Wu Yao pushed open the tavern door. The afternoon sun poured down over her head, spreading a cozy warmth across her face.
The mess on the street had been hastily cleared. The cratered road from the explosions was filled with a layer of fresh soil, its color much lighter than the old stone slabs next to it, looking like a patched piece of old clothing.
There was hardly anyone to be seen on the street. Occasionally, a window would crack open, only to slam shut the moment Wu Yao's gaze swept over it. From behind the wooden shutters came hushed whispers and the sound of hurried, retreating footsteps.
Wu Yao didn't care what these NPCs whispered about her behind her back; she only had eyes for her chosen, beloved skill trainer.
Although she had a faint feeling that the other party was secretly tailing her, she couldn't drag her out if she refused to show herself.
To make a good impression, she had done her best to suppress her urge to break into houses and rummage through things.
Along the way, past so many doors and shops, she had strictly kept her hands to herself.
Yet, the other party remained cooped up in the shadows. If this dragged on, she would neither learn any skills nor loot any items, ending up empty-handed on both fronts.
Wu Yao stopped in her tracks. Her gaze swept across the alley on the other side of the street. The sunlight cut in at an angle, leaving a sharp boundary of light and shadow at the entrance. The inside was pitch-black, revealing nothing.
That was the perfect place for someone to hide.
She took a deep breath and shouted toward that direction, “Come out and chat! Stop hiding!”
Her voice echoed into the narrow alley, startling a few birds into flight.
After the wind swept away the last of her words, the alley fell back into silence.
Wu Yao crossed her arms, tapping her foot on the ground as if counting down.
“I know you've been following me—”
She drew out her words, deliberately trailing her voice high and far.
The shadow stirred.
As if someone were peeling a thin veil off the wall, a mundane black shadow slowly distorted. Like a handful of water scooped up by an invisible hand, it coalesced into an outline, revealing a human form.
A large hood and a black robe wrapped her entire body tightly, leaving only a sliver of a chin that was so pale it almost glowed.
She even had time to change outfits.
Wu Yao hadn't forgotten her beloved trainer's original, simple outfit. She actually cared about her appearance.
“You shouted so loudly just now,” she finally spoke.
Her tone was very peculiar; the pitch of each word was slightly higher than normal, and the endings trailed upward a bit, as if she were singing.
“Would you have come out otherwise?” Wu Yao naturally had her reasons.
“You are a witch,” she said bluntly.
“Of course.” Wu Yao conjured a ball of fire as if showing off. The orange-red tongues of flame licked the air, casting flickering shadows over the grin on her face.
Seeing this, the woman couldn't help but take a small step forward. Remembering something, she stopped herself and said seriously, “You will be hunted if you do this.”
“It is very dangerous,” the woman repeated, a hint of worry creeping into her tone. “One of the mages didn't die. You will be hunted by the Mage Association.”
“Oh, I'm invincible,” Wu Yao grinned.
The woman was choked up by her words. Her hood tilted slightly, as if she were turning her head to size up this boastful little witch.
She opened her mouth, then closed it, temporarily at a loss for how to respond.
“So, do you want to be my skill trainer?”
The transition in her words was as jarring as a wall suddenly blocking the middle of the road.
The woman failed to see any causal connection between the two.
“What do you say?”
The woman's gaze fell upon the smiling curve of her face. “If you are invincible, why do you still need a trainer?”
Without a shred of shame, Wu Yao said righteously, “As the saying goes, 'When three people walk together, there is always one who can be my teacher.' Haven't I just run into my trainer?”
The woman wore a thoughtful expression. After pondering for a moment, she asked, “What does that mean?”
Wu Yao explained her intentions in detail. “You teach me skills like Stealth and Assassination as my trainer. Rest assured, I will definitely make it worth your while!”
“‘When three people walk together, there is always one who can be my teacher,’” the woman slowly recited the phrase, drawing out the syllables like a chant. “What does it mean?”
Wu Yao was temporarily tongue-tied. An NPC was actually digging into classical Chinese syntax.
She muttered vaguely, “It means that if three people walk together, there must be someone among them who can be my teacher.”
After speaking, she guiltily looked away. She vaguely recalled that "three" in this context didn't necessarily mean the literal number, but explaining classical Chinese grammar to an NPC? Better not.
The woman pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke softly, “That is a human saying, is it not?”
Wu Yao's eyes darted. So her beloved trainer isn't human?
“I have traveled through many human settlements.” She did not wait for Wu Yao's answer, her tone remaining indifferent.
“You humans are very good at stealing techniques. The forging of the dwarves, the commerce of the goblins, the combat of the beastkin...”
Her gaze shifted, landing on Wu Yao's face. “And magic.”
“Oh, you mean that bunch of mages?” Wu Yao said disdainfully. “They didn't even learn it properly.”
“Do you call such behavior 'learning'?” The woman continued to look at Wu Yao with an inquiring gaze.
“Shouldn't you witches hate those mages? They usurped your glory yet feared your power. So many witches died in the witch hunts. Do you not hate them?”
I only just found out about this game's lore myself! Wu Yao thought. Who knew a trainer would quiz me on this!
Still, she put on a sinister smile. “Of course I will make them pay.”
She had to deal with the Mage Association anyway, so it was just a matter of convenience.
The woman fell silent for a moment, then raised her hand to pull back her hood.
The alley fell completely silent as the wind seemed to pause. The moment the hood fell away, light poured down from the top of her head like water.
Her golden hair was more dazzling than the sunlight, and her azure eyes were as deep as the ocean. But what Wu Yao instantly caught was the pair of pointed ears peeking out from her golden locks.
Finely contoured with slightly upturned tips, the translucent cartilage and fine golden fuzz on them were visible under the sunlight.
“An elf?” Wu Yao blurted out.
The woman nodded slightly, formally greeting her. “My name is Sylvia, of the Silver Branch Clan.”
Her index finger remained resting on her chest as her blue eyes looked directly at Wu Yao. “Greetings.”
Wu Yao mimicked her gestures, holding her right palm upward, sweeping her arm in a semi-circle from her side, bringing it up to her chest, and then tapping her index finger against her own heart. She asked curiously, “What does this mean?”
Sylvia's golden eyelashes fluttered slightly in the sunlight as she patiently explained, “This is the etiquette of the Silver Branch Clan when meeting an honored guest.”
Wu Yao raised an eyebrow and immediately seized the opportunity. “Then does that mean you agree to be my skill trainer?”
Rate on N.U.
