Chapter 217 - 217

Words : 1071 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Wendy walked into her room and closed the door. Ron went to a corner. He sat against the wall, covering himself with a blanket before closing his eyes. Dominica did the same. Given their circumstances here, there were no luxuries to be expected. Instead of falling into deep sleep, Ron entered a meditative state. This allowed him to recover both his stamina and mental energy while maintaining a heightened awareness of his surroundings. -------------------------------------- Late at night, a noise suddenly sounded outside. Ron instinctively opened his eyes and peered through the gaps in the wooden planks of the house. Several figures were climbing over the courtyard wall. Dominica also opened his eyes and gestured to Ron to stay quiet. These figures didn't approach the wooden house but began searching other areas in the courtyard. They whispered among themselves. Occasionally, their eyes glowed when they touched something. Ron and Dominica quickly deduced their identity. They were just ordinary thieves. "Let them be," Dominica whispered softly. "Pretend we don't know. Tomorrow, we'll act as though we only noticed things missing then." --- The next day, Dominica loudly cursed at the doorway. The neighbours came out at the commotion. Some showed anger, having dealt with thieves themselves. Others looked amused. Most were indifferent as if it didn't concern them. Dominica had no choice but to return to the marketplace to repurchase the stolen items. --- From then on, the trio's lives fell into a routine. Early every morning, they would wake up and begin their tasks. Dominica would knead the dough, overturn a pot onto the ground, and light a fire beneath it. He would press the dough into flat cakes and place them on the pot's surface. Under the pot's intense heat, the pancakes baked quickly. Wendy would monitor the pancakes, removing them once they were ready and placing them into a basin. Once the basin was full, Ron would carry it to the door. There, a large mound of packed dirt formed a rectangular platform about waist-high, with a wooden pole stuck into the ground at its center. Ron placed the basin atop this makeshift stall. This was their little shop. In the slums, such setups were common. Any family with goods to sell would set them up outside their homes. The aroma of freshly baked pancakes wafted through the air, quickly catching the attention of passersby. Children were the first to arrive. They stared at the pancakes in the basin with longing eyes. These pancakes were extremely simple—just flour, water, and a little sugar. Barely seasoned. Ron could eat them but found them unremarkable. However, to these children in the slums, they were a rare delicacy. "How much?" One bold child finally asked. Dominica had already set the price. Each cake costs 70 Jenny, with a base cost (excluding labour) of 30 Jenny. Similar foods in the slums sold for about 80 Jenny. Dominica had priced theirs 10 Jenny cheaper. While 10 Jenny might seem insignificant, for people in the slums, every bit counted. Ten pancakes would save 100 Jenny. "70 Jenny per pattie," Ron replied. The child dashed away, returning home. Soon after, a middle-aged woman approached. "Can I try one first?" "Sure." Ron handed over a single pancake and broke off a small piece for sampling. The woman tasted it and said, "Give me six." "Alright." Ron handed over six patties and received 420 Jenny in return. As Ron counted the small coins in his hands, he felt conflicted. This was the least he'd ever earned since coming to this world. Even the prize money from the first level at Heaven's Arena was more. The assassination jobs Ron had accepted before paid a minimum of one billion Jenny. "The disparity between the rich and the poor in this world is staggering." After the woman left, the business picked up gradually. Being a new stall attracted attention. Coupled with the affordable pricing, sales were relatively brisk. However, even brisk sales in the slums were limited. Purchasing power here was extremely weak. For those who bought these pancakes, they were staples, not snacks. Even at this low price, not everyone could afford them. --- As night fell, the day ended. Ron carried the empty basin back into the courtyard and closed the gate. Under the shed, he placed the basin on the ground and handed a small bag to Dominica. "Uncle Dominica, here's today's earnings." Dominica began counting. They had sold 40 pancakes, earning a total of 2800 Jenny. In Heaven's Arena, this was equivalent to the price of 18 cans of soda. But here in the slums, it wasn't bad at all. After deducting the material costs, the profit was 1600 Jenny. Divided among the three, it came out to just over 500 Jenny per person. Enough for a person to survive. For example, four pancakes a day were sufficient to keep someone fed. That night, the trio indeed ate the pancakes they had made themselves, each costing just 30 Jenny in raw materials. --- "Tomorrow's sales might drop a bit," Dominica predicted. "Today was the first day, and people came out of curiosity." "But this is fine." "As long as we maintain this level of sales, we won't stand out in the slums." Most families would try to maximize their earnings. But Ron's trio was different. Their goal was simply to stay undercover. --- One patty and a sip of water at a time, the neighbours gradually grew accustomed to the trio's presence. They were even glad to have a neighbour who made decent pancakes. The price was fair, and the portions were generous. --- Half a month quietly passed. Ron glanced at the crystal ball before him. Its progress had reached 90%. Only 10% remained until completion. Meanwhile, they had gathered some information about the mutated monsters in Horuen City. There had been several unexplained murders. The victims had died gruesome deaths. As if cut by some large, sharp blade. Moreover, rumours of monsters had begun circulating recently in Horuen City. These monsters supposedly had exploded heads. Their arms were extraordinarily long. Their flesh was tougher than steel. Even bullets couldn't kill them. --- Dominica analyzed the situation. "Judging by this information, there's more than one mutated monster in Horuen City." "They might not be very powerful."

Chapter 217 - 217

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