Wizard: I have ten trillion nanomachines

As night falls, the noise around the Second Ring Road intensifies.

The commercial atmosphere of the daytime gradually fades away, replaced by the bright lights and bustling activity of pubs, casinos, and other entertainment venues.

Luo Kunlun and He Lai entered a tavern located on a street corner. As soon as they pushed open the door, they were greeted by the noisy voices, the clinking of glasses, and the aroma of roasted meat.

The shop was brightly lit, with several tattered animal hides hanging on the walls. Tables and chairs were packed tightly together, and people from all walks of life in the camp gathered here, talking and laughing loudly, creating a lively atmosphere.

Luo Kunlun found a quiet corner by the window, beckoned to a waiter, and announced a series of dishes:

"Two grilled steaks, a plate of lamb meatballs, a pot of stew, two pounds of white bread, and a barrel of liquor."

The waiter responded and quickly left. Before long, a sumptuous meal was served one after another.

The sizzling steak, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, reveals pinkish flesh when sliced. The lamb meatballs are firm and bouncy, the vegetables and meat in the stew are soft and flavorful, and the warm, fluffy white bread, served with sweet and sour jam, is simply irresistible.

He Lai looked at the dishes on the table, his eyes somewhat dazed, and his hand trembled slightly as he picked up his wine glass.

When was the last time I had food of this quality?

In his hazy memories, it was as if he had returned to five years ago, when he was a fully-fledged mid-level knight with all four limbs intact. He and several childhood friends were conscripted as auxiliary soldiers and sent to that unfamiliar plane of existence.

Before setting off, the group had a big meal at the camp's tavern, which cost a full three calories, an extremely luxurious treat at the time.

"Mr. Herlai, have a taste." Luo Kunlun gestured for him to try it.

Helai picked up his knife and fork, cut off a small piece of steak, and put it in his mouth. The rich juices exploded on his tongue, and the familiar taste evoked long-lost memories.

He paused for a moment before slowly speaking, "...Thank you. I haven't eaten anything this good in a long time. Even when I was healthy, this meal was quite a luxury."

Then, Helai looked up at Luo Kunlun with a hint of inquiry in his eyes: "You're an outsider, aren't you? Judging from your demeanor, you're not a native of the Rogue Encampment."

"From the Forgotten Continent," Luo Kunlun replied casually, eating his bread while observing Helai's expression.

Upon hearing this, He Lai paused, put down his knife and fork, and said in a serious tone, "You from the Forgotten Continent... let me remind you, you'd better pay off the loan the Golden Point Club provided as soon as possible, and don't delay. Otherwise, what awaits you is only a fate worse than death."

Luo Kunlun understood; He Lai had clearly seen too many people trapped by debt and ultimately met a tragic end. He nodded: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Seeing that he looked calm and not like he was putting on a brave face, He Lai stopped trying to persuade him and picked up his knife and fork again to enjoy the food.

His long-suppressed appetite was completely unleashed at this moment, and he ate voraciously, as if he wanted to make up for all the years he had missed.

After a few rounds of drinks, the aroma of the wine filled the air, and He Lai's cheeks flushed red as he became more talkative.

He put down his wine glass, his gaze drifting to the dark night sky outside the window, and slowly began to recount his past.

"I am a native of the Rogue Encampment. My family has passed down a knight's breathing technique. I have been training with my father since I was a child. I became a junior knight at the age of sixteen and advanced to a mid-level knight at the age of twenty-three. I am quite well-known."

He Lai’s voice carried a hint of nostalgia, “Later, I formed a mercenary team with a few childhood friends. We hunted low-level magical beasts on the outskirts of the city to exchange for game cards and supplies. Life wasn’t rich, but we managed to get by.”

Until five years ago.

The Tower of the Four Elements discovered a spatial passage connecting to this world, with the other end of the passage leading to a dimensional world with a unique and extraordinary system.

In order to plunder the resources and extraordinary knowledge of that world, the Tower launched an invasion, sending out apprentices and wizards, and also recruiting mortal warriors as auxiliary troops within the camp.

"The camp boss in charge of recruitment made all sorts of promises, dangling 10 points a month for us recruits, and the families of the fallen would receive a 300-point compensation card," He Lai said, his tone turning indignant. "But even after I was seriously injured and sent back, I didn't see a single point card!"

The dangers of that other dimension far exceed everyone's imagination.

Besides the Ripple Warriors, who are a native supernatural force, putting up a fierce resistance, there exists an extremely terrifying monster called Deadblood.

"Legend has it that there exists a being called the Crimson Ancestor in that world, the source of all dead blood, but no one has ever truly seen it."

"Dead Blood is a monster that is transformed from humans or other creatures after being invaded by scarlet blood. Those transformed can continue to infect others."

"They possess near-immortal bodies and formidable strength, as well as terrifying body control abilities. Their only weakness is their fear of Ripple energy."

He paused, then added, "Even dead blood transformed from ordinary people can easily tear apart human limbs and organs."

"After a short period of growth, its speed is comparable to that of a cheetah, its finger strength can bend thin steel plates, and it can leap four meters high in one bound."

"If one were to exert all their strength without regard for physical damage, their punches could easily shatter reinforced concrete and penetrate thin steel plates. Their leg strength is three times that of their punches, and their jumping power is close to eight meters."

"What's even more terrifying is their resilience. Even if their brain tissue is damaged in a small area, their head is cut off, their upper body is almost cut in half, or their body is blown to pieces, they can recover in a short time as long as they absorb enough blood."

He Lai's eyes were filled with lingering fear. "This is just the dead blood of an ordinary person. If it were a powerful warrior or a ferocious beast or bird of prey that were transformed, it would be even more terrifying."

"The more inhuman the Dead Blood is, the stronger it is, especially the beast-type Dead Blood."

"My squad encountered a winged wolf-like Deadblood during a mission. That beast was not only incredibly strong, but it could also fly short distances at an absurdly fast speed."

Helai pointed to his empty left arm, his voice hoarse, "My left arm was torn off by it during that battle. If it hadn't been for daylight, the sunlight making it wilt, I would definitely be dead there."

Upon hearing this, Luo Kunlun's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Helai, does Dead Blood die instantly upon exposure to light?"

After all, this setting is too similar to a certain work in his memory, making it hard not to make the connection.

"Die from sunlight? It's not that dramatic." He Lai shook his head. "Sunlight will only weaken them, slow their movements, and reduce their regenerative abilities, but it won't kill them, unless they are the weakest humanoid dead blood, who will die if exposed to sunlight for a long time."

As the alcohol took effect, Helai became more and more talkative, recounting in fits and starts the brutal battles of that dimension and the sacrifices of his comrades.

As he spoke, the man in his thirties gradually reddened his eyes, and tears finally streamed down his face.

"Many people died in that other world, and their bodies were never even brought back," He Lai choked up. "They were either eaten by the dead blood or taken away by the corpse collectors sent by the camp, their bodies cut up and sold as raw materials."

Those who returned alive were not exactly lucky.

"We are all either injured or disabled, and we are also left with permanent psychological trauma." He Lai wiped away his tears, "But what's even more tragic is yet to come."

"We went to the camp to demand the promised rewards and compensation for our fallen comrades, but those bigwigs who had made such promises turned their backs on us. The veterans who went to demand their money disappeared without a trace; nobody knows where they went."

When Helai returned to his home in the camp, his original family members, seeing that he was now crippled and no longer of value, quickly took all the valuables from the house, leaving him only a dilapidated house, and then disappeared without a trace.

With nowhere else to turn, He Lai remembered the rudimentary Ripple Qi Gong he had learned in that other world. After pondering it for a few years, he developed a quick-learning method and planned to start teaching classes to make a living.

But after he had only been working for two days, someone came to his door claiming that he had infringed on the intellectual property rights of the Four Elements Tower.

Ripple Qigong is knowledge that the Tower plundered from that plane and has long belonged to the Tower. Helai's unauthorized teaching of it constitutes an infringement.

Left with no other choice, Helai had to sign an unequal agreement and teach the quick-learning method according to the list provided by the other party, which was the "Life Wave Knight" on the Golden Point Club's exchange list.

With the exorbitant exchange rate of 3,000 points per person, He Lai could only get a pitiful amount. After deducting rent and basic living expenses, there was almost nothing left.

"My life may look miserable, but it's actually not bad," He Lai said with a bitter smile. "There are many veterans like me who come back starving, sleeping on the streets, and eventually either die at the hands of bandits or are captured and sold to the flesh market, without even leaving behind a complete corpse."

The wizards conquered new planes and plundered new resources and knowledge.

The bigwigs in the camp made huge profits from it, earning a fortune.

But conscripts like Helai ended up with their families destroyed, impoverished and destitute, gaining nothing.

Nobody cares about these veterans; they're just disposable trash.

It all sounds like it was made up, but it's true.

This is the rule of the wizarding world: the strong prey on the weak, and the mighty reign supreme.

Deception and backstabbing are considered wisdom, while benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness are considered foolishness.

Luo Kunlun listened quietly without saying a word, but silently poured He Lai a full glass of wine.

He suddenly realized that if he were to hold a lecture on Machiavellianism in this wizarding world, teaching people how to deceive and cheat others for their own benefit, it would probably be very popular.

The tavern was still bustling and noisy as usual, but the atmosphere in this corner carried an indescribable heaviness and sorrow.

Helai drank one glass of wine after another, pouring all his grievances and anger into the liquor.

No one will pity him or their plight.

The wizards didn't care at all, and those big shots only cared about the money in their hands.

Old soldiers never die, they just get a few tracks on their boots.