With the experience of completing that first order, August now understood how he should use the system in the future.
He had to get good reviews whenever possible!
And if he wanted good reviews, then the [quality] of the traded item was crucial. Perhaps [quantity] mattered too.
Aside from that, timing was also important.
So how to complete orders better while still staying within the time limit would be the greatest challenge in earning positive reviews.
That undoubtedly meant he would need to stay fully prepared at all times, so that no matter what kind of order he encountered, he could immediately provide either high-quality items or a sufficient quantity of them.
And that was absolutely not something one person alone could accomplish.
He needed subordinates of his own and a power base.
He needed abundant wealth, and even lofty status and privilege!
With a single command, he would be able to mobilize the richest resources in the shortest amount of time, make the most complete preparations, and then use the system to grow stronger and obtain resources others could never have, forming a flawless cycle.
Of course, that was only the most ideal, most perfect scenario.
But that did not stop the currently penniless August from taking it as the goal he would strive toward from now on!
And at that very moment, a seed filled with ambition was quietly planted in his heart.
Then August quickly took the pair of Power Enhancement Shoes he had just received out of the system [Inventory] and changed into them. Right now, he had to think of every possible way to arm himself.
They were a classic pair of white-and-red high-top sneakers, and they fit perfectly.
On the outer side of each shoe was a hidden dial that could adjust three different levels of power.
By using electricity and magnetism to stimulate the acupoints in the feet, they allowed the muscles to unleash greater strength.
Each use consumed the stored charge inside, so they would need to be recharged afterward.
Still, there was no need to worry about not having a matching charger. There was a small area on the surface of the shoes that could absorb and convert solar energy. As long as they received six full hours of sunlight, they could be fully charged. Extremely practical.
August let out a satisfied breath, but immediately afterward, he tensed up and lay back down among the corpses, pretending to be dead.
Because at that exact moment, another group of soldiers arrived to transport more bodies.
"What rotten luck, getting stuck with a job like this."
"Enough complaining. This should be the last batch. Just dump the corpses, then we can go back, wash up, and have a few drinks tonight."
Hearing the soldiers' conversation, August's heart stirred.
But he immediately suppressed the impulse. If they discovered he was still alive, they would probably finish him off on the spot.
Fortunately, the soldiers had no desire to linger here. After roughly unloading the corpses, they hurried away without sparing even a single extra glance in his direction.
That made August breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
"No, I can't wait any longer. I have to leave this place immediately."
Thinking back to what the soldiers had just said, August could not help but grow anxious.
If that really had been the final batch of corpses, then it meant someone would soon come here to burn everything to ashes.
And if he failed to escape before that happened...
However, misfortune never came alone.
Just as August was calculating the timing and preparing to leave, two soldiers suddenly returned, and soon the sound of their conversation drifted over from nearby.
"Hurry it up. Grab the stuff and let's go."
"What's there to be scared of? Everyone else already left. No one's going to find out."
"It's not that. This place is creepy and disgusting! Ptui! Damn it, didn't you say you tossed the stuff over here?"
"This is definitely the place. I even left a marker on purpose. It must've gotten buried underneath. Hurry and look for it."
"You know, I've got to say, you're one sick bastard. Hiding stuff inside corpses? Seriously?"
"Hmph! We risk our lives skimming a little off the top, and those bastards above us just flap their gums, take almost all of it, then toss us a few scraps like dogs? Screw that! Once I get those jewels and trade them for money, I can find some random island and live the rest of my life like a rich man!"
"Haha, you've got a point. Let's do it!"
Though both soldiers were clearly uncomfortable being here, greed had painted their faces.
They had come back for the valuable jewelry they had hidden inside a corpse earlier.
"How strange. This is definitely the place. How can it not be here?"
"Did you remember wrong?"
"No way... Forget it, let's search around nearby."
Lying motionless on the ground and pretending to be dead, August felt his heart tighten as the footsteps came closer and closer.
If he was discovered now, he would absolutely die.
He was unwilling to gamble on that chance, so he immediately took out the [Just a Background Extra] coin from the system inventory and chose to use it.
In the next instant, the coin shattered and vanished.
[Just a Background Extra] began to take effect, greatly reducing August's sense of presence.
One of the soldiers had already walked right up to him and started rummaging through the nearby corpses, yet somehow, in an eerie way, he kept overlooking August's existence again and again, never touching him even once.
Otherwise, the August pretending to be dead might already have been exposed.
After all, no matter how hard he held his breath, his heart was still beating slowly but powerfully, and the surface temperature of a living person was completely different from that of a corpse. It would have been easy to tell.
Seeing this, he could not help but feel fortunate.
But not everyone had his luck.
A soldier searching through corpses in another direction suddenly let out a cry of surprise, drawing his companion's attention.
"Found it! Huh? What the hell is this?!"
"Get over here! There's a little brat here who's still alive?!"
"Quick, grab him!"
Hearing that shout, August almost instinctively thought he had been discovered.
But when he cautiously opened his eyes a sliver, he saw that the two soldiers had already cornered a little boy wearing a black-and-white spotted hat.
"That guy is Law? Trafalgar Law?"
August recognized him almost instantly.
Because in this world, not only had they both belonged to the same church, August had even been treated for White Lead Disease by Law's father.
So the two of them could actually be considered... childhood friends?
After realizing that his memories connected him to the future Supernova in this way, August hesitated.
If he kept pretending to be dead, then he would most likely remain undiscovered, and his chance of surviving would be quite high.
But aside from that, he would gain nothing else.
And he would also have to place all his hopes on those two finding what they wanted and leaving quickly. Otherwise, once the duration of [Just a Background Extra] ended, something unexpected might happen.
But if he chose to save him, then first of all, he would be placing himself in danger, even though he had a fair amount of confidence that he could still get away safely.
He was not some saint who saved everyone he saw out of pure compassion.
So at this moment, what he was weighing in his heart was the price of saving someone, and what he stood to gain from it.
(End of Chapter)
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