"Try this natural aura-gathering formation I printed on the fabric," Flint said, adjusting her long-sleeved shirt which she had already printed with runes to block natural aura flow. She'd been working on this runes before Seedling stole the glue back.
Seedling held up the piece of bedsheet Flint had cut, examining it from different angles before tentatively laying it across her arm. Her eyes widened almost immediately, but suddenly, her brows furrowed.
"I can feel more Flux natural aura in my arm," Seedling said, trying to hastily pull the fabric off, "but then it suddenly went numb."
"Numb?" Flint was instantly reminded of the paralysis she felt when Stasis natural aura flowed into her limbs. "How can you absorb Stasis?"
"Huh? My Stasis spirit root is Deficient - you even asked me about this before." Seedling shook her left arm vigorously as if trying to restore sensation.
"Something's strange..." Flint pondered for a moment before continuing, "but we can probably fix it. We just need to filter the absorption so it only takes in Flux."
Though Seedling didn't quite understand the technical explanation, she nodded.
"Let's go eat!" she exclaimed, tugging at Flint's sleeve enthusiastically, her fox tail swishing with anticipation.
"You go ahead. I need to research something, including your new runes." Flint's eyes remained fixed on the Mystic Terminal's screen. While Seedling had been 'borrowing' adhesive materials earlier, she'd discovered some concerning information buried in Raven's puppet documentation.
"But you haven't eaten all day!" Seedling stared at her friend in confusion before her eyes lit up with realization. "Wait, did you breakthrough to Adept level?"
"I don't think so..." Flint considered for a moment. "But as strange as it sounds, I actually don't need food or sleep. Similar to Adept cultivators, I suppose."
"Oh, that's interesting! So what else are you researching? Except my new Flux gathering formation." Seedling seemed to accept this revelation with characteristic ease.
"I suspect..." Flint hesitated, weighing whether to share her discovery. "The Mystic Enigma Pavilion might be monitoring the entire Celestial Sword Sect."
"Monitoring?!" Seedling's eyes widened, her tail now swishing with excitement rather than hunger. She brought her fist to her lips thoughtfully - an unusually serious gesture for her. "Actually, that makes sense. The four great families in Wind-Charm territory all spy on each other too."
She really doesn't see this as a big deal... Flint shrugged, turning back to her research.
Alone at last, Flint applied her special rune patch to the back of her neck - much like one might apply a medicinal plaster. This particular formation was meant to guide the flow of different types of natural aura derived from Genesis, her latest experiment in controlling her unique energy.
She first checked the documentation about the natural aura-gathering formation she had just written. Apparently, these types of runes could force nearby people to absorb all types of natural aura. This was quite different from the Celestial Sword Sect's natural aura-gathering formations, which simply increased the concentration of natural aura in the surrounding area and were typically inscribed on the pedestals in the Aura Meditation Grounds.
After fixing Seedling's new runes, Flint dove back into the Mystic Terminal's manual. Following its instructions, she discovered a search function for nearby puppets. Her fingertips danced across the crystal interface, activating the scan.
The results were surprisingly sparse - just a single cleaning puppet downstairs, designated as "Ice VII 174."
Only one? she thought, perhaps others are cleaning elsewhere, recalling the numerous puppets she'd seen around the sect. The interface prompted her for a password when she tried to access more information for the specific puppet. On a whim, she typed in "password."
ACCESS DENIED flashed across the screen in pulsing red runes.
Of course it wouldn't be that simple, Flint smiled wryly at her own attempt. She'd need to be more creative to unravel the Mystic Enigma Pavilion's secrets.
Flint exhaled slowly, feeling an unusual heaviness in her mind after using the Mystic Terminal for so long. The sensation reminded her of what others described as tiredness, though she'd never truly experienced the need for sleep before.
She rested her head on her hand at the desk, eyes closed but mind still clear, letting herself drift into a waking dream. The memory of the Mystic Enigma maintenance team's visit played through her thoughts. She focused particularly on Iris - the way the woman's crystal earclips had glowed faintly while interfacing with the puppets. Perhaps those exchanges weren't just maintenance commands, but authentication codes...
When she opened her eyes again, dawn light was streaming through the window.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
So I can sleep after all, she mused, even if I don't dream. The rune formation she'd printed on her neck was working perfectly, automatically maintaining the Genesis flow that she used to have to control through constant concentration. Thanks to this automated control, she could finally experience true rest.
She decided to join the breakfast crowd in the dining hall today, hoping to observe the puppets there for any new insights.
The time was still early, and although the dining hall was open in the morning, there weren’t many people. She methodically studied each puppet's movements and patterns.
After circling past every puppet in the hall, she found no obvious breakthrough points.
I have money now, she suddenly thought, remembering the twenty thousand spirit stones left over from her purchase of the Mystic Terminal from Raven. Might as well try actually buying food herself.
She bought a bowl of wontons and settled into a corner seat at a empty four-person table. The broth's steam rose in delicate swirls before her, but she found herself distracted by an unsettling awareness - ripples of "curiosity" and "unease" emanating from behind her. It felt as though multiple passersby were staring, though whenever she turned to look, their gazes would quickly dart away.
She heard a familiar voice behind her: "Look who's bold enough to wear runes openly after absorbing souls."
The voice... it was familiar, but Flint's memory was hazy. After a moment's thought, she recognized it as Pierce Everett.
As she turned around, another voice cut through the air, sending an inexplicable shiver through her. Something about it felt both achingly familiar and profoundly sad.
It was Spark, who now had Pierce's collar in his grip, snarling, "Watch your filthy mouth before I make you regret having one."
"Spark..." Flint called out softly, her voice trailing off. The words caught in her throat as uncertainty clouded her thoughts - she wasn't even sure if they could still be called friends anymore.
Pierce shot Spark a contemptuous glance before raising his hand with fluid grace. A sphere of Void natural aura materialized, swirling with dark emptiness, before slamming into Spark's abdomen. The impact sent him flying backward, his body crashing against a cleaning puppet with a sickening thud. The void sphere dissipated into nothingness, leaving only the echo of its devastating force behind.
All eyes turned to the scene, yet besides Spark's bloodied lip, nothing seemed amiss - no trace of the violent attack remained in the tranquil dining hall.
Light natural aura gathered around Spark's clenched fists, blazing with his fury. However, the approaching puppet's blue crystal eyes suddenly flashed crimson. Spark's fingers curled back into fists, the gathered aura dissolving into nothing.
The puppet's eyes returned to their normal blue as it addressed Spark: "Please step aside. We need to retrieve the damaged puppet."
Flint approached, seeing the shattered puppet head. Through the cracked shell, she glimpsed a crystalline core wrapped in intricate silver circuitry, pulsing with a faint blue glow. The term "central processing module" suddenly surfaced in her mind, though she wasn't sure why she knew it.
But now, she needed to calm Spark down first. Flint helped him to his feet, and he didn't resist her support. They walked in silence before Spark bought his food and sat across from her at the table.
Only then did it fully hit her - they hadn't shared a meal together in over a week.
"It's been a while," Flint said, breaking the silence.
Spark just nodded, saying nothing as he lifted a wonton to his mouth with his spoon.
Their roles seemed reversed now - Flint had become the one trying to start conversation.
"Um... thanks for standing up for me back there," Flint ventured, trying again to bridge the silence.
Spark continued eating without response, though she noticed a subtle shift in his posture.
The absence of Genesis management had freed Flint's mind, making her more present and natural in conversation. This subtle change in her demeanor caught Spark's attention, though he couldn't quite place what felt different about her focused gaze.
"About Raven..." Flint started hesitantly.
Spark finally looked up, his golden eyes cold. "I don't like her."
"Um, I just wanted to say she seems to have left," Flint swallowed, her body shivering slightly at Spark's sudden response.
Spark glanced at her expressionlessly before returning to his food.
Doesn't she have anything else to say? Spark wondered, not sure what he was expecting. Something about past life connections not being binding in this life, perhaps.
Flint took a deep breath. What would Raven do to comfort a boy? she thought to herself.
"I've been thinking about something interesting," Flint ventured.
"What is it?" Spark replied, his tone neutral though she caught a hint of interest beneath his attempted indifference.
"If our jade tablets were a bit bigger, like one-fifth of the Mystic Terminal you played with last time..." As soon as Flint mentioned "Mystic Terminal," she sensed an eerily distinct flow of Stasis natural aura. She turned her head, but saw only the usual dining hall scene - people carrying food trays, conversations at different tables, cleaning and serving puppets going about their duties...
Her gaze lingered on the crystal eyes of the puppets... she could have sworn they had just glanced at her.
"Um..." Flint gathered herself, proceeding more cautiously now. "Something you could hold with one hand to play games like 'Flying Raven'... do you think that has potential?"
"I have zero interest in that game." Spark's golden eyes were cold enough to make Flint shiver slightly.
Is this all she has to say to me? A wave of disappointment washed over Spark.
Flint fell silent, unnerved by the pulse of Stasis natural aura she'd sensed. The thought that the Mystic Enigma Pavilion might be monitoring the entire Celestial Sword Sect weighed heavily on her mind.
Why the hell did she stop talking? Spark felt a flash of irrational anger. All she can do is asking me about games?
But he collected himself, maintaining his noble bearing. "What's that on your neck?"
"Oh?" Flint reached up to touch the rune formation she'd grown accustomed to wearing. She could still feel the natural aura flowing through it. "I've been learning runic language. It helps guide the... many types of natural aura in my body."
"Many types?" Spark's eyebrow arched slightly.
A cleaning puppet glided past their table, its crystal eyes briefly catching the morning light. Flint lowered her voice instinctively.
Leaning in close, Flint whispered near Spark's ear, barely audible: "I’ve told you that I have a kind of intangible force, named Genesis. It divides into different types of natural aura. The runes help guide them where they need to go."
Her secretive manner made Spark instinctively lower his voice as well. "I understand."
"I'm finished eating. Should we talk outside?" Spark suggested quietly, glancing around.
Flint nodded, and they cleared their trays before heading out. Once outside, she shielded her mouth with one hand and leaned close to Spark's ear: "I think the puppets might be monitoring the Celestial Sword Sect."
The unexpected closeness made Spark freeze momentarily before he processed her words. The possibility sent a chill through him as he surveyed the puppets going about their usual routines. They looked the same as always, yet somehow different now that he viewed them through this new lens of suspicion.
"How did you find out?" Spark asked about Flint's source.
Flint shook her head. "I can't tell you that." After all, she'd promised Raven to keep the Mystic Terminal a secret.
A slight frown crossed Spark's face at her refusal, but he didn't press further.
Her mind wandered back to the damaged puppet from earlier - specifically its central processing module, that crystal sphere wrapped in silver circuitry giving off a faint blue glow. She was itching to get her hands on one to study.
"I should go," Flint said, preparing to leave.
"Are you going to training today? Didn't see you there yesterday," Spark asked.
"No, I skipped it," Flint replied casually. The Celestial Sword Sect was typically strict with Outer Sect disciples in their first year, but loosened up afterward since their cultivation levels would have naturally diverged by then - some reaching Middle Initiative while others remained at Early Initiative.
"So you're skipping today too?" Spark asked, fighting back an inexplicable surge of irritation. How did Flint advance so quickly when she barely seemed to train?
"Mm," Flint nodded before walking away.
———
Flint weighed the central processing module in her hand. The storage room had been surprisingly accessible - just a place for broken puppets that no one expected anyone would want to steal. It hadn't even been locked.
Back in her dormitory, she sat before the Mystic Terminal, studying how to interface with the CPM. As she examined the crystalline sphere with its delicate silver circuitry pulsing with that ethereal blue glow, a sudden intuition gripped her. She felt as though she stood on the precipice of uncovering something massive - a secret that ran far deeper than simple puppet surveillance.