The Situation (Continued)

After examining her, the ninja girl, her scarf fluttering in the wind, fixed her gaze on Lin's face.

Lin didn't know what she was thinking, but she just stared at her face without saying a word.

Lin was patient enough, and finally, as another gust of wind lifted the girl's scarf, the ethereal and detached voice of the girl played softly from under the mask.

"I am a member of the Rider Tanuki Squad, a ninja specializing in eye and ear power." She introduced herself first, showing Lin the team name on her wristwatch. "What you say is true. I will discuss the cooperation with my companions later and give you an answer. This city is not peaceful, so you and your companions should proceed with caution."

It seems there's no need for fighting anymore, and Lin nodded in gratitude for the other party's concern.

But her next move left Lin completely baffled.

"Excuse my intrusion, but may I ask your name?"

"Name"? Does it refer to a given name?

"If it's inconvenient for you, then you don't need to worry about my request." The ninja girl realized that they were just strangers who had just met, and added, but she still stared intently at Lin's face, as if there was something on his face that was worth noting.

"Call..."

A refreshing breeze blew by, and the battle in the distance seemed to have stopped sometime earlier.

In the shadows where the sun was obscured by clouds, Lin saw through the eye openings of the mask a pair of ethereal and beautiful light blue pupils, with sharp, vertical points in the center, like the keen eyes of a small beast, yet without any beastly nature.

"Forest."

He said his name.

"..."

The wind blew the girl's scarf again, blocking Lin's view of her eyes.

"I am Yae Kasumi."

A slender hand clad in gauntlets pressed against the terrifying mask of the half-beast, half-demon, and gently lifted it upwards.

A beautiful and aloof face quietly appeared before Lin in the shadows.

"Excuse me, Lin, do you know me?"

The New Testament: Afterword of the Dirac Sea: Chapter Ninety-Two -The Official Designated Item Shop for the Tournament

"... I don't know him."

When Yae Kasumi asked this question, Lin wondered if she was very famous? Could it be that a historical figure was summoned to the Great Elf Tournament to fight, and that would explain why she was here...

Okay, it seems one element is too heavy.

But Yae Kasumi's question was indeed too abrupt, and under the gaze of those clear eyes, serious and rigid, he didn't know whether she was expecting him to answer whether he knew her or not.

"Is that so? It seems I was mistaken." Yae Kasumi showed no emotion upon hearing Lin's reply. After a moment of silence, she put her mask back on, revealing her half-beast, half-demon face. "I'm sorry, just pretend you didn't hear the question. If you follow this road, you'll find a place where you can trade. I'll discuss it with my companions and then come find you."

"Good."

"I take my leave now, and wish you continued success in your military endeavors."

"..."

After leaving a blessing, Yae Kasumi nimbly leaped off the rooftop, like a light fox, disappearing into the shadows in a few flashes, her presence vanishing without a trace.

Lin stood on the empty rooftop, pondering his conversation with Yae Kasumi earlier.

... She didn't say anything wrong, but why would she ask such a strange question?

Unable to reach a conclusion, Lin ultimately attributed the problem to the other party's own actions, which had nothing to do with him.

"How are you? Are you alright, Brother Lin?" Seele, who had been pacing by the window waiting, breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Lin return and that he didn't seem to be injured.

It seems that what he said was true; as a newly joined team, they are not easily targeted.

Lin shook his head, then prepared to pick up Seele again, but she was so frightened that she took several steps back. "Wait, wait a minute, Brother Lin, can't we walk over normally!"

"... It's too slow."

Faced with his expressionless face, Seele instinctively shrank back and cautiously asked, "Could we... change positions?"

The princess carry was a bit too intimate; just by looking up, she could see Lin's chin, and she could only wrap her arms around Lin's neck—it was just too...

"No problem." Lin agreed readily, so quickly that Seele didn't even have time to react. He held out his hand. "Let's go."

"Ah... okay."

Seele was taken aback for a moment, but thankfully the result was good, wasn't it...?

"Waaaaaaah!"

The ground and buildings rushed past her, and she felt like she was on a runaway train, with her head sticking out of the window, only able to look at the ground and not knowing when she would be hit and killed!

Lin did indeed change his posture.

He simply picked Seele up and carried her on his back.

He placed it on his shoulder as if carrying a wooden stake, and before she could react, he once again performed the act of a trapeze artist.

This time, she didn't even have anything to hold onto to give her a sense of security.

"Lin, Lin, Lin, brother, brother, brother..."

The elongated punctuation, drawn out as one moves forward, cannot be pieced together into a complete sentence.

So, after struggling to find their way through every nook and cranny of the city, they finally arrived at the "place where they could make a deal" that Yae Kasumi had mentioned.

Lin had assumed it would be a neutral zone similar to a large store in a game, but the scene before him was "slightly different" from his expectations.

"Hehehe, young friend, are you looking to buy some handy weapons or tools? Don't miss out if you're passing by."

This should be the public garden of Changkong City. Compared to the mess in the city, this garden has not yet been affected by the battle. It is also possible that everyone has avoided this place. In any case, it looks relatively intact.

In the very center of the garden, in front of a large fountain that sprays clear, clean water, there is a simple stall.

At first glance, it looks like a small stall that you could find anywhere in a flea market.

This is... the trading location?

Lin put down Seele, who was dizzy and numb from the cold wind. His eyes swept over the unremarkable arrangement and then stopped on the only special person.

That is, the owners of small street stalls.

To be honest, she was dressed too extravagantly; she didn't look like a street vendor at all.

Her clothes, categorized by type, should be ancient Chinese costume. The large area of black does not appear understated; instead, it appears flamboyant under the decoration of numerous silver clouds, stars, and feathers. Her smooth legs and left shoulder are exposed, and under the golden waistband, there is a semi-transparent short hem that barely covers the key parts. With her overly "bold" movements, the scenery inside is faintly visible.

Her long, gray-blue hair cascaded down her back, and the prismatic red gemstones added to her arrogant demeanor. The unrestrained smile on her lips, combined with the bizarre blind glasses, made her stand out even more.

Beside her was a plaque.

It says "The Official Designated Item Shop for the Tournament".

"Oh my, young friend, you look quite imposing and skilled. You must be planning to cause quite a stir in Changkong City." This... proprietress, stroking her chin, chuckled strangely, staring at Lin, who was sizing her up, and laughed, "Then you must need a little help. Isn't this a coincidence? I happen to have some divine weapons that I can't sell... waiting for their destined owner, which are perfect for you!"

"... Are you the owner here?" Lin looked at the proprietress, whose style was even stranger than Yae Kasumi's, with some uncertainty.

"Exactly! Look, it clearly says 'The Official Designated Item Shop for the Tournament' here. How could it be fake?"

The gray-blue proprietress pushed up her blind glasses, making it clear to anyone that her eyesight was normal. She smirked and said, "Young friend, don't just look at me. I'm not for sale. Why don't you come and see my merchandise? I guarantee that every single one of them is a peerless weapon."

At this moment, Seele finally recovered from her discomfort. She walked to Lin's side and looked curiously at the proprietress who, no matter how you looked at her, only seemed like a shrewd businesswoman.

"Oh! This young lady is elegant and refined, and seems exceptionally intelligent. She and my friend are truly a perfect match."

"W-what...?"

Caught off guard by the sudden praise and misunderstanding, Seele waved her hand in a fluster, but before she could explain, Lin coldly said, "We have no money."

"Hahaha, young friend, you're quite the joker. Who here has any money?" The proprietress rested her chin on one hand, sat cross-legged on the carpet, and her eyes behind her blind man's sunglasses kept darting between Lin and Seele. "I don't take money. As for what I take, why don't you take a look at the goods first?"

"..."

Although she felt it was a bit strange, Lin decided to do as she said first. Even if it was just to gather information, she had to show sincerity first.

Seele a wink, and regardless of whether she understood or not, he stepped forward and came to the pile of "divine weapons" to examine them carefully.

He picked up the first golden longsword with an antique pattern that was on the stall.

"Oh! Young friend, you have a good eye. This sword is a rare gem, one in a thousand. It can communicate with the wielder's mind and achieve the state of oneness between man and sword. It might even develop a weapon spirit and become a sword maiden!"

"Moreover, it cannot be possessed by anyone but the destined one. The fact that you picked it up so easily shows that you are the one chosen by it."

Upon seeing Lin pick up the sword, the proprietress exclaimed in astonishment, marveling at his extraordinary skill.

"Take it."

Lin turned around and placed the sword in Seele's hand.

"Huh?"

Seele took the golden longsword with a bewildered look and easily lifted it up.

"..."

The proprietress's face froze instantly.

New Testament: Afterword of the Dirac Sea: Chapter 93 Titan

"I picked it up? But isn't this a sword that only the destined one can wield?"

Seele nervously glanced at Lin, then at the sweating proprietress, unsure whether to put it down or continue holding it.

"This... Haha! Of course, you, young lady, are also my destined one!" The proprietress quickly reacted, using laughter to cover her embarrassment, and said to Lin, who was coldly crossing his arms, "Young friend, do you see that this young lady is also lacking a weapon? Isn't this perfect?"

Lin knew perfectly well that this so-called destined person was just a sales gimmick, just like handing out flyers on the street and calling out "handsome men and beautiful women." Didn't they know in their own hearts whether they were actually handsome men and beautiful women?

"Let me take another look." Lin coldly cut off the proprietress's next words and continued to look down at the "goods" on the stall.

He picked up a bottle of dark green liquid, and the proprietress immediately leaned close to his ear, pulled down her sunglasses, and winked at him. "Young man, you really know how to pick! This is a drug that every man dreams of, obtained from an evil scientist. With it, you can sleep with any girl you want without any problem. It's guaranteed to be colorless and odorless, dissolving in any liquid, so they'll fall for it without even realizing it. They won't have a single memory of it after they wake up. You can even change your taste and sleep with a different man if you want. To be honest, I saw quite a few absolutely stunning girls at this competition..."

"..."

There are actually such things?

But Lin was very skeptical of its authenticity, and since he had no need for it, he put it down and continued searching for something that looked useful among a pile of "fashionable junk".

"This is..."

Seele picked up a spherical object that looked completely broken; its dull appearance made it look like a broken light bulb.

"Oh! This is truly incredible!" The proprietress, in her usual exaggerated tone, suddenly appeared beside Seele, who was startled. The proprietress chuckled and smiled at her, then, feigning surprise, stroked her chin and exclaimed, "Little girl, this is a legendary artifact that can manipulate gravity at will! Even if it's damaged now, as long as its spirit can be awakened, it can unleash its original power!"

Lin weighed the seemingly ordinary stone in his hand.

"Oh! Young friend, that's the Golden Apple from ancient mythology. Once you peel off the skin..."

Lin said expressionlessly, "I just picked this up by the roadside."

"..."

After looking at everything on the stall, the proprietress described each item in glowing terms, as if possessing just one of them would grant one the world.

The implication was clear. "It's your loss if you don't buy; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

But it was obvious that these were nothing more than useless junk piles, which even the rather naive Seele could see. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had a chance to buy them; the other teams participating in the competition would have snapped them all up long ago.

So when Lin and Seele both gave the proprietress and the casually written signboard next to her strange looks, she awkwardly but politely scratched the back of her head and chuckled dryly, "I didn't lie to you, there's no need to look at me like that... Hey! What's with that look?! Don't go too far, I'm telling you!"

Lin sighed. He didn't expect to buy anything good here. They weren't here to participate in the competition. Their main purpose was to find out some information about the Great Elf Tournament and this World Bubble.

However, just as he was about to use tactful language to indicate that they didn't want to buy these things and wanted to find out some information, something unexpected happened.

"Are you planning to sell all this junk by weight as scrap metal? Oh no, even if you did, you wouldn't be able to sell it as scrap metal, because this is not even worth scrap metal."

"..."

A sharp and undisguised mockery escaped from the mouth of the seemingly delicate girl.

Seele.

Lin hadn't forgotten to observe Seele throughout the journey. After scrutinizing her, he could conclude that Seele's shyness wasn't an act; she was indeed a shy and introverted girl, unless her acting skills had reached the point where she could perfectly control even the muscles in her face.

But at this moment, the girl with the inner highlights, whose lips were originally cute, curled into a wicked smile like a little devil, looking contemptuously at the pile of "scrap metal" that Lin hadn't directly said.

"You!"

Although this is what Lin wanted to say, it was far too blunt, showing no mercy and completely tearing off all pretense of civility.

So the proprietress's expression changed abruptly, and she glared at Seele with gritted teeth.

"Oh dear~ Brother Lin, her expression is so scary! You have to protect Seele!" Seele clung to Lin's arm, hiding half her body behind him. Lin looked down but couldn't see her expression. "Seele was just telling the truth~"

"You!... Fine! Then I'll have to show you my real trump card!"