With the iron pot kicked over, today's food was completely ruined. The miners had no choice but to return to the mining area under Seele's watchful whipping.
Among them, Caesar remained the most hardworking one.
Because of this, Seele's attention was almost entirely focused on her. Every time she passed by, she would praise her a few times.
Of course, she called her "Granny."
"…Something's off."
The more Caesar mined, the more uneasy she felt. She still wanted to explore other places, especially Rivet Town, where that red-clothed girl wandered. She was very interested in that.
But if Seele kept watching her like this every day, how would she ever get the chance to sneak away?
"No, I need to slow down."
Making up her mind, Caesar deliberately reduced her pace, copying the rhythm of the miners beside her—one swing for every swing they made.
"Hm?"
The moment she slowed down, Seele noticed.
"Granny, why are you so slow?"
"My… hand hurts. And I'm hungry."
That excuse came naturally. She hadn't eaten lunch and had been whipped earlier—of course she'd be slower.
"Your hand hurts?"
Seele glanced at Caesar's arm. There was indeed a red welt from the whip. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Come with me."
"Where?"
"To get you treated."
Caesar was a valuable worker. Seele didn't want to lose her.
"But… what about this place?"
Seele hesitated. If she left, wouldn't all the other workers slack off?
"How about you just give me the location? I'll go myself."
"…Alright." Seele looked her over and finally agreed. "Go here and get treated. Come back immediately after."
"Got it."
Surprisingly easy.
Caesar was delighted. She took the address and set off immediately.
Of course, she had no intention of going where Seele told her.
She was going to find Natasha.
The rules clearly said she could be trusted.
[Seele: Sigh… how is she this dumb?]
[Serval: Heh, you seem pretty optimistic about her.]
[Bernice: Wow~~~ Boss Caesar knows how to trick people now.]
[Lucy: She just got lucky and ran into someone dumb. Try that with anyone else and she'd get whipped instantly.]
[Sampo: Oh? Are you calling our Seele dumb?]
[Seele: Shut up.]
Following the directions, Caesar took several turns before arriving at Natasha's clinic. She knocked and stepped inside.
The room was small, with only a few beds, all occupied by people lying motionless—like corpses.
Natasha stood nearby, gently shaking a bottle. Inside, a green liquid emitted an ominous glow.
"…Can she really be trusted?"
For a brief moment, Caesar wanted to run. Something about this Natasha felt completely off. Looking at the rows of surgical tools gleaming coldly nearby, her scalp tingled.
This wasn't a clinic.
It was a slaughterhouse.
"Oh? You're injured?" Natasha's eyes lit up as she approached. "Quick, let me see where you're hurt."
Her tone was gentle, her gaze filled with concern. It eased Caesar slightly.
"Here. I got whipped."
"You were whipped like this!" Natasha's expression turned serious as she examined the wound. "Looks like… amputation is the only option."
"Wait—hold on!"
Caesar panicked. "What do you mean amputation?!"
Wasn't this the kind of injury you just treated with some ointment?
"Don't worry, my technique is excellent. It won't hurt."
"No, that's not what I mean!" Caesar waved her hands frantically, stepping back. "Just apply some medicine, that's enough!"
"Medicine?" Natasha's eyes widened in dissatisfaction. "Do you know how valuable medicine is? How can you waste it on such a minor injury?"
You just said it was minor!
The more Caesar thought about it, the more wrong this felt. She decided she'd rather not be treated at all.
"Forget it, I'll go back to work."
"How can you be so irresponsible about your own body?" Natasha frowned, grabbing her. "Small injuries can turn into serious ones. Listen to me—amputation."
Without giving her a chance to resist, Natasha dragged her to a bed, kicked aside the unmoving body lying on it, and forced Caesar down.
Only then did Caesar realize—
All those people on the beds…
Were dead.
"Don't—don't mess around!"
Natasha ignored her completely and casually pulled out a chainsaw from under the bed.
"Bzzzzzz—!"
The motor roared to life.
Caesar's soul nearly left her body.
Since when did amputations use something like this?!
"Get lost!"
Seizing the moment while Natasha wasn't fully prepared, Caesar kicked her hard. Natasha lost her balance and fell backward, the chainsaw slicing straight through the adjacent bed.
"I'm out of here!"
She didn't dare stay any longer. Turning around, she bolted. This Natasha was far too terrifying—better to avoid her entirely.
[Natasha: ...…]
[Fu Xuan: So this is the "trustworthy" one? Looks like that rule is false.]
[Jiaoqiu: Doctor Natasha's medical skills are indeed remarkable.]
[Guinaifen: Are you serious?]
[Valerius: Cut off whatever is injured—eliminate the problem at its root.]
[Bailu: Makes sense.]
[Jing Yuan: My head hurts.]
[Luocha: That's simple. First split open the skull with an axe, then use a knife…]
[Nicole: What kind of maniacs are you?!]
[Seele: Hahaha, at least I'm more normal than that.]
[Natasha: But you're stupid.]
[Seele: And you're insane.]
After rushing out of the clinic, Caesar suddenly didn't know where to go.
"Bzzzzzz—!"
The chainsaw roared again.
Natasha had chased her out.
"Don't be afraid… I'll be gentle. It'll be over quickly."
"Oh hell no!"
Caesar's entire body shivered. She didn't even care where she was going anymore and ran for her life.
"Don't run! You need treatment!"
Natasha's face was twisted with madness as she chased after her with the chainsaw, determined to amputate her.
After twisting through several alleys, Caesar spotted an open window. Without hesitation, she climbed inside and hid in the corner.
"Bzzzzzz…"
"Bzzzzzz…"
Listening to the sound outside, she felt like crying.
What the hell was this?
These rules were a trap.
And this was supposed to be someone she could trust?
Fortunately, after wandering outside for a while without finding her, Natasha finally gave up and left with the chainsaw.
Only when the sound completely disappeared did Caesar collapse against the wall, gasping for breath.
"Damn… I almost died just trying to get treated."
Her heart was still pounding wildly from the run. Deciding to stay put for now, Caesar began thinking about her next move.
At least Sushang had lasted until nightfall.
If she didn't come up with a plan—
She might not even make it to evening before losing her life.
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