Chapter 68: Green Pepper and Donkey Meat Fire-baked Sandwich

Base? Medical center.

All wounded supernatural beings had been moved here.

For those whose injuries were not severe, doctors and nurses could handle them with simple treatments. Those seeking rapid recovery could also pull out precious crystal stones and seek help from healing-type supernatural beings.

In a VIP ward, a tier-four supernatural being cried out in unbearable pain: "How is this supposed to be treated?"

The doctor pushed up his glasses: "You'll need surgery to recover from this."

A family member nearby hurriedly asked, "How long will recovery take?"

"About six months."

The entire family depended on this tier-four supernatural being for survival. Once the pillar of the household lost his ability to act, six months would be enough to exhaust all their savings, and by then, everyone would be left with nothing to eat.

The family member asked anxiously, "Six months is too long!"

"There's nothing else to be done," the doctor said, spreading his hands helplessly. "Medical equipment is insufficient, and many surgeries cannot be performed. If this weren't the Southern Base, nobody would even perform surgery for you."

Seeing the family member still wanting to argue, the doctor began packing up his things: "Think it over carefully. If you don't do surgery, there's another option—go find a healing-type supernatural being. It takes just a few seconds to recover, and it's much more cost-effective."

Healing-type abilities were extremely precious, but out of a population of over a billion where many had died, hundreds of millions still remained. With such a massive base population, supernatural beings with healing abilities could no longer be considered rare.

The Southern Base alone had more than a dozen.

The current state of medicine after the apocalypse was quite awkward. Firstly, professional talent had dwindled; secondly, professional equipment and drugs were nowhere to be found, making many surgeries and treatment methods impossible to carry out. Consequently, the status of medical professionals had plummeted.

Injured supernatural beings would rather clutch crystal stones and beg healing-type supernatural beings than come to the hospital for surgery and recuperation. These doctors and nurses drew fixed salaries provided by the base, spending most of their time treating the family members of those supernatural beings, and only occasionally opening their doors to ordinary people who came clutching crystal stones to beg for medical care.

Thinking of this, the doctor felt a pang of regret.

Had he known the apocalypse was coming, why would he have studied medicine for so many years?

Still, possessing a specialized skill meant he didn't have to be thrown into the South District to squeeze together with those bottom-tier ordinary people.

The family member fell silent for a few seconds, then stammered out, "Then... then what tier of healing-type supernatural being do we need to find to heal our family member's injury?"

Regarding this question, the doctor was still able to provide an answer: "Tier four is best, so that recovery can be rapid."

Tier four!

There was more than one injured person in the ward. Several others suffered from equally severe injuries, and they were even more miserable—they didn't even have access to surgery because there were no matching doctors.

They had heard every word of the conversation that just took place, and deep down, a sense of shared grief and despair arose.

The fee for a tier-four healing-type supernatural being started at two tier-four crystal stones.

A tier-four supernatural being could grit their teeth and pull that out, but what about other tier-three supernatural beings? If they had tier-four crystal stones, they wouldn't still be lingering at tier three.

For a moment, the atmosphere throughout the entire ward became exceptionally heavy.

After a long while, someone suddenly broke the silence: "If only I hadn't rushed out."

No one responded to him.

Yet that person was already trapped within his own emotions, continuing to mutter to himself: "I'm only a tier-three supernatural being. Even if the city lord opened the private treasury and let me pick a tier-four crystal stone, I'd have to use it to heal my leg, and it might not even be enough."

"Besides, how many tier-four crystal stones could possibly be in the city lord's private treasury? The tier-four supernatural beings would definitely pick first. By the time it's my turn, there might not be any left. When that happens, even if you gave me a hundred tier-three crystal stones, I wouldn't be able to trade them for a single tier-four crystal stone."

"I shouldn't have rushed out... Wouldn't it have been fine to honestly just take my spoils of war? I killed a dozen tier-three zombies; those crystal stones could have let me live quite comfortably for a good while. Why did I have to covet something that didn't belong to me?"

"What on earth was I thinking back then?"

This remark resonated with everyone present.

Yes, what on earth were they thinking back then? Why had they acted on a sudden impulse and rushed right out?

If they had been injured while resisting a zombie tide, that would still be considered an irresistible force majeure.

Yet the crux of the matter was—they got injured in an internal conflict!

Whether it was the city lord or those tier-four supernatural beings who swarmed forward first, they were either after that tier-five crystal stone or that giant python... Those people fighting among themselves was somewhat understandable, but what about them? Why did this group of people, trembling just to survive, have to get entangled in the struggles among the base's higher-ups?

Now look at them, having become sacrifices in a power struggle.

Feelings of regret grew steadily, and quietly spreading alongside them were dissatisfaction and resentment toward the higher-ups.

That giant python and that beautiful female supernatural being were clearly also members who protected the base.

What on earth was the city lord thinking? Why must he drive such a powerful combat force out of the Southern Base? This zombie tide was warded off thanks to her and that battle pet. What about next time? Who will stop a tier-five zombie next time?

"Let's look on the bright side," someone refused to delve deeper. "The base lost so many supernatural beings this time, but at least we're still alive. Given how tragic this is, the city lord might just be willing to back us up."

This was practically hell-tier comforting.

The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.

The family member who had initially questioned the doctor couldn't help it; they nudged their husband and lowered their voice: "Should we go find the Zhou supernatural being to get your injury healed first?"

That was the base's only tier-four healing-type supernatural being, after all. Go too late, and they might not even get a spot in line.

Someone with sharp ears scoffed: "That person doesn't have time to treat you; he's long since been invited away by the Eternal Team!"

At the mention of the Eternal Team, everyone silently exchanged glances.

Si Zhe, who had been making such a huge fuss recently... they had seen everything clearly tonight, and they were all waiting to see whether he could even be healed.

Inside the VIP ward.

"Zhou supernatural being, over here!"

A teammate anxiously invited the person into the ward. He was one of the original companions who had set out on the road with Si Zhe and Lin Weiran, and their bond was extraordinary. Now that disaster had struck Si Zhe, he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

When Lin Weiran opened the door, her eyes were already swollen red like walnuts.

"You're finally here!" She pulled him straight to the bedside. "Quickly, see how Si Zhe is doing!"

The Zhou supernatural being was an old acquaintance of theirs. Upon seeing Si Zhe lying unconscious on the bed, he was instantly struck with shock.

"How did he end up like this?"

The entire bedsheet was stained red with blood, and a grayish, ashen hue was beginning to emerge across the man's handsome face. Most shocking of all was a blood hole piercing right through his body near the lower abdomen!

The flesh and blood around the edge of the wound looked as though it had been scorched by fire, turning charred black, with broken internal organs even faintly visible amidst it... Fortunately, the physical body of a supernatural being had already undergone evolution, otherwise he would have collapsed long ago.

Not daring to delay, the Zhou supernatural being hurriedly began the healing process.

Under the shroud of the healing-type ability, the injuries all over Si Zhe's body healed rapidly; the charred black scars fell off, fresh pink flesh regenerated anew, and in the blink of an eye, the blood hole closed up completely as if it had never been there.

Even his shattered limbs were restored to their original state under the treatment!

Within the space of a few minutes, the man on the bed was pulled back entirely from the brink of death!

"He's done!" The Zhou supernatural being retracted his ability and wiped away his sweat. "If these injuries had been even slightly heavier, I wouldn't have been able to save him. Fortunately, fortunately."

Seeing her lover recover, Lin Weiran wept tears of joy: "That's wonderful!"

Right at that moment, the door to the ward was pushed open once more.

He Heng stepped inside: "Is Si Zhe alright?"

Just as the Zhou supernatural being was about to say something, Lin Weiran had already wiped away her tears and spoke up: "He's fine."

Just like that?

He Heng raised an eyebrow imperceptibly and shoved two tier-four crystal stones into the Zhou supernatural being's hand.

"As long as he's fine, I'll cover the treatment cost this time."

Clutching the two crystal stones, the Zhou supernatural being felt that despite being the reward he rightfully deserved, holding them made his hands extraordinarily hot.

"Weiran, the city lord..."

"What is it?"

His hesitant and stuttering demeanor caused both of them to look over in puzzlement.

Gritting his teeth, the Zhou supernatural being said, "He's fine physically, but his ability..."

Lin Weiran instantly grew vigilant: "What's wrong with his ability?"

"His ability has been crippled." Now that the words were out, the Zhou supernatural being simply laid it out clearly. "As everyone knows, when supernatural energy is completely exhausted, if the dantian suffers an attack, there is zero defense against it."

"Si Zhe's energy was drained empty, and his dantian took a heavy blow. Once he wakes up, it's very likely he will never be able to use supernatural abilities again."

Dantian—this was a term coined within the base, because the energy absorbed after consuming crystal stones automatically rushed to the location two fingers below the navel, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the "dantian" in immortal-cultivation legends, so the name stuck.

He Heng froze for a moment, then looked over at Lin Weiran.

The latter was struck as if by lightning, freezing completely by the bedside.

After a long pause, she finally managed to recover her voice: "You're joking with me, right?"

Understanding her state of mind, the Zhou supernatural being sighed and said nothing more.

"This is impossible! This is impossible!" Refusing to let him go, Lin Weiran rushed forward and grabbed his arm. "You can heal him, right? You're a tier-four supernatural being! What reward do you want? Tier-four crystal stones? Even if it's tier-five crystal stones, I can hunt them down for you in the future!"

Pulling his arm away, the Zhou supernatural being said gravely, "I currently do not have the ability to heal a crippled supernatural power. No matter how high the reward, there is nothing I can do."

Seeing that Lin Weiran was still about to pester him, He Heng exchanged a glance with the Zhou supernatural being.

Seizing the opportunity, the latter hurried out of the ward.

The greatest blow in the apocalypse was possessing supernatural abilities only to lose them afterward. Moreover, for someone as formidable as Si Zhe to be crippled overnight... even if he survived, he could only live as a "useless person" from then on.

For proud individuals, this was hardly something worth celebrating.

He Heng sighed inwardly.

What a pity; the base had lost another talent. Even if Lin Weiran remained, without Si Zhe's coordination, she was merely an ordinary tier-four supernatural being, entirely unworthy of him spending extra effort on her.

"Weiran, grieve with restraint." He Heng patted Lin Weiran's shoulder.

Yet Lin Weiran did not appreciate the gesture at all. She violently batted He Heng's hand away: "Grieve? Grieve over what?"

She glared at him with bloodshot eyes.