Chapter 159 Twists and Turns
The secondary roulette was a big deal for everyone, including William. If those twenty Magic Crystals could score a two-star Evolution Elixir, the team would get a serious boost.
But William, having seen it all, wasn't holding his breath.
Standing by the roulette, he told the team, "Save some Magic Crystals. We can spin three times. Who wants to try their luck?"
Jack jumped in, "Me!"
Natalie added, "I'll do it!"
David asked, "Can I try?"
This was a rare chance, and Jack, Natalie, and David were all eager to give it a shot.
"One try each," William said, handing out the Magic Crystals.
The three of them gathered around, eyeing the roulette and chatting about the prizes.
Candice, Michelle, and Lucy watched with bright eyes too.
Jack went first. After William used an Exclusion spell, the pointer just missed the two-star Evolution Elixir. Jack squatted, holding his head in frustration.
Natalie was next. She spun a bottle of immunity potion. Not bad, but she still looked disappointed.
David seemed calm, but his eyes gave him away. When the pointer stopped at a pile of beer, he forced a smile.
That's how the roulette worked. High-level Magic Crystals could end up getting you junk.
The odds got better with higher-level roulettes, but the chance of getting a big win was always slim.
Everyone sighed, eyeing the two-star Evolution Elixir, waiting for the next spin.
They didn't get the two-star Elixir, but they did score twenty bottles of one-star Evolution Elixir and an immunity potion. William had Anthony gather the top performers of the day.
These folks were pumped, especially those who had fought alongside William. They were grateful for the chance to become Evolving persons.
Including Donovan, there were thirteen people in the hall.
"You know what these are," William said, pointing to the row of Evolution Elixirs, shining under the light.
Most of them couldn't help but swallow as they eyed the Elixirs.
"Your performance today earned you these," William said. "But remember, these were bought with Magic Crystals my team and I risked our lives to collect. So, if you take an Elixir, you fight with us outside the city tomorrow."
Anthony had already announced the need for a thousand fighters for tomorrow, so they knew the deal.
It was voluntary, but the lure of Evolution Elixirs, food, and water, plus the reality check from today's battle, had many ready to take their chances outside the city.
William's words had a bit of a pushy tone, making some folks hesitate. But the lure of the Evolution Elixirs was too strong, and they agreed without much thought.
William nodded and signaled Anthony to hand out the elixirs.
Once they got their elixirs, they injected them right away. Soon, there were thirteen more one-star Evolving persons in the hall.
Donovan was among them, clenching his fists and feeling the power surge through him, his excitement clear.
"Everyone, get some rest. We leave at dawn," William ordered.
The crowd dispersed, leaving Anthony, Donovan, and Marcus behind.
"Mr. Wright, we've gathered most of what you need, but we're still short. This is the best the base can do," Anthony said, looking a bit embarrassed.
Natalie thought calling him "boss" was too tacky, so everyone called William "Mr. Wright."
"It's okay, some is better than none. We'll find more after we leave the city tomorrow," William said, waving it off.
He continued, "Anthony, you'll stay behind tomorrow. Mr. Rodriguez, assign some people to help Anthony with base security after we leave."
Marcus nodded in agreement. After seeing William's strength, he was fully on board with whatever William said.
"Alright, if things go well, we might hit the jackpot by this time tomorrow," William said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
The night flew by, and at dawn, William and his team gathered near the east exit, the meeting point for the day.
Donovan was up early, organizing people to transport the items William needed. Marcus was there too, keeping things secure.
As the sky brightened, many survivors from the base came for a quick check and selection. Only able-bodied young men were picked. To sweeten the deal, those selected got a hearty breakfast, and their families got a bowl of porridge.
The base's food reserves took a big hit for this operation.
Under the threat of hunger, many were willing to risk their lives for a meal. Even some who were too old or too young wanted to join but were turned away, causing minor disturbances quickly handled by the Evolving persons and armed guards.
By six o'clock, nearly a thousand people had been selected, and in another ten minutes, they'd have enough. For a base with nearly six figures in population, a thousand people wasn't much.
"Where's Anthony?" Donovan asked, looking anxious as the selection neared completion.
William sneered. He had counted the Evolving persons who showed up and knew what had delayed Anthony.
Sure enough, Anthony appeared after a while, but he didn't look good.
"What happened? Is there a problem?" Donovan, who was close to Anthony, quickly asked.
Anthony patted Donovan's shoulder and pulled him over to William. He informed, "Mr. Wright, we've got a bit of a problem."
As Anthony explained, everyone understood what had happened. Except for William, who remained expressionless, the others, including Marcus, were visibly angry.
