Chapter 168

“Leon? How are you holding up?”

Having no clue that her currently somewhat brain-damaged younger brother would, decades later, evolve into the ultimate newborn, Veronica immediately hugged Leon around the waist after crawling out of the ground soft as sponge, pulling him out with a pale face.

“I’m fine… still hanging in there…”

With great effort, he spat out a couple of times, getting rid of the floor tiles soft like cheesecake from his mouth. Almost drained, Leon hastily deactivated the Holy Spirit Pendant’s reality-altering ability and then pulled out the [Infected Blood Band], trying to place it on his injured left shoulder.

“Are you planning to wrap this bandage?”

Understanding Leon’s intention, Veronica immediately took over the bandage and efficiently wrapped it around Leon’s left shoulder. Following Leon’s reminder, she grabbed his right hand and pressed it onto the blood-soaked bandage.

“Screech…”

As the bandage released its “health,” a bone-grating sound echoed as Leon’s shattered left collarbone slowly realigned, and the broken shoulder blade reassembled itself.

Soon enough, a tiny metal sphere, slightly smaller than a soybean and seemingly flattened by the bone, was squeezed out of Leon’s shoulder by his gradually recovering bones and muscles.

Is this… a lead pellet from a kid’s slingshot? After identifying the object that fell out, Leon’s eyebrows furrowed instantly, revealing a look of genuine bewilderment.

After the Demon Series Badge reached Gold level, the range of soul vision had almost extended to three kilometers, yet he hadn’t sensed any incoming malice, proving the attacker must have been outside his maximum field of vision.

Even if he was “fixed” in mid-air, making an easy target, how could someone hit his shoulder blade from at least three kilometers away with such a small and soft lead pellet? The attacker’s marksmanship had clearly surpassed human limits and was likely due to some anomalous item capability.

But… since he decided on the spur of the moment to abandon using the Holy Spirit Pendant and instead go for long-range sniping, how did the enemy predict it?

Could it be… causality manipulation? Future sight?

But why use an ability so powerful—instead of saving or ruling the world—to shoot him with just a lead pellet? That’s gotta be insane!

Just as Leon was scratching his head in confusion, hurried footsteps approached from afar.

Following the sound, Leon saw a maid from the Lane family sneaking around the adjacent building, inching toward where he had fallen.

Wait… didn’t you die after falling from such a height? Controlling the maid to peek through the kitchen window cautiously, the short man with a wounded thigh noticed Leon was unscathed, save for a bandage on his shoulder. He clenched his teeth and slammed his fist against the floor in frustration.

Should I control another guard and grab a gun? Then… hmm…

Looking at the demon who was glaring steadily at “him,” with a grin gradually forming, both the maid and the short man controlling her shivered simultaneously before collapsing without hesitation.

At the same time, dozens of meters away, on the second floor of another building, a figure leapt down and rushed towards the warehouse where the short man was. Kicking open the door, he hoisted his “astral-projected” body over his shoulder and bolted.

One must know when to be content! To survive such a demon is already a stroke of extraordinary luck; greedily attempting assassination again might cost even this last chance to escape!

…

Strange… there’s no ambush? Looking at the fleeing short man in his soul vision, Leon squinted, finding it hard to comprehend the enemy’s motives.

Remaining vigilant for a while, realizing the assassination attempt was truly over with no other rebels showing up, Leon sighed in relief but remained puzzled.

The rebels went through all this trouble, only to shoot him with a lead pellet and then stopped? What exactly do they want?

“Leon, it seems the bandage has stopped.”

At that moment, a cautious voice reminded him.

Following Princess Veronica’s cue, Leon checked his shoulder and found the “health” stored inside had run out, though his injury wasn’t fully healed yet.

Hmm… the remaining health in the Infected Blood Band wasn’t much. Treating the old man earlier, then reviving the princess, and now fixing my shoulder shattered by the pellet—it’s normal that the “health” ran out. Just need to replenish it.

“You stay close behind me, don’t stray too far.”

After advising the princess, Leon used his soul vision to check the surroundings. Spotting a nearby kitchen with several live chickens and ducks, he stood up and led the princess over to replenish the consumed “health” in the [Infected Blood Band].

“Quack quack!”

“Bawk bawk! Bawk bawk!”

“Big Brother, who are you?”

“We’re here to collect the chickens and ducks.”

Carefully inspecting the little girl’s soul and confirming she couldn’t possibly be a rebel in disguise, Leon hesitated after catching a fat chicken. Considering the horrifying death of creatures bound by the [Infected Blood Band], he refrained from acting directly and instead stretched out his other hand, intending to cover the little girl’s eyes first.

“Hiss…”

As Leon lifted his left hand, excruciating pain shot through his not-yet-fully-healed shoulder blade, causing him to inhale sharply. Realizing he couldn’t perform this action, he turned to the princess outside the kitchen.

“Your Highness, I can’t lift my left arm. Could you please take this child outside?”

“Just call me Veronica.”

Nodding in agreement, Princess Veronica picked up the dirty little girl without hesitation and walked out of the kitchen. Seemingly fond of children, the princess affectionately nudged the little girl’s forehead with her own and cooed, “You’re such a good girl. Tell sister your name?”

“Me?”

Blinking her crystal-clear big eyes, the little girl reached out her carbon-stained hand and slapped the princess’s white bosom forcefully before answering earnestly, “Phoebe, grandma, my name is Phoebe!”

“…”

Upon hearing the little girl’s address, the princess, already twenty-eight years old and considered a late bloomer, stiffened momentarily, pinching the girl’s cheeks while pretending to be upset and correcting her:

“Sister! Call me sister!”

“Grandma!”

The little girl slapped her chest again while repeating herself.

“No calling me grandma! I’ll give you candy if you call me sister, but if you keep calling me grandma, I’ll spank your bottom!”

“That… you give me candy first.”

“Candy…”

Glancing at her dress devoid of any pockets, the princess cleverly spun a tale: “There will definitely be candy, but I don’t have money on me right now. When I do, I’ll buy you some!”

“Grandma!”

“Slap!”

This brat! Watching the little girl who kept calling her grandma and patting her chest, turning it black, Princess Veronica helplessly chuckled and gave up trying to correct her.

Meanwhile, with a rooster-like crow, Leon inside the kitchen finished what he needed to do and rewrapped the bandage on his shoulder.

“Sorry for the trouble, here’s the money for the chicken.”

Nodding to the beautiful woman at the door holding the child and slipping two silver coins into her hand, Leon barely restrained himself from glancing at her chest. With one leg straddling the Witch’s Broom, he flew off toward the Clearing Bureau.

“??? ”

Why is he giving me money? Confused, Princess Veronica looked down at the two silver coins Leon had slipped into her hand.

What does this mean? Is this a breakup fee?

“Slap!”

“Grandma! We have money now!”

(End of Chapter)