"I think we should get moving. If what those soldiers said earlier was true, then the burn unit is probably already on the way. We have to cross the border and get out of here before they arrive. And with the commotion we just caused, there's a good chance someone might come check ahead of schedule. I think we should make some arrangements first."
August was the first to break the silence.
Law gave a slight nod, clearly agreeing.
So the two of them immediately got to work.
First, they used the surrounding corpses to hide the bodies of the two dead soldiers as much as possible. Then they pulled the hidden jewelry out from the corpses the soldiers had used and scattered it all over the place.
Everything they did was meant to mislead whoever came to investigate and buy themselves more time.
After all, those expensive jewels were far too eye-catching. Just carrying them around would bring trouble.
Think about it. Two ragged children, with no identification, and on top of that survivors of White Town, trying to exchange precious jewelry for money. What kind of ending would that lead to?
So for the sake of safety, they simply threw it all away.
And not long after they left, a group of soldiers really did come to investigate.
The soldier Law had shot in the head was quickly discovered, but so were the expensive jewels scattered all around the area.
That instantly made everyone lose their composure.
Once they connected it with the fact that this man had barely handed in any spoils before, and had recently found an excuse to sneak away on his own, anyone with half a brain immediately imagined some drama involving an uneven split of loot, or a black-on-black robbery that ended with both sides wiping each other out.
It was not that no one considered other possibilities.
The problem was that no one wanted to be the first to say them out loud.
On one side was endless trouble. On the other was everyone staying quiet and making a fortune together.
If it were you, which would you choose?
So every soldier present silently reached the same understanding. They all pretended not to see the corpse and immediately began grabbing the nearby jewelry as fast as possible.
Then the burn unit arrived, and one great blaze reduced everything to ashes.
Everyone was satisfied with that result.
By the time thick black smoke was rising into the sky, August and Law had already crossed the border and stepped onto the territory of the neighboring country, Sodalancia.
They had finally escaped that patch of hell.
The two of them stared at the distant flames, their flickering eyes reflecting how unsettled they truly were inside.
After a long while, August finally spoke first.
"Law, what are you thinking about?"
"I want to stay alive, and then turn this hopeless world upside down."
"What a frightening thing to say. But honestly, it sounds pretty interesting."
"So? Want to do it together?"
"Then count me in for now. You still owe me a life, after all. I have to collect the interest first."
When Law heard that answer, he barely managed to force out an ugly little smile. "Then you'd better hurry. I only have three years left to live."
August frowned. Thinking of the five years he had left, he could not help asking, "Is White Lead Disease really incurable?"
Law shook his head. "I don't know either. Even my father couldn't do anything about it. Most likely, all we can do is wait to die."
"Wait to die? I don't believe that. If I could crawl out of that hell alive, then my fate belongs to me alone! Not only am I going to survive, I'm going to live longer than anyone, and live more brilliantly than anyone!"
Those words deeply shook Law, who had already given up and resigned himself to everything.
Although he did not truly believe August could accomplish that, he still chose not to crush that final spark of hope.
"Maybe... there really will be a miracle."
"I promise you, there will be! Law, don't give up so easily. Since only the two of us survived, then there has to be a reason we were meant to live!"
"Yeah... I'll look forward to that day."
Law nodded blankly, as if infected by August's fierce confidence, and a faint, lighter smile appeared on his face.
For the first time, he was sure that his future might not be completely lonely.
A most basic trust was rebuilt just like that.
And that trust also meant that August had finally taken his first step in this world.
It also meant rebirth.
...
Inside a town in Sodalancia, August was currently hiding at the far end of a dark, damp alley.
Law, meanwhile, had volunteered to gather information and bring back some food.
Though they had escaped Flevance, that did not mean they were truly safe yet.
In fact, the opposite was true. As two people from one of the nations that had helped destroy Flevance, if the soldiers within Sodalancia found them, they would be executed on the spot.
So they had to find a way off this island as quickly as possible and get somewhere relatively safer.
But before that, there was one important thing August had to do.
He needed to buy the [Talent Mutation Ray] and awaken a talent for himself.
Because time was running short, he had not chosen to move together with Law. Instead, he had deliberately found this deserted place to handle it alone.
[Talent Mutation Ray] (Purple)
Description: A blessing for the talentless, the ultimate miracle pill for ordinary people!
Effect: Deeply excavates the user's potential and mutates it into a personal talent. (Takes effect immediately after purchase. Cannot be used by those who already possess a talent.)
Price: 2000 Trade Points (crossed out)
Monthly Limited-Time Flash Sale Price: 100 Trade Points!
Quantity: 1
Time Remaining: 5 hours 12 minutes
PS: Will you accept mediocrity, or dare to take the leap?!
...
"No one wants to stay ordinary! System, purchase it!"
August bought it without the slightest hesitation, and in the next instant, his body was enveloped in a beautiful yet terrifying seven-colored light.
Under the illumination of that strange beam, August's expression instantly turned vicious.
He felt pain and itching spread through every inch of his body, and it even felt as if his head were about to explode.
He had no idea how long he drifted in that half-conscious state before the strange beam finally disappeared. By then, all his clothes had been soaked through with sweat.
But it seemed everything had been worth it.
[Blue Talent obtained: Wight Heart (Upgradeable)]
[Description: Mutated from White Lead Disease. Under normal conditions, all toxins are concentrated within the heart. When actively activated, the toxins rapidly spread through the bloodstream across the entire body, transforming the user into a wight!]
[In Wight State, defense, speed, and strength are all increased by 50%. Pain is reduced by 50%.]
[Side Effect: Under the accelerated corrosion caused by the toxin eruption, lifespan will be consumed at a rate of 5 days per minute.]
[Upgradeable: Inject three new deadly toxins into the heart until they are fully fused and devoured. Current fused and devoured toxins: 0/3]
...
Right before August's eyes, the white patches on his arms completely disappeared in an instant.
It really did seem as though all the toxins had retreated into his heart.
And yet, he found it hard to feel happy.
Because he never would have imagined that the new talent he obtained would actually be a mutation born from the very White Lead Disease he most wanted to get rid of.
And on top of that, it looked only so-so.
(End of Chapter)
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