Chapter 9: Gluttony (Fourth Update, Monthly Ticket Bonus)
Crackle.
A spark leaped from the firewood as it split from the heat, gradually fading into the air.
"Here are today's spoils: one green chest and three white chests."
Blood Rose sat sideways by the campfire, four chests placed before her.
Su Xiao had no interest in these four chests. He was merely curious about how Blood Rose would distribute them—enough to win over the other contractors while also rewarding the main defensive force.
"You all saw the situation today. Everyone knows who contributed more and who contributed less.
With only four chests and so many of us, it's a case of too many wolves and too little meat. How about this: we split the Paradise Coins equally, and the equipment and items go to the main defenders."
Blood Rose scanned the surroundings, seemingly asking for everyone's opinion.
One contractor was about to speak, but his companion pulled him back, and he chose silence.
Apart from Su Xiao's group of four, there were thirty-nine other contractors present. These four chests would yield at most over 1,000 Paradise Coins. Splitting that among everyone wouldn't even be enough to fill their teeth.
This was essentially a "consolation prize" to keep the contractors balanced, since they had used up plenty of bullets, which also cost Paradise Coins to buy.
The chests were opened. As expected, the four chests yielded a total of 1,600 Paradise Coins, along with two pieces of equipment and three materials.
[Item Name: Leg Bone Club]
Origin: Attack on Titan
Quality: Green
Category: Weapon (Blunt)
Durability: 23/23
Attack Power: 10~17
Equip Requirement: 10 or more Strength points.
Equip Effect: Beloved Crushing Blow (Active), uses full body strength to deliver a devastating blow to the enemy. Damage is determined by Strength attribute.
Rating: 16
Description: Finnie, I love you. After I die, please make my leg bones into a weapon so I can continue to be by your side. If you encounter bad people, use me to bash them—including your future husband.
Price: 1,900 Paradise Coins
[Item Name: x2]
[Item Name: ]
Clearly, the most valuable item was [ ], followed by the white shield, and then [ ].
Su Xiao glanced at them a few times before losing interest. He turned his gaze to Blood Rose, signaling for her to begin her performance.
Blood Rose was feeling troubled. Although she was sure that the few people present didn't care about these items, a poor distribution would cause trouble.
"How about... we split them based on the 'Offense and Defense Contribution Ranking'?"
"Heh."
Chen sneered.
"I'll let you have that shield. I only want [ ]."
Blood Rose's expression soured. It was already a done deal that the green equipment would go to Su Xiao, and Chen had tacitly accepted it. If this big shot got angry and left, who would hold the front line? Blood Rose could manage for a while, but not for long. Holding it for a whole day was a pipe dream.
Although [ ] had a lower rating than the shield, it was valuable to the team. If they could study its structure by chance, it would be a huge gain. Every time they entered a derivative world, they could mass-produce cannon fodder.
Blood Rose picked up [ ] and handed it to Su Xiao. Su Xiao took it, glanced at it, and stored it in his inventory without a second thought. Other than selling it, this item had no other use.
After some negotiation between Blood Rose and Chen, [ ] ultimately went to Blood Rose. What they discussed was unknown.
En Tu stood by, smiling without a word, with an expression that seemed to say, "I'll just watch you two show off." The healer was glorious during battle, with everyone fawning over him, but his status plummeted after the fight.
"Since the distribution is done, I'll take my leave. I'll be back on time tomorrow morning."
Blood Rose stood up, signaling the contractors under her to follow. She wanted to minimize their contact with Chen. Although these contractors weren't particularly strong, they were still combat power.
Now, the number of contractors supporting Blood Rose was roughly equal to those supporting Chen. Blood Rose's performance during the defense and her excellent command skills had won back the support of these contractors.
"I need to get back to my boss too. See you."
With that, Chen also led his people away. Only Su Xiao and En Tu remained by the campfire. As for Allen and the other two, who were about ten meters away, none of the contractors bothered with them. Their status as prisoners prevented any communication with the protagonist, especially someone as righteous as Allen.
"It's about what you predicted. When do we make a move?"
A strange light flickered in En Tu's eyes.
"Start preparing now."
Su Xiao took out various foods from his storage space: pre-marinated grilled meat, a grill rack, and even several large lobsters about forty to fifty centimeters long.
"How many Paradise Coins did you spend on these? Such large lobsters are rare in the Paradise."
"About 80 Paradise Coins."
"Rich guy."
When conditions allowed, Su Xiao chose high-quality food. Having lost both parents at a young age, he also knew how to cook. Living alone required knowing many things. At a young age, without parental protection and guidance, and in the environment he was in, he had felt the malice of the world. He knew better than anyone how evil people could be.
In that kind of environment, not becoming a psychotic murderer was a testament to his strong mental fortitude.
His knife flipped in his hand as he prepared the lobster and other seafood. After making some charcoal from the fire, Su Xiao began cooking.
Sizzle...
The meat was quickly grilled to a golden, oily sheen, and the unique aroma of the lobster wafted over.
En Tu was stunned by Su Xiao's skillful technique. This ruthless killer who didn't blink an eye could actually cook, and it smelled pretty good.
The aroma of the grilled meat attracted three pairs of sparkling eyes.
Allen stared blankly at the skewers of meat in Su Xiao's hands. The smoky, savory scent constantly stimulated his sense of smell and taste. Allen even wanted to rush over, snatch the meat, and take a big bite.
Life inside the walls was harsh. After their home was destroyed five years ago, Allen hadn't eaten meat since. Meat within the walls was only for nobles or officials.
"Gulp."
The sound of swallowing saliva reached Allen's ears. He turned his head and saw that it was his close friend Armin.
Being a teenager and having to subsist on bread or potatoes year-round—what a torment that was.
Even Mikasa's eyes were sparkling, like a hungry little she-wolf. But Mikasa's thoughts were a bit different; she was considering how to snatch it.
Gluttony was one of the Seven Deadly Sins, not so easily suppressed. In fact, Gluttony's ranking among the Seven Sins was even above "Lust."
"Allen, where did these people get the meat? And what are those strange bugs? They smell so good."
Armin, who had grown up inside the walls, had never seen a creature like a lobster.
"Yeah... right."
Allen stared straight ahead, probably not even hearing what Armin was saying.
"You soldiers of the Training Corps have worked hard. Would you like to join us for dinner? Don't worry, my companion hunted these beasts outside the walls. It's completely legal."
En Tu extended an invitation.
The word "legal" in his mouth was so pathetic. After the fall of Wall Maria, eating meat privately had become illegal. Meat had to be handed over to the Military Police Brigade in exchange for food rations. Anyone caught eating meat privately would be thrown in jail.
Going to jail for eating meat—ridiculous, right? No, it was pathetic.
However, there was an exception: the Survey Corps could eat meat. The Survey Corps often went outside, and hunting for a little extra food was normal.
"Sure, sounds good."
Allen couldn't help but stand up, followed by Armin. Mikasa hesitated. She felt that the man with the knife was dangerous. During the battle, he had even given her a chilling feeling. But since Allen had already stepped forward, she couldn't let him go alone.
Soon, Allen and the other two were sitting around the campfire, staring eagerly at the grilled meat in Su Xiao's hands.
Skewers of meat were handed to Allen and the others. None of them ate; they just looked at Su Xiao.
Su Xiao raised an eyebrow. These three still had some caution. He simply picked up a skewer and started eating first.
Hmm... the meat was a bit overdone, a little tough.
Seeing Su Xiao eat first, Allen and Armin began to devour theirs as well. After a few chews, Allen's eyes widened.
He had never tasted such delicious food!
Allen couldn't even get meat inside the walls, let alone various spices. The street-style grilled skewers from China instantly captivated the three of them.
"Don't worry, there's plenty more. This is a fruit drink. It tastes great."
Su Xiao took out a few bottles of low-alcohol fruit wine and handed them to Allen and the others. After taking a sip, they were captivated by this slightly spicy, sweet "fruit drink."
"How many degrees?"
En Tu communicated through the mark. Since they were close, they didn't need to know each other's ID to send messages.
"Eight degrees. Not much alcohol, but it contains a trace of caffeine. They've probably never drunk alcohol before. It's enough."
En Tu secretly gave a thumbs up.
Su Xiao looked at Allen, who was eating happily. The firelight reflected on Su Xiao's face.
If things didn't go smoothly, this would be Allen's last meal.
PS: (Just one more spot on the monthly ticket rankings to push through.)
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