Chapter 13 Seeking Help, Injured and Unstable
The chaotic interior of the Azure Building was shrouded in the dim glow of construction lights.
As the construction worker evacuated the building, the surroundings became eerily quiet. Shadows crept across the unfinished floors and decorations of the building.
Dust motes dance in the air, swirling around stacks of building materials.
Ceid, tall and imposing with an air of quiet authority, stands above on the first floor, looking down at a figure cowering in the shadows. His azure eyes were like chips of ice under the dim lighting.
When Ayda first heard the voice, she flinched. But exhaustion held her rooted, with fear etched on her face.
She was discovered!
"You can come out," Ceid's voice was cold. Yet, it was laced with a subtle curiosity. "I saw you there."
A hesitant figure emerged from the shadow, hidden behind the various bricks, woods, and steel.
As Ceid gave the figure a proper look, he noticed the figure was a young woman.
Or rather, she was young, barely in her twenties. Given her race, it was probably more accurate to say she was a young girl.
Yes, despite the distance and the dim light, he noticed it. She had fiery red hair, barely concealing her pointed ears peeking through her messy hair.
She was of elven race.
Her phoenix eyes with amber-like brown pupils were a captivating sight. Despite the dirt smudging her face, she had fair skin with a beautiful oval face.
She was wearing ragged travel-worn clothes on her body, tattered from the harsh journey.
"I'm sorry, please don't hurt me." A soft but hoarse voice was heard from the small mouth. "I...I didn't mean to intrude on this place."
Hearing her words, Ceid was dumbfounded. When the girl came out, the first sentence she said was not to hurt her.
Am I that scary? Did the impression I gave was someone who would hit others at the slightest fault?
What happened to my handsome appearance?
Ceid was bemused by her thought pattern.
Ceid could tell from her appearance and condition that this girl have not had proper rest and meals for days.
While he was wondering whether his charm level had gone down, he heard her continue to say in whispers.
"My name is Ayda. I...I just needed a place to rest for the night. Please, don't tell anyone I'm here."
Ceid raises an eyebrow as he wonders whether the girl has mistaken him for someone from the construction company.
Ceid studied her carefully. Skepticism etched on his features.
Her words held a sense of desperation but hidden inside, there's strength, a spark that flickered beneath the fear.
Suddenly, it dawned on him.
As an avid reader of novels back on Earth, Ceid could sense it.
The aura of someone accustomed to hardship. The halo of someone with secrets.
The protagonist!
Wyd! Wyd! Do you see that? It's our protagonist!
Hahaha,...I didn't expect to meet a heaven's chosen in this faraway place.
What should I do? Should I help her? Or should I avoid, stay away from her?
After all, the protagonist meant trouble in their path of growth. That's the established rule.
<...>
Wyd was speechless and too lazy to respond.
She knew that her Host always had that 'weird' fantasy. To use the term from her Host's original world, it was the Chuunibyou Syndrome.
For such a situation, Wyd had learned to stay quiet and not entertain her Host's wild imagination. Or else, it was not the so-called 'protagonist halo' that brought trouble to them.
But it was Ceid meddling in the situation that escalated the situation.
After making sure his face didn't betray his excited heart, he coolly (in his impression) asked, "Oh, who are you running from? And why should I trust you?" His voice was sharp, demanding answers.
Hearing Ceid questions, Ayda was surprised!
How did he know I was hiding from being chased?
Initially, Ayda requested him not to tell anyone, she was referring to the not telling the building's owner and authorities. Because she knew she was to blame for intruding on the property.
But she was not implying that someone was after her.
She didn't know that the person in front of her was the owner himself and that Ceid's brain had already made up many stories behind her secretive behavior.
Ayda hesitated, her eyes darting her gaze darting around as if searching for an escape route.
As the silence deepened and tension thickened, she finally spoke, almost whispering, "I can't tell you who they are, but they're dangerous. Please, just one night. I won't cause any trouble."
The silence continued to stretch between them.
Although he was excited about the prospect of entangling with a protagonist, Ceid had no love for strangers. His journey was filled with enough danger already.
Yet, something about her plea resonated within him, a flicker of compassion tugging at his guarded heart.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and measured. "Fine. One night. But stay out of my way. And don't touch anything."
Relief washed over the woman's face, a fleeting smile gracing her lips. "Thank you. I won't."
As he walked away towards his room on the first floor, he pointed to one of the rooms to Ayda.
"You can use this room. These rooms were planned to be used for the VIP Reception rooms. There's a sofa inside you can use to sleep on."
"Also, you seemed travel-worn and hungry. There's a washroom at the end of the corridor if you want to freshen yourself."
"There's also some leftover food near the counter there."
"And..." Ceid stopped his footsteps and looked back at her.
"You should get some proper rest tonight."
After kindly reminding her of these things, he turned around and strode towards his room.
-
Downstairs on the ground floor, Ayda was happy to hear Ceid had given his permission. Based on his tone, he was probably the owner of the building.
She was doubtful why the owner would spend his night inside an empty building while construction work was being done, but she quickly threw this worry away.
Ceid's caring words at least showed he could be trusted. At least for tonight, she can safely sleep here.
She happily went towards the counter. Although the Elven race would prefer vegan food, they were not repulsive to meat and dairy.
So, looking at the steak and bread on the counter, she was immediately hungry.
After being sated with food, she went to the room pointed out by Ceid.
The room is exquisite, furnished with plush sofas and gleaming accents. Despite the luxurious backdrop, it does not feel gaudy. Instead, it feels warm and impersonal.
Ayda sinks onto a sofa, exhaustion overwhelming her.
Soon, she drifted off to sleep while wondering what tomorrow would bring.
-
In a dimly lit room in the Azure Building...
A young man with blonde hair was meditating.
His brow furrowed in concentration. His posture was as rigid as the unfinished concrete outside.
Outside, dawn peeks through the grimy windows, casting an ethereal glow on the dust motes dancing in the air. He had been sitting in meditation, cultivating, since he returned to the room.
Wyd, a disembodied voice in his mind, hums with calculations, a constant companion in the vast emptiness. From the stream of data gathered from the network, Wyd continuously compiled and analyzed.
Comparisons were made between the retrieved data and the scan data from the Wide Area Scan conducted yesterday. As the data was processed, it was then analyzed.
Suddenly, a prompt reminder attracted Ceid's attention.
[Ding!]
[Data compilation, process, analysis...completed.]
Hearing the prompt, Ceid was immediately happy. Wyd, have you analyzed the data on this Azure Building and its surrounding area?
Hearing Wyd's report, Ceid murmured in lamentation.
"Acceptable, but... not ideal."
"I still yearn for the peace of a remote mountain peak, far from the city's clamor. To cultivate in calmness, a solitary warrior or an aloof sage..."
Before Ceid could continue his complaints, Wyd directly interrupted his wild imagination.
Reality, as always, intrudes on Ceid's dreamscapes. He releases a breath, the imagined mountain peak dissolving into the dust-filled air.
Ceid sighs, the fantasy of a secluded mountain peak crumbling like dust under his introspection. He yearns for the solitude, the quiet hum of nature accompanying his meditation, the image of a powerful hermit imprinted in his mind.
"You're right, as ever."
"Designating the Azure Building as my official foothold is probably for the best."
"Now, onto more pressing matters. My core...It feels like a shattered vessel, devoid of its once vibrant energy. And the lack of Aura Qi? Unnerving, to say the least."
"Could you run a comprehensive check?"
[Initiating self-check scan...completed.]
[Displaying result:
Bones & Marrow (G3 rank) Normal;
Muscle, Flesh, & Skin (G3 rank): Normal;
Blood Vessels & Nerve System (G3 rank): Normal;
Brain & Internal Organs (G3 rank): Normal;
Median Condition: Normal;
Jing Dantian (G2 rank): 12%;
Shen Dantian (G3 rank): 11%;
Qi Dantian (G1 rank): 9%;
Overall Body Physique (G3 rank): 99%;
...Summary:
Physical Body Check: Normal
Cultivation Check: Injured and Unstable.]