Chapter 118 Today is a Good Day to Bury You

The boss showed up at the store pretty quickly.

After some back-and-forth, John managed to rent the place for 150,000 Stellar Coins a month.

The Black Market was buzzing, almost like a second downtown in the City of Wisdom. Since everything there was about Beast Taming, the rent was naturally sky-high.

Three months' rent set John back 450,000 Stellar Coins, leaving him with not much left.

"John, are you hiring?" the attendant asked with a hopeful smile. Since the store was rented out, he lost his job.

"Yeah, same job, 400 Stellar Coins a month. During the one-year probation, it's half that."

The man's smile faded, and he walked away, thinking, 'So you see me as a slave, huh?'

Tom asked, "John, are you really hiring?"

"Nope, we have enough people for this small store."

John told everyone to tidy up the store and then headed to the Beast Tamer Association.

He posted a purchase order for Power Flowers again, still at 30,000 Stellar Coins per flower, but limited to four flowers a day.

After the Miracle Pharmaceuticals incident, John didn't want to shake things up too much. He didn't want trouble from Auroria's authorities or retaliation from competitors.

Buying four Power Flowers a day wouldn't cause much of a stir. He planned to sell only ten bottles of premium Power Potion daily.

This way, he could make money, save time, and stay safe.

John then took Tom and the others to a regular herb store to buy ingredients for the premium Power Potion shop.

The main goal was to get everyone familiar with the process so John would only need to make the potion once a day, ensuring a steady income.

After a busy day, Tom and the others got the hang of it.

John said, "We'll open the store later, so take a break for now."

Since Miracle Pharmaceuticals hadn't gone bankrupt yet, he needed to stay low-key.

In the evening, John went back to school. After dinner in the cafeteria, he returned to his dorm. 

Uriah and Joshua were looking at him strangely, like they wanted to say something.

John, confused, asked, "What's up? Don't you recognize me?"

After a moment, Uriah said, "John, Zane was upset you took the day off today."

John shrugged, "He can't control my business."

Joshua asked, "John, aren't you scared at all?"

"Not at all," John said, waving his hand dismissively.

Joshua looked worried, "John, don't you feel a bit cold on your scalp?"

John touched his head, feeling something wet.

"Is the dorm leaking? No, this is the first floor," John frowned and looked up.

A hideous snake head was staring at him, saliva dripping from its mouth, with a sinister, human-like smile.

"How terrifying!" John's confident expression froze, and he quickly summoned his Slime.

He moved fast, jumping onto the Slime's head and grabbing its nostrils.

"Take off! Now!"

The Slime exhaled a gust of wind, activating its combo skill instantly.

But just as they were about to fly out of the dorm balcony, the Black and White Python used a 'Constriction' move, stopping the Slime mid-air.

John and his contract spirit crashed to the dorm floor.

"Aren't you a robber?" Zane walked in slowly, a faint smile on his lips.

Lying on the ground, John suddenly saw options before him.

[Option 1: Cry and admit your mistake! Reward: Moderate amount of Beast-Taming power]

[Option 2: Shout angrily, "You ambushed me, you rascal!" Reward: Death Potion]

[Option 3: Pretend to be seriously injured to gain sympathy. Reward: new potion recipe: Jumping Potion]

John thought it over and chose the third option. The Death Potion seemed off.

John lay motionless on the ground.

"John?" Zane frowned and approached him. This shouldn't be happening. John was in great shape.

Zane said, "Since he's dead, let's bury him."

John was shocked, 'You really are decisive!'

The Black and White Python wrapped around his body and left the dorm, heading to the back mountain of the school.

As the Python was digging a grave, John's body suddenly twitched.

He opened his eyes slightly and coughed continuously. "Zane, I'm still alive."

Zane crossed his arms and smiled faintly, "I didn't know you were still alive. Today is a good day to bury you."

John's mouth twitched. 'Now even burying someone alive requires picking a good day?'

"Zane, I'm fine, really." John struggled to get up, and as he spoke, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

Luckily, he had Tom's new blood pack on him. Tom said it worked great and insisted he try it.

Zane's expression turned serious as he approached John and sniffed. A smile appeared on his face, and he said, "Keep digging! We must bury John alive today!"

John felt uncomfortable that Zane quickly saw through his plan.

[Reward received: Jumping Potion recipe!]

Although he was quickly seen through, John's act of spitting blood still aroused Zane's sympathy, so he got the award.

"Zane, I was wrong."

Seeing the pit getting deeper and feeling the night wind, John felt a bit scared.

'Why is your Python so good at digging?' John looked at Zane secretly, 'You must have buried many people.'

Zane smiled faintly and said, "Do you know your mistake? Is this a notification or a negotiation?"

"I really know I was wrong!" John's tone was firm, using the strongest tone to say the weakest words.

Zane asked, "Honestly, where did you go today?"

"I went to see a doctor."

"With your good health, how could you be sick? Is it a mental illness?"

"I don't have any mental issues. The doctor said my illness is rare and requires long-term treatment."

Zane looked a bit interested and asked, "What exactly is the illness?"

"Viral hiccups."

Zane's mouth twitched, 'You really know how to make things up.'