Chapter 119: Helping with a Proxy Purchase
Although Moira Lynch made it sound horrifying, you couldn’t see a hint of fear on her face.
"If it’s a full-body soak, it takes thirty days. The Body Building Aloe Vera we have might not be enough," Shane Rhodes said.
Hearing that, Moira Lynch waved her hand dismissively. "You don’t have to worry about that. The aloe juice is reusable."
Ultimately, they decided to first try applying the Body Building Aloe Vera juice to someone’s entire body, and the chosen candidate was Hugh Finch.
"Why me?" Hugh Finch asked, his face a picture of protest.
The Body Refining process caused intense pain, making it difficult for a person to remain lucid and continuously apply the Body Building Aloe Vera juice all over themselves. That’s why you needed other people around to help. One person could do it, but two was better. Because when someone was struggling against the pain, it was difficult for a single person to hold them down.
Hugh Finch wrapped his arms tightly around himself, looking like a virtuous maiden who would rather die than submit. Even though the three of them had grown up together since they were kids, the thought of stripping naked in front of these two now—and having them smear Body Building Aloe Vera juice all over him later—was too much. Just imagining the scene made Hugh Finch cringe with embarrassment.
"Why me? Why not one of you two!"
In contrast to Hugh Finch’s resistance, Shane Rhodes and Kai York looked abnormally excited, their smiles bordering on perverse.
"Kai York’s ability and mine are both offensive. What if the pain makes us lose our minds and we accidentally hurt someone?" Shane Rhodes said with a righteous expression.
"That’s right, the boss is right. To avoid any accidents, we’ll just have to let you take one for the team for now," Kai York chimed in.
Hearing this, Hugh Finch took a deep breath. He hated them!
"I choose the second method!"
He absolutely would not let those two grope him all over.
"Alright then." A flash of disappointment crossed both Shane Rhodes’s and Kai York’s eyes.
Hugh Finch wondered, ’What in the world are you two disappointed about?’
Moira Lynch finished her breakfast in a few quick bites and went upstairs to start her daily workout.
Before she left, she didn’t forget to remind him. "If you choose the second method, it’s best to submerge your head as well. You can breathe by holding a Sea Pearl in your mouth."
She went to the exercise room on the second floor. Just as she finished warming up, she heard waves of pained groans coming from downstairs.
Moira Lynch put on her headphones and listened to music while running on the treadmill.
An hour later, Moira Lynch turned off the treadmill and took off her headphones. The pained groans from downstairs had also stopped.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead with a towel, Moira Lynch went down to the first floor and saw that both Shane Rhodes and Kai York’s faces were a bit pale, a look of lingering fear on them.
Hugh Finch, the one who had actually gone through it, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed.
No matter how shaken the two of them were, they still had to take their turn in the Body Building Aloe Vera juice. And because of their abilities, no one was willing to help them, so they could only choose the second method.
...
In the afternoon, the temperature outside dropped, and Moira Lynch’s group decided to go for a walk.
Kai York looked at his arm in amazement. "Boss, have you noticed our skin seems a lot better? This scar on my arm is almost gone."
That scar had been with him for over a decade and had never faded.
Hearing this, Moira Lynch also glanced at her own arm. It seemed like there wasn’t much of a change.
However, she quickly understood the reason why.
Before using the Body Building Aloe Vera, Moira Lynch had also eaten special fruits like the Bone Marrow Cleansing Fruit and the Enhancing Fruit. Her body had already been strengthened once, so naturally, the effect wasn’t as obvious as it was for the three of them.
Having heard there was a free trade market in Sector B, the group decided to check it out.
The extreme heat had killed off the vast majority of plants, but it had also given rise to some heat-resistant ones, like the Extremely Hot Mushrooms from before.
After arriving at the free trade market, Moira Lynch noticed many people were selling Extremely Hot Mushrooms, and each one was large and plump.
Moira Lynch stopped in front of a stall and asked, "How much are these mushrooms?"
The stall owner was a woman who looked to be in her thirties or forties. She glanced at Moira Lynch, and her eyes widened instantly. "You’re a player?"
Moira Lynch nodded.
It was still very easy to distinguish between players, non-players, and ordinary people nowadays.
Because of the hot weather and the lack of excess water for washing hair, almost all ordinary people—men and women, young and old—had shaved their heads.
Those who had lost their player status but still had their abilities could support themselves, so while they might look a bit scruffy, they were in much better shape than ordinary people. The women among them might cut their hair short, but they would never shave it completely bald.
And players were the easiest to recognize of all.
Especially someone like Moira Lynch. Her beautiful hair was dark and lustrous. Although it was tied up, you could see there wasn’t a trace of oiliness, and you could even smell the faint scent of shampoo when you got close.
Furthermore, her complexion was rosy. It was clear she wasn’t lacking for food.
To lack neither water nor food—this wasn’t something an ordinary player could achieve.
The woman looked at Moira Lynch, and as if making a major decision, she said, "You’re a player. Can you do me a favor? If you do, I can give you all these mushrooms."
Hearing this, Moira Lynch didn’t agree immediately. Instead, she asked, "What favor?"
The woman bit her lip. "I heard that SoySauceDrunkard’s little shop is selling a type of food called Soldier Food Rattan. One stalk is enough to feed a family for several days. Could you help me buy one? I’ll pay for it."
’So that’s what it is.’ This wasn’t a difficult task for Moira Lynch. After all, she *was* SoySauceDrunkard. Others might have to fight for it, but she didn’t need to at all.
However...
"Why don’t you ask other people for help? There should be quite a few players here."
Especially considering the woman’s earlier hesitation; she seemed to have made her request only after mustering great resolve.
"Those people charge exorbitant fees."
As the woman explained, Moira Lynch finally understood why she didn’t ask others for help.
Because if she asked other players to buy it for her, they would all demand a cut. For instance, for one Soldier Food Rattan, someone with a bit of a conscience would take a quarter or a third as their fee.
And the unscrupulous ones would take half, or even two-thirds.
Hearing this, Moira Lynch couldn’t help but curse inwardly, ’What vultures.’
The woman had chosen Moira Lynch precisely because her rosy complexion suggested she wasn’t desperate for a bit of food, so she had mustered the courage to ask for her help.
Taking the gold necklace the woman handed over, Moira Lynch very straightforwardly took out a Soldier Food Vine.
The woman hugged the Soldier Food Vine and burst into tears of joy. A stalk this big, if they ate it sparingly, would be enough to feed her family for a very long time.