บท 18: Chapter 18: Sasha!!!

"You're awake? Oh, by the way, you've turned into a girl~"

Enli had barely opened his eyes on the hospital bed when he saw a blue-clad Infected twirling a bloodied scalpel in their hand.

Alarmed, he quickly reached out to check on the presence of his clone—but the Infected grabbed his hand, solemnly shaking their head.

"Don't scare the patient right after they wake up," Alina scolded from the side.

"I'm trying to ease his tension," the Infected said seriously, turning back to Enli. "You wouldn't believe it, but while cutting that cyst, your blood was purple."

"What did you do to my clone?!"

"Alright, let go of him. Don't let the wound open back up," Alina interrupted, still apologizing to Enli as she tended to his wound. From his mumbled words, the assisting Infected pieced together what had happened.

"Am I really a girl now?"

No way. Sure, he was over fifty, but... what if he still had a shot at a second spring?

"There were some blisters on your body that needed to be treated," Alina explained. While some were caused by her clumsy handling, she vowed to do better next time. No—she would do better!

Alina stomped her foot lightly in frustration. Even though she understood the medical instructions, performing the procedures was a whole different challenge. Especially when it involved cutting flesh—the sight of blood was utterly terrifying.

"Alright, since you insist, I'll stop teasing," the Infected relented, retreating to the tent's deeper recesses to remove their surgical attire and soak the scalpel in disinfectant.

"Your frostbite has been treated," Alina said with a sigh of relief. While not severe, the process had still drained her.

"Alina, has Enli's treatment been completed?"

Wang Zhan, who had returned to his workstation after lunch, asked from behind his computer. Alina stepped out of the medical tent and replied, "Yes, he just needs some rest now."

"Is it all done already?"

Wang Zhan powered down the medical station as the Infected and Enli exited the tent. Alina noticed the tent's lights had gone out, and its entrance was sealed.

"I'm sorry, Lady Alina," Enli said, hanging his head low. What could he say to earn her forgiveness? After all, this was a life-or-death matter.

"I've already heard," Alina said with a chuckle. She had administered a sedative to keep him from thrashing during the cyst lancing, leaving him a little groggy.

Enli's face lit up. "Does that mean you've forgiven me?"

"You are a convict designated by Lord Generator. Your guilt has been judged by him," Alina said firmly. "I accept your apology, but Lord Generator does not consider your sins to be fully atoned."

Enli fell silent before nodding in understanding. "I can get back to work immediately."

"No, you need to rest," Alina relayed Wang Zhan's instructions. "Although you are my prisoner, I do not wish for you to die."

"You'll continue working at the hunter's cabin. As for further punishment, we'll decide later."

"Lady Alina, you mean…?"

Enli looked at her with a new sense of awe. She had just been gentle moments ago, yet now she exuded an air of commanding authority.

"I'm merely conveying Lord Generator's words," Alina said, smiling to herself. This role was unexpectedly entertaining. "Be grateful for his mercy and go rest in the camp."

Rest? Finally!

"Thank you, Lord Generator!" Enli fell to his knees, a gesture he had grown accustomed to—but this time, it was heartfelt gratitude.

Alina gave a satisfied hum, her deer antlers bouncing up and down as she nodded approvingly.

The hope bar on Wang Zhan's screen flickered upward, however slightly, and it brought a small smile to his face. He added the assisting Infected to Alina's support list and opened a new task.

"Alina, I'd like to discuss Sasha."

"Sasha? Didn't he go hunting with Enli yesterday?"

Indeed, that child was difficult to manage, unlike the obedient Ino. "He always has his own ideas," Alina sighed.

"I want him to work at the hunter's cabin. His Originium Arts have significantly boosted production efficiency—by 50%, to be exact," Wang Zhan explained. This exceeded the foreman's typical 40% improvement, a result too tempting to ignore.

But Sasha was still a minor, and Wang Zhan worried that assigning him to hunting might spark discontent. He wasn't prepared to risk that.

"If you believe it's best for Sasha to work at the hunter's cabin, then let him stay there," Alina said without hesitation, surprising Wang Zhan.

"You don't oppose it? No one else has objections?"

As Sasha's mentor, Alina's approval meant that other Infected were unlikely to object to his placement.

"The other Infected?" Alina's face grew somber. "They have no time to care about the fates of these children." In their eyes, a child Sasha's age was already considered part of the workforce.

"You're worried about backlash for assigning such dangerous work to someone so young?"

Alina gave a bitter smile, her eyes reddening slightly. "No one will care. Thank you for considering their well-being, though. It means a lot to me."

Wang Zhan felt a pang of unease. Living in such a chaotic world, no one would draft laws to protect infected children.

"Children have the right to survive," Wang Zhan said with a dry cough, realizing he shouldn't overstep. After all, he wasn't living on Terra and couldn't fully grasp the struggles of the Infected.

"Please let Sasha know he's allowed to continue working at the hunter's cabin. Just remind him to take care of his health. And if other children want to join, tell them Sasha's position is an exception."

Alina walked through the camp to the buzzing Generator. "Liubao, where's Sasha?"

Liubao, a mischievous bear-eared girl, often wandered near the Generator and sometimes helped out in the kitchen to score some treats.

"He's resting in the tent, Lady Alina!"

The energetic girl led Alina to Sasha and Ino's tent. "Sasha!!! Lady Alina is here to see you!!!"

"Keep it down!"

Alina pinched Liubao's cheeks, silencing her as the child puffed her face in protest.

"Oh, you!"

Wang Zhan, watching Alina's exasperated expression from his screen, chuckled along with the scene.

"Sasha's asleep, Lady Alina," Ino said as she stepped out of the tent, her face lit up with a smile. "If you have something to say, you can tell me, and I'll pass it on to him later."