Fate Trading System – Chapter 286

Plan A

Divine Vestige 12

Slayer didn’t seem to understand what that sentence meant, but she subconsciously felt it must be a good thing.

Slayer sat up from under the covers, looking at Su Xin with a face full of curiosity.

“To want you… what does that mean?”

It was clear that Slayer had not been instilled with this kind of knowledge. She was unaware of the difference between normal physical contact and intimate exchange between people.

“Slayer, you’re so smart, why don’t you try to guess what I mean?”

Su Xin also sat up, propping her hands on the bed and leaning her body back slightly as she placed her feet on Slayer.

Slayer was racking her brain, trying to comprehend the meaning of Su Xin’s words with her limited knowledge.

“Xuanxuan, I…”

Slayer hesitated, unsure if she should say it.

“Say whatever you want to say. I’m waiting to hear your answer.”

Su Xin was like a very patient teacher, guiding her gently.

“If wanting you means I can possess you… or rather, own you?”

Slayer had originally thought of one word, but feeling it was a bit inappropriate, she switched to another with a similar meaning.

“That answer sounds great. What do you think?”

“I think so. Is owning you like owning those treasures? I can take them out anytime and anywhere, and they will always belong to me, until someone else snatches them from my hands.”

“That’s more or less the meaning, but I think my meaning and your understanding have a slight deviation.”

“What is it?”

“You can own me, but you cannot monopolize me. When I want to leave you, I can choose freedom, and you cannot stop me.”

“That sounds very unfair, doesn’t it?”

“But there is one benefit. I will never be snatched away by others. I am an autonomous entity.”

Su Xin truly had some thoughts, but she wasn’t sure if the person before her was a program or a person with a real body. Right now, she felt the former was more likely, and she had no desire to be in a relationship with a program.

What would she do if, after all this was over, she left the game and Slayer either disappeared or met a different fate?

But she did quite like this thief lady, who was sometimes clever and other times as muddle-headed and pure as a blank sheet of paper.

Painting one’s own colors on a blank sheet of paper was a very fulfilling and interesting thing to do.

For Su Xin, after considering all aspects, Slayer was impeccable.

Slayer was a good companion for a journey, one who could bring her much joy.

Besides, the one who crossed the line first wasn’t her, but Slayer.

But what was rather infuriating was that this person didn’t understand anything.

Slayer had no idea what her actions represented, or what kind of thoughts they would provoke in others.

Flirting without being aware of it… it makes you want to beat her up.

“I…”

Although Slayer didn’t understand matters of love and affection, she wasn’t stupid. She knew how to weigh pros and cons, and she knew that in a transaction, the benefits absolutely could not be polarized.

“You can also disagree. I have no intention of forcing you. But please remember, from now on, Slayer, you are not allowed to get close to me again.”

“Why?”

This sounded even more unfair. Slayer cried out in dissatisfaction.

“It’s not that kind of getting close. It just means no kissing, no hugging, and no more sniffing me. Understand?”

The confusion in Slayer’s eyes remained deep, and now it was tinged with a hint of sadness.

“My dear, don’t look so downcast, as if you’ve suffered some great injustice, alright? You don’t understand, but I’m telling you now, aren’t I? You can’t just touch me casually, because you are not my anything.”

Su Xin spoke unhurriedly, her tone devoid of any fluctuation.

“I feel like I’m being very passive, but I don’t understand where I went wrong.”

Slayer scratched her head in frustration. She couldn’t find the crux of the problem. She didn’t want to be in a disadvantageous position, and in this transactional-like confrontation, she was clearly at a disadvantage, seemingly not gaining any benefit.

“Actually, you only did one thing wrong.”

“What?”

Su Xin moved closer to Slayer, getting very near. She adjusted her posture, pressing in on Slayer, her chest pressing against Slayer’s.

She spoke, her lips just centimeters from hers, her voice laced with sweet temptation.

“You developed a desire for me.”

Su Xin spoke each word slowly, as if passing judgment.

If Slayer understood certain things, she would know that love and affection cannot be handled like a transaction, nor can they be measured by benefits. But she didn’t know, so she couldn’t comprehend the strangeness of this model.

She showed her agreement, as if she were genuinely pondering this issue.

Su Xin was actually a bit frustrated herself. Although training a little ditz was fun, this feeling of her having to take the initiative when the other person made the first move was really a bit strange.

Because the one who made the first move understood nothing at all, there was no way for a back-and-forth. It could only be her teaching one-sidedly.

But in the context of this world, such a person was undoubtedly very suitable for her. If she were given two choices—one being Slayer, and the other being a clever person who shared her thoughts—she would still choose Slayer.

Because Slayer’s trust was just too pure, and what she wanted was expressed very clearly.

“If I agree to your proposal, what benefits do I get?”

Slayer foolishly asked this question. Her emotional intelligence was worrying, or perhaps she didn’t even have such a thing as emotional intelligence.

“What do you think?”

After saying these three words with a smile, Su Xin leaned in and pressed her lips against hers.

It really is the taste of honey, Slayer thought.

It was sweet and soft but not cloying. The excessive sweetness made her whole being surge with excitement. The thief lady swore that none of her proudest experiences had ever been as thrilling as this moment.

“How about it?”

Su Xin wiped her lips, smearing away a bit of overflowing moisture.

“Okay.”

Slayer agreed without hesitation.

“So now I don’t have to steal it, it belongs to me, right?”

Slayer pointed at Su Xin’s eyes, then leaned in and kissed the corner of her eye.

Su Xin closed her eyes. Slayer cupped Su Xin’s face and, mesmerized, kissed her eyelids, then licked her eyelashes that trembled like a butterfly’s wings in a very intimate way.

“Why do you like my eyes?”

“I don’t know. They’re very beautiful.”

Slayer answered in a low voice, the hot breath she exhaled carrying a scent of excitement.

Slayer didn’t know anything, so of course, she didn’t know what to do. Thus, it stopped at just kissing.

Su Xin had no plans to develop things further, at least not now. It wasn’t the right time.

She wasn’t a person with particularly strong desires in that area. Kisses and hugs were enough to satisfy her sometimes lonely soul.

Su Xin was a very contradictory person, on one hand insisting on solitude, on the other hand craving warmth.

Slayer, in high spirits, clung to Su Xin as they slept, occasionally fidgeting here and there, only settling down after getting a kick from Su Xin.

The next day, it was time for them to leave.

Su Xin still had to pay with gold coins. Although the people were happy to let them stay for free, Su Xin didn’t want to owe any favors.

Sha Ying felt that something was a bit unusual today, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong.

The sky was still as blue, the food tasted the same, and they were still hurrying on their way, but something was just different.

Sha Ying trusted his intuition very much. He thought that something unusual might happen today, so he remained on high alert.

Slayer sat on Su Xin’s mount, her hands wrapped around Su Xin’s slender waist, her head resting on Su Xin’s shoulder, feeling that everything was beautiful.

Fourteen was monitoring the situation. Seeing Slayer like this, he shook his head.

Perhaps she is at her happiest like this, obtaining what she wants most before she even knows what love is.

Su Xin would only use her mount in the wilderness or on wide roads. In some places, she would negotiate with the locals to take them where they needed to go.

Su Xin’s mount could shrink, but Sha Ying’s could not. The surrounding area was full of pedestrians or horse-drawn carriages, and Su Xin riding her mount would be too conspicuous, so she gave up on using it.

The beastmen’s tribe was too far from the elves’. In terms of distance, going to the beastmen would mean missing other opportunities, but Su Xin wasn’t afraid of missing opportunities. She wanted to start with something simple.

After walking from the bustling town into the wilderness, Su Xin and her group stopped to prepare lunch.

Sha Ying was starting a fire, looking around as he did so.

“Boss, don’t you feel that something is a bit unusual today?”

“Hm?”

“It just feels strange somewhere.”

Sha Ying shook his head and continued to build the fire.

They planned to have mushroom soup for lunch. Sha Ying’s cooking skills were quite good; he could make barbecue and other things, saving the two clumsy girls, Su Xin and Slayer.

Slayer was purely combat-oriented. It was fine if she was asked to cut meat, as she was very skilled with her daggers, but preparing meals was a stretch for her, possibly because such a program didn’t exist in her system.

Halfway through lunch, Su Xin heard messy footsteps.

“One person, probably male, possibly injured.”

Su Xin’s ears caught the sound clearly, and she quickly made a judgment.

A minute later, a man ran out. He was a young man, probably in his twenties or thirties, limping, covered in a lot of blood, and looking very disheveled.

Sha Ying gave Su Xin a thumbs-up and continued to drink his soup.

“Thank goodness, there are people here!”

The man panted for a bit. His leg was bleeding profusely, but the rest of him seemed fine.

This was an NPC. The three of them stood still, waiting to hear what he would say next.

After catching his breath, the man pointed in the direction he had come from.

“There’s a patch of vines in there. They were originally supposed to have spiritual energy, and we went to pick their fruit. But I don’t know why, this time they suddenly became aggressive and entangled me and my companions. I barely managed to escape to get help. May I ask if any of you are a Master Mage or a Master Martial Artist? Please save my companions.”

“Alright.”

Su Xin finished the soup in her hand, exchanged a look with Slayer and Sha Ying, and the three of them stood up together.

“They’re right inside, I’ll take you there.”

The man was overjoyed. Ignoring his bleeding leg, he hurried to the front, truly looking like he was desperate to save people.

“Be careful.”

Su Xin reminded Sha Ying.

This person is a problem.

Although his clothes were messy, his hair was disheveled, and he had injuries, a closer look revealed that the rest of him wasn’t very dirty. Despite his panicked appearance, he was actually very calm, his words were clear and logical, and his expression of pleasant surprise was a bit exaggerated.

Slayer glared at Sha Ying with some dissatisfaction. Why did Su Xin tell Sha Ying to be careful, but not her? Favoritism!

The three of them walked over, but when they reached a certain spot, the young man retreated backward.

“They… how did they spread so fast? They were clearly over there just now.”

The man looked terrified. Dense vines were tangled among the trees, obscuring the situation inside.

“They’re Demonic-born Vines.”

An evil species, how could it be growing in this place?

Su Xin was certain that this area was not a zone for dark creatures. A town was not far away. If the vines were allowed to spread, they could very well endanger the town.

“My lord, please save my companions. If it keeps growing like this, our village will suffer too.”

The man was speaking to Su Xin. It was obvious he thought Su Xin was a mage. After all, her white robes were spotless, and her appearance was very mage-like, possessing the proper mage-like gravitas.

Sha Ying and Slayer stood on Su Xin’s left and right, with Slayer being closer to the man.

Su Xin was not a fire-type mage, so she couldn’t just set this place on fire. Besides, starting a fire wasn’t a good idea either, as this place was full of trees. It would be a serious problem if they caught fire. Moreover, it seemed several people were entangled in the vines. Even if they were NPCs, they should be saved.

Su Xin began to chant, casting a magic spell that wrapped water droplets around the vines, continuously spreading towards the roots.

Plants would not resist water. As they absorbed it, Su Xin then turned it to ice, and a large patch of vines became rigid.

However, the water droplets did not reach the roots; they were blocked at a certain point.

The rigid vines began to move again, but instead of lunging forward, they started to retreat.

As the Demonic-born Vines retreated a little, Su Xin and her group advanced a little.

They continued until they reached a place where Su Xin’s water droplets could no longer penetrate.

“My companions!”

The man pointed at two people who were trapped in front of the vines and had fallen unconscious, his face filled with joy.

Su Xin’s water magic was countered by wood. She was thinking of a solution.

Actually, the best magic to deal with demonic plants was Light magic.

Su Xin felt something was unusual. Why were these things growing here? And the demonic aura was only in this patch, with no signs of contamination elsewhere.

Su Xin had a Light constitution, so she could naturally sense things that made her uncomfortable. The man said a plant had suddenly mutated, but a plant would only be transformed if it was contaminated and altered by dark energy.

Ordinary plants would be corroded, while some stronger ones would be mutated.

Su Xin began to chant again, but this time, she released Light magic.

A magic sphere shot towards the vines, carrying the power of purification.

The vines indeed began to wither, and all the extended tendrils curled up.

The man who had been calling for help had a slight change in expression, which he quickly replaced with a look of gratitude.

As an ‘ignorant commoner,’ he shouldn’t know that it was impossible for a mage to be dual-elemental.

Mages could only have a single attribute; it was impossible to know both this type and that type of magic.

Different mages learned different magic. This was common knowledge among mages.

Slayer did not miss the surprise on the man’s face, but he concealed it too quickly.

The vines emitted a foul, fishy stench, as if they had been scorched, releasing a pungent smell.

This wasn’t some mutated plant at all, but a Demonic-born Vine, which shouldn’t exist here.

“Sha Ying.”

Sha Ying nodded, walked over to the man, and restrained him.

“Master Mage… what are you…?”

The man looked at Su Xin in confusion. Su Xin ignored him and walked over to the shriveled vines.

The vines were still wrapped around the two unconscious people, coiling around them densely.

Those two people were indeed also NPCs. Su Xin took a closer look and saw that the vines were growing out of their bodies. Either these two had swallowed the seeds, or the seeds had been planted in their flesh and blood.

“Speak. Give me an explanation.”

Su Xin already knew what was going on here. As expected, the man knelt down and began to panic.

“My lord… I… I don’t know what’s going on either…”

“Sha Ying, let’s go.”

This was just a quest. An NPC calls for help, a player provides aid, the NPC reveals the person behind them, the player investigates, and finally completes this side quest.

Even if Su Xin killed this man, he would still run out from this same spot at the same time tomorrow to call for help.

Sha Ying decisively knocked the NPC unconscious and clapped his hands.

Slayer didn’t understand, but she didn’t say anything.

No matter how realistic it’s made to look, it’s ultimately just a pre-set program.

These NPCs repeated their lives day after day, year after year, in the places they were supposed to be. Unless someone organized them to go to another place, they would never truly die. After being killed, they would revive in the same place the next day, with no memory of being killed before.

Why would Su Xin waste her time with them here? She wasn’t interested in the reward for this quest; it looked very troublesome at a glance.

Sha Ying returned to their original spot, ready to finish the rest of the mushroom soup, but when he got there, he found that everything inside had been drunk.

“Who was here! They drank my mushroom soup!”

Sha Ying said discontentedly, spinning around to search the vicinity.

There had been two bowls’ worth left in the pot, but now it was completely empty, not a drop remaining.

“I suspect it was a player, or a Lost One, because an NPC probably wouldn’t do something like this.”

What kind of NPC would run around instead of staying properly in their instance?

“Slayer, go take a look. Is there anyone hiding or running away nearby?”

“Okay.”

Slayer agreed, then stared straight at Su Xin.

“What’s wrong?”

You know what to do, so get going. Why are you still standing here looking at me?

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“Such as?”

“‘Be careful,’ ‘watch out,’ or something like that?”

Slayer was still sulking about not receiving that expression of concern.

“…Go.”

What kind of time is this to be acting cute? Su Xin was fully aware of Slayer’s capabilities and wasn’t worried at all.

She had reminded Sha Ying earlier because he was a bit foolish. What if he got ambushed?

“Oh.”

Slayer went off, feeling wronged. Sha Ying was still at their spot, heartbroken over his mushroom soup.

“What’s with her today? She seems so abnormal.”

Sha Ying looked in the direction Slayer had left. She’s usually so cold and silent, leaving as soon as she’s told. Is she acting cute today?

It is… acting cute, right?

“It’s nothing.”

Su Xin and Sha Ying waited. A short while later, Slayer returned, carrying a person.

She was literally, and crudely, carrying them.

“I caught a sneaky little mouse. It was nearby. The little mouse had just finished its stolen meal and hadn’t had time to run far.”

Slayer placed the person on the ground and crossed her arms.

Sha Ying looked at Su Xin with a questioning glance. Su Xin nodded.

It was indeed a player.

It was a young girl, not tall, only reaching Su Xin’s shoulder. Compared to Sha Ying, the height difference was enormous.

The little girl’s ID was 【Mi Luo¹】. She was dressed in a cute style, but her clothes were a bit torn, and her small face was also dirty.

“I didn’t mean to steal it! I was just too hungry…”

Mi Luo lowered her head to admit her mistake, her eyes glistening with tears.

“Please let me go. I won’t steal again next time.”

Mi Luo whimpered, but in her heart, she was screaming, This is bad!

Damn it, I don’t know where that pretty young lady who caught me came from. She just suddenly appeared beside me, picked me up, and then rushed back like the wind. It was terrifying.

This must be a Lost One, how scary. If it were a player without a control panel, how could they move so fast?

Anyway, I’ll slip away first. I won’t run into them again in the future anyway. Mi Luo swore to herself that she would definitely take a detour.

“I was really just passing by.”

Mi Luo wiped her face, crying until she looked like a little stray cat.

No, actually, it was intentional. Mi Luo knew this was a game quest point. She had actually been here before but couldn’t handle the vines, so she couldn’t proceed with the next part of the quest. Coming here when she had nothing to eat was a good choice because the NPC who ran out would have food on him.

Mi Luo usually timed her arrival here, knocked the NPC unconscious, and took the things on him to eat. The next day, the NPC would run out again, and she would continue to do so.

But the amount of those things was really not much, and it was exactly the same every day.

When she came today, she found that the NPC was actually gone! But there was mushroom soup at the spot!

A player or a Lost One must have come. Mi Luo didn’t want to deal with them, so she drank it and ran.

“Big sister, big brother, please let me go. I’m just a fourteen-year-old child. I swear I’ll be a good person from now on.”

Mi Luo said with a sincere face. Sha Ying, thinking that Mi Luo was a female player, gave her a tissue to wipe her tears.

Mi Luo’s face was wiped clean, revealing a tender and cute face.

Sha Ying felt his heart waver a little, but one look at Su Xin’s faint, mocking smile, and he quickly looked away from the little loli, staring up at the sky.

It was obvious at a glance who the leader of the three was. Mi Luo tried hard to send signals to Su Xin.

Big sister, you’re so beautiful, can you please let me go!

Su Xin had already received the girl’s information from Fourteen.

Mi Luo’s class was 【Glib Talker²】, which surprised Su Xin.

But any player who can possess their own consciousness should be unusual.

Glib Talker, a rare class among players.

It could be called 【Prophet】 or 【Liar】. More often than not, it was like a jinx³.

A Glib Talker’s words were mostly lies; maybe half a sentence out of ten was true. People who could become Glib Talkers were all outstanding liars.

They were full of lies, loyal only to their own interests, and played with people’s hearts with words. Sometimes they could prophesize, but it was often the case that good predictions didn’t come true while bad ones did.

Their intuition was stronger than that of ordinary people, and they had a strong perception of bad things.

But they often used this to deceive others and gain benefits.

Su Xin smiled as she watched the little girl performing in front of her. Tsk, a little liar.

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