Chapter 30 – Vast-Body Art (I)

Chapter 30

Vast-Body Art (I)

To be frank–mostly with myself–I’m not quite sure what was more depressing: that the kid had such a visceral reaction to me or that my disguise was so legitimately putrid a barely-in-puberty boy saw right through it.

For the sake of my sanity, I will go with first.

My predecessor left me saddled with so many debts (literal and metaphorical) that it kind of feels like those shark loans back on Earth, except these people here aren’t breaking my knees but my heart and my spirit, which, in a very non-literal sense, is kind of worse.

Haah, why couldn’t the kid have at least pretended?

Ah, whatever. There go all those points, down the drain. At least I was smart enough to not go for full reconstruction; I would have probably fallen into comatose depression otherwise.

As I wasn’t spirited enough for anything but sulking in the rain, I ignored the scattered stalls of the market and headed straight uphill toward my peak. There was nothing else for me to do down here anymore. Maybe scouting Daoist Mu’s disciples? But no, that old monster and I already made a deal to instead seek resources.

Besides, I have a tender feeling that both my disciples are eventually going to become resource-sucking parasites. Though all those special physiques and talents and bloodlines are amazing, they do have to come at a price–and that price was usually, well, money.

Even if I had a pretty fat savings account right now, courtesy of Elder Qin, there was still that gut feeling, as it were, telling me that shit won’t last a week eventually. Alas, it was time to start saving up.

[Quest 2 (Common) — guide a person (any person) by inspecting them and correcting any noticed mistakes — COMPLETED!]

[Reward: 50 CP]

[…]

[Creation Points: 100]

[…]

[Please wait 29 days for Quest Refresh]

… hmm? What do you mean it’s completed? Did that kid actually try? Yeah, it looks like it.

Jesus.

Just how desperate was he? There’s no way in hell he would have done it if he didn’t have a semi-literal sword hanging over his neck. But, apparently, I lucked out by ‘guiding’ the one kid that didn’t care about my putrid reputation, not even fearing that my ‘corrections’ might lead him to death.

Oh well!

His gain, my gain—we both came out richer!

100 points… the maximum I could use to create an Art at the moment. It was also like gasoline into the tanks of my legs, spurring me onward until I was all but sprinting uphill.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Why does it feel tenderly close to… gambling? Like, feeling wretched on all the days you lose, swearing you’ll save and bottle, but as soon as you win… off you go to spend it all again.

No, seriously; just 30 seconds ago, I was thinking about keeping some Creation Points ‘backed up’ in case scenarios like that pop up, and now I was sprinting uphill and to my room so I can spend them.