My job list is full of alien girls.

Chapter 5 We will not invade each other's territory.

[Basic resonance has increased!]

[Current basic resonance level: 15% → 18%]

As Alina took the broth, the system panel suddenly displayed this message.

"As expected, feeding them food works," Rhodes thought to himself, pleased with his own cleverness.

However, Alina's condition is still not good, and it seems that we still need to address her injuries.

With that in mind, Rod drank the delicious devil mushroom and salted meat soup and decided to treat Alina after the meal.

Alina held the warm broth in her hands, the rich aroma filling her nostrils. Her gaze fell on the bowl, where several mushrooms, soaked in the broth, floated like black flowers, intertwining with the milky white soup noodles and dark red salted meat.

She first scooped up a mushroom and put it in her mouth. With a gentle chew, the soft and glutinous texture melted instantly, and the delicious flavor spread across her tongue.

The thick, tender mushroom meat had a slight chewiness, and it was full of the savory aroma of salted meat and the rich flavor of the broth, giving it a unique sweetness that made her eyes widen instantly, and her emerald green eyes even shone with a little light.

"It tastes good..." Alina murmured unconsciously.

She sipped the soup slowly, the warm and delicious broth sliding down her throat and warming her all the way down her esophagus to her lower abdomen, dispelling all the chill in her body.

The ingredients were all very ordinary, but the soup tasted surprisingly delicious.

My body feels warm and cozy...

Alina let out a long sigh of relief, feeling much more relaxed.

Those fears and anxieties were temporarily forgotten at this moment.

But this feeling of comfort didn't last long.

A moment later, an unusual heat suddenly spread from her lower abdomen, instantly engulfing her entire body and causing her relaxed body to tense up again.

My body suddenly feels so hot...

Not only that, but his limbs gradually became heavy and numb, and he didn't even have the strength to lift his hands. His body also began to tremble slightly uncontrollably.

"I...uh..." Alina, realizing something was wrong, tried to speak, but found her tongue tied and she couldn't utter a word.

Could there be poison in the soup?

Seeing Rhodes remain calm and unmoved, a terrifying thought instantly surged into her mind, sending a chill down her feverish body.

He clearly drank the soup too, but he seems perfectly fine, which can only mean...

"Hmm?" Rhodes noticed Alina's unusually flushed face. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Waaah..."

Seeing Alina stammering out a few weak breaths, her cheeks flushed and her whole body trembling, Rhode was startled. He remembered the poor condition of the materials on the panel and was annoyed at his own slowness.

I never imagined that her injuries would develop to such a serious extent in just the time it takes to have a meal.

This is the material he finally found after more than two months of hard work, so it can't go wrong!

Immediate treatment is necessary!

As for food poisoning?

Rod didn't even consider that possibility.

He's taken it so many times and nothing's happened to him. Alina is a half-elf, her physique is much stronger than that of an ordinary person, how could she possibly get into trouble because of this little bit of poison? Her injuries must have worsened.

Without saying a word, Rod laid Alina flat on the bed and began to remove her clothes, which were covered in blood and dust.

"Waaah..."

Seeing this, Alina was even more desperate, but her weak and stiff body wouldn't obey her commands, and she could only watch helplessly as Rhodes groped her.

tear-

Considering the fabric stuck to the wound, Rod took out his dagger and gently cut it off, removing all of Alina's remaining clothing that covered her body.

"Waaah..."

Alina let out a desperate sob, tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the sheets, leaving a small wet patch.

She silently turned her head to one side, closed her eyes, and accepted her tragic fate.

If she had known it would end like this, she shouldn't have trusted the other person so easily...

She hated herself for being too naive, too trusting, and for not having enough strength to protect herself, which led her to this predicament, becoming a puppet that Rhodes could manipulate at will.

At this moment, Rod also ripped all the fabric off her body.

The battered body trembled slightly upon contact with the cool air. Its fair, jade-like skin shone with a warm glow in the firelight, like a perfect work of art displayed in the small stone house.

However, the numerous wounds, large and small, marred this beauty, causing Rod to frown.

"Hiss... This looks like it's going to fester, I need to deal with it quickly." He muttered to himself, pulling a wooden box out from under the bed.

Inside were bottles and jars of various sizes, making a clattering sound.

"Which one did the priest give us last time... this one? Or this one?"

Rhodes opened and smelled each medicine in turn, picking out the ones he needed. After washing his hands, he found a clean piece of linen, moved a small stool to the edge of the bed, and prepared to make his move. He then grabbed Alina's ankle.

Two months of working in the forest had given Rhodes's palms a layer of calloused skin. When he held those soft little feet in his hands, the rough touch spread throughout his sensitive nerves. The girl trembled, her toes curling up as if trying to pull back, but the man's hand forcibly held them back.

Rod's gaze fell on the wounds on her legs and waist. Seeing that they were swollen and black, his brows furrowed even more. He picked up a burlap sack, dipped it in the wine from the earthenware jar, and used it to wipe away the blood and dirt around the wounds, disinfecting and cleaning them.

"Hmm..." Alina's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.

After cleaning the wound, Rod put down the burlap, picked up the ceramic jar containing the ointment, scooped out a large amount with his fingertip, and applied it directly to Alina's wound.

Rod applied the cool, black ointment to the wound, his rough fingers tracing across his waist and legs, gently rubbing it against the soft, smooth skin, spreading the ointment evenly little by little, and beginning to massage it in so that the body could better absorb the medicine.

"Hmm..." Alina groaned softly, lying on the bed.

Her firm breasts rose and fell with the girl's heavy breathing, and her fair skin with a rosy glow was particularly eye-catching.

"Huh?" Rhodes, noticing this, paused, "Does it hurt a lot?"

How could such a strong reaction occur from just a gentle squeeze?

Could there be a hidden injury in this location that he can't see?

Thinking of this, Rod tentatively pinched it again.

"Ugh!" Alina could no longer bear it. She suddenly straightened her waist and bounced off the bed before falling back down.

The feeling was less like pain and more like an uncontrollable itching sensation that spread from her waist throughout her body, making her feel weak and her breathing rapid. The whimpering in her throat became increasingly suppressed.

"What exactly does he want?!" Alina opened her eyes in embarrassment, glaring fiercely at Rhodes as if questioning him, "Do you only feel happy when you toy with and humiliate me like this?"

"As expected..." Rhodes didn't notice her clenched teeth expression. Seeing the bruises gradually appearing on his hand, he said with satisfaction, "There was indeed a hidden injury in this place."

It's good that there's a reaction; the stronger Alina's reaction, the more it proves that his treatment approach is correct.

"Mmm!"

As Rod gently kneaded, twisted, and picked at her feet, the girl's suppressed sobs could be heard.

Only after Rhodes had treated all the wounds and bandaged the last one did he let Alina go.

"That's a wrap." Rod wiped his sticky hands dry and casually tossed a set of clothes at her.

[Fusing Material: Elina (Half-Elf), Current Status: Poor → Good]

[Increased basic resonance!]

[Current basic resonance level: 18% → 20%]

Seeing the increased resonance, Rod was secretly pleased, feeling that all his hard work had been worthwhile.

[New skill unlocked!]

[Armor Upgrade: In combined state, magic can be infused into equipment, granting corresponding attribute bonuses.]

Rhode stared into deep thought as he looked at the skill description.

"ha……"

Meanwhile, Alina lay on the bed with vacant eyes, fine beads of sweat trickling down her slender neck, her dazzling golden hair clinging damply to her cheeks, as if she had been through a lot.

After a long while, those emerald green eyes slowly focused.

"Finally...it's over?" A hoarse voice came from her parched throat. Alina was stunned for a moment before realizing that she could speak again, and the numbness that had prevented her from moving her body had disappeared.

She slowly sat up, clutching the clothes to her chest, her expression complex as she watched the man's retreating figure.

Alina wanted to reprimand Rhodes, but the words wouldn't come out.

Seeing her neatly bandaged wounds, with the faint scent of herbs emanating from the skin that Rod had kneaded, Alina felt a pang of shame and indignation, mixed with a touch of guilt, as she recalled her previous suspicions and slander against him.

Although the process was shameful, in terms of the result, she didn't seem to have lost anything... at least it was much better than she had expected.

Besides, everything Rhodes did was for her own good.

But, but this guy's behavior is really easy to misunderstand!

If you're going to apply medicine to her, can't you at least let me know first?

Why resort to such strange methods, even poisoning food?

"The soup you made," Alina pursed her dry lips, her eyes darting around as she probed, "why was it so...special?"

"Special?" Rhodes, who was still pondering his new skill, lit up when he heard this. "You also sensed my unique formula, right?"

What?

Alina paused slightly, recalling Rhodes's cooking process, and tentatively asked, "That mushroom?"

“That’s right,” Rod said proudly, “Devil mushrooms are delicious, fleshy, and easy to grow. They’re the perfect seasoning.”

"Unfortunately, because it contains trace amounts of toxicity, many people are deterred and dare not try it." Rhodes revealed a look of unappreciated talent.

"To call something so delicious 'the devil' is such a waste, such a terrible waste!" he said with great regret.

Rod rambled on and on, but only one message reached Alina's ears.

That mushroom is poisonous.

"So you knew the soup was poisoned!" Alina stared at Rhodes, looking somewhat exasperated, and said, word by word.

"That little bit of toxicity doesn't matter, right? It won't do any harm if we eat it," Rod said matter-of-factly. "Besides, don't you think the soup tastes much better after adding the devil mushrooms?"

Seeing Rod's arrogant and unconvinced attitude, Alina was speechless.

How could anyone knowingly eat poisonous mushrooms?

Just because it tastes good?

Alina found it absurd.

She took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling, and for a moment her brain stopped working.

"Is it really my fault?"

As night fell, the firelight inside the stone house gradually dimmed, the chirping of insects rose and fell in the forest, and a faint scent of herbs lingered in the air.

After cleaning up the leftovers, Rod, while taking off his clothes, casually instructed Alina, who was fidgeting on the bed:

"Get ready to rest, we have to get up early tomorrow."

"Then, where will I sleep?" Alina looked around nervously.

There was only this one bed in the whole room; there were no other beds.

Could it be that he wants to sleep with me?

"Of course, it's the bed," Rod said with a look that said, "I'll take one side each."

"Using this line as the boundary, you sleep on the left, I'll sleep on the right, and we won't intrude on each other's space," he even drew a line on the sheet with his arm, emphasizing, "Don't cross the line."

"Huh?" Alina was stunned for a moment, then her pale face quickly turned red.

Who cares!

Do you think I'd even look at your lousy bed, you bastard?

Unfortunately, Alina only dared to say these words in her heart.

She always felt that, given Rhodes' personality, he might actually grant her wish and let her sleep on the floor.

Rod didn't think much of it. After lying down on the bed, he soon began to breathe evenly and fell into a deep sleep.

The previous battles and fusions had already exhausted his physical strength and energy, and he had only managed to hold on until now by sheer willpower.

Alina lay there stiffly, feeling the distinct presence of the man behind her, too afraid to move or sleep.

The humiliating images kept replaying in her mind, and she was so embarrassed that she frantically scratched at the sheets with her toes.

After a long time, fatigue gradually crept in, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Unconsciously, she closed her eyes slightly, as if she had returned to her warm home.

The warm breath beside her reminded her of her mother's comfort. In her sleep, Alina unconsciously moved closer and instinctively wanted to hug the other person's arm.

Rhodes, who was fast asleep, frowned. He felt something wrap around his arm and tried to escape, but the embrace only tightened.

Boom-!

A moment later, a muffled thud was heard, and the girl was kicked off the bed without warning.

"?"

The ground beneath her was cold, and Alina stared expressionlessly at someone's leg that had crossed the line.

The culprit has been found.

"Hoo..." Alina took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

Under her death stare, Rhodes not only rolled over but slept even more soundly, making Alina grit her teeth and clench her fists in frustration.

Someday, someday

She'll kick Rod off the bed just like she did today!