The sleep had refreshed David considerably. The past few days, being new to the wasteland world and occupied with fortification arrangements, had left him without a proper rest.
Upon opening his eyes, David saw Mandy still standing quietly nearby. He offered a faint smile, noticing a subtle change in her appearance ,her once straw-like skin now had a hint of flesh-like texture. This surprised him, and he reasoned that it might be due to their entry into the wasteland world.
Although the air here was filled with an aura of death, non-human creatures seemed to thrive in this environment. Mandy had evidently been influenced by the atmosphere as well.
David suddenly thought about the bottle of extracted Temporal Water. He believed that it might have some effects on Mandy. After all, those two old men had drastically transformed themselves using this liquid.
So, David retrieved the bottle of Temporal Water from his system inventory. Upon opening the cap, a faint, pleasant fragrance wafted out. After catching a whiff of the scent, Mandy’s eyebrows subtly twitched.
David extended his hand towards her, gesturing for her to come closer. Standing before David, Mandy looked at the Temporal Water in his hand, a rare glimmer of joy appearing on her face.
“So, can’t resist taking a sip already?” David chuckled, then stood up and helped Mandy take a sip.
As the liquid flowed in, a rosy hue suddenly bloomed on Mandy’s face. Her body, originally woven from straw, became astonishingly smooth. Upon closer inspection, faint veins and blood vessels were even visible beneath her skin.
This thrilled David, and he gazed in amazement at the transformed Mandy. If the Temporal Water could turn Mandy into a human, it would be great news for him.
This meant that in the wasteland world, Mandy could accompany David like a normal human. Not only could she help him overcome challenges, but she could also contribute in various ways.
Soon, the entirety of the Temporal Water entered Mandy’s mouth. In that moment, she twisted her neck slightly and produced a syllable: “Delicious.”
Although only one words, they meant a lot to David. Hearing a straw figure speak like a human was nothing short of incredible. And David had achieved it. Afterward, Mandy continued to move various parts of her body. Whether extending her hand, throwing a punch, or even walking, everything became fluid and natural, no longer awkward and stiff as before.
Satisfied, David nodded. Now he could have Mandy by his side whenever he needed. However, it seemed that the amount of Temporal Water might have been insufficient, as Mandy’s transformation wasn’t completely human-like. There were still traces of straw in her skin, and her complexion was somewhat dim.
Still, this was more than satisfactory for David. He just wasn’t sure about her combat abilities now.
At that moment, footsteps echoed outside the room. David’s brow furrowed as he drew his alloy short knife and approached the door. Mandy seemed to sense danger too, swiftly positioning herself beside David. Her large, watery eyes fixed on the outside, ready to attack at any moment. The footsteps halted, and the newcomer seemed to be contemplating something.
After a brief moment, a voice entered David’s ears: “Come out. While you’re still alive. Take a good look at the scenery here.” The tone was cold and carried an air of preparedness.
Hearing this, David no longer concealed himself. He swung open the door and stepped outside, with Mandy immediately following to guard him. Outside the door stood three men dressed in black robes. As David emerged, they lifted their heads to size David up, their expressions particularly disdainful.
“Who are you?” David asked as he spoke up. Anyone who could appear here was certainly not an ordinary individual.
The leader of the “Kui”, was the same man who had stood before Viola. He gazed at David and uttered word with a cold tone.
“Kui?” David recalled the name; it was vaguely mentioned during his conversation with the old men yesterday. However, at the time, his focus had been on the Zerg, and he hadn’t delved into further inquiries. ｎｏｖ𝚕．𝚌ｏｍ
But David didn’t care about their background. If they intended to cause trouble, he was curious to see what they were capable of. He was also interested in observing Mandy’s newfound abilities.
Mandy still wore her calm expression, but unlike before, she was now aware of the need to stand by David’s side. As David observed the three men, he caught a whiff of decay and quickly realized that these three were zombies from the wasteland world.
The leader of the group seemed to hold no regard for David. Although Viola had only instructed him to teach David a lesson, from his perspective, David had to die today. This reflected his ruthlessness.
At that moment, another Kui stepped forward, extending a provoking gesture toward David. “From now on, this day is your death anniversary,” he said, followed by a chilling laugh. However, before he could even finish laughing, Mandy dashed toward him like a gust of wind, grabbing his fingers.
A “crack” sound echoed, and Mandy forcibly snapped his bones. The man grunted, attempting to strike back, but Mandy didn’t give him a chance. Her fist struck his face.
Despite being a woman, Mandy displayed an intensity reminiscent of David’s, and her punch left the man momentarily blinded.
He collapsed to the ground, unconscious, with his nose broken. “Nicely done!” David cheered, pumping his fist. He hadn’t anticipated Mandy’s rapid increase in strength; she had taken down her opponent with a single punch.
Hearing David’s praise, Mandy turned to him, a hint of shyness on her face. However, this infuriated the remaining two men. Seeing their comrade lying motionless on the ground, his nose broken and unmoving, the leader’s expression turned sinister.
“Today, you both must die! I’ll show you the terror of Kui!” he declared angrily.
But David wasn’t going to fall for his words. Talking tough wouldn’t work against him. David let his actions speak, turning to Mandy and saying, “Shut them up.”
Mandy nodded and charged at the other man. He raised his fists in response, but he had severely underestimated the explosive force of Mandy’s punch. Her strength was linked to David’s, and her punch carried the might of the Air-Shattering Fist.
The man couldn’t withstand the blow. He grunted once more as Mandy’s punch knocked him unconscious as well. David grew even more excited. With Mandy by his side, he was now merely an observer. This feeling brought him a strange sense of contentment.