"Welcome"
Scaler looked up with warm yellow light reflected in his dark pupils.
With a smile, he pushed the cup of hot tea towards Tuna henry. "It looks like my long wait hasn't been in vain. The rain has washed a beautiful customer into my humble bookstore."
In those past two years Scaler learned complementing a customer's aesthetics was a part of good service.
That being said, the person standing before Tuna henry was undeniable a beauty. Despite being thoroughly drenched, her beautiful features akin to a delicately chiseled sculpture and ivory white skin was still faintly discernible in the dim light.
He felt that his decision to keep his store open for a little bit long was worthwhile.
It looks like this customer needs someone to have good heart-to-heart chat. Maybe I can make a new friend today… and perhaps a regular too?
This was definitely not the thoughts of an avaricious businessman, but genuine concern and goodwill!
Tuna henry eyed the cup of tea before her with narrowed pupils.
"Long wait"— this meant that the young man knew about it and had been deliberately waiting for her?
Or could there be other motives in play? Either way her gaurd was up against this suspicious young man
Regardless, this bookstore was oozing with weirdness.The coincidental timing and this fellow's unruffled expression clearly relayed that things weren't that simple.
Ad
`Is it Holy alliance? Or the Royal rightness? Maybe one of Evil gods' follower?`
Luna became more vigilant than ever. She discreetly moved her finger toward the button that activated the black cane's mechanism. As soon as the young man made a move, the cane would morph into a killing blade that pierces through his skull.
"You were waiting for me?" The Tracker probed.
Scaler answered with a kind smile, "Yes. I've always thought that fate works in miraculous ways, how it brings two complete strangers together in the least expected way."
He gestured toward the counter and continued, "Feel free to use the towel there to wipe yourself dry. Don't worry, it's dry and unused. Would you like me to turn on the heater?"
Luna picked up the towel hesitantly and shook her head. "It's fine."
Taking a closer look at his customer, Scaler noticed her tightly creased brows. Referencing from past experiences, he surmised that this lady might be facing a predicament in his life. Thus, he cleared his throat and asked, "From the look of things, you seem to have facing some trouble?
Over the years, Scaler had met all sorts of customers and grasped some basic observation and communication abilities.
The line 'you seem to have encountered some trouble' didn't carry any significance on its own. It was similar to how fortune tellers would always start with, "There's an ominous aura looming around you."—it was a psychological suggestion.
It was somewhat like a flag in a game. Once the conditions are met, the next part of the conversation would follow suit.
Whenever people hear the word "trouble", they would subconsciously ponder over whether they had really encountered any recent trouble or currently facing it. It went without saying that the lives of most people wouldn't be smooth sailing all the way.
Troubles, whether big or small, were still troubles.
And once a person bgan grumbling, it would be time for Scaler to give suggestions and form a relationship
However, there was also a chance of failure when resorting to these sorts of cold-reading tricks.
For example, the other party could possibly be really blessed with extreme luck throughout their life, or perhaps, he or she might be guarded against strangers, making it difficult to communicate.
However, Scaler was very confident that he could make this person open up, for the drenched lady before him was indeed in an extremely terrible predicament.
Luna was wiping herself dry when she suddenly stopped in her tracks to raise her head and look at the smiling young man behind the counter. "Yes, I've encountered a vexing problem."
She was unable to determine whether this person was friend or foe, but even if he was a foe, it was unlikely for her to escape from this seemingly mystical entity in her current weakened state.
Since he was making things unnecessarily complicated, she would just play along with him.She would find out this fellow's objective and see how divine he was.
If he was a friend, this would be a pleasant surprise.
If he was an enemy, then she would seize more time for her to rest or maybe look an opportunity to strike.
Meanwhile, Scaler noticed that her eyes weren't black but a shade of iron gray. There were glittering specks in her pupils that resembled beautifully polished gems. At the top of her ear, there was a three centimeter gash that was still glistening with blood.
No matter how he looked at her, this woman was someone with many stories to share.
Scaler asked, "Are you facing troubles in your interpersonal relationships?"
Since there hadn't been any complaints about this downpour thus far, the next most likely problem for women of her age would be relationship issues.
Of course, he couldn't limit it to just love, friendship or family, so he chose to use the words—interpersonal relationship.
A common technique that swindlers, mediums, and Scaler employed was to throw out something vague to provide for some room of error.
On the other hand, Tuna heart suddenly grew heavy upon hearing those words.
It was just 20 minutes ago that she was betrayed by her group in a secret venue. The ones who werehunting her down right now were none other than her ex-comrades hunters and trackers.
Avarice had blinded their eyes.
In other words, Scaler wasn't wrong to say that she was facing troubles in her interpersonal relationship.
Luna was shocked. An outsider had learned of this matter in the short span of just 20 minutes.Such speed of dissemination definitely couldn't have been retrospect.
There could only be two possibilities.
One, he had planted informants within her group, and those informants tipped him off right after the matter occured.
Two, this young man before her had some kind of past-time seeing ability.
Luna watched silently as the towel, which was now seeped in dark red blood, gradually evaporated into wisps of tart smoke before she finally took a seat by the counter. She tapped her fingers lightly against the teacup in front of her before speaking softly, "I was betrayed."
Oh? That's little bit surprising than what I have expected.
Scaler raised his eyebrows.
This is more melodramatic than I thought. Did her boyfriend have an affair behind her back, or was she backstabbed by one of her close friends?
This was indubitably top-level gossip, but Scaler was a life mentor and not some middle-aged auntie who talked behind others' back.
The melodrama only meant that there was more to unearth from her.
"There are two sides to everything in this world. You were betrayed, but it was also an opportunity for you to see what kind of people they truly are"
Scaler lifted the teapot and topped up her cup with more hot tea before continuing earnestly, "Those who choose to leave will eventually leave without a care. Once they have made up their minds, they can come up with thousands of reasons and excuses to justify it."
Luna could deeply relate with those words.
The the fragment of the underworld mirror was merely the fuse that ignited their greed.Even if not for that, a day would eventually come where they would make the same decision as they had today.
It would still be the same outcome, just for a different reason.
Luna rubbed a cold hand on the cup, then said in a self-deprecating manner, "You are absolutely right,but I have already lost far too much from this betrayal. What use is it for me to see through them now?"
Lost far too much...She must have had her heart broken by a scumbag.Haa, how pitiful I don't how it feels because I have never been in a romantic relationships but I can clearly see it in front of me.
Scaler felt sympathy for her.
Wounds on the body can be easily treated,but wounds in the heart take a long time to heal. It was times like this that his exceptional counsel was most needed!
Scaler placed his left hand on his chin as he scrutinized Tuna closely. A moment later, he spokewith a resolutetone, "It'll be useful. You have learned to discern one's true face and false intentions. You wouldn't take pity on those who have once hurt you because of your past relationship anymore. The pain you are suffering now will make you wiser than before."
These words were strong and resonating!
Tuna stared into Scaler red, blank eyes, and her breathing unknowingly grew heavier.
Under the dim, warm light, his eyes seemed to carry some sort of mysterious magic that drew her in. She could sense both sympathy and partiality from him, as if he was a higher being who embraced all lives and guided humans toward the right direction.
It took a while before Luna snapped out of her daze, and she shook her head vigorously.
She felt that the young man before her had some goal in mind for approaching her here. At this point, the impression she got from him was that he wasn't an enemy but an ally who wanted to help her deal with the her group...
Hunters who utilized the sordid blood of dream or demonic beasts as their source of power and Trackers similar to hunters they are infused with dream or demonic beast blood are quite similar to Hunters but the Hunters focus more on their physical strength and trackers are physically weaker than hunters but their magic capacity and control over their beast form is better than hunters,these were considered to be evil in the eyes of upright magicians. Scaler deduced that this person wasn't in any of the three factions she had guessed earlier, but rather, he was a high-level magician that hated hunters.
Those thugs had an innate mastery of language and words.
"Then..."
Luna steeled her resolve and took a deep breath. "What should I do?"
"Since they have acted inhumanely, there's no need to uphold civility with them. You can deal with them the exact same way they dealt with you. A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye hit them back more harder than they have hit you!" replied Scaler.
He didn't suggested direct violence on that numbed one's soul. Otherwise, she would be led astray, making it difficult to retain her as a regular.
When faced with scumbags, one ought to retaliate with a smart and heavy blow without reciving any harm!
His customer appeared to be in a bewildered state at the moment, but as long as he pointed out a path for her, she would be able to free herself from confusion and take action.
The disposition of a magician indeed!
Luna opened up her other palm, which was hidden under the table. It was covered with blood. Her lips moved slightly.
… Casting aside my humanity?
She was neither prepared nor resolved to go that far yet.
"You need to ascertain your thoughts and intentions first. Only then can you prepare yourself properly."
Scaler calmly gazed at the now pensive lady with a smile.
"I think you might need this book."
The time was ripe for Scaler to show his hand, and he smoothly directed the conversation toward his wares.
Given the atmosphere, it didn't seem wise for him to pick out a book from the shelves behind him. That would make his intention too obvious.
So, he slid the book he was reading over, Confessions.
Luna eceived it over with a blank look on her face. There were three words written on thecover—Iron cage and Blood beast.
She had read a lot of books over the course of her life, but she had never seen this book before.
Was it written by an obscure writer?Furthermore, why had she been given this book?
With a slight frown, Luna flipped the book open hesitantly. A moment later, her pupils shrunk and her expression changed.
The page was filled with ancient characters densely packed together. These ancient characters warped, combined, and fluctuated all the time. No two lines of characters were the same, but they strung together to form meaningful sentences. Each and every one of these characters could form thousands of words!
This is… taboo knowledge!
The Tracker's face was pale and her body trembled. The information contained within was terrifying and it made her nauseated she can only understand some of the words written in the book but it was enough to sook her soul.
She immediately closed the book, and it took her a great effort to regulate her breathing.
A message had already been etched inside her terrified mind.
"Beast Mutation!"