Jason looked at the stone-faced youth before him with alarm and horror. The youth’s cold, dark pupils, unkempt hair, and the blood trailing down his face combined to give him the look of a demon.

Just as he was about to open his quivering lips to speak, the youth before him spoke first.

“You have to let me tend to him. At this rate, he’ll die of blood loss,” the youth apathetically worded, his eyes staring at Gunter. There was no warmth to his voice and his tone was distant.

“This motherfu*ker!” Lloyd exploded upon hearing the youth’s words. Staring at him with bloodshot eyes and a twisted face, he roared, “Ya still want to continue with yer sick act even after being caught red-handed!?”

Turning to face the foreman, he continued, “Foreman Jason! I ask you to catch this sick bastard and throw him out to the wolves!” He made a shocking request.

Currently, Lloyd’s rage was boundless. He wanted nothing more than to bash that pale-faced youth to death using his own hands. However, he couldn't recklessly act. Not because he feared the consequences of his actions, but because he still held his dear friend within his arms.

While Jason and the rest of the crowd heard Llyod’s roaring request with certain clarity, it seemed to have gone unheard by the pale-faced youth. The latter continued to maintain the indifferent expression on his face and focused his attention on the pouch on his waist. He dug through the contents of his pouch while ignoring everything else in his surroundings.

“Look! LOOK! This bastar–no, this demon! He’s got no remorse for his actions!” Lloyd screamed once again. “Foreman Jason, I beg ya! Please–”

“WILL YOU SHUT YER MOUTH!!” Jason bellowed, shutting up Llyod. He then turned to look at the pale-faced youth and carefully observed him. He quickly noticed that the youth’s body and, more evidently, his hands were faintly trembling.

‘He’s afraid,’ Jason immediately concluded. While he wasn’t an expert ‘Reader’ like Atlas, who could accurately conclude the thoughts and motives of a person from simply observing them, he possessed enough worldly experience to conclude a few things. One such conclusion was the fact that the pale-faced, bloody youth before him was feeling afraid.

Jason was by no means a terrible or a cruel person, and seeing the youth being afraid evoked some compassion within his heart. With his tone no longer as confrontational as in the beginning, Jason asked him in a low voice.

“Do you want to explain yerself?” He was still unclear about the truth of the situation and wanted to give the young man an opportunity to explain his actions.

Hearing the foreman’s question, the youth turned to face him and nodded his head. While still searching through his pouch with trembling hands, he explained.

“The injury on his arms has turned infectious and shows signs of being poisoned. To prevent the poison from spreading to the rest of his body, it is required that his hands be amputated.” He then paused and quietly mumbled, “Found it,” while pulling out a strange pill-like object from his pouch.

He then ignored the reactions of the others and walked towards Gunter.

“Get away, demon! I don’t believe yer lies!” Lloyd screamed while lashing out with his free hand.

Evading his frantic attacks, the youth continued to speak, “If you don’t allow me to treat your friend, he will die prematurely from blood loss. Move, I need to feed this to him.” He showed the pill-like object in his hands.

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“I’m not gonna let ya feed him anything! Foreman! Why haven’t ya captured this demon yet!?” He cried, The youth did not speak anything further and also turned to look at Jason.

At this point, even the surrounding crowd turned their attention towards the foreman and quietly gazed at him. The emotions and thoughts behind each of their eyes varied greatly. Some felt that the youth’s words made sense, while others sympathized with Lloyd. However, they did not senselessly speak out their thoughts and instead looked towards Jason for his decision.

Instantly, Jason felt the pressure that he was feeling compound. His barely calmed stomach once again hurled with nervousness and uncertainty. While he was not formally educated, the middle-aged foreman knew that he was at a crossroads.

He had two choices.

On one side, he had Llyod and Gunter, a pair that showcased peak camaraderie and humanity; one friend was injured and on the verge of death, while the other did everything that he could to preserve the former’s life. It was a moving tale and choosing this side would stoke sympathy within the hearts of the miners, temporarily increasing their morale and hope during this trying period.

It was a sensible choice that ensured maximum benefits that would ensure and even elevate his authority while doing little in the way of sacrifice. While Gunter would unfortunately die, he could simply blame his death on the pale-faced youth.

On the other hand, he had the pale-faced youth. An unfortunate lad that did not seem to have any unkind or devious intentions. While he certainly looked fishy and, by some standards, demonic, Jason guessed that the boy was simply unable to properly express himself. However, this feeling may or may not be shared by the others in the crowd.

This was a risky choice. While the youth’s words were logical and consistent, there was still the matter of ability. Does he really have the ability to save the dying Gunter? Jason certainly hoped so but didn’t dare to rely on it. The consequences of backing up the youth will also greatly depend on the result of the boy’s ability. If he were to succeed, Jason would be heralded as a man with great foresight. His authority and reliability would explode and a life would be saved. However, if the boy were to fail in saving Gunter…well, the consequences were obvious.

In the end, it boiled down to a simple question: What kind of a person was Foreman Jason?

Was he the cautious type that would take the sure-fire method out of this situation, sacrificing two people and a part of his morality? Or was he the betting type that would stake it all while hoping for the best outcome?

The answer was… Jason was no betting man. However, he also wasn’t heartless and unscrupulous enough to throw a young man under the bus to ensure his benefit. And as such, he chose to trust the boy.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to announce his decision, the pale-faced youth, once again, spoke first.

“If you don’t believe my words, you can look at his arms.” He pointed to Gunter’s bandaged arms. “Look at his right arm, in the area just below the bandage. You can see the blackened veins and the spread of the poison.”

Due to the position that Gunter lay in, the majority of the people within the crowd were unable to view his body, much less confirm the youth’s words. And while Lloyd was the last person in this world to trust the words of youth, he couldn’t help but check his friend’s right arm.

Sure enough, he could clearly see the blackened veins and infected areas present just below the bandages. Lloyd immediately felt uncertainty bloom within his heart.

Gritting his teeth, he looked at his dear friend, whose condition was growing hopeless with each passing second, and at the pale-faced youth. After repeating this action a few times, he turned to face the youth and spoke, “This once, I’ll choose to trust you!” He then moved his body, making way for the youth.

Using his opportunity, Foreman Jason also spoke up. “I also trust this lad. I choose to believe in his ability.”

His choice earned him some nods and a few shakes. Most, however, chose to keep their silence and wait for the result to appear before making a decision.

Also gritting his teeth, Jason looked at the pale-faced youth and spoke, “We’re counting on ya, boy. Don’t fu*k this up!”

The youth simply nodded his head. Walking closer to Gunter, he sat next to the partially amputated arm that was barely hanging onto his body. After staring at the bleeding wound for a few seconds, he raised his hands and fed Gunter the oddly-shaped pill. A few moments after the pill entered his system, Gunter’s painful moans and bodily struggles were visibly reduced.

Lloyd, who was holding his friend closely, even felt his heartbeat reduce and stabilize.

Retrieving the blood saw that was cast aside, the youth positioned himself over the half-amputated arm and quietly instructed Llyod. “Hold him tight.”

He then began to cut.