By the time he returned to the old water filtration plant, the afternoon light had nearly vanished, leaving only a thin strip of glow at the edge of the sky.
The mission officer was still sitting there on an empty fuel barrel, one leg propped on the ground, holding a half-burnt cigarette. Ash fell loosely, but his eyes were sharp and alert.
Thuong Sinh stepped forward.
Without a word.
He placed a cloth bag down in front of the man. Inside, several murky gray crystals rolled out, mixed with bone fragments that had been half-corroded.
The man glanced down, the edge of his brow twitching slightly.
"There's a mid-tier."
He spoke, his voice unchanging.
Thuong Sinh nodded.
The man took another drag of his cigarette, asking for no details and showing no immediate suspicion.
"I'll send someone to verify." "Today's credits haven't been calculated yet."
He tapped the cigarette ash against the iron barrel.
"If it's as you say, come back tomorrow." "The reward will be sufficient."
"Fine," Thuong Sinh replied.
No further words were exchanged. He turned to leave, but the man had no way of knowing that at the bottom of that pile of crystals, a mutated one was hidden underneath.
Behind him, the man watched his silhouette for a long time before muttering: "Another one who isn't simple."
When Thuong Sinh returned to the inn, it was completely dark.
Inside the room, the oil lamp was lit. Lam Thanh Moc stood by the window, looking out at the street. Her back was straight, but she was clearly angry.
He stepped inside.
She heard the sound and flicked a glance over her shoulder before immediately turning away, not saying a word.
Thuong Sinh knew she was likely angry because he hadn't woken her to go with him that morning. He went to the table to set his gear down, then walked over to stand before her, taking a small packet containing two steamed buns from his pocket.
"Eat."
He said.
They were steamed buns; he had bought them from a roadside stall on his way back. Not exactly delicious, but filling. Then he placed another bag on the table. When opened, several gray-tinted crystals glistened under the lamp light.
Lam Thanh Moc froze.
She turned her head, looked at the bag of crystals, then at him.
Silence for a few seconds.
She gave a soft huff and picked up the bag of buns.
"This time... I'll let you off temporarily."
Then she looked up, her gaze becoming serious.
"But next time, wherever you go, you must tell me."
"It cannot be like today."
Thuong Sinh gave a wry, bitter smile.
"Alright."
His verbal response was concise, but in his heart, he sighed. There were things he couldn't let her see. The "Vile Blood Heart-Corroding Art" was not something that should appear before the person he wanted to protect.
If she saw it, the consequence wouldn't just be anger; it might be a lecture so severe... there would be no way back.
At least today was over. Tomorrow, Luc Thuy might start keeping an eye on him.
His gaze flicked back to the blue system panel that only he could see.
[ Thuong Sinh ]
[ Cultivation ]: 1132/2000
[ Realm ]: Essence Gathering (Middle Stage)
[ Combat Skills ]: Blade Wind (Minor Accomplishment), Phantom Steps (Minor Accomplishment), Sword Kinesis: Gale Transformation (Entry Level), Blood-Condensing Mace (Entry Level)
[ Accumulated Points ]: 352
He quickly scanned the shop, scrolling past items until he looked closely at one specific piece of gear.
[ Black Star Gloves ]
[ Quality ]: Mortal Rank Pinnacle (Poison Attribute).
[ Effect ]: Toxin Isolation - completely prevents external foul blood and viruses from penetrating the skin of the hands.
[ Price ]: 320 Accumulated Points
[ Description ]: Crafted from mutated python skin soaked in poison. As soft as human skin but more durable than steel, it is the perfect medium for one who possesses deadly hands.
Thuong Sinh stared at those lines for a few more seconds.
320 points—it would nearly drain his entire current savings. In the past, he would have hesitated. But after the recent battle, the sensation of toxins eroding back into his meridians still lingered in his body, not yet fully dissipated.
The "Vile Blood Heart-Corroding Art" essentially used the body as a furnace and blood as the medium. It could kill enemies, but every time he made direct contact, he was also taking a risk.
If he had this.
He wouldn't always have to force blood essence to his fingertips; he wouldn't have to worry about bacteria, viruses, or blood-poison backlash every time he touched a zombie corpse. It would be more stable, safer, and most importantly—better at concealment.
Thuong Sinh hesitated no longer.
[ Successfully Purchased Black Star Gloves ]
His accumulated points dropped nearly to zero. Floating in the air before him was a pair of pure black gloves, untainted by any other color. To an outsider, they would look like ordinary gloves.
But only he knew that inside, toxicity was completely isolated. Blood essence passing through these gloves would not be depleted at all.
He caught them before they fell and began to put them on. A very slight cooling sensation spread across his hands. These gloves hugged his skin like a second layer of flesh.
At that moment, a gaze landed on his hands.
Lam Thanh Moc stood opposite him, holding the bag of crystals, and suddenly frowned.
"Are you wearing gloves?" she asked.
Thuong Sinh glanced down at his hands, then looked up.
"Yeah."
"When did you buy them?"
"Just now. Outside."
Lam Thanh Moc looked a bit longer, her gaze lingering on his fingers. She saw nothing unusual—just black gloves, so simple they were barely worth noting.
"The weather isn't cold yet," she remarked.
"Just convenient."
She asked nothing more. But in her heart, she felt something was off. Her intuition told her that since returning, Thuong Sinh was slightly different, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't pinpoint what it was.
She turned away and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Are you going out again tomorrow?" she asked, her voice softer now.
"Yeah."
"I'm going with you."
Thuong Sinh was silent for a second, then nodded.
"Alright."
He looked at the black gloves on his hands again. There were things he still couldn't say, but at least from now on, these hands would leave no more traces.
The next morning.
The sunlight was still mild, not yet harsh. On the street, a few stalls had opened; the smell of hot porridge and toasted buns drifted through the chilly early morning air. As soon as Thuong Sinh and Lam Thanh Moc reached the ground floor, the inn proprietor spotted them. She set down her ladle and wiped her hands on her apron.
"Leaving so early?" she asked, then smiled. "Eat something first. We have corn porridge and eggs this morning."
The two looked at each other; they weren't in a hurry.
"Alright," Thuong Sinh said.
They sat down at a wooden table. The porridge was neither thick nor thin, the taste was mild but it warmed their stomachs. The proprietor even served each of them half an egg.
Lam Thanh Moc ate slowly, her gaze occasionally drifting to the street. Someone pushed a water cart past, and a child ran behind, giggling. It was a morning so normal it almost made one forget that the apocalypse was still out there.
"Here... it's not bad," she said softly.
"Yeah," Thuong Sinh replied.
After eating, they thanked the proprietor and left the inn. The road leading to the old water filtration plant felt more familiar than yesterday. There were more people passing by, and the atmosphere felt less tense.
The mission officer was still sitting on the empty fuel barrel, a cigarette pinched between two fingers. Seeing Thuong Sinh arrive, he looked up, glanced at him, and nodded.
"Report's in."
Thuong Sinh set his mission card down.
The man didn't say much; he checked for a moment, then tossed over a small pouch.
"Confirmed. Cleared out."
Thuong Sinh caught it and nodded.
"Mhm."
Lam Thanh Moc stood beside him, watching how things played out, her gaze slightly different from yesterday.
"Are there other missions?" she asked.
The man looked at her, then turned toward the wooden board.
"There are a few short-term ones. Scouting, escorting, clearing the outer rim." "Take your pick."
The two stood before the mission board for a while longer. No rush, no competing. Finally, Lam Thanh Moc pointed at a slip.
"This one."
Thuong Sinh glanced at it.
"Alright."
They tore the mission slip down and handed it back to the officer.
The sun had risen a bit higher.
Luc Thuy continued to function as usual, each day passing without noise or haste. In that rhythm of life, the two gradually integrated into the atmosphere. They had been here for more than three days now—going to the filtration plant in the morning to accept missions, and handing them in by the afternoon.
By the third day.
Thuong Sinh and Lam Thanh Moc were standing before the mission board, looking for a suitable task, when a man with slanted eyes walked toward them.
Thuong Sinh detected him and turned his head.
"You're Thuong Sinh, right?"
"Yeah."
"This is the information you asked to be investigated." The man handed over a thin piece of paper to Thuong Sinh and then turned to leave.
Thuong Sinh opened the thin paper.
The handwriting wasn't beautiful, but it was neat and clear—more like the notes of an acquaintance recording information than a formal letter.
[There is someone matching your description]
[Gender: Female]
[Currently active within the Luc Thuy area]
[Affiliation: Azure Line Alliance]
[Not a minor character]
Only a few short lines, but enough to make Thuong Sinh's gaze sink slightly.
He folded the paper.
In his mind, that person's image was immediately rejected. Back then, they had already left. Without looking back. Heading straight for Duong Nam.
He remembered it very clearly.
That day, the ruined road stretched southward; the convoy didn't stop, and no one looked back at the one left behind.
Duong Nam.
A place over two hundred kilometers from Luc Thuy—not a distance one could easily return from, let alone in the current circumstances.
Lam Thanh Moc, standing beside him, noticed the change.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
"No," Thuong Sinh shook his head, tucking the paper into his coat. "Just old news."
Thuong Sinh looked up toward the outside of the old water filtration plant, his gaze darkening. It wasn't resentment, nor was it hatred, but a debt from a person that he would eventually collect.
The two together tore down a mission for the peripheral area—not too far, just clearing a group of scattered zombies around an abandoned residential block. Not dangerous, not prominent—just enough so that no one would notice them.
On the way out, Thuong Sinh walked slower, his gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar faces in the assembly area; no one looked at him for too long, and no one actively avoided him.
"What are you thinking about?" Lam Thanh Moc suddenly asked as they turned onto a familiar road.
"Nothing, just idle thoughts."
She frowned slightly but didn't press him.
If he ever met that person again, every debt that person owed, he would collect it back twofold.