'Why did this madman have to come here? Shouldn't he go to Inala instead?' Chaos grew so nervous that his breath hitched. Most of it was thanks to the sheer bloodlust radiating from the middle-aged man before him.
'Damn, who hurt him so bad that he releases this much killing intent?'
For those who forgot who this walking slaughter machine is, let me refresh your memory. The 44th Settlement Leader, Bora Tusk. Only the leaders of each settlement had the right to add the suffix 'Tusk' to their names. It signified their leadership status.
"Sealing up the entrance using the mud balls was your doing, right?" Bora Tusk stared at Inala, continuing without waiting for a response. "And when you achieved your objective, you decisively turned yourself into a sculpture. That's why someone as weak as you managed to survive."
"As I thought, you need to be rewarded," Bora Tusk said after some consideration. "Sumatra doesn't follow the law of survival of the strong, but survival of the fittest."
"You," he patted me, "are fit to survive here."
'Sir, I am not fit to survive. I am just a fraud.' I wanted to tell him, but saying that would be the same as asking to be thrown off a cliff.
Bora Tusk retrieved a box, inserted his hand through the entrance, and shuffled around inside. After a moment, he took out a vial and handed it to Inala. "Since you desire to increase your Prana, this Low-Grade Elixir will be your reward. With your body's condition, though, you can at most gain 20 Prana… such a waste."
With a snort, he turned around and left the shelter, his gaze falling on Resha, Blola, and Grehha. His lips quivered slightly, forming the hint of a smile. 'There are some brats with a strong will to survive.'
'Ohh, now I get it. Since I used Inala's tactic to survive, I completely forgot to think about the consequences. Shit. This Elixir was meant to be given to him. It's something crucial that he would use to bargain with Resha. But… I can use this to my advantage.'
"Your name was Chase, right? You have a minute?" Resha arrived next to Chaos, calm but radiating a faint wave of killing intent to keep the other students at bay. Many of them were already scheming to trade for the Elixir.
'Bitch, at least remember my name if you wanna trade with me.'
"It's Chaos."
"Never mind the name. Give me half of the Elixir. In return, I'll help you gain 40 Prana," Resha proposed.
"Fifty Prana, plus the method you used on the Mud Vipers." Chaos said calmly. "If you accept, then we have a deal."
"You're ripping me off!" If not for the elites still present, Resha would have killed Chaos on the spot. "How about forty?"
"I would have agreed… but you forgot my name, so I hope this deal makes sure you remember me." I immediately rejected him. 'Who does he think he is? The main character?'
"You're wasting that Elixir," Resha gritted his teeth so hard that I could hear them clatter.
"It's mine anyway." I shrugged. That was enough to let him know I wasn't going to budge.
'Bastard!' Resha seethed. He needed the Elixir the most—it would save him valuable time in building his strength. His Toxin Refinement Skill was powerful, but his current body was too weak to utilize it efficiently. Its true potential would only shine later.
In the end, Resha relented. He pulled out his bone sphere and inscribed the Toxin Refinement Skill onto it. Handing it over reluctantly, he muttered, "Wash your neck and beware."
"Well, I have another offer if you're interested."
Resha paused, waiting for me to continue. I didn't stall and immediately laid out my proposal.
"I'll give you the entire vial of Elixir. In return, teach me the method."
"Fine." His anger vanished instantly. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't even a loss. With the Elixir, he would save a year's worth of effort. It would allow him to become many times stronger than his past self.
I handed over the Elixir and took the bone sphere, but instead of using it immediately, I gave it to Inala. Resha, Grehha, and even Inala himself were stunned by my actions. To be honest, as much as I wanted the skill, it would truly shine in his hands.
"Why? What's your motive?" Inala questioned, skeptical of my so-called kindness.
'Ah, right. I forgot how deep this guy's trust issues run. If I don't clear this up now, he'll probably sacrifice me for some twisted plan later.'
"Hey, I know you know that I'm not one of you. I wasn't brought here by that tentacle monster. But regardless of how I got here, I want you to know that I'm on your side. My goal is the same as yours—to defeat Bangara. And you have no idea how difficult that task is. So forget about all the useless things from the past and let's work together towards the same goal."
I extended my hand toward him awkwardly, waiting for him to shake it. Instead, he gave me an intense look… and walked away.
'He's not going to make this easy for me, is he?'