Doctor will never die in a hellish situation.

Amidst the sharp, piercing explosion, the power generated by the Originium explosive stopped the intense flames on Talulah's fingertips, while W used the blast wave to quickly retreat.

When will a person show the greatest patience and be completely open to all information? Of course, it's when facing a dying person.

W was quite certain that this was how Talulah saw her.

Perhaps it was because she had deliberately provoked Mephistopheles in an attempt to subtly extract information from him; perhaps it was because Ines's previous discovery had led her to suspect that it had been delivered to her through some special means; or perhaps she had been subjected to too many sarcastic remarks and wanted to shut herself up completely...

In short, with Hedley and the faked-death Ines both heading to Victoria, the mercenary group had no loyal followers, and W's proactive appearance at this crucial juncture provided her with an excellent opportunity to make her move.

It seems that Patriot did some side business on his way to the ruined city, which seems to involve the other party's extremely secretive affairs. Even to W, who is about to be killed by him, he is unwilling to mention it too much.

The scorching flames rushed towards him again. W, unable to sigh at not being able to extract more information, rolled away in a disheveled manner and moved towards a corner, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally.

She was well aware of the difference in strength between the two. In the previous battle to attack the core city, the silver-haired dragon girl had turned an entire squad of fully armed Ursus military police into ashes with just a flick of her finger.

However, that guy once said that everyone is equal before caliber.

Although she couldn't actually carry those massive cannons that a person could climb inside, she boasted that her previous arrangements, once fired, would produce a power no less than being hit head-on by a 460mm cannon, and even someone as strong as Talulah would find it difficult to escape.

However, now is by no means the best time to detonate it. Talulah has not yet reached the center of the explosion, and she also needs time to activate the Originium Bomb.

"Wow, has the leader not fought anyone in a long time? Aim better next time, you almost burned my hair." Following her usual combat habits, she engaged in pointless provocations while activating Originium bombs buried in various locations.

Talulah's Originium Arts generated strong energy fluctuations, which perfectly masked the subtle changes in the activation of the Originium Bomb. W's occasional, unexpected grenades were also enough to distract most of her attention.

"I'm very curious, what could possibly drive a Sarkaz mercenary who sells his life for money to openly attack his own employer? This behavior is completely contrary to the code of conduct for a mercenary, and it also goes against Victoria's arrangements!" She casually melted the grenade that was fired at her and asked with a leisurely air.

“I don’t care what you plan to do, or how many people will die, but since you’ve reached into the mercenary group and attacked my people, then you will pay the price!” W didn’t expect Talulah to ask such a question and answered without thinking.

Ines, one of her adjutants, possesses a similar sensory ability to Qin Duanyu. After noticing Talulah's abnormality, she "died unexpectedly" on her way back to the mercenary camp. A little investigation reveals that she was inextricably linked to the Reunion Movement.

It seemed reasonable, and there was nothing wrong with what Hadley said, but it sounded a bit... W realized her slip of the tongue, but it was too late to take it back.

"Oh, so you're a leader who cares about your subordinates after all. No wonder, quite the acting! You managed to mislead me by playing dumb." Sure enough, Talulah had a look of sudden realization. "Now everything makes sense."

Oh no, her persona is ruined! W bit her lip. Ever since that incident three years ago, she had been pretending to be a war maniac, using this as a cover to deceive almost everyone and explain her seemingly illogical behavior.

But once her disguise was exposed, especially in front of this silver-haired dragon girl, she felt a little uneasy, but still spoke up sarcastically: "With your head full of schemes and calculations, can you really guess what I'm thinking?"

“A madman is not the same as a fool. If you really want revenge, you can wait until after we crash into Lungmen and fight the enemy to the death before you make your move, instead of coming forward now! You should know very well that as long as the Reunion Movement still needs the Sarkaz Mercenary Group’s strength, you are safe.”

"Your deliberate provocation of colleagues and poor relationships with others could have been explained by your reckless nature, but now it seems you were just taking the opportunity to gather information. A mercenary leader who kills for money doesn't care about those things."

"In that case, the rest of the deduction is quite simple: you are definitely not a destructive madman, especially after learning certain information from me, which made you even more determined. Ha, you want to stop me from attacking Lungmen with the core city!"

With each sentence spoken, the silver-haired dragon girl slowly took a step forward. Each time her toes touched the ground, it felt like stepping on the heartbeat of a W, carrying a terrifying sense of oppression and the humiliation of being completely dissected.

"Can you stop indulging in pointless speculation..." W gritted her teeth, trying to refute, but knew it was futile.

"Getting impatient? Too bad, you have absolutely no secrets from me right now!" Talulah's face revealed a malicious smile. "No matter who taught you, I can only say that your abilities are simply not worthy of such excellent guidance!"

"Enough with the nonsense. If this is your last word, I'll have it engraved on your cenotaph!" W seemed to have been struck where it hurt, his usually mocking face now showing anger. Ignoring that Talulah wasn't in the best position yet, he pressed the detonator in his hand.

Aside from being thoroughly enraged by Talulah's pretentious attitude, she knew very well that she was completely overwhelmed in the verbal exchange, and that distraction would no longer be effective. Even if it couldn't achieve the best results, she had to do it.

Stimulate emotions, distract attention, and secretly initiate... Next, lift the floor!

“But as I said before, meaningless words are just a waste of everyone’s time, unless there’s something else going on.” Talulah shook her head and planted her longsword in the solid floor. “Thanks to you, while I was putting on this boring skit with you, I found the locations of those little surprises.”

Upon hearing this, W's pupils contracted slightly.

The anticipated violent explosion did not occur. The location where the Originium bomb was planted made a "sizzling" sound as if sulfuric acid had been poured on it, melting, deforming, and collapsing rapidly. The scorching energy spread along the floor, destroying the trap in a simple and brutal way.

“You know very well that news of your arrival at the core tower will soon be reported to the guards. Rather than delaying and arousing suspicion, it’s better to ring the bell proactively and use the time I’m downstairs to prepare.” Looking at the astonished W, Talulah praised, “Using just a few minutes to set up a trap that could completely renovate the entire floor, such excellent combat skills are unmatched even by my most elite demolitionists.”

"Then should I thank you for the compliment?" To W, these words sounded more like an insult.

She quickly realized that she had been tricked by a familiar tactic. Talulah was gradually drawing her into the rhythm and using this precious time to break through the deadly move that could have threatened Talulah.

Perhaps this is why even the best swimmers can drown.

"No, no, no, I just wanted to say that I'm in the atmosphere, while you're on the eighteenth level underground!" Talulah smiled sternly and uttered a line that W had heard countless times.

“Wait, you…” Suddenly, W seemed to realize something and looked at her in disbelief.

"What a coincidence, someone taught me the same tactics! That's why I said you're not worthy of such excellent guidance!" Talulah said pointedly, the killing intent in her gray eyes was obvious.

In a friendly sparring match, the senior sister ultimately proved to be superior. #Funny

Chapter 83, Section 368: Only after seeing the light can I endure the darkness (Part 1)

Within Kazdel.

A petite, silver-haired Sarkaz girl was fleeing swiftly through a desolate wilderness overgrown with rocks and strange trees.

Not long ago, she discovered a special traveler in the settlement. He was alone, masked, and seemed very low-key, but he was very generous. He gave a Sarkaz gold coin to the waiter when he asked for directions at a restaurant, showing no understanding of the principle of not flaunting wealth.

Alright, he's probably some noble young master who ran away from home. Because he grew up in a relatively safe mobile city and was protected by his family, he's completely unaware of the dangers of society.

As for his purpose, it's even easier to guess. He's been brainwashed by the chivalric novels that came from Kazimierz, and he thinks he's the protagonist of destiny. He's trying to have some kind of adventure in the royal city, and preferably establish an extraordinary relationship with the princess.

Such idiots are rare, but they certainly do exist.

Soon, the news that the traveler was going to the royal city was sold by the waiter to a group of mercenaries in town for two silver coins. Judging from their malicious eyes, you could tell what was going to happen next.

For the Sarkaz, war is like bread and breath, something they have always relied on for survival. It is perfectly normal for anyone with a little ability to become a mercenary, killing for money and enjoying themselves. When there are no employers, these mercenaries don't mind becoming bandits to earn some money to spend.

The girl, who was sleeping next to a trash can, overheard the mercenaries' plot. After looking at her almost rotten dinner for a moment, she mustered up her courage and followed the mercenaries.

Of course, it wasn't to warn the unlucky girl who was being targeted; it was simply a hope that after the mercenaries killed and robbed her, they might have left behind something valuable, even just a silver coin, which would have been enough to feed her for a long time to come.

Kindness? The girl was certain that it would only result in two more corpses in the wilderness.

But what happened next was far beyond her comprehension.

The surrounded traveler tossed out a bag of gold coins and calmly said something. The mercenaries then started fighting amongst themselves. Only after the last survivor died from blood loss did the traveler calmly dust himself off and continue his journey.

Despicable outsider!

After skillfully examining the corpses, the girl discovered that the group of poor mercenaries had no money on them, and their weapons had been damaged in the infighting and could only be sold as scrap metal. Her plan backfired, and the girl cursed under her breath as she reluctantly prepared to leave.

But after following them for so long, all she got back was some scrap metal to sell. The effort and the reward were completely disproportionate, and she was really unwilling to give up.

Then, she saw an Originium bomb left behind by a mercenary, and her eyes lit up.

That evening, the traveler found a random spot to set up camp. He had just lit a campfire and prepared dinner when a loud bang came from not far away. He was clearly startled and cautiously walked toward the source of the sound.

It's now!

Taking advantage of the moment when the other person walked more than twenty meters away and his attention was completely drawn to the explosion, the girl who had been waiting for a long time wiped her mouth, darted out of the bushes like a raccoon, rummaged around inside the tent, grabbed the package that looked very valuable, and then took the sandwich he had just made.

If it weren't for the fear of getting burned, that pot of fragrant meat soup would definitely not have escaped the scalding.

"Hey, wait a minute..." came the traveler's anxious shout from behind, but the girl had already disappeared into the dense forest along the escape route she had found beforehand.

After running for about ten minutes, deliberately leaving rags and footprints at several intersections as a misdirection, she hid in a cave and waited patiently until she was sure no one was chasing her before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Now it's time to enjoy the fruits of victory!

She picked up the sandwich, which had been squeezed and was slightly deformed, and took a big bite with a grin. The soft and delicate white bread slices, the slightly charred ham, and the runny yolk from the soft-boiled egg created a rich and complex flavor that tantalized her taste buds.

Even if the cook's skills are average, such excellent ingredients only require the simplest processing, and for those who feel like it's New Year's when they can eat black bread, it is undoubtedly a heavenly experience.

"Is it delicious? I'm very confident in my cooking skills." Just as she was chewing with great emotion, a voice suddenly asked.

"It's alright, but the ketchup is too sweet..." the girl replied casually, then suddenly her expression changed. She looked at the hooded man at the cave entrance, pulled something out of her pocket, and threw it in front of him. "Eat my Originium Bomb!"

After saying that, she ignored the man's reaction, grabbed her pack and ran towards the cave entrance. This was also a pre-confirmed hiding place, and at the other end was a passageway that led directly to an abandoned Originium mine.

If that guy isn't afraid of becoming infected, he probably won't continue chasing after them.

“Sweet is right. Croton powder has a slightly astringent taste, followed by a lingering spiciness, so I added more tomato sauce to mask the flavor.” The man’s calm voice came from outside the cave. “You just had strenuous exercise, so your stomach will absorb nutrients more quickly, which also means…”

He had barely finished speaking when a sharp abdominal pain struck, making it impossible for the girl to continue running.

Before long, strange noises and a pungent smell began to permeate the cave.

……

A moment later.

The Sarkaz girl followed the man reluctantly. She had considered running away, but the faint abdominal pain was the best warning, making her dare not have any thoughts and could only follow behind with weak steps.

According to the man, croton powder is a poison used by the nobles of Yan Kingdom for assassinations. It has only been used to alleviate the poison's effects. If she cannot obtain the antidote from the other party regularly, she will die of exhaustion in the wasteland.

"Hey, what exactly do you want? Let me make it clear first, I'm an infected person. If you have any strange ideas, you can give up now!" She gritted her teeth, revealing the black crystals on her arm.

Rather than being toyed with by a pervert, living a life where she could neither live nor die, she would rather the other party just give her a quick death. After all, just like those mercenaries, if you have the guts to steal, you should be prepared to be caught and killed by the owner.

“I’m not called Hey, I’m called Chu Yuxun… Never mind, you don’t understand the joke.” The man shrugged and then said with a hint of disdain, “Although I don’t mind infected people, you’re just a skinny little girl with no flesh on your bones and you smell bad. Who would be interested in you?”

"Then why..." Hearing the man's answer, the girl secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After all, no one would willingly seek death if they could live. Verbal humiliation was nothing to her. Her experience of begging and scavenging in the settlement had long since made her immune to such things.

"Those mercenaries killed my camel, and we were short of labor to transport goods and supplies. Just then, someone came to our door, so we grabbed him," the man said calmly. "Besides, it's still a long way to the capital, and it's good to have someone to talk to to pass the time."

The girl was completely relieved. As long as she still had some use, she shouldn't be killed immediately. As long as she acted obediently and made the other party lower their guard, it would be easy to find an opportunity to escape.

Hiss--

The rich aroma made her sniff; it turned out the man had ladled out a bowl of meat soup and placed it in front of her.

For me?

The girl was somewhat incredulous.

Theoretically speaking, she was the other party's servant at this moment. She had heard from those worldly mercenaries that if the nobles in the moving city were in a good mood, they would share the leftovers with their servants. She was also praying that the man had a small appetite so that there would be more soup left, and preferably a few pieces of meat left as well.

Happiness came so suddenly.

"Eat up. I heard you swallowing while I was cooking. Don't worry, I didn't poison you this time." The man pushed the bowl towards her again, as if to reassure her, and then ladled himself a bowl and took a big gulp.

The only response he received was the sound of a girl wolfing down her food.

This guy doesn't seem as bad as I thought. After eating several pieces of white bread and drinking several bowls of thick soup with large chunks of meat floating on top, the girl's wariness lessened slightly, and she obediently took the dishes to the stream to wash them clean.

After dinner, the man leaned against the campfire and enthusiastically took out a book to read. Seeing the girl occasionally casting curious glances at him, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed, lamenting that he was too used to being alone. He quickly put away the book with the pretty girl on the cover.

"Matchstick Girl, can you read?" he asked, somewhat embarrassed.

"I don't know her." The girl shook her head.

From as far back as she could remember, she had wandered from settlement to settlement. The highest-ranking person she had ever met was a mercenary who boasted on the street. These people could barely read or write, and none of them had the time to teach her to read and write.

Besides, in a chaotic place like Kazdel, just surviving is a feat in itself; who has the time to learn such things?