Blessed by Abundance, Scourge of Terra

As long as the mental construct is vivid enough, passing off the fake as real isn't a problem—as long as you don't run into anyone, you won't be exposed as the ghost you are now.

Currently, as a spirit, fighting doesn't require any physical contact; a single "Vine Entanglement" renders the opponent helpless.

If he happens to run into some reckless brute, Huang Cao can also play dirty, dosing them to death when they're not paying attention.

I refuse to believe I can't knock you out.

As for the problem of grain theft in the army, at least during these days when Huang Cao was completing bounty missions, he hadn't heard a single word about it.

It's probably been covered up—after all, the amount of grain wasn't much, and starving the soldiers under their command for a bit could still be endured.

Wearing a black robe, Huang Cao arrived at the local office, laid out the gold coins on the counter, and at the same time hovered a finger over a district map.

It marked the very center of the entire town, also the most chaotic and mixed place.

"I want this spot. I'm opening a general store."

"This place isn't cheap."

"These ten gold coins—arrange it for me. I want to know the result by afternoon. There's another ten depending on your performance."

"Don't think about running. That's a very stupid move in Kazdel." Huang Cao kindly reminded him.

The clerk stared at the ten gold coins laid out on the counter, his eyes nearly popping out.

The central plot cost a hundred gold coins. Because of the struggle between various factions, the price was set openly, but it had never been sold.

Not because they dared not sell it, but because no one dared to take it.

"May I ask, sir, what do you intend to do with this land? Please register your relevant information on this paper."

Huang Cao glanced at the shoddy paper on the counter, showing no intention of writing anything.

"Too lazy to move. You write it for me. Name: Huang Cao. Race: Undead Spirit."

Undead Spirit?

The employee shot a glance at Huang Cao in front of him, noticing that he indeed had no shadow, and his body seemed to be floating in midair.

He shuddered instinctively, and his hand moving to write on his behalf became much quicker.

"Your procedures are done. Wishing you a prosperous business."

What Huang Cao did in the town didn't attract the attention of the Kazdel authorities, but what he did next shocked absolutely everyone.

I might not be able to beat you, but you definitely can't catch me either.

Even the Cyber Ghost was defeated by me. You, Theresia, just became the Demon King—it won't be that easy for you to analyze Originium.

About another week later, Huang Cao spent all the money he'd earned from bounties, and a large general store stood in the very center of the town.

Calling it a general store was actually too generous.

There were no shelves. It was like a matchbox in a blocky world—having walls and a door that could block the wind counted as a house.

And there was only one product inside: unhusked wheat.

Five silver coins per kilogram, no haggling accepted.

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Chapter 6: This Serious World Needs More Unserious People!

"What a rip-off! Just this handful of wheat, and it's not even husked—you're selling it for five silver coins? Why don't you just go rob us?"

"Yeah, yeah! I'm going to report this to Your Highness Theresia!"

The major powers in the city all turned their attention, almost in unison, to the general store that had seemingly risen out of thin air.

Compared to these people who had no worries about food and drink, the commoners below had much more practical concerns.

After the war, Kazdel's production situation was already a complete wreck. Everyone was so poor it was heartbreaking, with virtually nothing left to squeeze out.

Almost all resources had to serve the war effort. The appearance of a shop selling daily necessities actually made the local residents quite happy.

But this price...

"Dear customers, this isn't expensive at all. You have to look at the times we're in now." Huang Cao, clad in a black robe, floated in midair, explaining to the crowd in a gentle and professional tone.

"Look at Kazdel's current situation—blockaded by all nations, constant disasters, and on top of that, it's winter. Transport is already difficult. My men need to eat too. If I sold it cheap, this supply line would be cut off, and you'd have even less to eat."

"We have to put ourselves in each other's shoes. I'm risking my neck transporting these goods. If you have the means, go find your own channels to get supplies—don't come to me."

The originally angry crowd fell silent after hearing this.

Just as he said, having something to sell was already good enough. What more could they ask for?

"Really, can't you make it any cheaper?" A Sarkaz woman, holding a hungry infant in her arms, pleaded.

"Well, it's not impossible." Huang Cao revealed a sinister smile, though his whole body was hidden under his hood.

But everyone present felt an inexplicable chill shoot straight to their heads.

"Those with children at home can buy at half price. As for those without children..."

Everyone thought it would be something wicked, like trading food for bodies. But Huang Cao's next words completely stunned them all.

"A female Sarkaz without children can pull down her collar a bit, wear sexy clothes, and get half off directly. Men, work for me, and after you're done, you can also buy at half price."

Actually, before transmigrating, Huang Cao had been a hardcore Sarkaz fan.

When I watched the NPCs in the story, I couldn't help but sigh—how could this race be so magnificent?

Alright, the truth was, after getting used to seeing Banshees in the River Valley, once winter came and there were no more perks, even research felt dull.

So what if I have no refined tastes?

I'm a barbarian!

Who plays Arknights and is actually a decent person? They're just putting on a front!

It's one of the most serious games in terms of story, yet every discussion besides meta revolves around looks.

Tu Tu, who's on some ranking list, has something to say about that.

Of course, it's impossible to have absolutely no ulterior motives. This move was mainly to establish a persona for himself.

He didn't make things hard for people with families either. The combination of "kind" and "eccentric" was enough to spark plenty of imagination.

Besides, his original plan was to sell for just two silver coins, which was five times the grain price in Victoria.

Scarcity drives value. High economic development doesn't always mean high prices, and low development doesn't always mean low prices.

Supply and demand determine price.

So as soon as he said that, the female Sarkaz present untied the straps of their clothes, revealing a sight that brought a certain someone comfort.

Sure enough, this race had the goods. And since it was deep winter, everyone was wearing thick layers anyway, but fortunately, everyone here was practically superhuman—this bit of wind and cold was nothing.

At the same time, Huang Cao simply pointed at the sign hanging on the wall, and a crowd of burly Sarkaz instantly caught on.

They grabbed tools and materials and started crafting shelves and other odds and ends.

By evening, the general store closed for the day. Huang Cao stared at the pile of silver coins filling the shelves, his mind replaying the scenery from the day while also pondering his next move.

If he wanted to keep growing, he needed to come into contact with more items high in Originium content.

But that would be too conspicuous. If someone like Presis caught him...

The enemy in the dark, me in the light—not good...

So he had to find more reasonable ways to conceal his ability to purify Originium.

To enjoy a good life in the future, lying low was the only true path.

The main storyline was still hundreds of years away. If he could develop and then coast for a few centuries with money or other goodies, it would be worth the price of admission.

If the universe was doomed, and he couldn't stop it, then he'd just lie back and take it...

Most of the operators from the original story hadn't even been born yet, but in his eyes, these female Sarkaz and other beast-eared women still had plenty of charm—their beauty was no less impressive.

A tribute to the legendary Originium beautification researcher, Presis!

"It's still too expensive. I need to find a way to squeeze all the money out of everyone else."

What property did the commoners of Kazdel have? The real rich were hidden within the Royal Court.

Even Lamian's outfit was worth a fortune, but she usually didn't wear it for work.

In that regard, she was much better than many feudal nobles. The new generation of Lords of the Royal Court in Kazdel—every single one of them could be considered loyal ministers.

But their brains just weren't that sharp.

Huang Cao flipped through the database in his head again. Thanks to today's perks, his mind was working very fast.

Now he was just missing a bit of experimentation. Only through experiments could he know how far his biology and medical skills had progressed. Otherwise, constructing a body was going to be a real headache.

Medicine was easy enough to solve, but the hard part was experimental equipment. This world already had basic science and technology—since the Steam Knight had been invented, medical tools like scalpels shouldn't be out of reach.

The knowledge in the Originium database was vast and messy, and some techniques even surpassed the current era. Who knew whose memories these belonged to?

So the question was, in this country, who had these medical instruments?

That was something worth thinking about. For now, though, he could use the method of boiling herbal medicine to attract some attention.

...The next morning, bright and early.

Huang Cao used his ability to grow a batch of plump, full grains, and set up a large pot outside his door to brew herbal medicine.

"Take a look, take a look! Freshly brewed herbal medicine! Just five copper coins, and you can drink your fill!" Huang Cao hawked energetically.

But the men and women passing by showed no interest in the herbs at all, instead spending all their silver coins on food.

Huang Cao floated in the air, stopped a Sarkaz woman with an impressive figure, and placed a silver coin into her cleavage.

"Madam, could you tell me why none of you are interested in the herbal medicine? Don't you get sick?"

The Sarkaz woman pocketed the silver coin and pointed at the Originium on her chest.

"We're already terminally ill."

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Chapter 7: A Guide to Appreciating Sarkaz!

"I see. My apologies for the intrusion."

"You're an Undead Spirit, right? I don't really feel like you are—don't you old geezers know a ton of stuff?" The maiden stared intently at the black robe floating in the air.

This shopkeeper always wore a mask and a black robe, drifting through the air like a ghost.

Even if someone tried to sneak a look downward, no matter how hard they tried, all they'd see was empty air.

"..."

Huang Cao didn't answer. He just kept brewing his herbal medicine, while using a vine to grab a charcoal stick and write a line on a stone tablet:

Grand Medicine-Tasting Sale! Drink one bowl and earn a silver coin, plus half-price on purchases. Limited to the first fifty.

Huang Cao had expected a commotion to break out on the spot, with plenty of burly people relying on their tough physiques to snatch up those spots.

That way, he could be a bit bolder with his medicine trials.

But unexpectedly, the people in line were almost all malnourished children. The strong adults, to his surprise, all stood off to the side, their eyes holding neither mockery, nor sympathy, nor scorn.

Only hope...

Huang Cao had no choice but to count. There were only thirty-two children, most of them undernourished, but with a fierce glint in their eyes. Small knives or long blades were tucked into the straps of their clothes.

If nothing unexpected happened, before long they'd become mercenaries, then die obscurely in the civil wars to come.

Sarkaz have extremely long lifespans—living a hundred or two hundred years is normal, and some individuals even manage four or five hundred.

As for why Huang Cao could tell at a glance that these Sarkaz drinking his herbal medicine were orphans—

It was because other Sarkaz with families were holding their own children close. That kind of anticipation was just them watching test subjects.

These orphans had no means of survival. The country's economic level and Theresia's capabilities weren't enough to take in all the orphans in the nation.

Only the lucky ones could enter the orphanage, and these children were clearly not among them.

Huang Cao very patiently examined this batch of orphans' bodies. He found that aside from being infected with Originium, they had one minor ailment after another, but overall, they were still relatively healthy.