"Overlord's Fist? A fitting name!" Zhang Yu nodded, taking a deep breath.
He clutched his injured arm and turned to leave, but just as he took a step—
"Wait."
The calm voice made him pause instinctively.
Zhou Hu let out a sigh, then reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a dark-colored bottle. He held it out toward Zhang Yu. "Here. Take this."
Zhang Yu looked down at the unfamiliar object. Inside the bottle was a pitch-black liquid that shimmered under the light. His throat moved slightly.
Mercenaries were simple folk—straightforward in both actions and words. If someone showed kindness, they wouldn't refuse it.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony, Brother Zhou."
Without hesitation, Zhang Yu twisted the cap open and took a deep swig.
He wasn't worried about poison. There was no reason for Zhou Hu to go that far.
At first, he had expected the black liquid to taste bitter or foul. But the moment it touched his tongue, his eyes widened in shock.
He was wrong. So very wrong.
The refreshing chill surged down his throat, straight into his lungs. Tiny bubbles burst inside his mouth, leaving behind an indescribable sensation of exhilaration.
This… This was amazing!
"Good stuff!" Zhang Yu's eyes lit up as he let out a satisfied sigh.
Meanwhile, the members of the Mad Tiger Mercenary Corps murmured amongst themselves.
"Boss is too generous! That thing costs ten spirit crystals, and he just gave it away like that!"
"It's just a bottle of Coke. If you were hurt, Boss wouldn't hesitate either."
"That's true..."
Zhang Yu ignored their chatter. He was too focused on the sudden warmth spreading through his body.
"Huh? My injury?"
A strange sensation washed over him. He lifted his injured arm—only to witness the flesh and blood writhing, knitting itself back together at an impossible speed.
In the blink of an eye, the deep wounds that once marred his skin were completely healed.
Zhang Yu flexed his right arm, expecting discomfort—but there was none.
Not even the slightest trace of pain remained.
His heart pounded. What the hell did he just drink?!
The surrounding mercenaries had also noticed the miraculous recovery.
For a brief moment, silence reigned. Then—
"What... What just happened?!"
Gasps and exclamations spread through the crowd like wildfire.
A severe injury, healed in seconds?
Could that dark potion be... some kind of divine elixir?!
Seeing their stunned expressions, Zhou Hu felt a sense of pride welling up in his chest.
The goods in the Owner's shop are just that amazing!
When Wei Qingzhu and the others had tried promoting Origin Mall, these mercenaries had been skeptical.
But now?
Surprised? Too late for regrets now!
Zhang Yu took another glance at the half-empty bottle in his hand, his face filled with disbelief.
He turned to Zhou Hu. "Brother Zhou… what exactly is this?"
His formality had shifted. The once-distant "Commander Zhou" had become "Brother Zhou." Clearly, Zhou Hu's standing in Zhang Yu's heart had risen significantly.
Zhou Hu smiled faintly. "This thing is called Coke."
Coke?
Not just Zhang Yu, but every mercenary around them was bewildered.
What kind of name was that?
Why had they never heard of it before?
"Coke… What exactly—"
Just as Zhang Yu was about to press for answers, Zhou Hu cut him off. "Come on. Let's head inside first."
Zhang Yu hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."
The six of them disappeared into the courtyard, leaving behind a group of mercenaries staring at one another in stunned silence.
Before long, rumors began to spread like wildfire.
---
"A magical elixir called Coke can heal wounds in the blink of an eye!"
At first, people scoffed.
"Coke? Healing in an instant? Don't be ridiculous!"
But no matter how absurd it sounded, the rumor refused to die.
Because at the center of it all were eyewitnesses—too many to ignore.
Before long, even the most skeptical mercenaries found themselves wondering—
Could such a miraculous thing really exist?
---
Meanwhile, within the imperial palace, the news reached Ji Wuhui, Emperor of the Heavenly Star Empire.
As ruler of Nine Stars City, his network of informants ensured he knew nearly everything that transpired within his domain.