dognovel Chapter 249: Faye’s Calling Card
Chapter 249: Faye’s Calling Card
It was like a leviathan prowling beneath a placid lake; just an accidental puff of its breath was enough to warp the very density of the air. But when Aurora blinked and focused her eyes again, My Lady was still My Lady. She was shoveling food into her mouth with almost clumsy haste, a smudge of dark sauce clinging to the corner of her lips.
Shaking off the baseless, almost absurd thought, Aurora simply lowered her gaze and said softly, “It’s so good... that you’re alright.”
Pandora snorted. “You’ve mentioned that three times now, Aurora. I’m perfectly fine. Not just fine, actually...” She paused, leaving the details hanging, a meaningful smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “...I’d say I made out pretty well.”
She shifted gears, her gaze sweeping over Aurora with a mix of appraisal and curiosity. “What about you? Looks like you haven’t exactly been sitting on your hands this past year.”
Aurora seemed to have her answer ready. Her posture was straight, fingers resting lightly on the edge of her plate. “Thanks to the modified potion formulas you left behind before you went in, plus the combat experience from joining Julian’s squad, my strength has seen a noticeable bump.” She paused. “Senior Julian gave me a lot of pointers. He’s got a ton of experience, especially with squad tactics and navigating the terrain of the Dead City.”
“However,” she shifted gears, a subtle note of reflection in her voice, “he officially promoted to Master Demon Hunter three months ago. He’s already... left this Fragment World.”
“Oh?” A flicker of surprise crossed Pandora’s face, her fork freezing mid-air. “Sounds like he leveled up fast.”
“Yes,” Aurora nodded, her expression calm. “Senior Julian was already on the verge of a breakthrough, so it was only a matter of time. Before he left, he made a point to ask about you. Though, at the time, you were... still in there.”
She paused, choosing her words carefully before continuing. “But I think if he knew how you are now, he’d be pretty shocked. He warned me that he’d seen a few survivors of the Sentence of the Void. Most of them need long-term bed rest and psychiatric intervention just to function in normal society, and...” Her gaze settled on Pandora’s face, an imperceptible scrutiny in her eyes. “There’s always something missing in their eyes. Like a piece got scooped out. He told me to keep an eye out for that. But you...”
Aurora stopped, a faint, genuine warmth softening the corners of her eyes. “You just look... hungry.”
Pandora actually laughed at that. A light sound, carrying a long-absent sense of ease. She didn’t forget to spear a massive chunk of caramel-drenched pudding while she was at it, though.
“Sounds like you’ve had a pretty good year yourself.” Pandora swallowed, washing it down with a sip of her lukewarm lemon water. “So, what’s next? You planning to keep running with them? Hunting and... herding mutant zombies?”
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Aurora went quiet for a moment. Instead of answering right away, she poked at the leftover salad on her plate with her fork, the tines clinking softly against the porcelain. Finally, she looked up, meeting Pandora’s gaze dead-on. In those famously stubborn, resolute eyes was a rare, earnest directness.
“My Lady, our squad is currently looking to take on a new member.” She spoke slowly, enunciating every word. “The Dead City is dangerous, but for us, the risk-to-reward ratio is pretty manageable. After all...” She slowed down even more, her voice softening. “Having reliable comrades at your side just makes things... safer.”
It was an invitation.
The dining table fell into a brief silence. Pandora set her silverware down. The silver fork tapped against the edge of the porcelain plate with a soft clink. She picked up her drink and took another small sip.
Her gaze, however, drifted out past the rooftop’s edge. The slanting afternoon sun painted the jagged, twisted skyline of the Dead City in a hazy gold. In the distance, the dark silhouettes of buildings—choked by mutant flora or warped by unknown forces—loomed like wounded behemoths crawling along the horizon. The wind swept across the rooftop, carrying the distant, indistinguishable noise of either roars or grinding machinery.
“Aurora.” Pandora’s voice cut in, completely flat. Devoid of a single ripple. Her eyes were still fixed on that desolate, dangerous cityscape. “Thank you for the invite.”
She paused, finally turning her gaze back to the pair of eyes across from her—eyes that were waiting, holding a faint glimmer of hope. “But I’m afraid... I can’t join.”
Honestly, she didn’t really have a plan. Or rather, she only had one relatively clear, extremely short-term objective.
She needed to go see someone. The calling card Faye had left behind—Amanda Adam.
Even though she absolutely loathed the feeling of standing before Faye—that creepy, helpless sensation of having her soul seen through and toyed with. But spending that year in absolute nothingness had given her plenty of time to think.
And while her body had been pinned to the Sentence of the Void, she hadn’t just been using The Quicksilver Blood Meditation and her Witch bloodline to power-level her mental force. Aside from the raw strength gains... she had actually experienced a few other things.
The experiences and reflections of the past year gave her more than enough reason to face those eerie, terrifying, Faye-related scenes again. She could handle it now.
Naturally, she’d make some preparations beforehand. Even if those preparations turned out to be completely useless against something as bizarre as Faye.
Still, there was no need to dump all of this on Aurora. It was too heavy. And there was no need to drag her into it. Aurora cared about her. So she should care about Aurora. No point in throwing her into unnecessary danger, exposing her to things that defied common sense.
In a way, that was exactly why—aside from Elsa, whose fate was permanently hitched to her own—she kept everyone else at arm’s length. Even former acquaintances.
Some things were better experienced alone.
As for the plan after meeting Amanda Adam? She hadn’t figured that out yet. After all, who the hell knew what was actually going to happen when she got there.
“But...” Pandora’s voice broke the silence again. She looked at Aurora, offering a gentle, apologetic smile. “Even if I’m not joining the squad, we can still keep in touch.” Her tone lightened. “Maybe we can collaborate from time to time. I could supply some potions, or... lend a hand on specific missions as a temp.”
She grinned. “Assuming... you don’t turn me down.”
Even though a faint trace of disappointment from the rejection still lingered, the sliver of hope Pandora left behind was like a ray of sunlight burning away the fog that had just gathered in Aurora’s chest. She looked up at Pandora, the light returning to her eyes.
“...Of course we won’t turn you down.” Aurora’s voice was soft, but firm. “You’re always welcome, My Lady.”