NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Just
Before Ian was about to take action, his wizard's keen intuition allowed him to sense a sneaky figure in the bushes opposite.
"Stupefy!"
There is no novel called Harry Potter in this world, so Ian would not hide his magic. Therefore, without any hesitation, the spell was instantly unleashed.
However, he did not choose to hit the target directly but deliberately deviated by two meters and hit a tree nearby.
The reason he did this was that he already knew from the opponent's gait and movement trajectory that the opponent was not a parasite.
"There are still survivors here!"
This thought flashed through Ian's mind instantly, and under the influence of his kind nature, his spell was deliberately deflected so that it did not hit the figure who thought he was well hidden.
…
"Come out, stranger, and explain your purpose."
Ian was not a brainless saint. His good intentions only prevented him from letting the spell hit the other party in the first place.
If he was sure that the other party was not a threat and had good intentions, he wouldn't mind sharing some supplies. After all, in this world, survival and supplies were no longer his concerns.
If it was someone with bad intentions, it was even simpler. Although the vegetable field had phosphorus fertilizer in the form of wood ash, it still lacked more organic fertilizer.
…
"I have no ill intentions. There was just a big fire here yesterday, so I came here to check it out today. I'm leaving now!"
A clear and soft voice said from the bushes.
Irene was still feeling frightened as she spoke, after all, the sudden attack had frightened her.
Although she didn't know what kind of weapon the other party's small stick was, the fist-sized deep hole it made in the tree trunk had already shown that its power was no less than that of a standard caliber pistol.
Ian looked at the survivor who was slowly walking out in front of him. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a very beautiful woman with a tall and slender figure, delicate facial features, and straight and long legs.
With her towering and majestic chest and the soft face that fit the style of an Oriental woman, she was most likely a mixed-race individual of Chinese and Western descent, which made her look soft and delicate overall.
Although the other party looked a little disheveled at the moment—her long black hair that had not been washed was a little dry, and her skin was a little dehydrated due to lack of daily care, looking haggard and dull—Ian, who had seen countless people in short videos in his previous life, still discovered her hidden beauty.
Even with her bare face and sloppy appearance, her appearance had not collapsed. She could definitely be described as a natural beauty.
The most important thing was that the other person's eyes were clean and bright, without any evil intentions.
Ian deliberately stared into her eyes for a few seconds. The other person didn't avoid his gaze at all, and just looked at him honestly.
"You don't need to be afraid. I'm just wary of strangers who suddenly appear and need to confirm their purpose.
After all, in an age where laws are like waste paper, everyone is responsible for their own life, and negligence is tantamount to death.
By the way, my name is Ian, and as you can see, I am a magician."
Perhaps it was the other person's harmless eyes that moved Ian's heart, or perhaps it was the long black hair that made him feel friendly.
In short, after he lowered the wand that had been pointed at the other party, his tone became much gentler, and he also rarely explained his previous behavior.
"Okay, Ian, you are right. In this terrible world, we must be more cautious. You can call me Irene."
Irene also agreed, perhaps she felt Ian's kindness, and then quickly added:
"Actually, I came here for a purpose, to find companions to collect survival supplies together. To be honest, my food reserves have already been used up."
"I'm sorry, I have plenty of supplies and I have no intention of going out for the time being."
This was Ian's deliberate answer, while still paying attention to the other person's expression.
He found only loss and sadness, as well as indescribable pity. But what was commendable was that there was not the slightest greed or resentment.
In this cannibalistic world of the end times, it was very rare to maintain such kindness.
Therefore, Ian also planned to help the other party—to help this woman who still maintained her kindness in the apocalypse—so he changed the subject and continued:
"But I can give you a chance to exchange work for food…"
Before Ian could finish his words, he saw the other party suddenly put one hand on her waist and looked at him warily, obviously misunderstanding something.
"…You can work in exchange for compensation. Obviously, I plan to grow food and vegetables here, and I really need someone who can help me with the farming work."
After he finished speaking, he looked at the woman in front of him with amusement. The woman looked like a frightened rabbit. She obviously realized she was overthinking and smiled awkwardly.
Without waiting for the other party to explain, Ian continued:
"If you agree, the tools are over there. Use a shovel to dig the land to a depth of one foot, break up the hard soil clods, and mix them evenly with the wood ash."
After a pause, Ian added: "I hope you can complete these tasks within three days. This bag of potatoes will be your reward. Oh, by the way, I can provide you with two servings of food a day during your work."
After Ian finished speaking, he did not forget to point to the potatoes he had taken out of his backpack earlier and prepared to use as seeds. It was a full bag weighing about 10 kilograms.
This was a deliberate move on his part, because no matter where you are, no one can get something for nothing. Even if he gave alms to the other person once in a short time, what about the future? Countless times?
This is the most foolish thing to do, because if you don't give charity, you'll create an enemy for nothing. As the old saying goes, "a little bit of kindness is a grudge, a big bit of it is a grudge." Ian still understands this principle.
In fact, Ian made this choice out of sympathy and appreciation for the other person's kindness.
That was why he had planned from the beginning to let her exchange work for compensation, so that they could get along comfortably with each other and there would be no grudges.
It could also help the other person in the long run, which could be regarded as a way of repaying their kindness.
The cost was just a little bit of food, and it was just a matter of a few words from him at Hogwarts.
"Oh, oh, I agree, that's fair, I'll do it now."
Irene quickly agreed at this moment. In her opinion, this was the best and safest way to obtain supplies.
Ignoring the dazed-looking woman, Ian put on the infinitely extending backpack.
Then he started looking around, searching for suitable trees and began building his wall.