have to try."

The mercenaries present were deeply moved by her words. This was the kind of boss worth following. But reality was often brutally cruel.

"Boss, the clinics nearby might have inhibitors. But we don't have any money..."

"If the money's gone, we can earn more. But you only get one life. Once it's gone, it's really gone. Does anyone know where a nearby clinic is? Lead the way."

Mudrock had a poor sense of direction, especially in unfamiliar surroundings. Even with a map, she would sometimes still

mistake the direction, so she needed someone to lead her.

One Sarkaz mercenary gritted his teeth and hesitated for a moment before finally stepping forward voluntarily.

There were no hospitals in the Lower City. The shady clinics of all sizes served as the Slums' hospitals. Most had no business licenses and operated out of residential buildings.

The doctors' skills varied just as widely. Some were beginners who had read a few medical books, while others were highly qualified physicians driven out of the Upper City. Like Aak's father, who had been forced to make a living here after a medical malpractice incident.

Mudrock entered the clinic in her armor, her massive frame imposing an overwhelming visual pressure.

The shady clinic's doctor looked slightly startled. Seeing someone so huge, he instinctively took a step back.

"Uh... which one of you needs treatment?"

Holding her iron hammer, Mudrock asked for his help.

"Do you sell inhibitors here?"

At the mention of that, the doctor hurriedly waved his hands.

"No. That stuff is extremely expensive right now. You'll probably only find it on the black market. Why not ask elsewhere? At most, I can prescribe painkillers."

Painkillers could only ease a patient's pain. They could not suppress Originium-related illness, treating neither the symptoms nor the cause.

Mudrock did not make things difficult for him and continued asking:

"Where is the black market?"

Perhaps she had been moved by Mudrock's sincerity, or perhaps that huge iron hammer looked especially large and shiny. The clinic doctor tore off a sheet of paper and drew a map leading to the black market.

Mudrock accepted it and politely thanked him before leaving the clinic. She handed the map to her subordinate and had him lead the way.

The black market was not far away, only about ten minutes on foot. The potholes in the road still held yesterday's rainwater, and filthy water splashed everywhere when stepped on.

A giant like Mudrock carrying an iron hammer, accompanied by Sarkaz mercenaries with long black horns, immediately drew the attention of many buyers and sellers upon entering the black market.

Mudrock headed farther in and arrived at a place marked with a clinic sign. She entered and politely asked:

"Do you have inhibitors here?"

The doctor was an Old Man smoking a pipe and reading the newspaper. His balding head made him look like a highly skilled underground doctor at a glance.

The Lower City was already a place where all sorts mixed together, much less the black market. What kind of people had he not seen? Even at the sight of Mudrock's armor and iron hammer, his expression remained unchanged.

"Yes. Two hundred thousand per dose."

That price was enough to buy a small home in the Lower City. The Sarkaz mercenary found it outrageous and angrily accused him:

"Two hundred thousand? Are you kidding? Other clinics sell them for only a hundred thousand a dose. Why is yours so expensive?"

The doctor lowered his eyes and shot him a contemptuous glance.

"This is the black market. Do you think this is some roadside mall? If you can't afford it, then don't buy it."

Mudrock had made many Clay Sculptures over the past few days and had her subordinates sell them after they dried, but she had only earned one or two thousand Lungmen Dollars. Two hundred thousand was absolutely beyond her means.

Remembering Chen's warning, she did not resort to violence and pleaded sincerely:

"Doctor, could you lend me one inhibitor first to save a life? I'll earn the money and repay you as soon as possible."

"Tch."

The doctor was amused. He put down his newspaper.

"For fuck's sake, do you think we're running a charity here? You need an inhibitor to save a life—don't other people need them to save lives too? If you think it's too expensive, find someone to buy it for you in Victoria. Even with shipping, it's only fifty thousand per dose there."

Seeing that the hammer-wielding giant had no intention of leaving, the doctor's face darkened.

"What are you doing? Refusing to leave—are you trying to rob me?"

"No, not rob. Borrow."

The doctor immediately stood up and opened the Secret Passage. Standing at the Passage Entrance, he pressed the alarm on the wall.

In an instant, a piercing siren blared.

A place as profitable as a black-market clinic naturally employed plenty of thugs. The surrounding Neighbors would also come over to lend a hand.

"What borrowing? That's just robbery. If we let you get away with this, how are we supposed to keep operating around here?"

January 8, 6:00 p.m.

Lin Yuxia wore a beautiful purple outfit as she arrived at the warehouse by invitation. Perhaps Durandal's legs were naturally slender, but the black stockings made them look even more well-proportioned.

Lin Yuxia was delighted to attend this party celebrating their move into a new home. Shi Lei's willingness to invite her showed that he considered her a friend.

At the dining table, Lin Yuxia ate the grilled meat in small, elegant bites. She knew she was not familiar enough with everyone to casually join in, so she mostly listened to Exusiai and Croissant chatting, occasionally nodding along.

As they talked, the subject suddenly turned to clay sculptures.

Seeing Lin Yuxia looking somewhat blank, Shi Lei explained:

"Miss Lin, it's like this. We went traveling in Ursus some time ago and rescued a group of infected Sarkaz. It seems they've recently come to Lungmen. I don't know their exact location, but they're probably in the Lower City. If you run into them in the future, could you look after them a little?"

To him, this request was merely a matter of saying the word. If it could help them, then it was worth mentioning.

Lin Yuxia looked slightly surprised when she heard that.

"Earlier, when I passed by the living room, I heard the people downstairs reporting to my father. They said that a few days ago, a burly man wielding a massive iron hammer and wearing heavy armor, along with a pair of Sarkaz mercenaries, occupied a Cat Gang hideout in District 27."

"Ah?"

Now it was Shi Lei's turn to be surprised.

The hideout he had taken down with Croissant and Texas that day had actually become their place of refuge.

"So... did you take them in?"

Lin Yuxia put down her chopsticks. One should not eat while discussing serious matters; it was a matter of respect for the host.

"My family has its own people. We do not casually absorb unstable outside forces. As long as they don't go too far, we generally turn a blind eye. If you want to look after them, I can make a call and ask."

Shi Lei had only intended to offer whatever help he could. He thanked her.

"Then I'm truly troubling you, Miss Lin."