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Before Miss Elena could ask Kent what he had forgotten or any other questions, Kent used his flashing steps, disappearing from her sight. Kent didn’t think before he used his flashing steps.
Miss Elena, watching Kent’s footwork technique, instantly recognised it. It’s the same movement as that unknown Level-C cultivator who killed the robber and potentially became a dark alliance member.
Miss Elena’s mind raises a ton of questions. Does it mean Kent is from the Dark Alliance? But he isn’t a Level-C cultivator. I can clearly feel his cultivation at Level-E peak. [Note: Kent used his system to hide his Level-D cultivation.]
What if Kent has a spiritual sense-blocking artifact? If he is really that Level-C cultivator and dark alliance member, it could be terrible. I need to test him as soon as he comes back.
Meanwhile, Kent gives the system a command to find out where Emberling Sparrow is. Hey! System, did you find out the location of that fat bird?
Ding!
System notifications
Emberling Sparrow’s location is detected.
Location: 60 meters away in the northeast.
Kent, using his flashing steps, jumps in rocks and small hills and quickly finds the fat sparrow. The fat bird is flying in the fog. Its speed is very slow. Kent yelled, hey, tiny fella, what are you doing here? Come down. Hey, do you hear me?
Emberling Sparrow’s heart just started to beat faster. " He is looking for me. He is calling me. What should I do? How did he find out I am here? Does he want me?
Kent yelled again. Are you coming down or not? Hey! Come down. I am waiting for you.
Without thinking anything, the Emberling Sparrow came down where Kent was standing. The bird is so happy. He couldn’t hold himself. He jumped into Kent’s hand.
+999 SP copied from Emberling Sparrow. (Joy)
The bird’s size was very small; it perfectly fits into Kent’s hand. Kent patted the bird on his head, saying. You, little guy, you are very brave to come this far alone.
The bird just nods his head. Kent is thinking about "what I should do with you. SIGH! Let’s think about that later. Kent said out loud- come on, let’s go, little sparrow."
+999 SP copied from Emberling Sparrow. (Joy)
+999 SP copied from Emberling Sparrow. (Joy)
+999 SP copied from Emberling Sparrow. (Joy)
The Emberling sparrow flaps his wings in happiness. "This human wants me. I am not alone anymore. I am so happy."
System, is there any way I can take this little bird out of ruin with me?
Ding!
The host can take out this Emberling sparrow if the host forms a contract with the bird.
SIGH!
Why didn’t you tell me earlier? If you said it earlier, I could have taken him with me from the start.
[Ding!
The host didn’t ask. The system can’t do anything if the host doesn’t give the command to do so.]
Alright… alright system. From now on, inform me about this type of thing and also give me solutions to all the problems which you know the answer to.
[Ding!
Command taken. Giving the host the answer to the current problem.
To form a contract with an Emberling sparrow, the host needs to drop blood on the bird’s head. ]
"Oh! I need to drop my blood. System, why can’t you give me a contract paper or something? Whatever, I will sign the contract later. I need to go. Miss Elena must be waiting for me."
Ding!
Follow curr𝒆nt nov𝒆ls on fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com.
+999 SP copied from Elena. (Suspicions)
+999 SP copied from Elena. (Suspicions)
+999 SP copied from Elena. (Suspicions)
+999 SP copied from Elena. (Suspicions)
...…. There are many more notifications.
What the Fuck is happening. Why am I getting so many SPs from Miss Elena? What is she suspicious of? What did I do? Suddenly, Kent released, oh no! Damn it .. Damn it .. I used flashing steps in front of her.
"What should I do? Should I avoid her and go to a different place? Nah! After getting out of the ruin, I have to face her sooner or later."
If she asks me anything, I have to think of something, some excuse to avoid her. Or I could tell her the truth. I will face her. There’s no need to think about it. Let’s see what she does.
Then Kent makes his way back using flashing steps. He landed softly on a jagged rock near the foggy hill, Emberling Sparrow perched securely on his shoulder. The bird chirped contentedly, and Kent couldn’t help but smile at the small creature’s apparent joy.
"Alright, little guy," Kent muttered, patting the sparrow’s head. "You’ve caused me enough trouble for one day. Let’s get out of here before—"
Suddenly, A voice echoed through the fog.
"Kent," Miss Elena called, her tone sharp and measured, "are you finished with your... errand?"
Kent froze. She was closer than he had expected. His mind raced. Did she see him use the flashing steps again? Was she already suspicious? He glanced at Emberling Sparrow, who tilted his head innocently, utterly unaware of the brewing tension.
"Yeah, Miss Elena!" Kent shouted back, trying to sound casual. "Just found what I was looking for."
Miss Elena stepped out from the fog, her sharp gaze locking onto Kent. Her presence was commanding, her spiritual aura subtle but suffocating. She looked at the sparrow in his hand, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"That bird," she said, her voice calm but probing, "is it yours?"
Kent shrugged, feigning indifference. "Not really. Just a little guy who followed me here. He’s harmless."
Miss Elena’s eyes flickered with suspicion. She was still debating internally whether to confront Kent about his footwork technique or not.
The boy’s cultivation level was undeniably Level-E peak, but his technique was far too advanced for someone at his rank. And now, this sparrow—a seemingly insignificant creature—was exuding faint traces of spiritual energy.
"Let me see it," Miss Elena said, extending her hand.
Kent hesitated, clutching the sparrow protectively. "Why? He’s just a bird."
"Humor me," she replied, her voice firm.
Kent glanced down at Emberling Sparrow, who chirped nervously. He could feel the bird trembling slightly in his hand. "It’s okay," Kent whispered to the sparrow before reluctantly stepping forward and placing him in Miss Elena’s outstretched palm.
Miss Elena held the sparrow gently but carefully, her spiritual sense flaring subtly as she examined it. Emberling Sparrow chirped softly, his red eyes darting between her and Kent.
"This bird," Miss Elena said after a moment, her tone unreadable, "looks like it has been through a lot. You said it followed you?"
"Yeah," Kent said quickly, his mind racing for a believable explanation. "I found him a while back on a farm. He’s just been tagging along ever since."
Miss Elena studied Kent’s expression, searching for any sign of deceit. Then she smiled—a disarming but calculated smile. "You seem to attract the strangest companions, Kent."
Kent forced a laugh. "Yeah, I guess I do."
But the moment was short-lived. Miss Elena’s smile faded, replaced by her usual stern demeanour. "We should head back," she said, handing Emberling Sparrow back to Kent. "The ruins aren’t safe at night, even for a Level-E cultivator."
Kent nodded, grateful for the opportunity to leave. As they walked back, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Miss Elena’s suspicion hadn’t waned.
Meanwhile, Miss Elena’s thoughts were a storm of doubt and unease.
"That bird has spiritual energy, faint but distinct. Could it be tied to Kent’s unusual abilities?" She remembered the sparrow’s nervous chirps and how it had seemed unusually intelligent, even responsive to Kent’s commands.
"And Kent... that footwork technique. It’s the same technique as the dark cultivator who killed the robber. Could he be connected to the Dark Alliance?"
Miss Elena’s fingers twitched as she suppressed the urge to confront him outright. She needed more evidence—something definitive. But one thing was sure: she couldn’t let her guard down around Kent.
As they neared the exit of the foggy ground, Kent opened a private dialogue with his system.
"System," he whispered under his breath, "can you analyze Miss Elena’s aura? Is she suspicious of me?"
Ding!
Analyzing...
Result:
Miss Elena is highly suspicious. Probability of confrontation: 78%.
Kent grimaced. "Fantastic. Just what I needed."
Ding!
Advice: Minimize the use of footwork techniques in front of Miss Elena. Consider forming an ally or diversion to reduce suspicion.
Kent glanced at Emberling Sparrow, who chirped contentedly in his shoulder. "Guess I’ll have to be extra careful, huh, little guy?"
The sparrow tilted his head and chirped again, utterly oblivious to the growing tension around them.
A few minutes later, they reached the place where Miss Elena had made a temporary resting place for the students. Kent sees there are hundreds plus students. Some are sacred, some murmur about something, and some look normal. There were a lot of presents for his class too. Some watchers, too.
"Great, there are lots of students here. This is the perfect place to set up shop. Kent said with a smirk."