A Price in Flesh and Lives

“What in the… what is this?”

Shirley and her companions stared blankly at the holographic projection, momentarily at a loss for words.

After all, their initial thought upon seeing the projection was of the diagrams commonly found in high-end steak restaurants, illustrating various cuts of beef, complete with their respective price tags!

“A finger or a toe, 0.2 lives; an arm, 3 lives; an eye, 2 lives; an ear, 0.5 lives; a nose, 1 life; a tongue, 1 life; a leg, 5 lives; the… uh… *that* part… it’s actually worth ten lives,” Xia Hua murmured, her voice hushed. “Wow, that’s really expensive. Does your daughter like the old house she grew up in that much?”

“Enough,” Ji Bingyao said, gently tapping Xia Hua’s back. “Such an asking price is absolutely unacceptable! No, even if they demanded a hundred or a thousand lives, it would still be out of the question! I would rather die than compromise Shirley’s integrity!”

“Exactly!”

“This is utterly outrageous!” others chimed in, shouting their agreement.

“So, you don’t intend to pay?” Salome scoffed. “In that case, I suppose I have no choice but to refuse the sale.”

“Wait, no! We can go hunt those ‘Hybrids’!” Ji Bingyao cried out.

While it would be incredibly difficult for them to kill former classmates or faculty members, dealing with those who were not purely human and harbored clear malice towards them—the “Hybrids”—was a different matter entirely.

Not only could they bring themselves to do it, but their resolve was also incredibly strong!

“Their lives can also be used as payment, right?!”

“Theoretically, yes, that’s correct. However, currently, the only ‘Hybrid’ left within the school grounds is the one you just let go,” Salome sneered. “Of course, your guess is accurate; ‘Hybrids,’ whose intelligence remains unimpaired compared to ordinary hosts, indeed serve as tactical commanders for the parasitic swarms. By the way, can you guess where the other ‘Hybrids’ went? Being able to infiltrate and occupy so many academic buildings suggests there were certainly more than just one.”

“Hmm… I truly don’t know,” Ji Bingyao said, scratching her head thoughtfully for a moment before finally shaking it.

“I think I might have an idea,” Shirley interjected. “They went to find reinforcements.”

“Reinforcements? How is that possible?” Ji Bingyao frowned. “The entire school has clearly been taken over…”

“Not necessarily,” Eileen suddenly cut in. “From the current situation, that might not be true—there’s still one place in the school that could be safe.”

“One more place?” Ji Bingyao asked.

“Precisely, the kindergarten department!” Shirley exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “Of course, why didn’t I think of that?!”

A collective ‘No wonder’ expression appeared on the faces of those who hadn’t realized it before.

Within the entire St. Lian Girls’ Academy, the kindergarten department was a relatively enclosed area.

To prevent very young children from getting injured or lost due to accidents, the kindergarteners typically remained inside, except during holidays, festivals, or special events.

Other students were rarely permitted to enter.

Consequently, most students at the academy subconsciously overlooked the existence of the kindergarten department.

Furthermore, due to its unique nature, the kindergarten department was also the safest place within the entire academy.

Its dormitories and teaching buildings were integrated and exceptionally sturdy, encircled by an additional high wall equipped with electrified barbed wire and numerous surveillance cameras.

Most importantly, according to emergency protocols, the kindergarten department would remain in lockdown until the alarm was cleared, even denying access to the principal herself, should an emergency occur at the school.

Therefore, the strategy of infiltration and assault on dormitories through information asymmetry was utterly useless against the kindergarten department!

“And I remember, because of several terrorist attacks targeting kindergartens a few years ago, the kindergarten department added specialized security guards and riot gear,” Shirley continued. “Even during the holidays, the staff there haven’t left. The level of defense will definitely not be weak.”

“Excellent! As expected of our brilliant mother!” Salome praised. “Indeed, over the past day, the bugs attempted to infiltrate the kindergarten department several times and also drove newly captured hosts to launch two strong assaults, all of which were repelled by the security guards. As of now, not a single child or employee inside has perished; only a few individuals sustained injuries, while everyone else remains safe and sound.”

“Phew… that’s wonderful news.” Shirley and her group collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

After witnessing countless horrifying events, they had finally heard some good news.

“However, such good fortune won’t last much longer,” Salome chuckled softly, seemingly quite curious about their upcoming reactions. “After suffering setbacks, those ‘Hybrids’ commanding the parasitic swarms have clearly identified the kindergarten department as a thorn in their side. According to the reconnaissance reports from Cassandra and her subordinates, a combined army consisting of at least a thousand giant insects and several hundred vertebrate and human hosts is currently on its way—I suppose their previous failures must have wounded their pride. In any case, in two to three hours at most, this school will face an unprecedented large-scale offensive.”

“Th-thousands?! Then what are we supposed to…”

“Well, although the situation has developed somewhat unexpectedly, if you are willing to purchase the ultimate weapons I offer, even such an unfavorable predicament is not irreversible,” Salome stated. “So, are you tempted?”

“Isn’t all of this ultimately your fault?!” Ji Bingyao retorted furiously. “If you hadn’t attracted those things, how would we be in this situation? Logically, you should be offering us direct assistance!”

“Ah, perhaps I ‘should’ do so, but unfortunately, I ‘don’t want’ to—so, everyone must now make a choice: you can pay in either of two ways. If you haven’t decided within five minutes, you’ll no longer have the chance to purchase anything.”

Another uncomfortable silence descended.

By now, almost everyone understood Salome’s implication: to obtain weapons that offered a chance at survival, or to save the elementary students who had been parasitized but might still be salvageable, they either had to exchange human lives or choose the option of ‘flesh payment,’ which seemed purely designed to make things difficult.

Among the many choices, the easiest was to sacrifice some of those who had been parasitized…

“Sh-should we just have all the parasitized students draw lots…?” Yurizumi suggested after a moment of thought. “Anyway, without weapons or ammunition, we’re definitely going to die. Without deworming medicine, those who are parasitized will end up wishing they were dead. So, sacrificing some people to…”

“There’s no need,” Shirley stated. “Miss Salome, I will use my body as payment.”

“Oh?” A hint of surprise flickered in Salome’s tone. “My dear Mama, are you serious? Let me make it clear, I don’t accept ‘body parts’ like hair or fingernails as payment, alright? All transactions must strictly adhere to the price list.”

“I understand. Do as you please.”

“No, you are the one who will be making the payment,” Salome corrected. Then, the translucent, pentagram-adorned sheath of her scalpel-like ‘wand’ suddenly flew off on its own.

A ghostly blue beam of light extended along the blade, transforming it from a small knife into a two-foot-long ‘sword.’

“There, you may proceed.”

Profuse sweat beaded on Shirley’s forehead, temples, and the nape of her neck.

Her arm, clutching the ‘wand,’ trembled violently.

Even so, she slowly aimed the light-beam ‘blade’ at her left wrist.

“I want three lives’ worth of antiparasitics, for my classmates,” she said. “I want them now.”

“Alright, anything else?”

“A disposable rocket launcher.” Shirley’s breathing grew incredibly ragged, as if she had just finished a marathon. “Please.”

“Wait, you wouldn’t dare—” Alice was the first to cry out.

Until that moment, she had believed Shirley’s actions were merely a performance or a tactic to exert pressure.

But when the light-beam ‘blade’ seared through her outer clothing and began to slice into her flesh, she finally realized something was terribly wrong.

“Don’t!” Ji Bingyao was the first to rush forward, attempting to stop Shirley, but it was already too late.

Unlike a metal blade, this light-beam ‘blade’ was incredibly sharp, effortlessly severing Shirley’s flesh and bone as easily as a hot knife through butter.

Her entire hand dropped away.

Then, she plunged the tip of the blade into the lens of her left eye.

“Is… is this enough?”

“Actually, I asked for an entire ‘arm’… but since it’s my dear Mama, a hand is acceptable, you know,” Salome replied, as a shimmering spatial rift opened. “The goods you requested are right here. I wish you all a long life… Oh, and as a gesture of goodwill, I have some complimentary items for you. Please take them.”

Fortunately for Shirley, the pain of ‘payment’ was less severe than anticipated.

The light blade’s extremely high temperature instantly cauterized the blood vessels, nerves, and muscle connective tissue of the wound.

This not only suppressed the subsequent pain to some extent but also prevented severe bleeding.

Then, as her brain began to secrete large amounts of endorphins and other substances for emergency pain relief, the burning sensation even subsided to a tolerable level.

However, after seeing three boxes of antiparasitics, a disposable rocket launcher, and a small box tied with a pink ribbon fall from the spatial rift, the searing pain, as the initial wave of painkillers secreted by her brain wore off, began to bare its fangs once more.

This time, the intense burning sensation, like a flame advancing along a fuse, directly seared into her brain through her nerves.

Shirley collapsed to her knees, instinctively struggling and convulsing, as if trying to shake the pain from her body.

Yet, the pain, like maggots burrowing into bone, relentlessly gnawed at her, making it utterly impossible to escape.

“Shirley!”

“Quick, hold her down!”

“What’s in that box? Get it out!”

“Read the instructions… Yes, that’s it…”

“No need for extra antibacterial measures? Hmm… really?”

As the pain reached its peak, Shirley’s brain’s self-protective system activated.

Her consciousness blurred, and the searing agony gradually dulled into a discomfort that, while still profound, was at least no longer as piercing.

In her hazy state, she saw others moving around her, heard their conversations, but her fragmented thoughts could no longer grasp their meaning.

Then, her consciousness plunged into a black abyss.

****