Chapter 393: Temporary Residence
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 393: Temporary Residence
Three simple words. In that moment, I learned the chill they carried in this language.
Yet, for some reason, the more I understood that coldness, the more I wanted to smile.
When we first met in the dream, the girl before me had been helpless, weak, pitiful, and numb. Now, she could speak those words with such composure.
It spoke volumes about how much had changed.
The moment she uttered "Kill them," the men lying on the ground like slaughtered pigs began to struggle frantically. Their mouths worked desperately, trying to scream or plead, but thanks to my Silence Spell, not a single syllable escaped.
In truth, even if they could speak, I wouldn't have understood them. I couldn't be bothered to link them to a Consciousness Communication Spell.
Watching these ordinary people, utterly incapable of resistance, I felt I finally understood something.
I understood the meaning of power.
Back at the Witch Academy, my perspective had been limited. I hadn't placed much importance on mastering raw strength, believing it to be merely a byproduct of knowledge and skill. But looking at it now, in a different environment, the possibility arises that knowledge and skill are actually the subordinates of power.
After all, countless fools who possess great strength constantly prove that knowledge and skill aren't strictly necessary on the path of power.
But that is just a matter of personal perspective. I was lucky enough to be reborn into a peaceful world and enroll in the Witch Academy; why shouldn't I choose the path I enjoy?
Looking back at this girl, Qiu Ruxin—she certainly was decisive.
Of course, that was assuming she had the courage to actually do the deed herself, rather than just talking about it.
* * *
"There you go, all settled. Bring any more good stuff to my scrap yard next time, alright?"
"Mhm."
I took the money, deftly avoiding the middle-aged man's attempt to brush against my hand and take liberties. I gave a cold snort in response.
I walked out of the scrap yard and headed to a small shop nearby that was still open late at night to buy some water and food.
"Drink some water. Still feeling unwell?" I asked, handing her a bottle.
"Thank you... but no..." Qiu Ruxin looked at the water sloshing in the bottle. It reminded her of blood flowing like water, and she began to gag.
I smiled but said nothing, silently pulling the bottle back and leading her away.
As we left, I gazed at the distant fire that lit up nearly half the sky. The blaze was still roaring, yet no one had come to put it out. They just let it burn. I really wondered what was wrong with this world.
Still... the flames had erased the traces of death and stripped the last bit of value from that abandoned factory. As for the remaining valuables, I had dragged them here and sold them. Thus, my first... no, my second windfall in this other world was secured. The first had come from robbing those thugs.
As for how those men had passed away... I glanced at the visibly distressed Qiu Ruxin. The answer was obvious; I had only been responsible for cleaning up the scene.
And what can't a massive fire handle?
I’d certainly caused a stir right after arriving. It was a good thing this wasn't the Main World.
Or rather, the fact that the Main World could develop so peacefully without transcendents causing chaos everywhere was something I should thank the Transcendent Academy for. Their management, restraint, and enforcement were truly top-tier.
Once I felt Qiu Ruxin’s condition had stabilized, I spoke up at the right moment. "Qiu Ruxin, I have a question I’d like to ask you. Is that alright?"
"Uh... ah? Yes, go ahead."
Qiu Ruxin was starting to get used to the sensation of a voice suddenly appearing in her head. Though she blinked in surprise, she hurried to agree.
"I’m curious... in that moment, how did you arrive at that conclusion?"
"What conclusion...?"
"Don't play dumb with me. Is there anything you can't tell me? You know exactly what I’m referring to."
"Alright..." A flicker of hesitation crossed Qiu Ruxin’s eyes, but finally, with a long sigh, she prepared to explain.
"Actually, I considered many factors. But the most direct reason was... they threatened my life. I had to be... more ruthless than them."
I listened to her explanation as we walked. I had no intention of arguing. Listening to someone else's thoughts is the beginning of understanding them; to argue would be nothing more than rearranging one's own prejudices.
Originally, I had simply thought her reasoning would be a "tooth for a tooth" type of retaliation. After all, a girl's purity is often seen as equivalent to her life by young women who value it highly. Even if this was a different world, certain ideas remained surprisingly consistent.
However, as I listened to her explain her reasons, I was genuinely surprised. In this world, there was no right or wrong, only positions. No one could stand aside and judge things objectively; once a person was involved, a position was already formed.
Qiu Ruxin, being in the weaker position, knew very well that when an opportunity presented itself, she had to seize it. She had to crush her opponents so completely that they could never rise again for it to count as a victory. Any accusations of her being "too cruel" meant nothing in the face of survival.
If I hadn't appeared, she would have been violated. Even if she had managed to survive, what then?
Beyond just her position, she shared many other reasons with me—or rather, she shared her worldview and values. Her mind was incredibly active; I even found myself admiring her "eloquence."
In reality, she wasn't good with words. She stumbled over her speech the whole way, but the Consciousness Communication Spell conveyed the thoughts she couldn't describe in words to me in a way I could fully understand.
Even though she spoke hurriedly and struggled to express herself, I continued to listen in silence.
As I thought... she was a person with a rich inner world who lacked the ability to express it. People like that often find life quite difficult.
She was like me in that regard—the type who isn't good at small talk. Such people easily evoke sympathy, or rather, resonance.
But as we walked, I discovered something very strange. Qiu Ruxin was... incredibly unlucky.
Since leaving the scrap yard, she had tripped over stones three times, nearly fallen on uneven ground five times, and once... someone had thrown something out of a high window.
It was bizarre. Her physical fitness was slightly better than average—just barely stronger than an adult male—but these anomalies were too curious to ignore.
I could "see" the Luck Seed within her. Without a doubt, she was a Child of Destiny, yet her experiences were as if she were an outsider struck by a Bad Luck Curse.
It was confusing. However, these accidents weren't fatal. Even the falling object hadn't hit her head; it shattered in front of her, merely splashing her with debris.
I had seen the terror of a true Bad Luck Curse before, and Qiu Ruxin’s "misfortune" was clearly not as potent as mine.
I tried asking her about it, but she said she wasn't really sure.
"Is that so? To be born unlucky... the world truly is a mysterious place," I remarked with a smile, leading her into a small hotel.
Though the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon after our busy night, Qiu Ruxin was just an ordinary person. She had been through too much and was exhausted; she needed rest.
"Only one room?" Qiu Ruxin’s face flushed when she saw me book a single room. It was a single bed!
She knew staying here would be expensive and they didn't have much money, but two people in one room was still...
"Of course. This is for you to sleep in. I’m not sleeping. If I need to, I can book another one anytime," I said, turning my head. I took the room card and handed it to her, leading her inside.
"Oh..." Qiu Ruxin nodded, her voice thick with drowsiness. "Isn't booking another one a waste? Actually... I could just sleep on the floor..."
"No. I have a girlfriend, so I need to maintain proper boundaries. It’s just a bit of money; I’ll get my own room in a bit," I said with a wave of my hand.
"Oh, I see... Wait! Girlfriend?!" She nodded at first, but then the realization hit her. A girlfriend? How could it be a girlfriend?
Qiu Ruxin looked at the figure beside her again, unable to help herself... She wasn't seeing things, was she?
"You heard me right, and I didn't misspeak. I don't want to explain, you just need to understand," I added, seeing her confusion. I didn't expect this kind of relationship to be accepted in other worlds; even in the Main World, it wasn't exactly encouraged.
After all, it didn't help with population growth. People were a scarce resource in the Main World, and those with talent were even scarcer, so the entire Main World heavily encouraged procreation.
"This is the one. Go on in." I entered with her. The facilities were very basic—you get what you pay for.
The bed was just a narrow single. The place almost gave me the illusion of being in a prison.
"Rest here. Don't worry about danger; I’ll set up some protections with magic," I said.
In truth, I didn't have many "set-and-forget" spells. Even Protection Spells would lose control once I moved too far away.
This required a specific technique—a method from Alchemy similar to "Solidifying Spells" used in crafting alchemical items. I hadn't practiced it much, but I had researched "Inscriptions" back in Ninglan New City.
Inscriptions were runes carved onto a medium, similar to Solidification Spells. It was a jumble of half-baked techniques, but if it worked, it was a success.
Besides, I only needed a deterrent to make anyone eyeing Qiu Ruxin think twice.
On our way here, we had encountered several people with ill intentions, some even following us. I had noticed the malice this world held toward beautiful girls. Qiu Ruxin tried to stay low-profile, intentionally making herself look plain, but her natural features were still quite good. As for me... well, my temperament alone made me look completely out of place in this world.
"Thank you..." Qiu Ruxin said, her voice full of gratitude.
"Get some rest. Don't go out unless necessary. Wait for me to come back; I have some business to attend to."
I gave her a final warning before closing the door.
Looking at the hotel door, I sighed. If I had any Restriction-type spells, I could have cast them directly on the door so no one could enter from the outside. Instead, I had to carve magic runes onto it.
Fortunately, it wasn't too difficult for me.
I had to leave for a reason.
When I was learning about this world from Qiu Ruxin earlier, I had asked if there were devices like phones or computers.
The answer was yes, and they were very common. After all, an interconnected network only has meaning if it's widespread.
Originally, I had planned to use them to gather information about this world on my own.
But I quickly realized that since I didn't know the written language, those naive thoughts had to be shelved. My priority had to be learning the language; otherwise, I wouldn't even know what the news was trying to be "shocked" about.
Of course, before that, I needed to deal with a few pests—those ill-intentioned guys who had followed us out of lust.
Qiu Ruxin was right. When some people make certain choices, from a situational standpoint, they simply have to die.
I had already seen blood since arriving in this world; I didn't mind seeing a bit more.
As I stepped out of the hotel, I sensed several gazes fixated on me.
I ignored them and kept walking. It was nearly morning, but there were still shady characters loitering on the streets in the dim light.
My plan was to lead the creeps away, deal with them, and then find a secluded spot to use a Disguise Spell before returning—just to blend in with the locals.
As for learning the knowledge of this world, it would be easiest to learn from Qiu Ruxin, but she needed rest, so I had to wait.
If I approached anyone else, they’d probably think I was insane. If I even revealed my consciousness communication methods, it would likely cause a sensation.
For now, caution was the best policy.
I took a loop around the area to observe the local customs. Although my impression of the place was poor, I admired the courage of the people at the bottom, struggling and striving to survive.
As for the ones tailing me, they had already been led away by my Illusion Clones. What awaited them were my summons—Spirit Cat Summoning, Falcon Summoning, and the like.
These summons were more than enough to handle ordinary humans. Consider it a bit of urban cleaning. The biggest mistake of their lives was harboring lewd thoughts about me.
Ordinary people could never imagine the ways a Caster could lead them into a bottomless abyss while remaining completely detached, leaving not a single trace behind.
Once they were dealt with, I found a spot to completely change my appearance, turning into an unremarkable young girl. Even so, I still attracted some attention. Those idle thugs were truly starving; they’d stare at anything female.
Fortunately, no one followed me this time, saving me the trouble of doing it all over again.
With my new identity, I booked another room not far from Qiu Ruxin’s.
They didn't require an ID to check in here—or perhaps this country didn't even have such a thing.
While Qiu Ruxin slept, I needed to properly study that summoning ritual.
After all, if possible, I didn't want to stay in this world for long. The feeling this world gave me... was not good at all.