[Crystal registry record: Undisclosed. Location: Humertal Halls Archive, Lumeria. Access key: Undisclosed.
Clearance Level: Stargazer.
Memory speed viewing with auto generated voice over initiated.
User Notes: Consult our approved physicians for treatment in case of anomalies with your soul.]
And the many days went by, working cases, core hunting, music playing, studying history and learning the Andurian tongue. Things were getting hectic with my schedule as Lord Sarkan adjusted according to his own judgement. A few things of note have been occurring during this time:
A lot of drinking after tasks at the Inverted Titty Bar.
Puri taught me history during the sacred day and language. He could finally throw a proper punch.
There was no sleep almost during the sacred day anymore. Pills galore.
The sacred day Starfeast had become a manifestation of the many happenings and undercurrents at play. Kletay disappearing with Krigsain “stealthily”. The princess and the Dogran guy increased interactions. Krigsain’s and the princess, “two hour dates.” Tarei, Frein and Sufyul, the new troublemaking sub trio. There were other things but they were outside of my mind or interests.
Because of these things, my midnight training during sacred day was grueling. Ciel’s training regime was anything but nice. She was very kind, unlike certain taskmaster.
I heard Iru had received a special Magi art from Lord Tanin. He kind of spilled the beans when he got drunk with more than just happiness during a feast day. I discovered Kletay was a descendant of great craft makers, no specifics. Ciel was very jealous of Krigsain and Kletay’s artifact related conversations while dining.
Later, Krigsain paid off his artifact debt towards Iru and Ciel with something very special. Ciel was glowing, no details either. The training that day was worse but she laughed gleefully all the way through. Whatever it was, it was a “chosen” artifact.
Our sacred day is different from other faiths, all is allowed as long as it is done for the Will and the well-being of the Andurin. A strange hybrid if you ask me. That means that the KK pair of artifact makers were dual cultivating with Andurian arts, not only having sex. A very quick way to reestablish a lost core for one and to imbue the Will even more strongly for the other. Something close to that, I didn’t press for answers from big guy.
Finally, three things, since I hardly slept anyhow. One, I ran out of pills. That meant a greater increase of strange dreams involving someone’s derriere, considerably when I did sleep. The need for spanking that thing was increasing.
Two, I was able to do what I set out to do with Ciel’s training. I could fire a proper marksman shot. I invested most of my pay in a bow and an arrow, strong artifacts but of one-time use. Mastercasftsman level, cultivator version thanks to my boss. A good deal.
Three, just as Krigsain had told me things were getting worse instead of getting better. I executed six killing contracts for the Inverted Titty. My heart was getting heavy preventing me from writing that damn song for a discontented succubus.
[Transmission Ending. Location: Humertal Halls Archive, Lemuria. Access Key: Undisclosed. Connection terminated.]
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Ikrei P.O.V.
Agent Black: Case 32
Today I was again in the offices of a department of the Zunar kingdom in Zunyl. Retirement Funds Management.
Even in the darkened world of blade for hire, the Titty employees do a lottery roll. You don’t get an artifact or vacation for your luck. You get to work for free, Puri told me once that the aristocratic word for this is pro-bono. A little something to prevent the general populace from instigating something out of resentment.
“One hand doeth evil, one hand doeth good, vipers from the pits of hell, sweet tongues and wicked hearts.”
Teng used to quote this scripture constantly, that is why he would never become a cultivator or better said an awakened in his homeland. I didn’t understand this cultivator business even a little back then. How can a god grant so much power to people so vile? So, he helped me in finding the Argon in the hopes of creating a connection to Zur.
‘Hope you are doing better than me, my friend.’
I transformed myself into the female attendant of the main officer of payment records. I knocked her out and gave her a few concoctions and money for the trouble. She was sound sleep back home. I studied him to the last detail, connections, friends, family records, the works.
Four whole days.
I taught all this to my client who had been a class member with him in his teen days. My client had been trying to obtain his rightful payment for his years of service. All the underlings of the department wanted a 10% cut from his money as payment for processing what should be his by law.
My client met with his former school buddy and with the help of a Thruskan bottle which I provided, reminisced merrily about their old days. With all the info gathered. The old school buddy had a grand old time. Finally ordering the payment of his money. Much to the disgust of the moneygrubbing underling bastards.
“Nothing much, but I did some good.”
The hearts of men and the gods. The eternal test from the higher powers to determine our value according to each god’s whims and designs.
‘I don’t like it, any more than you do.’
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Near Zubrik, the high mountains of Zunar…
“I have a core and it feels cold.” My breath was forming ice breath.
The griffins in these parts, place their nest really high up on the few orgon deposits that grow here. They guard them fiercely. They are allowed to remain by the kingdom for future breeding or for beastmaster training. They make wonderful mounts if you can manage it.
“I just need the egg.”
It took me more than I had anticipated. I placed charges all over the place near one of the smaller nest where the eggs were being incubated, small ones, transformed into an explosive carrying woffer rabbit. The griffins didn’t care a rabbit with a gaseous core was running around.
The charges weren’t normal either. Carrotbooms, cultivator design ingenuity, properly named Shāohóng. The reddish explosive gas from mini crystal interaction. A recipe for undetectable surprises, also used for fireworks in children parties.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
‘Yun Hee is surely grimacing on the floor again.’
The kingdom is going to be mad at me for this, if they find out. Somehow, I was enjoying my devilish little plan.
One perfectly placed trap and magic receptacle later. Everything was ready. Three days’ worth of work. I was already late. Hau Yǐngr was going to deduct pay, putting me in the red.
Krigsain’s artifact helped me with the placement of the encapsulating device, a mastercaftsman hunter’s trap bought from the Iron Eagle Guild. A probability calculation artifact that estimates requirements based on available parameters.
I spent a whole day shooting an arrow into a tree so the artifact could calculate the required shot for the hunt and the digging of the rabbit hole nearby. Using an apprentice level artifact for the inputs was taxing and almost demoralizing, my main weapon for this, was a one timer. With all preparations done, I waited for nightfall.
“I have to return muscle mass’ artifact in perfect condition or I’ll have no more free loans.”
Standing on a nearby rock to the nest, just far away from the Griffins immediate range of attack I activated my runic rings ability using half my gaseous core energy. The carrotbooms sealing was disturbed. It started a chain reaction of gasses and explosions, hundreds upon hundreds of them.
‘My money! My hard earn money!’
Red smoke filled the air. The trick wasn’t much different from Krigs’ plan against the deviators back then.
CREEK! CREEK! CREEK! CREEK! CREEK! CREEK! CREEK! CREEK! CREEK!
The chain reaction began, two breaths later a massive explosion erupted. The nest shock, my footing almost did likewise. A female griffin flew like an arrow carrying some eggs on her hybrid toe paws. I pointed with my remaining energy with my artifact bow and arrow. Infusing all the energy into them.
Krigsain’s special chosen necklace artifact activated. This was going to be another gift for Ciel.
‘The guy sure knows how to keep them in suspense, tsk.’
[Estimating trajectory on current stance and position. Three degrees right, two degrees up. Fire in three breaths]
The device spoke the instructions to follow.
‘Inhale, exhale. Release.’
Exactly three breaths later, I fired.
ZIIING!
A red tinged line of mana or blessing or whatever you want to call it traversed the air.
A shriek from the female griffin came, clean hit, the eggs fell down into the mountains.
I bolted with all my strength with my hunter’s body, well, Iron Horse body cultivator name, Tiěmǎ. My core exhausted.
I reached the placed were the trap was and picked three eggs. Whether they had properly mature or not was the gamble. I dashed a little further down and jumped into a small hole. The one I had previously prepared, transforming myself into a woffer rabbit again using my runic ring. A small ring wearing woffer rabbit. I slid down the long mini tunnel and stayed there. The transformation was going to have to last for a long while.
‘Sorry not sorry, Yun Hee. Follow your lord.’
“The kingdom knights should be coming soon. Wait it out, recover and escape.”
Several griffins were already surveilling the area looking for the culprit.
Later the kingdom would issue and immediate effective order of no hunting without a license inside the Zubrik range.
‘Thank you Rednicker Support Department.’
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Freslia P.O.V.
In the lake hotel of Klerolain Town. In the upper master suite…
Cultivator Jin and I have been talking through a special magic pearl delivered through Ikrei for quite some time.
“You don’t follow the Aesthetics, Ruism, the Zurian way or anything of the sort. You border on the original definition of a cynic, almost. Such an attractive combination for males. Yet you are without partner for many years. You are either a golden chalice or a poisoned apple, lady Freslia. Western terms for a western beauty. I find you, interesting.” Jin Jin spoke calmly.
“Among people like us, obtaining that which is our desire is valuable. Yet it is somewhat within our control. But obtaining that which has to be given willingly is truly precious. We are not normal, too many lives, too much time. Succinctly, we all search for meaning. Eventually, man chases a great god; a woman chases a great man. And sometimes just sometimes a woman worth being chased by great men appears. Most of humanity is not great.”
I knew my words wore a considerable amount of arrogance. Woman’s prerogative, to test a man.
“But it can be, most just give up too soon. Nobody tells them that honest effort is not enough.” Jin Jin pointed the sad truth.
“That is the benevolence of the cycle of reincarnation. Endless tries.” I said.
“And also the curse, unless one awakens to a certain level you will never remember.” He countered.
“I like talking with you, Jin Jin.”
“I like talking with you too, Freslia.”
Informality was the obvious course of our banter.
A brief silence.
“Qíngrén yǎnlǐ chū Xīshī. Eye of the beholder, how much am I worth to you?” I asked him politely.
“It depends on your next words, Ice Jasmine of the Andurin.”
‘Mentioning Xīshī was already a stretch, not that I felt I wasn’t near that ceiling.’
Still, he gave me a simple, straightforward compliment. In the easterner style.
I liked it. I liked it a lot.
“I am what I am. My soul is me and your soul is you. Your body is the consequence of your strength and sacrifice. In mine, it is the reward for my diligence and faith. You are graciously working in our continent, never discriminating, hands filled with blood and coin but not a hint of distrust from anyone. I find you appealing Jin Jin.”
“Glad we fell the same, even if it is for different reasons, lady Freslia. What do you propose we do? What you request is not without cost.” His gentle voice became firm.
“I find myself at a crossroads, my funds run short and I am not one to sell off my integrity. How about this? I’ll go with Mikros to see you once our lord returns and I am relieved of duties from my current post. We will do a one-time soul contract for the both of us. I won’t use my eyes. So, no Lán Shā … that’s what you guys call me, right? Blue massacre or something. My intentions are honest.”
Jin Jin was silent for a while.
“I have no intention of establishing a deep relationship with anyone, Freslia.” He was firm yet pleasant.
“Neither do I, I’ll let you hold me, we will dance, we will talk, we will play. I’ll even give you a kiss. Whatever happens after that will depend exclusively on your ability, that’s what the contract is for. That’s why Mikros will be going. Can you handle me, Jin Jin?”
I spoke very gently; I was interested after all.
“It’s all about costs and benefits for me, you know this. I doubt it will happen but what assurances can you give me in case of a lack of compatibility?”
Always the deal maker, a zero sum game with this man. At least, he is upfront.
“You sure this is 100% secure? Encrypted communication, as you say?”
“You have my word, Freslia.”
“Close your eyes for a moment, Jin Jin. I am trusting you.”
I had countermeasures I just wanted to test him some more.
“Go ahead.” He calmly closed his eyes.
The device was transmitting real time sound with a one and a half breath image delay. I turned the pearl away so that it would record the wall.
Four breaths. I had changed clothes completely. The girly side of me, the one that was almost forgotten.
When I turned the pearl bead again, he was still waiting with his eyes closed. I sealed my own power momentarily, my shining blue eyes were no more. Only the eyes, the blue eyes of Avair were there, my old self. He still had his eyes closed after waiting this long.
For a male cultivator to follow the word of a westerner awakened woman, was already a sign of great deference.
‘Good, you pass.’
“You can open them now Jin Jin. Ta da!” A girly expression I had also almost forgotten.
I knew the device had a delay so I managed to add a few words as the image became clear on his side.
“I’ll be wearing this!”
Freslia's date dress [https://i.imgur.com/efr5o3X.png]
His eyes went wide, for a moment it seemed like his almond shaped eyes turned western. I have always been a properly dressed one, modest elegant cuts. I knew this would cause a slight shock.
He recomposed himself but said nothing.
“As you can see, I am committed to giving it a shot.”
I became still, serene as the lake outside yet enticing; my next words came from the heart.
“This is the real deal, calculate with that brain of yours. This is your one and only shot.” My eyes turned bright shining blue again.
I adjusted my bosom just a bit. I was following my own made up advice.
‘Come on, show a reaction! You made of wood? These clothes are the latest western rave, among the nobles. Only four men have ever seen what you are seeing!’
I was getting worked up with no justification. First time ever, I was being this forward.
After several breaths, approximately twenty.
“You haven’t said anything. Do we have a deal?” I was sincerely asking.
“Deal! Deal!” His voice sounded equal parts enthusiastic and materialistic, somehow.
“Have plenty of Thruskan ready, I’ll need it. Xièxiè Jin Jin.”
I put my eyepatch back on. I had just shared a secret.
‘Without his help, the entire thing falls apart. Akathos and his plans.’
I turned off the device. The signal dissipated, the magic disappearing from the room.
‘I’m not sure if I have lured him or I have scared him. Maybe there’s really a reason why I am still single. Mm.’