After watching the arena match, Zi-Cheng threw himself back into work, shifting into high gear.

Before he knew it, the free clinic event was just around the corner.

With only three days left, his workload showed no signs of easing up.

Day and night, he burned through potion refining with Developer Mode, squeezing every last drop of energy from his body. And yet, no matter how many he completed, the pile never seemed to shrink. His limbs felt like lead, his brain teetering on the edge of shutdown.

To make matters worse, ever since the arena match, Victor had been relentless with his training sessions.

Every single morning, he would show up at the workshop’s door, banging on it like a determined debt collector. The knocking was so bad that the neighbors started complaining, scolding Zi-Cheng like he was some kind of public menace. In the end, he had no choice but to wake up before dawn and wait outside, despite barely getting any sleep after finishing the last batch of Peach Potions the night before.

“That damn old man… does the word ‘rest’ even exist in his vocabulary?”

Zi-Cheng grumbled as he hung his sweat-soaked wooden spear back onto the rack.

(Well, at least today’s training was finally over.)

He let out a long yawn, dragging himself toward the well, hoping a splash of cold water would bring some life back into his body. As he reached for the wooden bucket, he was surprised to find it lighter than usual.

As realization set in, a weary chuckle escaped his lips.

(Hah… guess all that training actually did something…)

Though that was never the goal in the first place.

(But I wonder what’s Victor’s deal anyway? Couldn’t he wait until I’m done with the potions before forcing me into boot camp?)

Before he could sink further into his complaints, a soft voice called out from behind.

“Ven, are you here?”

The back door creaked open, and warm sunlight poured in, casting a golden glow around the figure standing there.

Elena.

She held a small basket of food in her arms, her usual gentle smile making his exhaustion feel just a little less unbearable.

“Let me guess,” she teased, tilting her head playfully. “Victor put you through hell again, didn’t he?”

Zi-Cheng looked at her for a second before letting out a small chuckle.

Just like that, the weight on his shoulders didn’t feel quite as heavy anymore.

After spending over ten days together, Zi-Cheng had gotten used to Elena’s presence at the workshop. What started as awkward exchanges had eased into something natural, their interactions flowing as effortlessly as the gentle simmer of brewing potions.

“Nah...it’s nothing. That training was a piece of cake,” he said with a forced grin, brushing off his exhaustion before stepping to her side.

Elena giggled, clearly not buying it.

“Oh right, I made some stew. And the bakery in the market opened early today, so we’ve got fresh bread too. Let’s eat while it’s still warm.”

“Sounds good, I’ll set up the table.”

Just like that, they kept things lighthearted, sharing easy smiles as if maintaining an unspoken balance.

And for Zi-Cheng, that was more than enough.

Under the clear midday sun, the two set up a small table by the well, their movements in sync like a couple who had done this a hundred times before.

Shoulder to shoulder, they shared a simple meal, laughter slipping effortlessly between bites.

No unread work emails. No endless life struggles waiting to be solved.

Just an ordinary lunch under the sun, a fleeting moment of peace – a simple pleasure that was simply too luxurious in his old world.

“Is something wrong? Does the stew not taste good?”

Elena’s brows knitted with concern as she noticed the shift in Zi-Cheng’s expression.

He let out a quiet sigh.

When was the last time someone noticed the change in his mood, let alone cared enough to ask?

“No, it’s delicious. Thanks, Elena.”

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A simple meal, shared warmth, and the quiet understanding in her eyes, it almost felt like salvation from the unforgiving world.

But before Zi-Cheng could let that thought settle—

“Well, aren’t you two having a great time?”

Reese suddenly appeared behind them, arms crossed. “Meanwhile, I was the only one hauling the crates all by myself.”

At her voice, Zi-Cheng spun around in surprise before scrambling to his feet to help unload the goods. Yet, before he could reach the carriage, Reese had already swooped in, plopping herself right into his seat.

“Wow, Elena, this is seriously good! You could give the market food stalls a real challenge with this!”

Elena chuckled, shaking her head at Reese’s antics before stepping forward to hand Zi-Cheng a fresh plate. With Reese now joining in, the meal carried on with playful banter and laughter. Before they knew it, the pot was emptied, every last bite of stew devoured, leaving only the lingering warmth of shared company.

As they cleared the table, Zi-Cheng casually threw out a question.

“By the way, Victor said something weird earlier. He said even if I don’t go to the arena, the fight will eventually find its way to me.”

He remember Victor saying something similar when convincing him to take on the potion commission, but hearing it again this morning left an unsettling feeling. Was there sometime more to those words?

“Do you have any idea what he meant?”

He didn’t expect much from the question, but the moment those words left his mouth, Reese’s expression darkened. Even Elena, who had been all smiles moments ago, suddenly looked uneasy.

“Did… I just say something wrong?”

Elena hesitated before glancing at Reese, as if waiting for her to answer first. “Reese, do you think… that rumor might actually be true?”

“Rumor? What rumor?” Zi-Cheng was completely lost now.

Reese exhaled, rubbing her temples. “Alright, let’s start from the beginning. Remember when I told you Hazelton’s economy relies on the trade and exporting arcane tools?”

“Yeah,” Zi-Cheng nodded. “That’s why the merchant guilds hired fighters to secure a steady supply of arcane crystals.”

“And you’ve already heard that the invocation rituals have been producing fewer and fewer arcane crystals, right?”

That much, Zi-Cheng was aware of. With the arcane crystal production dropping, that meant fewer materials for crafting arcane tools, which led to production costs skyrocketing.

Reese leaned forward, spreading her hands with a serious look. “And when production cost spike, so do the prices of goods. If this keeps up, Hazelton’s export will take a huge hit. If the crystal supply dries up completely, business will close, people will lose their jobs, and the city will spiral into an economic crisis.”

Zi-Cheng’s brows furrowed. “How bad are we talking? How much suply do we even have left?”

Reese held up three fingers.

“Three months of supply?! That’s all we got?”

“No.” Reese’s voice was grim. “Three weeks.”

Zi-Cheng’s jaw dropped, “Three—?! There’s no way the thane’s going to let this happen….”

Reese chewed on her lip, like she was debating how much to say. But before she could answer, Elena spoke up, her voice laced with uncertainty.

“The only way to fix this is to find more arcane crystals right?” she asked. “We could get them from other cities, or maybe even from the capital, right?”

At that, Reese went quiet for a few seconds, her expression unreadable.

Then, with a sigh, she revealed something that had never been made public.

“That was the reason why my uncle led a trade delegation to the Elven Kingdom Antaurius. The plan was to negotiate a deal to import arcane crystals from the elves.”

Zi-Cheng and Elena froze.

They all knew how that ended.

The trade delegation had vanished without a trace.

No word. No survivors. No answers.

As if an invisible hand was setting the wheels in motion.

“Then… the last resort….” Elena muttered.

Reese’s voice was barely above a whisper, but her words struck like a hammer.

“The thane is planning to pass a law, forcing civilians into the arena. More fights, more rituals, more arcane crystals.”

“That’s insane!” Elena gasped.

“Desperate times, desperate measures.” Reese’s tone was grim.

A heavy silence settled over them.

(So this is why Victor said the fight will find its way to me….)

With the average civilian barely reaching Obsidian-tier in the arena, no rational leader would ever consider such a cruel, inhumane measure. Most ordinary people would find the very idea absurd and dismiss it outright, convinced that something so outrageous could never actually happen.

And yet, Zi-Cheng knew all too well, when those in power faced an unsolvable crisis, the first thing they abandon was always their humanity.

Just like in his old world.

“Like harvesting chives.” Zi-Cheng said, exhaling slowly.

Reese blinked, her expression caught between confusion and an uneasy sense that whatever he meant, it wasn’t anything good.

“What….do you….”

"It’s a saying," Zi-Cheng continued, his voice edged with bitter understanding. "Chives grow back every time you cut them, as long as you don’t kill the root. It means exploiting people who can’t fight back, over and over, keeping them just alive enough to be used again… for the benefit of the privileged few."

Everything started to make sense.

This was why Victor had placed such a massive order for five hundred bottles of Peach Potion under the Sanctuary’s name.

The higher-ups at the Sanctuary had seen this coming.

And since they couldn’t stop the tragedy from unfolding, the least they could do was prepare, to stockpile potions as the last, desperate lifeline for those about to be thrown into the slaughter.

“Ven, we need more potions.”

Elena’s usual warmth faded, replaced by a quiet but undeniable determination.

In the short weeks the two had spent together, Zi-Cheng had come to know Elena as kind, empathetic, and always ready to help with a gentle smile. She’s the kind of person who cared for others, sometimes to a fault, yet remained soft-spoken and reserved.

But this, this was different.

There was no hesitation in her eyes, no trace of the timid girl he had assumed her to be. The unwavering resolve in her gaze caught him completely off guard, hinting at a depth he hadn’t yet seen.