Chapter 27: A Display So Dazzling It Makes the Scalp Tingle
In Shelter No. 9, steam rose, and upon contacting the cooling pipes above, it gradually condensed into water droplets that clung to the metal tubes.
Today was not a peaceful day in Shelter No. 9. The three armored doors leading to the surface were tightly sealed, with no one allowed in or out. Furthermore, large groups of Hunters were stationed near all three exits.
The civilians inside Shelter No. 9 were not panicked. While this situation wasn't common, it did occur several times each year.
In Sector A, in front of a shock cannon base station, over a thousand Hunters were queuing up. The term "Hunter" was the universal title used by all shelters for Transcendents.
Of course, there were differences in strength among Hunters, but due to the assistance of mechanical exoskeletons in combat, there were no clear power-level divisions among them.
A Hunter's own abilities, the performance of their mechanical exoskeleton, how many Shock Energy Coins they carried to sustain the exoskeleton in battle, combat experience, and the mutual countering of terrain and abilities—all these factors influenced a Hunter's combat effectiveness.
Therefore, in most cases, Hunters had to fight to determine who was stronger. But in the wilderness, the cost of combat was too high; if things went wrong, everyone could die, becoming dinner for Mutant Beasts or Alien Beasts.
At this moment, the Hunters queuing in front of the shock cannon base station were all waiting to receive treatment potions. This news had already spread within the Hunter circles of Shelter No. 9.
Leader Yahada's actions surprised everyone. In most people's minds, Yahada was synonymous with greed and cruelty. But this time, Yahada had unconditionally provided treatment potions to every Hunter in the shelter.
"Yahada didn't take the chance to squeeze us dry? That's not a good sign."
An elderly Hunter in line spoke up. His face was deeply lined, as if carved by a knife, and part of his nose was missing.
"We're all on the same side; of course the Leader would think of us."
A young man behind the elderly Hunter retorted, his gaze somewhat unfriendly.
"Hah, you're on the same side as him, kid. Do you know how he climbed to that position?"
A Hunter with a mechanical arm sneered. The young man looked indignant but didn't reply. The way Yahada became Leader was indeed disgraceful.
The distribution of treatment potions went smoothly. After all, this was a shock cannon base station. Anyone who caused trouble would be turned into a bloody mist by a single cannon blast.
By noon that day, over ninety percent of the Hunters in the shelter had received treatment potions. The rest were not in the shelter.
Yahada himself never showed his face. The reason for his generosity was that he sensed danger.
Treatment potions were precious, but they could also bring deadly trouble. If news got out that Shelter No. 9 had a cure for Blood Rot Syndrome, the shelter would become a target for everyone.
Therefore, Yahada urgently needed combat power. Once the Hunters' Blood Rot Syndrome was cured, their combat effectiveness would naturally increase significantly, which was exactly what Yahada wanted to see.
Yahada hadn't climbed to his current position by being a 900-pound stupid pig. His series of maneuvers could only be described as utterly audacious.
After obtaining the treatment potions, not only did Yahada distribute them for free to his subordinates, but that very afternoon, he lifted the lockdown on Shelter No. 9. Everyone was free to come and go, and even to contact Hunters from other shelters.
In any other shelter, this would be a major taboo. It would greatly increase the chance of traitors appearing, allowing enemies to coordinate from within and without.
But Yahada did it anyway. Furthermore, he ordered all his Hunters to actively spread the word to other shelters that he had treatment potions here.
It wasn't just spreading the word. Yahada also had each of his subordinates carry two to three bottles of treatment potion as samples to give to Hunters from other shelters.
At the same time, Yahada had his subordinates convey a message: any Hunter who joined Shelter No. 9 would receive treatment potions without spending a single Shock coin.
Yahada's series of operations left the hidden rebel forces within Shelter No. 9 so stunned their scalps tingled. In just one afternoon, four out of the five hidden rebel factions within Shelter No. 9 automatically dissolved. The remaining one was barely holding on.
Judging by the momentum, not only was Yahada not at risk of being besieged by other forces, but he could instead recruit a large number of Hunters, leaping to become one of the top major powers.
The leaders of the surrounding forces would naturally want to gang up on Yahada. But the Hunters, who formed the backbone of these forces, might not necessarily choose to oppose him. This was especially true for Hunters already suffering from Blood Rot; they would most likely defect to Yahada's side. After all, if war broke out with Yahada, the Hunters would be the ones charging at the front and dying.
Yahada's ruthlessness lay in his method of dismantling surrounding forces without shedding a single drop of blood.
Once this situation took hold, Yahada's side would start snowballing, with more and more Hunters under his command. In the end, no one in the surrounding area would be his match.
For someone like Yahada, just give him a little opportunity, and he could maneuver and expand his own power.
That afternoon, Su Xiao learned of this news. He did nothing else but continued to prepare treatment potions. He had initially thought Yahada would step into the trap, but he didn't expect Yahada to leap up and throw himself headlong into it. This guy was even greedier than he had imagined.
6:00 PM that evening.
The light green solution inside the metal tank gradually cooled. Su Xiao tapped his finger on the tank wall. The Mana Points inside formed invisible crystals.
After finishing this, Su Xiao stretched his neck, interlocked his fingers, and extended his palms outward, producing a few crisp cracking sounds.
He glanced at the time, then casually picked up an apple. This kind of unmutated fruit was very rare.
Pushing open the door, he walked out of the two-story building. The dozen or so Hunters in front immediately became alert. They were all Yahada's trusted confidants.
"Lord Holy Flame, for your safety, please minimize going out."
A woman whose lower jaw had been replaced by machinery blocked his path.
"Oh."
Su Xiao took a bite of the apple in his hand and continued walking forward.
"Please... stop."
The Iron-Jaw Woman raised her hand, intending to block Su Xiao, but he didn't stop, walking right past her.
The Iron-Jaw Woman ground her teeth, but she was utterly helpless.
"Captain, what do we do?"
"What do I do? How should I know? Let's just follow for now."
The Iron-Jaw Woman was somewhat resigned. A strange scene unfolded: a dozen Hunters followed behind Su Xiao, with someone occasionally stepping forward to dissuade him. Su Xiao would readily agree, but his actual actions were completely the opposite.
Su Xiao stopped in front of a three-story building next door. The few Hunters here also began to look troubled. This was Yahada's residence. Block Su Xiao? No kidding. Who would dare offend this Alchemist?
Not to mention Yahada, even the other Hunters wouldn't agree. Who knew if they or their families might suffer from Blood Rot Syndrome in the future? And Su Xiao was their only hope.
More importantly, no one knew if Blood Rot Syndrome could be completely cured. If there was a chance of relapse, Su Xiao would be their savior.
"Lord Holy Flame, this... we..."
The few Hunters in front of the three-story building were in a dilemma. They wanted to step forward and block him, but they didn't dare.
Su Xiao walked into the three-story building and headed straight for Yahada's room. Pushing open the door, he saw Yahada enjoying his dinner. This guy ate at least ten meals a day.
"Yahada, any news on that plant?"
Su Xiao tossed aside the apple core in his hand and sat down opposite Yahada.
"Perfect timing. Want to join me for dinner?"
Yahada wiped the grease from his mouth. The rings on his fingers were shiny with oil.
"I've already eaten."
Su Xiao looked at Yahada with a smile. After a moment, Yahada stopped chewing.
"I've got some news. That plant is called... Dibamu?"
"That's right."
"Hmm. Give me half a month. In half a month, I'll deliver that plant called Dibamu to you."
Yahada took off his rings one by one and tossed them into a water cup, producing a series of tinkling sounds.
"In that case, the subsequent treatment potions are no problem."
Su Xiao stood up. Just as he was about to leave, he seemed to suddenly remember something.
"Yahada, has the news spread completely?"
"What?"
Yahada was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile, realizing Su Xiao was talking about the news of the treatment potions leaking out.
"Oh, that matter. You'll have to work hard from now on. As for the compensation, let's multiply it by five."
Yahada extended a bloated hand. In reality, up to this point, he hadn't paid Su Xiao a single Shock coin. As for finding the Transcendent Plant Dibamu, there was still half a month. There would be other excuses after that.
Or rather, Yahada had no idea what that Transcendent Plant was. The name Dibamu was something he had heard from Su Xiao.
"Five times..."
Su Xiao's smile became even more amiable. At that moment, blood energy began to radiate from him as the center point, eventually converging above him into a Blood Beast.
"ROAR!!"
The Blood Beast lunged at Yahada without warning. A flash of shock crossed Yahada's face, which then instantly turned ferocious.
In truth, if Yahada hadn't pulled off that utterly audacious series of maneuvers, Su Xiao wouldn't have made his move so quickly. Yahada's actions were essentially helping Su Xiao create an opportunity.
It turned out that disguising himself as an Alchemist still had its uses.