Chapter 130 – Echoes (VI)

Chapter 130

Echoes (VI)

Just before entering the tent arranged for us, I remembered that I had this nifty little tool called ‘magic eyes’. Honestly, my memory of it comes and goes, and if I had been just a bit faster, I could have checked out that weirdo that swung by for a moment.

Alas, I was not.

Which left me with the young woman.

[–Creator’s Eyes used]

[… Anomaly Detected]

[Spend 100 CP to ignore the inspection barriers the Target has set up?]

… you know what?

I’m good.

No, really, I’m good.

I need to have some points in reserve in case I immediately need to create specific art, and ‘unlocking’ her screen would put a hefty dent in that, bringing me to just a little bit above 100.

Besides, I don’t need the headache. If it was a minor expenditure–say, 10 points–I’d have considered it, but 100 suggests something on the level of Light, and I just don’t want to know. I don’t care what it is that she’s hiding; so long as she’s not trying to kill us, she can keep her secrets.

“Here you go; you can settle in first. I have to go and report,” she said, sounding less than enthused.

“Thank you,” I said. “And good luck.”

“Hm.”

She flashed me a faint smile before disappearing, after which I led the kids into what looked to be a rather spacious tent.

To be honest, I’d been sneakily hoping it was one of those world of wizardry tents that would be an actual mansion inside, and though there is some of that spatial magic applied, it was just barely large enough for all of us to fit–and not with any level of comfort.

At least there was wood covering the ground so there’d be no bugs coming from under the dirt, and the tent was ‘spliced’ into three sections, if you could even call it that.

The entryway where there was a small table and a few prayer mats around it, and the two back ‘chambers’ that looked to be where people slept. I don’t know about the kids, but I ain’t sleeping while we’re here. I don’t trust any of these lads and gals more than I trusted a mosquito not to bite me.

“Haah,” Wan Lan exhaled deeply and sat down; unfortunately, she didn’t manage to learn the art in time and change her face. Even if she had, however, she couldn’t really do it, as she’s already been seen. Alas, for now, it seems that nobody has recognized her, so it should be fine.

“Master, I don’t like this place,” Dai Xiu said. “It feels… weird. The air is sticky.”

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… anybody mind translating that?

“It’s not sticky, Senior Sister.” Thank you, Xi Zhao. “It’s buttery.”

Alright, that’s even more confusing! What the hell does that mean?!

“I feel it’s more… stinky?” Light also contributed, and I sought solace in the remaining two–Long Tao was sitting with his eyes closed, seemingly meditating and entirely divorced from everything, and Wan Lan… Wan Lan is my kindred spirit! She looked just as confused as I felt.

“Alright, you three. You should go rest for a little while,” I said.

“Yes, Master!” Luckily, they were still quite obedient, so they immediately shuffled to the back of the tent, leaving the other three of us behind.