NOVEL NEXT Ch. 5
Chapter 5. Teacher?
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Late at night, under the subtle fluctuation of divine magic, Jiang Cheng passed through the wall of the room.
"Finally got out. Tsk, he's really strict with his watch,"
Jiang Cheng curled her lips, shaking off the blood beads left by her divine spell.
To remain inconspicuous, she was not wearing her usual nun's habit, but simply dressed in black and took a few things with her before heading out.
"Hmm~"
She raised her head, glancing at the distant city center, where neon-lit skyscrapers gleamed.
There stood the continent's largest auction house, the Flowing Silver Auction House.
Jiang Cheng had once, under the guise of her mentor identity, left something in a safe there.
Quietly moving forward, she planned to retrieve that item today to avoid any unexpected changes.
"Bang"—suddenly, a young boy dashed out from the shadows, bumped into Jiang Cheng, apologized hastily, and continued running.
Jiang Cheng keenly sensed that something was missing from her person. Upon checking, she found that one gold coin was missing from the small pouch she carried.
Lifting her gaze towards the direction where the boy had run, the gear-shaped divine emblem turned in Jiang Cheng's eyes, locking onto him from afar.
She was about to teach this little thief a lesson, but paused when she noticed a mark on the back of his hand.
"Oh, it's him,"
Jiang Cheng narrowed her beautiful eyes, a smile curving at her lips.
As a novel centered around the hero defeating the Demon King, the original story naturally featured a main cast.
According to the narrative, Lyle would meet a new companion in each city he visited—though it must be said these companions were pretty useless in boss fights.
And that boy in the distance was, in fact, the key character who would join the main cast in the Adventurer City.
In her previous life, many readers, frustrated by the uselessness of the main cast, referred to them as "useless side quest rewards"—practically collectibles.
However, from the perspective of Jiang Cheng, who had re-read the original dozens of times,
rather than calling them useless side quests, it was more accurate to say each one was an important hidden side quest leading to the true ending.
It's just that, in the original, Lyle had failed to complete any of these pre-requisite quests.
"Heh," at that thought, Jiang Cheng snorted coldly. "That idiot."
The great Hero really was both foolish and kind~
Not only did he miss many of the requirements, even those he'd half-discovered, he'd never pursue because of his kindness.
Clearly, if only they'd died, the events in every city could've actually been resolved for real.
"Never mind. I was planning to bring Lyle to look for him tomorrow anyway; now I have the perfect excuse."
Lost in thought, Jiang Cheng discovered she'd already nearly reached the auction house's entrance.
In a flicker, Jiang Cheng's appearance changed instantly.
Beneath her short, silvery hair shone a pair of emerald green eyes; her delicate face still carried a hint of youthful innocence.
But those pointed ears unmistakably marked her as an elf—no one would dare to underestimate her.
Entering the auction house, Jiang Cheng approached the reception and softly said, expressionless:
"I'm here to retrieve an item, alpha-class confidential compartment, number 23."
At hearing such a high level of confidentiality, the staff member visibly froze, straightening up seriously.
"Miss, please confirm the passphrase you left when you stored the item."
"May I ask, as one of the long-lived, what is the dream you would see fulfilled even if it takes you centuries?"
"Of course, to take care of myself first,"
Jiang Cheng looked up, her eyes—previously indifferent—now showing a rare touch of light after the change in identity,
"And my disciple."
"Passphrase correct. Please wait a moment. Our manager will personally escort you to retrieve your item shortly," said the staff member, nodding and saying no more.
"Ugh, how cheesy~ Wouldn't you say so, my dear host?" the System seized the chance to mock her.
"It's just a safety net,"
Jiang Cheng answered silently in her mind.
"With a passphrase like this, if Lyle ever discovers it, that idiot is sure to be moved."
"Really?"
The System's tone grew strange.
"But you never tried to explain yourself to me when I mocked you in the past."
"..."
Jiang Cheng said nothing. Sometimes, she really did want to kill this useless, snarky excuse for a System.
Not long after, the auction house manager hurried over, courteously inviting Jiang Cheng to follow.
She nodded and silently followed the manager; after passing through several tightly locked doors, Jiang Cheng was led to a row of exclusive safes.
"Miss, this way, please," the manager produced a key and unlocked compartment 23, stepping aside.
Jiang Cheng stepped forward, raised her hand, and retrieved a small knife from the safe.
The knife was exquisitely crafted, almost decorative, inlaid here and there with gems.
Even the sheath was made from some special luminous metal.
But Jiang Cheng knew—those gems were not for show, but nodes of magical circuitry.
This knife was, in fact, the most crucial piece in her plans for the future.
"Good, everything's in order,"
Jiang Cheng nodded gently, put the knife away, and turned to leave.
The next step was, of course, to head home; the longer she stayed out, the higher the chance of being caught by Lyle.
............ A few minutes earlier.
On the other side, things were not quite as Jiang Cheng imagined—Lyle was not diligently keeping watch over her.
"Asleep?"
Lyle softly entered Jiang Cheng's room. Seeing her sleeping soundly on the bed, he asked quietly.
Using a touch of magic to confirm, he determined the person before him truly was Jiang Cheng—and really was asleep. Lyle nodded.
Since this woman was already asleep, there was no need for him to keep an eye on her. He had his own matters to attend to.
Of course, he wasn't thinking about completing the trial mission, but rather... to look for someone he wished to find.
And in this very city, Lyle clearly remembered how his teacher often brought him here for shopping.
"Teacher..." he murmured, his gaze determined.
Here in this Adventurer City, he was resolved to find clues about his teacher!
Exiting Jiang Cheng's room and closing the door, Lyle donned a coat and slipped out of Jiang Cheng's house.
But where should he start looking for traces of his teacher?
Lyle stared at the glitter of nightlife before him, momentarily at a loss.
Thanks to the mechanical technologies blessed by the God of Adventurers, this city was the most technologically advanced on the continent, and its night life was naturally vibrant.
Having never strolled this city alone at night before, the dazzle of the lights left him dazed.
Right! Shopping!
Lyle suddenly recalled why his teacher used to bring him here each time.
Shopping—and if he remembered right, his teacher was also some kind of 'black gold member,' so the auction house must have clues about his teacher!
With that, Lyle turned to glance at the tall buildings at the city center in the distance and dashed off.
"Huff, finally made it," before long, Lyle arrived at the entrance to the Flowing Silver Auction House.
After sprinting frantically, the distance of half the city took him just a few minutes.
Still panting, Lyle was just about to enter the auction house and inquire about his teacher,
when...wait! Lyle abruptly froze, closed his eyes, and used a bit of magic to enhance his senses, searching carefully.
No mistake!
How could it be? His teacher's presence was here! And what's more—it was fresh!
Lyle lifted his head and stepped into the auction house.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
It's like a game of cat and mouse...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】