Chapter 83 The Treasure Obtained
Touching the cold black metal, William finally felt relieved.
Earlier, when Thomas was following him at the lakeside plaza, he took the risk of turning back and shooting the Monster Baby to determine whether the fluorescent green monster that the Monster Baby had summoned would disappear with its death and to allow Pill to enter the fray.
The Monster Baby's summoning horn affected all mutated life forms except humans, including Pill. Therefore, William initially did not let Pill follow him but placed it far away.
It wasn't until the Monster Baby was dead that William felt it was safe for Pill to come closer. But it was impossible to control Pill, so William pulled out one of the homogeneously enhanced whistles he had prepared long ago to summon Pill and have it lurking around him.
At the most critical moment, this loyal dog suddenly appeared and snatched away the Devil's Gold, thwarting Thomas's attempt to seize it.
At that time, William immediately fell into a coma due to mental exhaustion and a fall from a high place, coupled with previous injuries.
Before gathering everyone just now, William learned from Lucy about what had happened during the four days he was unconscious.
With William unconscious, Candice and the others began to retreat. By then, the Chain Prisoner was already furious, continuously firing beams from its horn, turning the shore of Moon Lake into a limbo.
Many people, zombies, and mutated creatures died in this indiscriminate attack, leaving the lakeside in ruins.
In this situation, their retreat was easier than before, since there were no mutated creatures surrounding them.
However, the three treasures in Candice's and the others' hands, along with the Devil's Gold in Pill's mouth, made them targets for pursuit and extermination.
Especially Thomas and Owen, who only obtained two treasures and were unwilling to give up. Thomas, being a Two-Star Evolver, was not only constantly restrained but also had the Devil's Gold snatched away by Pill.
These people were not willing to let them go easily, so they kept trying to catch up with Candice's group.
Besides Thomas, the trio from the plaza also followed for a while, but later, they retreated after realizing they had no chance.
In the past few days, Thomas and Owen persistently tracked Candice's team, along with some others. The most dangerous moment was on the second day when they were trapped in a building. It was only by chance that they encountered Jacob and his group. With Louis's sacrifice, they managed to escape.
Even so, they still have yet to completely shake off Thomas and his group, who could appear nearby at any time.
During these days, Candice and the other two women not only had to find food and water but also took care of the unconscious William, slowing down the entire team's escape. Jacob and his group were very dissatisfied, even suggesting abandoning William. After their suggestion was refused, they started eyeing the treasures.
Being colleagues with them and having been saved by them, Candice was somewhat soft-hearted. With a bad temper and being a staunch defender of William, Natalie couldn't stand Jacob and his group. Over the past few days, Natalie had several conflicts with them. If Candice and Michelle had not been mediating, they would have fought long ago.
Jacob and his group had guns. Although Natalie was an evolver, she had no professional training, so they were not afraid. Candice's dilemma, Lucy's kindness, and Ivan's indifference made them even more arrogant.
William's awakening startled Jacob and his group. After gathering, when they saw that the young man that Candice and the others relied on looked somewhat sickly, their apprehensions instinctively disappeared.
Thus, those who were somewhat afraid of Pill, the first-level mutated dog, could no longer hide their greed upon seeing the black gold.
"Since you're awake, I think we should talk about compensation," Jacob, who had never sat down, stood with his legs apart and arms crossed, said while looking down at William. He knew this was a posture that could exert pressure and hoped to take the initiative in the negotiation.
Looking at the bald man, William smiled. He urged Jacob, "Go ahead."
Jacob sneered, "Earlier, when Thomas cornered you, it was my people and I who rescued you. That's true, right?"
William glanced at Candice, who nodded.
Although Louis's sacrifice ultimately gave them the time to escape, Jacob and his group's intervention made Thomas retreat.
"In the past few days, we haven't been idle either. We've been out looking for food, water, and shelter, killing zombies and fighting mutated creatures and Thomas's group. That's also true, right?" Jacob asked again.
"You did all that, but you avoided the hard, dirty, and dangerous work," Natalie couldn't stand Jacob's boasting and mocked him, given their mutual hatred.
"Bitch, shut up. Don't speak," Jacob pointed at Natalie and cursed, "If it weren't for Candice, we would have killed you long ago. You know the situation outside. Killing you would be easy."
"You!" Natalie couldn't tolerate being insulted in front of William. She raised her willow whip to fight but was held back by William.
Seeing Jacob's fearless demeanor, William flashed a glint in his eyes.
"So, buddy, I've saved your life several times. I think it's fair to ask for some compensation," Jacob said.
William nodded. He calmly agreed, "Fair enough."
Jacob's eyes lit up as he quickly said, "I know you got some good stuff at Moon Lake. How about take those things out and share them with us as our compensation."
The world had been in the apocalypse for almost a week now. Anyone who had ventured outside knew about the existence of the roulette, the evolvers, and various miraculous things. Jacob and his group were no exception, making them even more eager to lay their hands on these items.
They hadn't encountered the roulette, and even if they had, they lacked the courage to fight zombies for magic crystals to spin it. So, the treasures Candice and her group obtained that day became their hope, something they had coveted for a long time.
"Where are the items?" William asked Candice.
Candice quickly took out a box from her backpack and handed it to William. Inside were two items.
That day, Candice and her group obtained three treasures. The trio got one, Thomas's group got two, while the rest were lost in the chaos.
There were supposed to be three items, but only two were there. Facing William's questioning gaze, Candice looked awkwardly at her instructor.
Ivan took out a card from his pocket and waved it, showing no intention of handing it over.
William gave Ivan a deep look, then took the two items from the box.
The first item was a formula scroll. William opened it and read, "Recipe is Hiking Potion (For Alchemists Only). It increases stamina for two hours and the increase depends on the alchemist's level and the quality of materials."
