"Kid… my daughter studies at X High School. Could you please go save her? My life is yours. I'll do anything, anything at all."
Seeing Lux being force-fed by HK416, Bob suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, kowtowing desperately.
He had considered going alone, but fighting even one zombie had drained all his courage—and that was with help.
He was terrified that he might die recklessly after the disaster, leaving his daughter alone in the world.
That fear was why he had hidden here, praying for rescue.
But the news Lux brought shattered that hope.
"You think too highly of me… Schools are absolutely disaster zones. X High is a boarding school. Three grades, over three thousand people. With our firepower, even thirty zombies would wipe us out."
Lux sighed. Watching the middle-aged man kneeling on the floor left him deeply conflicted. He couldn't risk his own life or the safety of HK416 and the others to save the daughter of a stranger.
And she might already be dead. He couldn't save everyone.
"Please… please save my daughter."
"I'm sorry… I don't have the ability to save her. I'm truly sorry."
Lux stood up as he spoke.
The man continued to bow his head to the floor.
"Hey… take these. Leave them with you."
Lux sighed, unfastened the katana at his waist, and placed it beside Bob.
"HK, give him four of your tactical rations."
"Yes."
HK416 quickly took four cans from her bag and placed them in front of Bob.
"They don't taste good, but they provide enough calories. At least you won't starve. We'll rest next door for a while."
After speaking, Lux left the curator's office and walked down the corridor to a staff lounge that HK416 had already cleared.
"Throw the bodies outside. I'm going to exchange for a gene modification serum in a bit… I may be unable to move for a while."
"If anyone comes in without permission, kill them. If you get hungry, you two can eat chips and drink cola yourselves."
As Lux spoke, he stuffed some snacks and cola into his backpack.
"Roger~"
MDR slammed the door shut.
Lux sat down on the edge of a bed and issued the exchange command to the system.
A gigantic syringe nearly as thick as his arm appeared in Lux's hand. The needle itself was only slightly thinner than a drinking straw. Lux's face instantly darkened.
"What the hell, are you messing with me, system? If I inject this thing, I'll freaking die, won't I???"
Lux twitched at the corner of his mouth as he stared at the massive syringe. It wasn't that he was afraid of pain—this thing looked about as bad as getting stabbed with a blade.
[This is a liquid that extracts impurities from the commander's body and strengthens all physical parameters. How could a small amount possibly remodel the human body? This is a huge giveaway from the system]
The system's smug voice echoed in Lux's mind.
"Hey, can I get a refund? Give me my points back, I'm done with this!"
Lux snapped irritably.
[Of course. The system offers a recycling service. The recycling price is one-tenth of the original]
"What the hell? Cutting the price in half is already shady enough, and you're cutting nine-tenths? The item hasn't even changed!"
[These are the system's recycling rules. Whether you accept them or not doesn't matter]
The system's domineering voice sounded again.
"What the hell! I'll say it again! What the hell!"
Lux cursed angrily.
[Go ahead and rage all you want. Call me again when you decide to recycle it]
With that, the system fell silent.
After cursing for a full five minutes, Lux finally quieted down. Staring at the golden oversized syringe in his hand, he knew that not using it would be an even bigger loss.
There was only one museum in a city. Opportunities to make a fortune like this were rare. He had to use his resource points wisely.
"Lux… are you really going to inject that thing?"
MDR and HK416 both stared at the huge syringe with speechless expressions. Even for them, it looked absurd.
"I'm doing it! I'm doing it no matter what! I'm not letting that damn system get the better of me!"
Lux raised the syringe in fury, only to realize that he couldn't inject it properly with just one hand.
[By the way, this gene modification serum must be injected directly into the heart]
The system's voice rang out again.
Thinking it over, piercing the heart like this probably wouldn't allow natural hemostasis. There was a real chance he'd bleed to death.
"I… I need a medic…"
Lux stared lifelessly at the syringe.
"Lux… my cloud space can still load a medical template, but this… is a bit much…"
HK416 said hesitantly.
[Loading a medical template costs ten thousand resource points. Proceed? The tactical doll will gain basic medical knowledge and receive a daily supply of one selectable medicine, one bottle of painkillers, one roll of bandages, and one bottle of Pain reducing spray. All supplies can be stockpiled]
[The tactical doll will also be capable of performing surgical procedures]
The system's profiteering voice chimed in at just the right moment.
"Load it. Load all of it!"
Lux shouted irritably, his sanity having dropped below zero.
A silver light enveloped HK416, and a small first-aid kit appeared in her hands.
[Loading complete]
After its routine report, the system went silent again.
"Lux, are you sure you want to inject the gene modification serum?"
"Quick, give me some painkillers. While I'm still furious and irrational, hurry up and inject it. I can't guarantee I'll still have the courage later."
Lux stretched out his arm and shouted in resignation.
Right now, his sanity was at zero purely from anger at the system.
Once he calmed down, even if MDR pinned him down, he wouldn't dare let HK416 drive that syringe into his body.