Implantation
The streets were bustling with life, starkly contrasted by the sorrowful cries of a young girl. The bystanders dissipated quickly, death something they’d seen all too often in the desert. They were all in a hurry to strike it rich, so who would care for something like this? A few thugs even eyed the coin pouch in front of the girl.
They were also looking at her person. Even though she was very young, beauty shone through her crying face. There would probably be many people who’d want someone like her. Selling her to child traffickers would be profitable.
‘Interesting… How will things progress from here?’ Leylin watched on with his arms in front of his chest, apathetic like a god up above. He wouldn’t be moved by the lives of these individuals.
His focus suddenly shifted in another direction, at a monk that headed over slowly. He had a pugilistic aura, with short brown hair, thick eyebrows and a weak-looking gaze. He only wore coarse sack clothing, with patches all over it making it look tattered. He only wore one shoe.
The monk even had a putrid smile, causing the crowd to distance themselves from him.
‘A monk!?’ A trace of fear shone in Leylin’s eyes. This person was powerful, already at the legendary realm.
Monks were people devils did not want to meet at all. They rejected the pleasures of life, their staunch souls not corroded by anything. Meeting a legendary monk was like hitting a jackpot.
‘There’s a monk here at this time… Does it have anything to do with the floating city?’ Leylin frowned. That adventuring team with near-legendary strength wasn’t worthy of his attention, but he’d have to focus on this monk’s actions. Were their targets the same, another variable would be added to his plan.
“Let me try…” The monk approached the crying girl and spoke with a hoarse voice, as if he had not drunk water in a long time.
“Boohoo… It’s not use. The mercenary just now already said that unless you’re a high-ranked priest…” Vivian wept, but still passed the coin pouch filled with copper to him, evidently treating him as a beggar.
“Thank you, kind-hearted young lady, but I can’t accept any gifts or money…” He smiled gently, and then moved closer to the unconscious adventurer. “It’s the Hellthorn Flower, a common and very poisonous flower seen at the edges of the desert. But it’s already mutated a few times… This will be difficult.”
A bundle of warm light emanated from the monk, and seeped into the body of the adventurer on the ground. The healing light caused the adventurer to improve visibly.
The spell naturally attracted the attention of bystanders, and someone with good eyesight soon exclaimed, “Poison Removal? No, that’s True Resurrection!”
“A rank 9 divine spell that one has to be rank 19 to cast…” Everyone froze, their eyes trained on the monk with reverence. It was a respect for strength. Seeing the situation changing, the thugs disappeared into the corners of the streets, leaving in the blink of an eye.
“Ugh…” The bruising on the adventurer’s lips dissipated, and he blinked before opening his eyes completely. He looked at the little lady in front of him. “What’s wrong, Vivian? Where am I now?”
“Uncle! Uncle, you’re awake!” Teardrops sparkled on Vivian’s face as she threw herself into his embrace.
“Uncle, you fainted on the road. It scared me so much! This grandpa saved you,” Vivian said as she pointed to the monk.
“Thank you very much, grandmaster!” The adventurer knew his adventures much better than the girl did, and therefore understood the strength and abilities of the person who had healed him. Upon hearing this, he immediately got up to thank the monk, and then reached for his coin pouch.
Priests required a fee to cast spells on their believers. A high-ranked divine spell was very expensive.
“There’s no need for that… We clerics are duty-bound to help the injured and dead…” The monk shook his head and rejected the man with a smile, and then swaggered into the market. However, nobody dared to underestimate him this time.
As he left, the monk’s dark eyes scanned the area Leylin had been in. Seeing nobody there, he looked puzzled.
Only after the monk’s figure disappeared from the streets did the adventurer leave with the girl. It was then that Leylin walked out from the shadows.
“Tsk tsk… as expected of a legendary. His senses are better than that swordsman…” Leylin sighed, heart heavy. If this man was also here to contest for the floating city, things would be very troublesome for him. And his instincts told him that this was almost certainly the case.
‘Ugh… It seems like more than one organisation knows about the appearance of the floating city…’ Leylin looked grim, ‘Looks like I’ll need to make my move as soon as possible…’
……
Night soon fell. Lights and fire emerged everywhere in the market, illuminating the dark area.
The market bustled with activity even at night. However, once the moon crawled halfway across the sky, the shops that had been boisterous before turned completely silent. The merchants and the rest entered their dreams after a long day.
‘Dreamscape View!’ Leylin currently stood at the top of a tower, eyes flickering with strange red lights as a red crack appeared on his forehead. Scattered spots appeared all over the town in his vision, twinkling like the stars in the sky.
These various starlike spots were actually the dreams of different people. Those that were whitish in colour belonged to the weakest commoners. Professionals were much more dazzling, while high-ranked ones were bright as torches. The legendaries were like pillars of light reaching into the skies, obvious in an instant.
‘The dreams of regular humans are far too weak. If I’m not careful, I could kill a whole bunch…’
These dreams showed Leylin things that hadn’t been revealed in the day.
‘First is Jafar… Hmm, that beast hide was something you picked up by accident. No wonder you didn’t know its true value…’ Shifting his attention from a dim speck, Leylin glanced towards the west, looking serious.
‘As expected of a legendary monk. I can’t see through him, nor his dreams… Not like I intend to deal with him anyway. Dream Eater is a trump card, and I’d be foolish to cast it even before I see the floating city…’
WIthout alarming him, Leylin found his main target. There were dazzling dreams in the inn, like pillars of light. Leylin could see them through Dreamscape, and almost visualise a young man who’d been practising his sword skills from a young age.
‘Here you are…’ Leylin smiled slightly, launching dark red dreamforce that formed a winged eyeball.
“Go!” With Leylin’s command, the eyeball flapped its wings and flew into one of the dreams.
With the Nightmare Absorbing Physique, Leylin’s grasp of dreamforce had reached great heights. With the different system of power being applied on him, the target didn’t even notice the eyeball.
……
Many merchants aimed to make use of the cool weather in the morning, walking the path of hopes and dreams. The high-ranked Professionals began their journey as well.
“What’s wrong, Allerie?” The white-robed swordsman asked the wizard journeying with them, puzzled.
“It’s nothing much. I just recalled my dream last night, and it was a little disgusting…” The wizard had a terrible look on her face, and she retched. There were dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn’t had a good rest the whole night.
“Dream? Disgusting?” The swordsman was startled, but he didn’t ask further.
“Yes, it was just a dream!” she repeated, as if trying to encourage herself. However, at the thought of the vivid dream, the wizard couldn’t help but tremble, even as a high-ranked spell caster.
She’d actually swallowed a winged eyeball whole in her dreams! It had been exceedingly vivid, to the point that her throat still remembered that disgusting and greasy feeling.
“Could this be some specific curse… No, no, I’ve already checked properly. There’s nothing strange. That was just a nightmare. But… why did I dream of that…” She looked confused and touched her forehead, “Looks like I’ll need to get something to soothe my nerves tonight…”
Within the town, Leylin glanced at the map in his hands while looking deep in thought. The situation of the little group appeared in a crystal ball next to him, the point of view that of the wizard.
“The implantation was successful. Now that I have their position, they won’t be able to escape…” Leylin was rather satisfied with his work. These guides would make his own journey more convenient.
Having them show the way, he could follow their path at a distance. There was no danger or trouble whatsoever. Watching them from such a large distance, it was impossible for him to be discovered.