Black Cloud Mask

Walking on the streets of the Orange District.

Giant Stone Statue, thousands of meters high, spans the sky.

Compared to viewing this creation from other districts several kilometers away, standing on the streets of the Orange District, one cannot see the entire statue clearly.

There's a sense of being lost in the mountains, like someone who's in the middle of the forest.

Behind Linsey, who was hurrying along, Ala Song continued his persistent chatter:

"Linsey, do you know Miss Yao Xing?"

"Could you introduce me to her? I really love the production of ' Lily Danny and Adores '. One of my goals in coming to the City of a Thousand Sails was to see what the best performance is like."

"I heard that Miss Yao Xing was also performing in the daytime parade, but unfortunately they didn't pass by here. There were too many people on the street, and I couldn't even squeeze in..."

Linsey had no choice but to reply:

"Yao Xing and I are just ordinary acquaintances."

Ala Song looked doubtful. "Really?"

Linsey nodded:

"Real!"

"I can help with introductions, but I can't guarantee the outcome."

"..."

Ala Song began to frown.

A few minutes later, Linsey's words interrupted the one-armed painter's thoughts.

"We're here! This is it!"

The two awakened individuals sped through the city, their speed naturally increasing, and soon they arrived at the edge of the Orange District.

A gentle sea breeze blew by, seemingly oblivious to the danger lurking in the city.

Linsey's plant shop and Wala Wala's three-story building are still standing here safely.

Linsey immediately stepped forward, climbed over the fence of the Wala Wala, and pushed the door open.

He had visited the girl's home several times.

Unfortunately, this time, gentlemanly etiquette couldn't be guaranteed, so we had to pry open the door lock and hinges and force our way in...

Click—

Suddenly, the door opened by itself.

Linsey lightly touched the door with her fingertips, then froze on the spot.

Unbeknownst to them, Wala Wala had already registered his identity in his home.

Linsey has the right to enter here freely.

"..."

Linsey seemed a little lost in thought.

He shook his head violently, strode into the room, and began his inspection in the first-floor studio.

A water cup, a blanket for resting, and a rag for wiping paint.

Through these everyday items, the girl's daily habits are revealed to Linsey one by one.

However, no item containing Essence was ever found.

"..."

"The art of 'Wala Wala' makes it easy to create all sorts of things, so the need for special equipment is naturally very low."

Linsey walked up to the second floor, deep in thought.

His gaze swept across the room, and a bright white light immediately caught Linsey's attention.

That was the color peeking out from under the Wala Wala bed.

Linsey lifted the sheet and peered underneath.

The base is plain and unremarkable, but the Decryption Game reveals a hidden compartment on it.

"It was an emergency, so I apologize."

Linsey broke through the hidden compartment directly.

Inside was a blue box made of enamel glass.

He opened it and saw a half-face mask, like a black cloud, lying inside.

The mask resembled silk and jade, with faint willow-like stripes spreading around the edges of the eyes, and a bright star adorning the corner of the eye.

The mask only covers the upper half of the wearer's face.

However, its design is neither overly ornate nor lacking in elegance, yet it still reveals the refined and tranquil aesthetic of its owner.

Linsey recalled the story of Wala Wala's time working at the theater.

"The Masked Singer..."

"Is this the mask they're talking about?"

[Rare Item: Black Cloud Mask - Starry Eye]

[A mask that conceals one's identity, obscuring the wearer's appearance and hindering the exploration of destiny, cause and effect, and laws. Awakened beings below the Eighth Stage cannot see through the mask's concealment; it can also be used as material to craft other items.]

"Constancy, flux, illusion and reality."

"Truth can become falsehood, and falsehood can become truth."

"My creation! Dance and sing on this vast world stage, you will be the brightest star!"

[A mask created by a special being; extremely valuable!]

"..."

These are props left to Wala Wala by Fallen Artist on Black Tide Island.

Linsey stared at the mask in her hand.

He has no time to delve into Wala Wala's past.

In any case, this mask has been with the girl for a long time, and it is undoubtedly the best symbol of her current status!

Ala Song then went up to the second floor and saw Linsey's actions:

"This mask..."

Linsey nodded:

"This can be used as a token of our affection. Let's go."

Linsey led Ala Song downstairs.

Only after leaving the Wala Wala house did he look towards his plant shop.

No matter how bizarre and dangerous the scenes in the city may be.

Hilude, who had become a shop employee, continued to work normally inside without any reaction.

Linsey suddenly remembered the situation when she asked the other party earlier.

"What did I do? I don't remember."

"My hero, you really are the most special one!"

"The memories in my brain now feel like they've been violently destroyed."

"This is something I've never encountered before when trying to change my fate!"

"..."

Ala Song asked, somewhat puzzled, "Linsey?"

Linsey replied, "It's nothing, I'm just grabbing something else."

This incident has caused quite a stir, and Linsey will definitely have to take a fully prepared approach.

And over the course of several years...

Linsey's various items had long exceeded the 72-slot limit of her [Python Pocket] inventory, and many of them were stored in the shop's warehouse.

Now, it's obvious we can't leave them on the beach exposed to the wind.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Huh? The house... where's the house?"

Ala Song, standing by the roadside, looked utterly bewildered.

He had just seen Linsey standing in front of the shop.

But the next second, with a fluctuation of Source Material Skill, the entire house vanished in front of him, as if it had never existed.

Am I seeing things?

"Linsey, how come this house is like this..."

Ala Song couldn't even find a good word to describe his astonishment.

"It's my skill."

"There are some things in the house that we might need, so we'll bring them with us."

It took Ala Song a while to accept this reality:

Is it a space for storing items?

"Linsey, I don't remember whether you're a merchant or a craftsman."

As Linsey headed due south, she replied, "There are many kinds of Awakened Ones in the world, and it's normal for some to have more special professions and diverse abilities."

Ala Song didn't delve deeper, but simply shook his head with a wry smile:

"I wish I had that ability while traveling."

The two continued heading south towards the Blue District.

On the way, we happened to pass by the residence of designer Will.

Linsey could not possibly disturb the other party at this time.

But as he passed by, his keen sense of perception allowed him to hear a painful groan coming from inside the house.

"?"

Linsey opened the map.

At this moment, only a lonely Green Marker remains in Will's house.

"There is World String net."

"The city appeared to be in a state of jubilation, and no major unrest occurred."

"But the impact of the crisis will not disappear in reality just because of this kind of merriment."

Linsey, of course, did not hesitate.

He flipped up and jumped, crawling through the window into the second floor of the studio.

Right there on the floor of the house, he saw the designer Will's wife lying there, looking frail and on the verge of death.