Puzzled, she turned back, only to find Levi Young standing silently at the edge of the hallway.

"He’s gone?"

Paige Summers nodded, and a sudden realization flashed through her mind.

It was only then that she belatedly felt the faint toxin her body was rejecting.

’So it was him...’

’I really don’t know whether to be angry or to laugh!’

’Facing a High-level Superpower User like Shawn Monroe, I was so focused that I completely missed the little trick he played. He’s got some nerve. Wasn’t he afraid I’d be poisoned too?’

’...Alright, we’re not friends or family. He really had no reason to be afraid.’

She took a deep breath. ’What a dangerous guy!’

"Need an antidote?" Seeing her pale expression, Levi Young immediately pulled out a small bottle.

Paige Summers, who had been about to scold him, lost her steam. "Forget it. What kind of poison did you use?"

Levi Young answered honestly, "It just temporarily suppresses superpowers. It wears off in half an hour without an antidote. I figured you two wouldn’t talk for too long."

’Ha! No wonder that guy looked so grim. He must have been planning to attack... For someone so used to having superpowers, suddenly losing them has to feel terrible!’ The thought of Shawn Monroe’s dark expression as he scurried away instantly improved Paige Summers’s mood. She walked over and patted the boy’s shoulder. "Nice work!"

Humming a tune, Paige Summers went into the courtyard to test her Crossbow Arrows.

The results were pretty good.

During a test shot, one arrow suddenly split into four. Although the spread wasn’t very wide, it would definitely increase the hit rate. Not only that, but it also had the element of a surprise attack.

She stroked her chin, thinking, ’From this angle, it seems there’s still room for improvement!’

’If the Sword Box was more flexible, allowing me to fire arrows out of order instead of sequentially, I could call on any arrow I wanted. Interweaving Scattering Arrows and Single-branch Arrows would be even better for confusing enemies, and more efficient too.’

’Hmm, but this would be more effective against people.’

’It wouldn’t be as useful against the more brainless Mutant Beasts, since they rely on instinct and hearing, unlike humans who depend more on their eyes!’

’But that would make it much more difficult to craft. I should just give the one I’ve already finished to Marcus Monroe for now.’

Back in her workshop, she became more and more proficient as she worked.

By the evening of the third day, she had already crafted ten Scattering Arrows and ten Single-branch Arrows.

Mission accomplished!

Stroking the Crossbow, she was in an excellent mood.

’However, with the transaction complete, it’s about time I left. I can’t keep living in someone else’s house; it makes me feel insecure. It’s not like I’m some kept woman, as Shawn Monroe implied. Hmph, am I that kind of person with no ambition?’

After grumbling internally for a while, she turned her mind to practical matters.

The first priority was safety.

The past two days had been quiet, but Shawn Monroe was like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. She couldn’t leave The Dead City just yet—Leanne Walsh hadn’t returned! So, she would have to keep dealing with him.

This was something she could discuss with Marcus Monroe. After all, he had promised to keep the matter of the Crossbow confidential, but the other party had found out anyway. This was one of the reasons her situation had become even more precarious.

Another issue was the matter of Crystal Cores.

She wasn’t worried about that for the time being.

All in all, there were several hundred Crystal Cores in her ring. Although she was a little short on Fourth-rank and Fifth-rank ones, she still had nearly a hundred of each type, and even a dozen or so Sixth-rank Crystal Cores. Add to that the final payment Marcus Monroe still owed her... hmm, food, clothing, and shelter wouldn’t be a problem.

But the key was finding a way to make Levi Young useful.

She had no intention of just handing him Crystal Cores.

’Setting aside the issue of trust for a moment, a man should be self-reliant. There’s no reason for him to depend on others. It’s one thing to be in a temporary bind, but if he has no ambition, he’s a lost cause—unqualified to be my partner!’

"I’m pretty much done with my work here. I’ll probably be leaving soon to find my own place. What are your plans?" That evening, she left her workshop, called Levi Young into the living room, and asked him what he intended to do. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"I’ll follow you." His answer was firm.

Paige Summers blinked. "Alright, that’s what we agreed on. I can even provide a place to live for free, but... how do you plan to eat, drink, and Promote?"

This time, his answer was a bit more hesitant. "It’s probably not convenient for me to look for a Hunting Party right now, so... I was thinking of selling medicine. It’s just that..."

It seemed he had actually thought about it. Paige Summers became a little more patient. "It’s just what?"

Levi Young lowered his gaze. "Actually, I’ve tried before, but I wasn’t successful. The really effective ones, I can’t sell those openly. And the slightly less effective ones, the apothecaries won’t even take them. It’s also hard to sell them directly to Superpower Users." As he spoke, he suddenly looked up, his tone growing more intense. "But I can try again! Maybe this time it’ll work!"