Chapter 73: Precognition? Preparations
"So, that’s what happened..." The words floated softly through the alchemy room, spoken by a woman whose calm voice contrasted with the tension in the air.
He glanced at his companion with a calm expression, but Eva could tell that her story had unsettled him. He might have been good at hiding his feelings, but she noticed the flicker of uncertainty in his eyes.
"So she knows ’you’ from somewhere, or could she have mistaken you for someone else?" He asked, not fully understanding how someone could know about her.
"I don’t think so. She sounded pretty sure about me and my future path." Eva replied.
"That’s really strange. Do you think she can see the future or something?" he asked, genuinely curious about the possibility of someone having a mysterious ability like precognition.
"That was my first thought, too, but I don’t have any concrete evidence to make that claim."
"Hmm." He rested his chin on his hand, thinking hard. "Did she say anything about me?" he asked, sounding curious but a little uncertain.
"No, she doesn’t seem to know anything about you," Eva answered with a small laugh. "She thinks I’m the leader of the organization and that I have some brilliant alchemist working for me."
"So, maybe it isn’t really precognition. If it is, it doesn’t seem very accurate," he said, trying to make sense of it. "Maybe she’s just guessing what might happen based on what she already knows about you." He didn’t want to jump to conclusions; making the wrong assumption in a world like this could be deadly.
The idea of someone being able to see into the future didn’t really shock him. In this world, strange and powerful abilities were almost normal. Precognition wasn’t even the most worrying thing he could imagine, not compared to some of the bloodline powers that seemed almost unfair.
Still, he knew it would be smart to keep someone like that as a friend, not an enemy. Having someone who could predict your actions would make things extremely difficult if they were working against you.
Alaric tilted his head, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "And you think whatever was following her could actually be an unclean spirit?" he asked, voicing one of the questions that had been nagging at him.
Eva nodded slowly, although uncertainty lingered in her expression. "Based on what she described, it does sound a lot like an unclean spirit. But it’s strange. If it wanted to hurt her, she wouldn’t still be alive. That’s what confuses me," she admitted, her voice trailing off.
"Hmm, I don’t think we should make such a conclusion yet, the fact that she should be dead but has not already ruled out any connections involving unclean spirits. They are not so benevolent as to let her live, unless it is trying to possess her, which would be way worse." Alaric said.
Eva offered another idea, her brow furrowed. "Or maybe it was sent just to torment her. Sometimes, these things don’t kill; they just want to make someone suffer."
Alaric let out a small laugh. "That seems like a lot of trouble just to make someone miserable. Whoever’s behind it must really have a grudge against her, no offense to you, of course."
Eva grinned, unable to stifle her laughter. "None taken," she replied, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all.
Alaric nodded, thinking back to what he’d learned from the black snake. Sending out an unclean spirit wasn’t something people did lightly. Whoever summoned it had to give clear instructions and set a time limit for its mission, because every moment it spent in the world cost something, whether that was energy, money, or something even more valuable. It was almost like being caught in a trap you couldn’t escape.
If someone had actually sent an unclean spirit to follow her for years, they would have to pay a huge price for it. That kind of commitment usually meant the sender had a powerful reason, most likely, revenge.
It had become a running joke between them that Eva must have made a very wealthy and determined enemy when she was younger, someone willing to go to great lengths to make her life difficult. And now, it seemed she might have gained another fellow offender.
Alaric chuckled. "Of course, all of this is just guesswork for now. We’ll need real evidence before we can be sure about anything."
Eva nodded in agreement. "That’s true. The information she might have isn’t the only reason I decided to help her."
Alaric raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Oh? And here I thought you just wanted to help someone you could relate to, a fellow traveler with the same kind of baggage."
Eva pouted, her expression playful. "No, it’s not like that. You’d have to meet her yourself to really get it."
Alaric smirked. "Wait, are you trying to set me up with her or something?" he teased.
Eva’s eyes widened in mock shock. She couldn’t help but notice how much more open Alaric had become since his talk with that mysterious stranger not long ago.
"Absolutely not!" Eva replied, half-laughing. "Just wait until you meet her, then you’ll understand."
"Alright, I’ll look forward to it." Since their life partner ritual, Eva and Alaric had started to share some abilities. One of the most interesting was Alaric’s way of seeing the world. Eva couldn’t see quite as much as he could, but she was starting to notice things she never would have before.
Something about this woman has caught her attention.
Alaric, still smiling, asked, "So, have you had any run-ins with spirits lately?"
The lying spirit they eliminated the last time wasn’t going to be the last one to come after her. They were beings that had their very strict work ethics. If they are sent out, they occasionally send out reports to their spiritual hierarchy.
When they are cast out, they are to report back and ask for permission to form a group of five before coming back, but if they are eliminated, they are treated as MIA, and another would just take their place, so they were not in the clear even though they had eliminated that lying spirit.
"No, I haven’t noticed anything since we arrived," Eva said, her voice a little relieved but still cautious.
Alaric wondered aloud, "Do you think it’s because of the city? This place is special. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were barriers or protections keeping spirits away from people here."
Eva thought about it for a moment. "If that’s true, then Vaelonea should be safe too, right? She shouldn’t be in any danger here."
"You should ask her if she’s noticed anything strange," Alaric advised. "And keep an eye on her. Try to find out as much as you can."
"Of course," Eva agreed, determined to stay alert.
Alaric leaned back on the wall, a hint of amusement in his voice. "So, how’s the organization coming along? Still haven’t settled on a name yet?"
Eva let out a tired sigh, rubbing her temples. "No, I was hoping you’d save me the headache and pick one yourself."
Alaric smiled, waving his hand dismissively. "You’re in charge of all the organization’s details, naming it included. I trust your judgment."
Eva nodded, her tone soft but proud. "Alright, I’ll handle it. For now, everything’s running smoothly. Everyone in the group is making progress and getting stronger each day."
"That’s good to hear, but it’s not enough," Alaric replied, his expression turning serious. "We need to start recruiting more practitioners, even if they aren’t ’perfect’. I’ll boost our production to keep up with the new recruits. We have to get ready for the ’test event’ that’s coming up."
Eva looked a little dejected at the reminder of the ’event’. Alaric noticed and said, "You don’t need to feel bad about it. They are probably happy fulfilling their purpose."
Eva hesitated, her voice trailing off. "But still..." She let out a quiet sigh. "Never mind."
Alaric changed the subject, glancing around. "What about Hundao? I haven’t seen him around here for a week now. How’s he doing?"
Eva’s lips curled into a smile as she recalled a recent memory. "He’s been training nonstop since you two sparred. He even worked up the nerve to challenge me."
Alaric chuckled knowingly. "I take it that didn’t go well for him?"
Eva shook her head, laughing. "Not at all. It actually turned into one of those rare, funny moments we get during training."
Alaric smiled, trying to hide his amusement. "Maybe now he’s learned not to challenge his superior in front of everyone."
"I guess so. But now, he wouldn’t stop training."
"I’ll talk to him once he’s had a chance to work through it," Alaric said, understanding the need for space.
Eva nodded in agreement. "Alright."
Alaric stood up and walked over to a shelf, retrieving several small jade bottles filled with [Five-elements Flesh-refinement pills]. He handed them to Eva. "These are the pills I just finished making. The book you found for me was a huge help."
Eva popped the cap of the one placed in front of her, catching a whiff of the energy-dense aroma coming from it. Her [Gluttony] trait reacted voraciously, making her stomach groan with desire, forcing her to seal it once more.
"This is brilliant."
"That’s not all," Alaric added, pointing to the other bottles. "Each one contains a different element. They’re labeled, so you’ll know which is which. Use them as rewards for members who stand out, or trade them for rare resources. But only you should use the [Five-elements Flesh-refinement pills]."
Eva nodded, determination returning to her face. "Understood. I’ll take care of it and start looking for useful resources while we get ready for what’s coming." She stood up, preparing to leave the room.
Alaric’s voice grew serious again. "One more thing, make sure everyone knows about the hidden exits and tunnels in the city. If something goes wrong, I want everyone to have a way out. I don’t want to lose anyone if it can be helped."
Eva gave it a brief thought before nodding in response. "I will do that."
