Things That Live Forever

Elorie swayed, suddenly looking drained. "...Did I fail in the end?"

A customer's failure was the shopkeeper's failure, wasn't it?

A record like that would undoubtedly hurt the Ability Store's reputation.

Chen Xuan couldn't let her think that way. "Don't lose heart yet. The future may still have changed."

"The Temple Treasury was destroyed... and Mother Body Lucy is gone..." Elorie murmured.

"You have to look past what happened and see what it means. Humanity faced disaster because it had no defenses against the calamity from above. Now that your warning has come true, do you think the Angel Alliance will still ignore what you told them?" Chen Xuan said firmly. "The Devils suffered heavy losses, and the treasury wasn't completely destroyed. Those two things alone could change a great deal."

"Do you really think so?"

"There's an easy way to find out. We can go to the future and see for ourselves."

"Yes... You're right. Once we return to New Paris City, we'll know the answer." Elorie still seemed distracted, as though she were both answering him and reassuring herself.

"What if the future hasn't changed?" Lin Qing whispered.

Chen Xuan gave her a look that said they would deal with that when it happened.

"Could you tell me about your relationship with Mother Body Lucy?" He turned to Liu Li. To be honest, he was fascinated by the origins of Artifacts. "Why could she bind you? You aren't human, are you?"

Liu Li pressed a hand to the brim of her broad hat. "That's private..."

She doesn't want to say. Chen Xuan could hardly press her. "In that case..."

"But I'm willing to answer some of your questions, within limits. Consider it thanks for freeing me from the agreement." Her sudden change of tack caught him off guard.