AFS: Piece 3 - Making chs?!
I an, I liked that aesthetic too, but seeing it for a thousand years when I ca from a world with many cultures and a fashion industry that drastically changed every ten or twenty years... Well, people would still feel their favorite food get old if they had it every day.
I walked into the studio. The sll of tal and grease hit . Victoria’s father, Wang Chen, kindly talked to a younger man who took notes with a fervent passion.
When he saw , he completely ignored his student, jumped to his feet and rushed over, arms wide.
“And what’s this nonsense about switching your major? Aren’t you the best sniper in your class?”
I raised an eyebrow at this strange woman. Seriously, I knew she was Victoria’s mother and a duchess... but seriously, who was she?
“I’m going to learn ch Engineering,” I said simply.
She laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “I believe it. Now, tell your mommy how much money you need to start? Also, let’s get you a new studio where you can work without your papa breathing down your neck.”
I almost coughed up blood by the sheer amount of gifts they gave just because I said that I wanted to learn ch Engineering. No fucking wonder Victoria ended up as spoiled as she had. But honestly, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it was nice to be spoiled for once.
Oh, I could be prideful and say that I’d make the money on my own and struggle to earn it myself, so I didn’t owe this couple anything. But, I wasn’t that dumb. If soone offered million dollars to fund my business, I’d fucking take the money, use it wisely and pay them back with the amount of money I’d earn. Only idiots thought it was possible to make millions through only hard work.
After all, rich people didn’t get rich by spending their own money.
Okay, it was technically possible. But also unlikely. Like winning the lottery.
“I’ll send you a list!”
“That’s not exactly right... It’s ‘send a list...’”
Oh god. This was too embarrassing. Whatever. I’d done stranger things to earn cultivation resources. “Mommy.”
“Good girl. Now, don’t be a stranger. I heard you’re taking a month off of school for a ntal health break. Do spend so of that ti with us.”
“We love you. And we want to see you healthy and happy.”
Unable to respond naturally, I just nodded.
These two were so fucking caring. I thought only saving Victoria’s brother would be enough of a paynt for taking over this body. But now I would need to spend so of this life taking care of these caring parents of hers.
I an, I certainly didn’t have to since I never asked to be shoved into this body. But since I was here, I would live life the way I wanted. And part of that, was repaying the kindness of others to sever strings of karma.
There was too much built between this body and this couple for to ignore them completely.
“Oh, by the way. Wang MingRen found his long-lost sister. Probably.”
The two looked at each other with excitent.
I crossed my arms under my chest.
“Don’t be upset, Ria,” April Lin said.
“We’re just excited because MingRen was my friend’s son. We saved him from that planet when the Star Bugs raided it, but we thought we lost the girl.”
“We had looked everywhere.”
“If I’d known that she was still alive—”
“Hey, if MingRen found her, then we can at least try to help her now. It’s late, but she could still use our help, I’m sure.”
“I hope so.”
Eh? Had I just activated another golden finger for the protagonist? Well, whatever.
“I better get going. Thank you for your help.”
“Don’t be so formal!”
Wang Chen dug around in the pocket of his white lab jacket and held out a beautiful gold necklace. “Even though you’re planning on switching majors, you shouldn’t go out unprotected. Besides, your papa already made this for you as back up.”
I took the necklace and quickly realized that it was a ch. I grinned, “Thank you!”
Maybe I would practice how to use this ch so this dear man didn’t have to make another one.
From here on out, no more ch scrap heaps.
***
Wang MingRen sat in the genetics testing office with Liu YaoYao.
Even though his nervousness kept him on edge, he hid the normal signs, not giving anything away. It didn’t help that Victoria had gone crazy and put impossibilities into his head.
Though, he admitted that she’d sohow gotten much stronger. And it wasn’t from her hiding her strength all these years.
Ever since the day of the attack, she felt more solid and real than any other person he’d t. But he still couldn’t believe anything she said.
Not without proof.
A man in a lab coat walked out of the door MingRen had been watching. He smiled gently at him and Liu YaoYao and sent their results directly to their light brains.
He glanced over the report. His brain burned and his blood raced. “She was right.”
He’d suspected it ever since he saw Liu YaoYao at school. But the fact that Victoria, no Lin, saw it as soon as she changed. Was she really a different person? No, why was he thinking of his adopted sister when he’d finally found his long-lost sister?
“Congratulations to you both!” The employee said before leaving them to themselves.
“This changes nothing,” Liu YaoYao said.
His eyebrow twitched. “Of course it does. We’re family.”
“We’re related biologically. That doesn’t make us family.” She paused. “But, I wouldn’t mind getting to know you a bit more.”
“I know that you’ve been struggling financially.”
She glared at him. “I will not accept handouts.”
He held up his hands. “I’m not offering. I rember that our family had a rare garden that you might have received. If you have it, I’d like to purchase a few of the herbs.”
She blinked but neither confird nor denied the existence of the garden.
“I’ll send you a list of the ones I’m looking for. If you have them, I’ll pay a fair price. And if not, then don’t worry about it.”
“I didn’t know that you knew dicine.”
“I don’t, but I do have a use for those herbs.”
She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “If you’re not willing to disclose why you need them, then I’m not sure if I’m even willing to talk about any herb let alone garden.”
“Your brother made a mistake. I hurt soone important and I need those herbs to heal them. They are soone who claims to know how to use them.” Of course, he wasn’t even sure they were telling the truth anyway.
Her eyes narrowed. “I refuse to promise anything.”
***
It had been weeks since I last saw Wang MingRen. I hadn’t heard a word from him so I assud that he’d failed his mission. Well, whatever. That was one less person I had to care about in my life. My goal was immortality. That was a lonely path to choose.
The people I knew now would grow old and die, while I would stay young and ascend. It was a concept I’d already accepted. I was just going to go through it in a different tiline. One where I would be the only cultivator unless I beca the first master and spread cultivation throughout the galaxy.
Which didn't sound fun.
Being alone wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Whatever. There was plenty of ti to think about how I wanted to live in this new world. Before I changed anything or introduced a nuclear bomb like cultivation, I first needed to understand how this place worked. And Victoria’s mories weren’t helping with that.
What was helping , was working on ch parts using the ancient techniques I’d mastered. So far, I’d created enough parts to build half a ch. There were so things that couldn’t be created with this thod. Like the more advanced engines that had so many parts that I’d rather just let the damn machines create them and put them together in a tily fashion. Of course. I didn’t, because I needed to know how shit worked. But still.
Automation was aweso. But, it didn’t give the thing a spirit. And, that, really was the end goal. Creating a spiritual ch that had a nascent spirit that would eventually grow into a full spirit.
Similar to the sword I’d made for myself. It was so close to gaining sentience! Goddamn Bloodsword! I was going to kick his ass if I ever saw him again!
I finished the part I was working on and checked the ti. Fuck. Was it the day I was supposed to return to class already? Well, switch majors I guess. And I was late.
I quickly changed into the school’s uniform and grimaced at myself. I was a 1000-year-old monster going back to class. Goddamn it!
And I was still late. I ran outside to the designated area for flying vehicles outside of my apartnt.
From my new storage ring, I threw out the hover vehicle that Victoria owned and jumped inside. After programming it to send to the front of the school, I relaxed and focused on spreading out my divine sense to make sure that no one would crash into . Like fuck would I trust a piece of hackable technology again.
Of course, I smoothly landed at the drop off area outside the school, collected my car into the ring I made and made my way to the admission’s office. Out of politeness, I retracted my divine sense.
And of course. Of fucking course, I ended up turing a corner and physically running into Liu YaoYao, despite my efforts to use martial arts to avoid her.
And Prince Chad, the Chad, was right behind her.
Since my body improved a lot through my actual cultivation, I’d sent Liu YaoYao sprawling along with whatever tool she’d been using.
“YaoYao!” Chad yelled and crouched down. He looked at her with an emotionless face. Seriously, why were guys like this popular in fiction? I an, at least fucking show on your face that you give a shit. “Are you okay? Did this bitch hurt you?”
Hey, I was right fucking here. Besides, Liu YaoYao had a potential SSS physique. She was fine.
Whatever. These people were too extra.
I sighed and picked up the tool she’d been carrying. I quickly recognized it and put it back together using spiritual energy.
Liu YaoYao noticed that and her eyes grew wide, even as Chad helped her to her feet.
“I apologize for running into you, Miss Liu,” I said, and handed her the device.
She swallowed and took it. “Thank you, Lady Victoria.”
“Just call Lin. I told you, I’m a changed person.”
“How did you fix it so fast?”
“I spent a month contemplating my life choices. I decided that it might be good to switch majors to ch Engineering.”
They both looked at like I was crazy. I grinned. Let them think what they want.
“Oh, by the way, Prince Chad.”
He stiffened and narrowed his eyes at .
“Miss Liu is my dear adopted brother’s sister. That ans that she’s my sister. If you dare harm her or press her into anything she isn’t ready for...” Because I knew so Shoujo male leads were scumbags like that... The author hadn’t written him like that, but after being in a Xianxia world for a thousand years, I wasn’t taking any chances. “Be ready to get a beating from .” Muahahaha.
The confused looks on their faces were priceless. Also, the blush on Prince Chad’s face didn’t bode well for Miss Liu.
And with that, I winked at YaoYao and walked away.
***
I groaned. That one was one of the main ingredients. It would be very difficult to find a replacent for it.
“But... I think I know where you can find one.”
I smiled. “And where is that?”
“Um... the thing is. The only place they grow is inside the room where the Star Bug Mothership’s Master Brain is located.”
I knew where this was going. “Let guess. Every ti people tried to collect them, they dissipated into the air. Or if they were lucky and pulled them out with a chunk of the ground, they quickly deflated.”
“That’s it exactly! How did you know?”
“That is what happens when amateurs collect rare herbs they know shit about.” That ans I’ll have to collect it myself. But if I wait too long, the herbs that we gathered from Liu YaoYao will go bad. While the space storage option in this world was advanced enough, they still haven’t figured out how to store things with a significant amount of ti slowing.
And I didn’t have any of the spirit stones I would need to create sothing like that.
Mother fucker.
Not believing him fully, I pulled up information about the mysterious mushroom found inside the Mothership. The videos were just as I described and the mushroom was the exact one I needed. Though I couldn’t be entirely sure from the video alone.
“So, why would this information cause to hold off on switching my major?”
“Because this year’s finals requires all of the ch Warrior students to attack a Star Bug Mothership.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Wouldn’t it be better if I just hire an army of rcenaries to attack one for , then tag along once they’ve finished cleaning everything up?”
“I already looked into that. There is no rcenary team willing to do that, even if we gather an army of them.”
“So you’re suggesting that I don’t follow orders during the finals, enter the Mothership first, fight off all the little bugs inside until I reach the brain and then collect the mushroom? Because I think that might land a court martial.”
He cleared his throat. “I suggest we volunteer for the infiltration mission. They’ll send us to kill the Mothership’s Master Brain. There are always a handful of them each year they do this, and if we turn in our applications now, they’ll change our schedules so we can work on our close combat and infiltration skills.”
“You know that the original Victoria was a sniper, right?”
“But you’re not.”
I grinned. “Have you finally accepted the truth?”
“I’m… willing to give it a shot.” aning that he still didn’t believe. Well, whatever. As long as we could work together, I didn’t need him to. “You were right about these strange herbs. Victoria would never research knowledge like that. She had been obsessed with finding out everything that had to do with Prince Chad.”
Ugh. The original antagonist was so fucking braindead. She was just as bad as Bloodsword’s dumbass wives.
“So, what do you want to do?” MingRen asked.
“I need that mushroom, and you need training.”
He blinked. “I think I’m doing well in all my classes.”
“Well, isn’t good enough. Not if we’re basically going in alone.”
“There will be other people helping us. We’ll have to train with the other infiltrator volunteers.”
“If we’re not better than all of those other volunteers, then how do you expect us to reach the Motherbrain first?”
“It’s not actually called mother brain. And what do you an, get there first?”
“Do you expect to trust our comrades to know not to step on the mushroom while fighting inside the Motherbrain’s chamber?”
“Again, it’s not called a mother brain—”
“See? You didn’t automatically say yes. If you want to collect earthly treasures like this mushroom, you have to be so good at fighting that you can attack fiercely while keeping the smallest plant alive.”
“We’re going to be in several story high chs. I don’t see how that’s possible.”
I snorted coldly. “Then you need to watch and see.”
I stood and started walking back towards the admissions building.
“Wait! I thought you weren’t going to switch your majors.”
With a flick of my wrist, I brought out the part I’d finished just before coming here. It was a knee joint that I’d strengthened using my knowledge of spiritual weapons. Then I threw it at him.
He caught it, and his eyes grew wide.
“You honestly think I should give up learning how to make chs?”
“S-Sister Lin! This...” Although this cheap brother of mine wasn’t a ch engineer, he at least knew a good part when he saw one.
I clasped my hands behind my back like the master I was and grinned. “I’m going to be this school’s first but not last dual major!” Muahahaha!
***
Although the kind people in the administration office tried to convince us not to sign up for the infiltration assignnt based on Victoria being a sniper who was shit at everything else and MingRen’s young age, but we still managed to sign up for it.
I also successfully dropped half of my more useless ch Warrior training classes and replaced them with intro to ch Engineering courses.
Frankly, my status as a lady and heir to a dukedom was the only reason they let us do sothing that would be ridiculous if anyone else tried.
When I reviewed my new schedule, it looked sothing like:
Early Mornings: Physical Training
Breakfast
Mornings: Various ch Training classes
Noon: Lunch
Afternoon: ch engineering classes
Evening: Dinner
Night: More Training, only for Infiltration
It was a good thing I didn’t need sleep at Golden Core, or this would be a grueling schedule.
As we were leaving the office, MingRen Peered over my shoulder and frowned. “You should remove so of those training courses. If you keep to that schedule, you’ll only hurt yourself.”
I reached up and flicked his glabella. His eyes grew wide.
“Who am I?”
“Fairy Lin?”
“That’s right.” I smirked. “This isn’t even that bad. I even get four breaks a day!”
He looked at his own schedule, and I glanced at it, too. It had him starting the day at 10 AM and ending the day at around 10 PM.
I knew exactly what he was thinking. “Listen. You’re not . So don’t worry about keeping up with soone who could kick your ass in her sleep.”
His jaw hardened, and he turned to run back into the office.
Brat.
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