Chapter 26

Chapter 26

On this land, who Gis is doesn't matter; what matters is who Phelos is.

"Take him away and behead him." Phelos repeated the command, his face clearly betraying his impatience.

Blaze, the appointed executioner, shuddered and quickly dragged Gis to the guillotine's area with unceremonious haste.

"Whoosh—" The black cloth was ripped away, and the instant the massive, sharp blade was revealed, the crowd involuntarily stepped back several paces, stung by its chilling gleam.

This was a weapon that, more than a great sword, resembled a piece of architecture.

Its dimensions were approximately 100x150x300 meters.

To the onlooker, it appeared as a mighty dragon in its prime, full of strength, with wings outstretched, muscles bulging, scales shimmering with a ruthless gleam under the sunlight, poised impressively and captivatingly.

Had this been a gaming world, countless players would flock here for a snapshot check-in.

But in this world, dragons are a terrifying calamity to humankind.

Dragons covet treasures, particularly those that sparkle and gleam.

However, accustomed to their whims, they detest "labor." Possessing immense strength, they opt for the simplest method—robbery.

They are keen on plundering; poor commoners and slave traders are not their usual victims, but there is no "NPC protection mechanism" in the real world. With their massive size and powerful wings, a single flap could damage many structures.

And when dragons clash with the transcendent beings, it is the fragile commoners and slaves who suffer the most casualties.

Just like humans wouldn't consider ants during a scuffle, dragons share the same indifference.

The noble transcendent beings may lose wealth, but the commoners and slaves lose their wealth, their homes, and their lives.

Terrifying, horrifying, formidable...

Dragons are hardly a desirable presence for the common folk.

"Dragons, the great dragons are coming—run for your lives!"

Seized by fear and unrest, the commoners scattered in a panic at the sight of such a lifelike dragon, causing immediate chaos.

"Look closely! That's clearly the lord's emblem, not an actual dragon!"

Fortunately, the symbol representing Lord Phelos clarified its identity, bringing a measure of calm to the people.

Lord Phelos disliked monotony and so, for Lansville's missing executioner's guillotine, he decisively crafted one from a level 300 dragon's tooth. Standing three hundred meters tall and weighing fifty thousand tons, it was designed to behead any criminal of any race or level with a single, swift cut.

Phelos's alchemy and smithing skills were of the highest order, using only the finest materials. Despite the deliberate sealing of its residual dread power, the guillotine's design and the chilling gleam of its blade were enough to send shivers down one's spine.

The guillotine's "shell" was merely common level 300 frost silver-iron, prized for its hardness and indestructibility, ensuring it would withstand the elements for millennia.

Of course, as its name suggested, the heart of the Dragon's Guillotine was [dragon] material.

The dragon, which had transitioned from data to reality alongside Phelos, had once roamed this very continent.

But it was swiftly slain by Phelos, whose power had surged through the combination of two augmented attributes.

Unlike the game mechanics where slaying a dragon would yield dozens to hundreds of items, defeating this dragon meant all of its possessions went to Phelos.

A world boss is like a cheat code bestowed by game developers: with a billion hit points and overpoweringly strong abilities!

Such a world boss is designed for battles involving thousands of players.

If the creature were too small, players in the back rows wouldn't even see a scale, let alone enjoy and participate in the game.

Hence, a world boss is an even larger-than-life super-giant dragon compared to the giants of this world.

Gathering the materials alone took Phelos a great deal of time, expanding his spatial bag by several pages!

Out of 365 dragon teeth, Phelos chose one that wasn't the longest, but was the sharpest; he ground it horizontally into a blade. A small mechanism flipped, and the conical tooth fell from a height of three hundred meters, delivering a shock that was viscerally impactful.

Dragon's Guillotine (Dragon Edition) [Golden Legend]: Forged from the tooth of a true dragon, it holds the power to suppress and seal beings of any level.

Skill 1: Sword of Judgment

Skill 2: Magicless Domain

Skill 3: Instant Death

This equipment is of little use to an individual; after all, how could a human possibly wield such a thing to fight their way in and out of the battlefield!

Yet as a symbol of a city, its deterrent effect could not be more excellent.

The seals Phelos placed on it didn't completely conceal its aura.

Those of lower levels are merely awed by its appearance and won't be scared to death.

However, the higher one's level, the greater the pressure felt in the presence of this Dragon's Guillotine.

Of course, as a mentally stable and mature lord, Phelos wouldn’t go out of his way to intimidate innocent transcendent passersby.

It only exerts its oppressive force on those with malevolent intent; ordinary people without murderous thoughts each day will be unaffected.

“Let, let me go!” For Blaze to claim he could stay calm and composed in the face of such a Dragon's Guillotine would be an outright lie!

But in a bid to prove himself before the lord, Blaze threw caution to the wind, personally forcing Gis onto the guillotine's groove.

The pearly white dragon tooth hovered above his head, the blade entirely ground from a single dragon tooth, falling from over two hundred meters, offering the condemned a final kindness—a swift death.

“What, what are you doing?!” Gis, wetting his pants in fear, trembled as he called out to his once powerful father, the governing official, “Father, Daddy—save me, please!”

Gis was, after all, the son for whom Pokpen had yearned for decades, and his father’s love temporarily overcame fear, “Master! Spare him, please! He’s talented, he will strive to improve! He’ll train hard to become a high-level transcendent being, a sword in your hand, Master—”

Gis also pleaded rapidly: “My lord, master, I was wrong, I should have never disrespected you! Please give me another chance, my lord, Master—”

However, his pleas were cut short, ending abruptly.

A fearsome dragon's roar filled with murderous intent made hearts flutter uncontrollably, and the massive blade fell, making the Level 32 Body-Fortified body seem weaker than water before the Dragon's Guillotine.

Gurgling...

The neatly severed head rolled on the ground twice, scorching blood mixed with dirt, soiling his fair face and meticulously cared-for hair.

Phelos finally turned to look at Pok lying prostrate at his feet and asked calmly, “Has anyone ever begged you like this?”

“What did you do then, at that time?”

Pok trembled, his soul shaking incessantly, yet he could not utter a single word.

Dead.

Gis, once so proud and imperious, was now dead.

The onlooking citizens were stunned; so was Blaze, who had pressed the button. The silver-white blade did not become "more approachable" once stained with blood; instead, it became even more terrifying.

The magical world possesses wonders like 'self-cleansing' runes, but Phelos had intentionally not inscribed the blade made from a giant dragon's tooth with them.

The Dragon's Guillotine was meant to intimidate, the more frightening, the better!

The blood upon it needed little interference; though the dragon was dead, its robust physical qualities lingered in every cell.

This dragon tooth possessed the power to absorb strength.

Although Gis's inferior blood was as insignificant as sand in enhancing the dragon's power, the blood remaining on the tooth would not breed bacteria or viruses.

Phelos was no devil; the appearance and oppressive aura of the Dragon's Guillotine were scary enough, and to require someone to clean it daily with a rag and basin would be too cruel... Wait, for ordinary people such a task would be too terrifying, but for criminals, it would be the perfect “reform through labor”!

Phelos had no interest in the 'torture' of souls, a mundane hobby; like the dead, criminals in Phelos’s realm had no “rights.”

"There are no prisoners for reform at the moment, so that will wait until someone commits a crime and is caught," Phelos decided internally.

"Continue," he said to the overseer in charge of escorting the prisoner.

The overseer was a man of the farms; slaves were cheap in this world, and there was no need for compassion towards them, so he was accustomed to venting his frustrations on them.

The consequence of having no sense of 'mercy' was that—so many slaves had died at his hands that he himself couldn’t remember the number.

Although he hadn’t been sent to the "judgment seat," the experience just now had thoroughly terrified him.

After all, the first “chicken” killed to scare the monkeys was none other than Gis Chitty, once the most arrogant and presumptuous and “noble” of them all!

The overseer, snotty and teary, pleaded for Phelos’s forgiveness, “Master… Master…”

Phelos frowned, and Blaze, perceptive as ever, immediately dragged him away, summoning other servants to bring the next "young master" to the judgment stand.

Phelos preferred to work undisturbed, liking the pace of finishing one task before starting another. Now that he had decided to rectify the public order and morale within the city of Ransville, he would not allow any interruptions.

He had long noticed the stewards' way of conducting affairs.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that using whips to lessen the slaves' "laziness" was commonplace.

But now was not the opportune moment to deal with them.

After all, these stewards were only acting in accordance with the rules and customs of this world.

Whipping slaves, offering two meals a day during the busy farming season, half a meal during the idle winter, and an average lifespan of less than a year turned healthy people into disposable commodities. The root problem did not lie with these minor overseers.

Even if Phelos were to arrest them all now and behead them in front of the slaves, nothing would change.

“William Leyton, speak. What laws have you broken?”

The effect of Gis's execution as a warning was quite effective; the young masters who were defiant just a second ago turned dumbstruck after seeing Gis's head neatly chopped off with the dragon-head guillotine, their faces blank and eyes no longer turning.

“Lord, my Lord! I am willing to offer you everything I have! I am wealthy, very wealthy, my Lord—”

Phelos had no patience for their worthless prattle, forcefully administering spoon after spoon of truth serum.

Those with heinous crimes were dragged beside the large guillotine and beheaded on the spot, which made the rest much easier to handle!

[Necromancy]

The severed heads rolled about, bumpily rejoining their bodies, which after standing up, made some adjustments to the head and torso alignment.

With 300 times two, Phelos now had 600 more minions at his disposal!

Having them serve him alive was not as efficient as splitting them into two to work tirelessly for him without rest.

125 times two bandits, 50 times two officials, 150 times two city guards, 300 times two literates.

Among these 625 times two individuals, surprisingly, the bandits were of the highest quality, the rest only marginally useful for their souls.

“Assign these good-for-nothings to latrine duty!”

Who would have thought that the privileged noble young masters would end up as urban sanitation workers?

"Necromancers don't need rest or food, perfect for menial tasks! Extract their souls for education purposes, and let their bodies maintain public toilets and compost."

"For those Qiti faction relatives who hadn't killed or broken too many laws, Felos allotted half an hour each to pack their belongings and leave."

"Felos wasn't a thief; not allowing them even a change of clothes would be excessively cruel. However, being relatives of those people, even if they hadn't killed, the gold they spent was built upon bloodshed."

"This public trial, while voluntary for peasants and slaves, was mandatory for nobles and those related to the Qiti faction, requiring their signatures."

"Sign an attendance sheet at the start and again at the end. With so many present, there was little worry of anyone leaving midway."

"The process of this exemplary public trial wasn't long; thirty people in a group, ten groups in total. Aside from Jess, who as the focal 'representative' took a bit longer, the others proceeded at a rapid pace."

"By the end of the morning, aside from the fresh blood and the pungent smell of gore, the city seemed unchanged, yet a significant transformation had occurred."

"Dead... really... truly dead..."

"This public trial left all the subjects dazed for a long time, unable to snap back to reality."

"The once unassailable Qiti family had fallen, the parasitic officials and city guards who scorned and exploited them were gone, and the haughty young masters who reveled in screams and pleas would no longer be seen..."

"He couldn’t quite decide whether he felt happy or exhilarated; it was a mix of both, but more than anything, it was confusion."

"Years of hard labor and stress had numbed and dulled them; the sudden change was too much to take in quickly, their bodies' protective mechanisms slowing their cognitive acceptance."

"Starting this afternoon, a new city construction recruitment team will be formed. Those willing to work should sign up at the registration point."

"In the face of work, everything else is inconsequential."

"'Me, me, me, I'll sign up, any job, I can do anything!!!'"

"All confusion, all bewilderment, vanished!"

"In Dajak City, job openings were scarce; it used to be jobs choosing people, not people choosing jobs."

"Thus, even unpaid jobs offering just some food attracted hordes of eager applicants."

"After all, idle land belonged to the lord, and the city guards would arrest anyone caught using it without permission; those arrested never reappeared."

"The areas near the Evernight Mountains and the Chaotic Seas were unregulated, but rife with monsters; a non-supernatural being venturing there was a death sentence."

"No one would dare to risk it unless driven to desperation."

"So, the news of job recruitment within the city excited everyone."

*

"'Excuse me, ma'am, please step aside, I need to clean this area,' Jess said politely to the woman standing by the trash can."

"Suddenly, Maria's mother burst into tears, 'Maria, my darling Maria, do you see? Do you see?! The lord has avenged you—'"

"She hadn't cried when Jess was escorted to the tribunal, nor when his head was chopped off by the dragon-headed guillotine."

"Three days had passed since that tumultuous public trial."

"In these three days, 625 undead had been assigned to farms, construction sites, and streets."

"Jess was assigned to the street where the Cali family lived."

"Or rather, the street where the Cali family lived was just one of the many roads under 'Jess's' responsibility."

"Jess had to clean seven streets totaling 35,000 kilometers from morning, ensuring no trash or fallen leaves were left, and 700 trash bins were not overflowing or emitting foul odors..."

"The job specifications were incredibly stringent."

"With the city's major construction still underway, and once completed, there would be 70 public restrooms, 700 surveillance cameras, and 7,000 streetlights requiring Jess’s attention for cleaning and maintenance."

"Such a volume of work, if assigned to ordinary people, would require at least five workers, and even then, the results might not be guaranteed! But undead Jess was no ordinary person. Despite being inferior in some aspects, his attributes far exceeded those of a normal person. Moreover, as an undead who didn’t require rest, sleep, or food, maintaining high efficiency for 24 hours a day was quite simple!"

"Programmed with new instructions, Jess displayed concern and care as he pulled out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and tenderly offered it to Cali: 'Please use this, it's clean.'"

"Jess was still quite handsome, having grown up pampered and unburdened by labor like slaves and commoners, without any survival pressures. His fair skin and fine features, coupled with the cleaner's uniform tailored magically to fit him, accentuated his slender waist and long legs."

"Maria, lifting her head from her hands, glared at him with fierce, wolf-like eyes under her tear-soaked lashes, utterly unswayed by his appearance."

"'Go! You come with me to apologize to Maria!'"

"In arranging these cleaners, Felos also considered the future tourism development of Lansville. These cleaners were not just janitors but also city tour guides, programmed to be friendly, polite, considerate, gentle, and helpful."

"Cali had long known that the Jess before her was nothing more than a moving corpse, but these days, she felt compelled to watch him work, both before leaving for work and as the first thing upon returning."

"She didn’t know why she did this; no matter what punishment Jess received, it wouldn’t bring her precious Maria back."

"'Apologize, Jess, apologize to my daughter Maria!!!'"

"The idea of a noble's son, a supernatural being, apologizing to a girl deemed less than grass, already dead and insignificant, was unimaginably insane!"

"Yet, once the word 'apologize' left her lips, it seemed to plant a seed in her mind, rapidly taking root and growing."

"Yes, apologize! Even though Maria was dead, Jess must apologize for what he did!"

"'I won't accept your apology, but you must apologize to Maria! Repent for your brutality, your sins, your faults!'"

Kali somehow found the strength to pull up Gis: "Come, let's go apologize to Maria!!!"

"Cali, accustomed to hard labor, had rough, calloused hands and strong fingers, clearly the hands of a hard worker. But how could a malnourished middle-aged woman possibly drag a level 32 undead swordsman?"

"'Ma'am, please, listen to me, ma'am, I am still working, once I finish the work here—'"

Before Gis could finish speaking, he was struck by three forces at once.

"Apologize! You must apologize to my sister! You, the murderer who killed her!"

Just a few days ago, they would never have dared to speak to Gis Chitty, one of the town's top figures, like this, but the lord said—

"Gis Chitty killed Maria. He is guilty."

He is guilty.

Such a simple trio of words.

Yet, it was these three words they had waited for, far too long!

Maria's siblings jostled him, demanding, "Apologize! Kneel and apologize to my sister!"

Their small bodies seemed to harbor a powerful force, in the darkness, their eyes shone with a light undimmed by the shadows, angrily and stubbornly howling at Gis—

"Apologize, to Maria whom you killed!"

"We will not forgive you, nor will Maria, but you must apologize!"

"Ghosts lack empathy; they merely follow the commands set by their masters."

Sweeping the streets is its job, as is helping the villagers.

The request of the four surpassed the importance of the task 'to sweep this area', so he smiled amicably, "Alright, where shall we go?"

Cali dragged it, and three children pushed him, roughly but swiftly, towards what served as Maria’s “grave.”

The poor have little concept of a “graveyard”; in a sense, humans too are magical beasts, valuable commodities.

In the black market, a corpse's price ranges from 10 to 300 copper coins, more expensive than a living person!

Most commoners are sold to the black market by their families after death, a sort of inheritance, with everyone accepting the norm of "being sold to the black market posthumously."

Naturally, Maria’s body was also sold to the black market, fetching only 15 copper coins due to its damaged state, far below the usual 200 copper coins.

The night they returned after selling Maria's body, Cali lulled her youngest daughter Vivian to sleep, wiped her tears, and then spent the night silently weeping, clutching those 15 copper coins.

The next day, Cali buried Maria's favorite hairpin in the yard, marking it as her grave, symbolizing that their family would forever be together.

"Kneel! Apologize to Maria!!!" Cali screamed, her voice tinged with a metallic, rusty taste, her eyes as red as if her veins were about to burst and bleed.

"Apologize, apologize, apologize—" the three children glared at him fiercely too.

Gis obediently knelt down, "Miss Maria, I don’t know what to say to atone for my sins. My words are so weak and pale, nothing I say can change the cruel harm I once inflicted upon you. All I can do is offer countless apologies and promise to take care of your family."

"I'm sorry, Miss Maria. Please, find happiness in the next world."

"Apologize... apologize... sob—"

Though they demanded Chitty's apology, if apologies were enough, why were they still tormented by suffering?

"Give me back my sister!" The youngest, Vivian, rushed forward, her fists pounding on him, "Sister, sister, give me back my sister—"

She screamed and cried, her anguish of anger, sorrow, and pleading almost overwhelming.

But the dead cannot return.

That vivid life, laden with despair and pain, was brutally taken.

"Vivian!"

Cali rushed to embrace her emotionally shattered Vivian, not because she was worried about Vivian hurting Gis, but out of fear.

Fear that Gis might suddenly rage and kill Vivian.

For a level 32 undead swordsman, snuffing out the life of an eight-year-old girl was all too easy!

"Vivian, don't cry, Mommy is here, don’t be afraid, stop crying…" Cali soothed her daughter, trying to stop her tears, but her own tears flowed uncontrollably, like pearls from a broken necklace, clattering down, "Vivian... Maria... my babies, sob..."

"Sister, sob..."

The mother and daughters wept together, a wound they thought had healed now bleeding afresh.

"Undead lack emotions; only those of level 100 or higher, influenced by memories from their past life, can be considered high-level undead."

"Gis" was far from level 100, even his soul had been taken away; without the "intelligent program" input by his master, Phelos, he would just be a [Undead] only capable of fighting and killing.

It could only say "I'm sorry," as programmed by its master.

"What's the use of saying sorry!" Although Vivian was young, children from poor families mature early. Kids like them, living near the Endless Plains, are instilled with knowledge about the undead from an early age.

"Although it bears Gis's appearance and voice, this thing before us is not Gis at all!"

"Their demand for Gis's apology, more than a consolation for the deceased Maria, was an outlet for their own venting."

Even though they were well aware that nothing would change.

Vivian glared intensely at Giselle's face and declared with fierce resolve, "I must become a powerful spellcaster, and then I'll ensure Giselle's soul endures the same agony as my sister's!"

Giselle's soul was currently in the hands of the lord, and young Vivian clung to a sliver of hope—if she became useful enough to work for the lord, perhaps one day she could plead for Giselle's soul.

When that time came, she was determined to make Giselle experience the pain and despair of her sister a million times over!

*

When Vivian awoke, daylight had already filled the sky. Her eyes, red from crying the night before, had swelled into puffy orbs after a night's rest.

"Mom, my eyes hurt. Do we have any water?" she asked.

Medicine was a luxury the poor couldn’t afford; they relied on the basic “common sense” of using ice water for pain relief.

"Just bear with it a little longer, we're almost there," Cari said with compassion, gently touching her eyelids and shading her from the sun with her large palm.

The distribution of "blessings" continued today, and before starting work, everyone would come here to receive them, a habit that the people had absolutely not forgotten.

The lines for receiving the “blessings” had grown longer, indicating that everyone would receive their food more quickly.

Food distribution began at 6 a.m., and by 8 a.m., nearly everyone had received their share.

"No honey buns?! Are, are they all gone?!"

The disturbance from up ahead caused a sudden tightness in the chests of those waiting in line.

The absence of honey buns was inevitable, but when the day finally arrived, everyone couldn’t help but feel a sharp pang of sadness in their hearts.

Such delicious honey buns... to think they would no longer be able to savor them...

"Today, we're distributing pumpkin red bean cakes, two for each person," Alice showed them the newly baked pumpkin cakes from the kitchen.

The golden pumpkin cakes looked nothing like the honey buns.

While honey buns were square little blocks, the pumpkin red bean cakes were round little patties, about the size of Alice's palm, steaming and emitting an enticing aroma.

This scent, different from that of the honey buns, was still intoxicatingly delicious.

The method for making pumpkin red bean cakes is simpler than that for honey buns; after steaming the pumpkin, it is mixed with glutinous rice flour to form a dough, while red beans are boiled until tender, sweetened, and mashed into a paste, which is then cooked into a smooth bean paste.

Next, the red bean paste is enveloped in the pumpkin glutinous rice dough, rolled into balls and then flattened into cakes, which are gently dropped into a large pot of oil and fried until they puff up and turn golden brown, floating to the surface – that's when they're ready!

Once removed from the oil, the pumpkin cakes deflate, transforming into true cakes rather than “pumpkin red bean balls.”

There are several methods for making pumpkin red bean cakes: adding flour yields a firm texture similar to griddled cakes, while incorporating glutinous rice flour makes them sticky and chewy.

The land in Lansville isn’t very suitable for growing rice, but because of the high price of rice, the Chitty family's farm grows quite a bit, including glutinous rice.

After the confiscation, this glutinous rice naturally came into the possession of Phelos.

“Go ahead and eat! You'll fall in love with it after you try it!”

“Thank you for your kindness, my lord!”

Hearing that there were new delicacies to try, Vivian's face flushed with excitement, she craned her neck forward eagerly, hoping the line would move faster so it would soon be her turn.

The pumpkin cakes are fried slowly over a low heat, and when bitten into, they crunch in a way that sends tremors through your teeth. Yet, despite the slow frying, the pumpkin cakes retain much of their moisture, yielding a soft and elastic texture upon biting.

Being naturally sweet, the dough isn't heavily sugared, allowing the light sweetness to offset the greasiness of frying, while inside there's the soft and smooth red bean paste, its sweet flavor laced with the distinctive fragrance of red beans, utterly captivating.

Vivian eats slowly, savoring the tenderness and richness in her mouth with immense appreciation.

Just a few days ago, she wouldn't have dared to do this; although safety in the safe zone was guaranteed, the malevolent gazes that constantly swept over her were unsettling and frightening.

But after the "public trial" that day, everyone became much more compliant.

Even the once-prominent Chitty family had fallen, and the all-powerful Pok and the domineering Gis had been beheaded. Who then would dare to challenge the lord's orders?

They too feared that stealing from others might lead them to the guillotine, that massive dragon-head cleaver serving as the ultimate warning to all!

“Starting tomorrow, pumpkin red bean cakes will be distributed for ten days, with two for each person per day,” Alice told them. “Of course, the honey buns won’t disappear either; the lord has opened a dessert shop on Bright Street, where they sell honey buns!”

A dessert shop!!!

The very name sounds so “sweet,” filled with the flavor of happiness.

Just hearing the name makes one feel overwhelmingly joyful.

But after the fleeting joy, the crowd suddenly realized something very important—

If honey small breads were to be sold, could they really afford them?

Though the price of the honey small breads was still unknown, one thing was certain— it would be beyond their means.

With this thought, they couldn't help but admire again, "The lord is truly a good man!"

Such expensive food, and yet he distributed it so generously to them.

"So sweet! So fragrant! So delicious!" Vivian, with her limited vocabulary, repeated these words over and over. She cherished the remnants on her hands, licking every last bit clean, her face blooming with a happy and satisfied smile.

"Let's hurry, it's getting late, and you have work to go to!"

The construction in Lanceville was booming, and not a single idler could be seen in the city. During the first and second rounds of hiring, Cari was tempted by the wages offered by the lord, but back then she worked at the Chitty family's general store, busy from dawn till late night for a mere copper coin a day; she didn't dare broach the subject of quitting, only enviously watching the vagabonds apply for the job that paid 300 copper coins a month.

But now, things were different. The Chitty family's main stewards, Poke and Gis, had been beheaded and turned into undead, naturally causing her to lose her job and become free.

Her three children were also out of work.

A few days earlier, they might have wailed about their next meal, but times had changed; now restored to "freedom," they were all able to apply for jobs.

After collecting their reward, the streets were bustling with workers hastening to their jobs.

Yet Cari and her children hadn't even left the district when they found the road ahead blocked.

"Excuse me, please let me through, I'm going to be late for work!"

Cari was frantic, but soon she froze in her tracks.

"Grand opening of the Felicity Confectionery! For the first three days, everything half-price! The original 10-copper honey small bread now only 5 copper coins! Also available are fragrant baked bread crisp, pumpkin red bean cakes, sandwiches, and scallion biscuits, all at half price!"

"How, how much?!" The loudspeaker kept repeating the number, which made Cari tremble all over.

The three children also paused, then shouted, "5 copper coins! Mom, the honey small breads are only 5 copper coins!!!"

For a family at the bottom of the ladder like theirs, 5 copper coins was a substantial sum, but that was the price for honey small breads made with wheat flour, icing, and oil!

Many speculated about the price of the honey small breads; some said one gold coin each, others said two gold coins, with all sorts of figures thrown around. But whatever the number, it was always followed by "gold coins."

5 copper coins, even the original price of 10 copper coins, sounded even more astonishing than 10 or 5 gold coins to them.

Cari, whose thriftiness ran deep into her soul to the point of stretching a copper coin into three, was also tempted.

Even though they had eaten honey small breads for ten consecutive days, such delicious food could never become tedious, not even after a million days!

The desire to buy was overwhelming—

"Give me 100 honey small breads and another 100 pumpkin red bean cakes. Oh, and 50 of those, too!" Cari's eagle eyes spotted the town's sole apothecary with a purse in hand, emerging nearly engulfed by a mountain of bread.

"Gulp—"

The civilians lingering hesitantly at the door couldn't help but swallow hard with envy.

Vivian's three children had eyes filled with longing, yet they clung tightly to their mother's hand, sensibly refraining from asking for anything.

Cari felt a pang of heartache, bit her lip, and steeled herself: "I'll work extra today and buy some after I finish!"

"Hooray! You're the best mom in the world!"

After making up their minds, the mother and daughters walked away with light, happy steps.

Five copper coins, which might have seemed a distant fortune days ago, now appeared to be within reach with just a bit of extra effort.

Cari worked for the city construction crew, where the lord had declared that the entire city was to undergo massive construction.

The cement factory was hiring 500 people, the brick factory another 500, the construction crew 500 more; there were also openings for 100 in the sundries factory, 100 in the water wheel factory, 200 in the toilet factory, and 200 in the pipeline factory... Recruitment notices were plastered everywhere throughout the city.

Cari had already spent three days on the job with the construction crew, and their first project was the dormitory for workers of Factory No. 1.

The dormitory was completed yesterday, and today Vivian and the other gathering workers were scheduled for pre-job training.

Of course, they would be paid for this pre-job training as well.

After the dormitory's completion, the next project was the factory workshop, which needed to be completed alongside the pipeline installation within five days to accommodate 2000 simultaneous workers, placing high demands on the cement and brick factories, as well as the construction crew!

"I'm here, I'm here!" When Cari arrived at the construction site at breakneck speed, there was still an hour and a half to go before the start of the workday, but she was still anxious.

"Oh no! How did it get this far already? Why are there so many bricks piled up? And the cement too—" Cari, frantic, hurriedly donned her work gloves, waterproof boots, and safety helmet to start working.

Phelos, the overseer of the project, had high demands for the pace of progress. In a time when manpower was scarce everywhere, the construction crew's numbers were few and far between.

Fortunately, with the aid of the undead, the Body-Smithing Wraiths possessed immense strength, each worth dozens of men, tireless, not requiring food or sleep, working 24 hours a day to keep up with the progress.

Kari could only move three carts totaling 300 bags of cement in an hour, but a Level 10 Swordsman Wraith could transport 3,000 bags in the same timeframe.

The efficiency of Caster Wraiths was even higher; though they did not engage in transportation, their productivity in other areas was terrifyingly high.

Take the Fire Caster Wraiths, for example; they took on all the fire-related tasks in cement factories, brick factories, pipeline factories, toilet factories... With them around, there was no need for fuel; the fires blazed vigorously on their own.

Every non-undead worker's sense of crisis was at full throttle!

By the lord's decree, equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender. For a cement mover like her, the base wage was 10 copper coins a day. For every additional 100 bags beyond 1000, there was a bonus of 1 copper coin, and for any amount over 2000 bags, the bonus was 2 copper coins per 100 bags.

Yesterday, Kari moved 3,500 bags. Although she was so exhausted that she felt like falling apart, she earned 65 copper coins!

"65 copper coins!!! Just with her earnings alone, she could buy three pounds of wheat flour and five large cabbages!"

Not weeds pulled from the ground, but real vegetables!

Three jin of wheat flour and five cabbages could comfortably feed her family of four for several days!

With a bit more effort, she could even save a little money.

With that money, she could buy 13 honey cakes!!!

Kari could not afford to lose this job no matter what!

So the lord's decree of "nine to five with a two-hour lunch break" was a mere formality to her; she would rather work at the construction site 24 hours a day if she could!

Cart by cart... By the time she reached the tenth cart, Kari's throat had turned into a wheezy bellows, gasping for breath. That's when a Level 5 Assassin Wraith, pushing a cart filled with 300 bags of cement, passed by her effortlessly, not breaking a sweat nor slowing its pace.

Kari was extremely envious: "How wonderful it must be to be an undead, never tiring." If it weren't for the fact that the undead didn't get paid no matter how much they worked, she might have actually begged the lord to turn her into one of them!

Three hundred bags in an hour meant 7,200 in 24 hours, which amounted to 124!

Kari, who couldn't read, became a math prodigy in that moment, quickly and accurately calculating the answer!

One copper coin, one copper coin, one copper coin...

With arms growing increasingly sore, legs getting weaker, and a back that was terribly painful, Kari's pace slowed more and more. Initially able to transport 350 bags of cement in an hour, later she could barely manage 200 bags, but the secret to maintaining such high-intensity labor without a moment's rest was her mental conversion of each bag of cement into copper coins; her body was exhausted, yet her spirit soared with every calculation!

"Thump—thump thump—"

"Dinner time! It's time for lunch!"

"As the lunch bell rang, Cali, despite her aching body, somehow found new strength, rushing to the washbasin at top speed. She scrubbed her hands with sand mixed with wood ash, then rinsed them clean with water."

"Line up, line up! Everyone get in line! No cutting, or you'll miss your meal! Pushing or grabbing food will get you fired, hear that?"

"Heard that!" Lunchtime was undoubtedly the most chaotic yet orderly moment on the worksite.

"After washing her hands, Cali, with her speed and slender frame, managed to get to the front of the line."

"The lord's workers, besides their wages, were also provided meals, one at noon and one in the evening. Cali, having worked for three days, noted that the menu varied daily, with new dishes introduced frequently."

"Each person gets twenty carrot dumplings, potato stew, and mushroom soup. Yesterday's outstanding workers get an extra spoonful of scrambled eggs with tomatoes!"

"The steward used a sound-amplifying magic to announce today's menu to all the workers."

"Scrambled eggs with tomatoes?" Cali had never heard of such a dish. Eggs were much more expensive than vegetables, and though unclear about what scrambled eggs with tomatoes were, her mouth was already watering profusely."

"The aroma of carrot dumplings, mushroom soup, and potato stew was tantalizing enough, but the reward for being an outstanding worker — scrambled eggs with tomatoes — must be incredibly delicious!"

"Whoosh—" The steward unveiled the last mystery dish, and a burst of steam erupted as the lid was lifted, spreading a sweet and sour aroma through the air like an explosion."

"Gulp..." Cali couldn't help but swallow a large gulp of saliva, her already ravenous stomach growling louder in response."

Not just us laborers doing the heavy lifting, even the relatively "easier" jobs like the stewards couldn't help but gulp down a big mouthful of saliva.

"I'll repeat, everyone gets twenty carrot dumplings, mushroom soup..."

"Inhaling the delicious aroma, Cali's face was a picture of blissful indulgence."

"Delicious, it was truly irresistible!"

"This aroma differs from that of honey bread and pumpkin red bean cakes."

"The sweet honey bread and pumpkin red bean cakes are luxuries beyond the reach of the poor, breaking through the darkness, casting light and hope into their world."

"But the fragrance of a meal earned through hard labor signifies 'the future' and the satisfaction of a full stomach."

"One, two... twenty." Cali, holding her uniformly distributed meal tray, carefully counted the dumplings, her face lighting up with joy as she moved to the next server.

"With a ladle as big as a child’s head, a full scoop was dished out, then evened off with chopsticks, not to shortchange but to ensure uniformity. The ladle was deep, and even the leveled portion was substantial."

"Clang!" As the ladle dropped the potato stew, Cali felt a sudden heaviness in her hand, her wrist shaking slightly, yet her face beamed with satisfaction.

"The mushroom soup was already portioned, and Cali placed her bowl into the smallest slot, which fit perfectly with the bottom of the bowl. She glanced enviously at the scrambled eggs with tomatoes nearby, their bright red and yellow hues so vivid and cheerful."

"It must be delicious! Cali took a couple of deep breaths, as if trying to savor the taste through the aroma, silently vowing to work even harder in the afternoon."

Yesterday's excellent worker line was 5000 bags; she was only 1400 short. Now she eats her fill every day, even gaining some weight! Just a few more days, and she'll surely do those extra 1400!

"Behind Cali in line, Haivie received a generous spoonful of scrambled eggs with tomatoes."

"The sweet and robust aroma of the eggs tantalized her nose, so tempting that Haivie almost started devouring it on the spot, but she resisted!"

"After stepping aside to make room for others, Haivie couldn't wait any longer and eagerly scooped the steaming scrambled eggs with tomatoes into her mouth."

"If it were up to Phelos, scrambled eggs with tomatoes would be best served with rice. Rich tomato juice poured over glistening rice, seemingly bland but subtly sweet. The rice, soaked in the thick sauce, absorbed the essence, offering a chewy texture with every bite. The sweet and sour flavor mixed with the unique aroma of the eggs created a profound sense of satisfaction."

"Scrambled eggs with tomatoes mixed with rice should be savored in large, mouth-filling bites!"

"Unfortunately, in the city of Lansville, rice isn’t plentiful enough for everyone, with wheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes being the staple diet."

"Haivie, unfamiliar with the delight of tomato and rice mix, intuitively mastered the combination of carrot dumplings and scrambled eggs with tomatoes!"

"Given the heavy physical labor at the construction site, ensuring everyone's satiety with just 10 copper coins was challenging. After all, the market price of wheat flour wasn't 2, but 20 copper coins!"

"Compared to the expensive wheat flour, radishes were much cheaper. Each radish dumpling, thin-skinned and generously filled, lacked meat but contained a savory oil. Pan-fried to a golden brown, the radishes’ sweetness mixed with the aroma of pepper and savory oil, greatly enhancing the flavor."

"The workers, deprived of greasy food, didn’t experience 'feeling full' often. Therefore, these pan-fried dumplings, with their oily content, were treated as if they contained meat!"

"Today's potato stew was made by turning potatoes into a translucent potato starch jelly, resembling cold noodles in texture, which could be served cold or pan-fried. Pan-fried till slightly golden on all sides, they were then simmered in a savory sauce."

"With cheeks stuffed full, the workers relished the 'trouble' of too much food, feeling immense happiness multiplying and engulfing them."

"Hurrull..." The messy construction site had no chairs or anything, but nobody minded. The workers found a spot to stand, sit, or squat; what mattered was eating their steaming hot meals!

They showed both a ravenous hunger and a cherished savoring on their faces, but it wasn't contradictory.