Chapter 102: Buy two, get one free!

Slums, Stronghold 8.

Camping outside the great walls of Stronghold 8 were the poor and unawakened, doubling in size after several survivors from Stronghold 9 migrated there in one piece.

The difference between the locals and the refugees was that it didn’t matter the individual’s position back in Stronghold 9. Unless the person had strong connections inside Stronghold 8, they were abandoned in the slums, regardless of whether they were an awakener or not.

These awakened refugees accepted their fate faster than most and seized the opportunity to venture into the outskirts of the wasteland to hunt small beasts with their Talents, bring them back into the slums, and sell them for twice the price of meat in the slums.

With an increasingly severe lack of food, the poor and unawakened locals had no other choice but to compromise, as they could either pay with cash or evolution points—for those who could afford a gaming set.

In just a few days, the refugees were living like nobles in the slums, with women flocking around them for profit, and men kneeling before them for work.

This was the new reality of the slum locals of Stronghold 8, until...

Everyone paused in their steps and stopped what they were doing to watch the man who was carrying a dead beast twice his size over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes as he moved across the slums, leaving a trail of blood in his path. It wasn’t his blood.

This man had smooth, long hair and a face so average, you’d forget what he looked like if you blinked once, and probably forget you ever saw him if you blinked twice.

Kaelen wasn’t just arriving at Stronghold 8. He had arrived two days earlier and spent that time observing life in the slums of Stronghold 8 and keeping an eye out for his targets. Then he came up with a plan that’d make his targets approach him themselves, instead of the other way around. To solidify his identity as a strong refugee, instead of going for a powerless local.

That way, he didn’t have to hide most of his strength and use his abilities when needed.

Kaelen might be overpowered, but he was definitely certain there were beasts twice as strong as him in the wasteland. Beasts that had survived right from the very first wave that devastated modern civilization.

Those beasts might as well be considered guardian gods of their territory now, and Kaelen wasn’t even talking about the Nightmare Shadow.

Kaelen carried the mutated bear all the way to the heart of the slums, where he let it drop from his shoulder, and before the eyes of everyone present, he took out a cleaver and carved out a small piece of flesh from the mutated bear and raised it above his head for all the envious eyes to see.

"Delicious meat, going for only... 3 Evolution Points!" He raised three fingers for them to see. "Buy two, get one free!"

"Er...?"

The small crowd that had gathered stared at him speechlessly for a moment, before they began muttering amongst themselves, speculating if he was just mocking them or actually serious. Because the size of meat Kaelen was displaying for them could easily be sold for 80 Evolution Points after bargaining.

"6 Evolution Points!" A man suddenly screamed from the crowd as he stepped forward with his little daughter. "I’ll buy two, t-to get one free." He said as he slowly approached with his daughter hiding behind his legs.

"You, mister, are a brave one. As my first customer, you get ten times the price of one!" Kaelen said, and before the man could recover from the shock, Kaelen had already cut out ten pieces of meat and wrapped them up in paper.

"That’ll cost you 1 Evolution Point, mister." Kaelen said as he handed the meat over.

The man accepted with shaky hands, before handing Kaelen his cracked phone to input his wallet address.

Kaelen didn’t hesitate, and he immediately got the alert for the transfer.

[10,000× Reward Multiplier Triggered...]

[You have received 10,000 Evolution Points]

For someone who grew up in the slums, Kaelen still remembered how hard life was, especially for those who weren’t feeding themselves alone and had a family.

"Come again next time. Who’s next?"

Seeing the first successful transaction and watching the man freely walk away with so much meat for 1 Evolution Point, the crowd didn’t hesitate any further and immediately jumped on Kaelen, waving their cash bills and phones to be the first in line to buy next.

"No fighting. It’s going to reach everyone, and if it doesn’t, I’ll simply go hunt another one. So form a straight line."

In an instant, the entire slums were standing in a long line, and even the guards on the wall had to stop to observe what was happening.

Meanwhile, in the armoured vehicles parked just outside the stronghold walls, Kaelen could feel strong gazes on his back.

His plan was working.

"Alright. If you’re paying with Evolution Points, pay to this address as soon as it’s your turn." Kaelen said as he scribbled his wallet address on a cardboard and placed it beside him. But before he could start his business, a commotion suddenly broke out from behind the line, and several figures began approaching with a hostage.

Their hostage was none other than Kaelen’s first customer, who was being dragged across the floor by the hair, while his daughter chased after them in tears.

Kaelen’s expression immediately turned cold.

He had almost forgotten these things happened in the slums, and it was a dog-eat-dog world. Except Kaelen had changed that during his time at Stronghold 5 by beating up the bullies and small gang members.

Though the ones approaching him now didn’t look like a bunch of misfits.

As soon as the group arrived before the line, which had already scattered the moment they saw the group, the man was thrown before Kaelen’s feet, and his meat scattered across the ground like trash.

Then a man in gold rings and chains stepped forward like their leader and scrutinized Kaelen from head to toe.

"I heard there was a bastard at the market square selling meat for dirt and stealing all my customers." The man began. "Y’know my boys risk their lives to venture into the wasteland to hunt these beasts for you ungrateful lots, and you decide to drag a dead beast you found in the outskirts out here to act like you’re all that. And before you start kneeling and begging me... know that I’m gonna have to cut your pinkies first before I can hear you out."