Bab 522: Volume 5 – Chapter 134(Mary Skelter: Nightmares(Part 8))
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Author Note:
[ ] = When Twilight is speaking.
{ } = When talking through Telepathy.
' ' = When thinking in your mind.
<< >> = When talking with your Pokémon or Tamed Beast.
--- --- = When describing a certain period OR Another place.
** ** = Point Of View, i.e., POV
/// /// = In Call
" " = System and when talking to it.
「 」 = Thoughts being heard
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---- Mary Skelter: Nightmares, Jail, Liberated District ----
The next day.
Lumine opened her tired eyes and was greeted by a worn-out ceiling. Rubbing them, she got out of bed and stretched her body before going to the kitchen.
The kitchen was old, with torn wallpaper on the wall, cracked bricks, rusted appliances, and a somewhat broken window.
The girl didn't mind and walked to an outdated one-door refrigerator and opened it before taking out one water bottle. She then picked up a pan whose base was bent inward and put all the water in it.
Next, Adeptal energy came out of her hand holding the handle and soon covered it entirely with water.
SSS!!
SSS!!!
The sound of sizzling was heard, and the quantity of water decreased to 1/3rd. Seeing that, Lumine grunted in annoyance and took out two more water bottles before dumping them into the pan again.
By the time the sizzling stopped, only one bottle worth of water was left.
Sighing, she put the pan on the stove and let it boil.
.
.
Five Minutes later.
Walking from the room onto the balcony, Lumine leaned on the railing and looked down while holding a cup of hot water.
As she took a sip slowly, she saw people coming out of their houses to start their day.
By the way, Lumine was currently living in a seven-story building in the Liberated District, there were only three such high buildings in the district.
Surprisingly, no one lived in the whole building except Lumine. Hence, now she was the sole owner of this huge place.
Well, it's not that people didn't want to live here; they just can't. Why? Because this building stood at the very far edge, close to the wall surrounding the district. As a result, this place became the first target of Marchens if they succeeded in entering.
Hence, in the past years, after a few days of living here, people got attacked by Marchens. Either killed or taken as prisoners.
This was the least safe place in the whole District. So, people gave up on living there, and this building became deserted. As a result, the Traveler got this entire place for free.
After entering this building yesterday, Lumine took the room on the top floor, where she slept.
It's not that she didn't want to take the other floor, but this room was the least dirty compared to others, not of dust but of Marchen Blood.
Yup, you heard it right. It's evident that when Marchens attacked this place, Dawn dispatched their Blood Maidens to remove them. So, Marchen's blood was spilled all over the floor, wall, and ceiling. And since no one lived here, no one cleaned them. It resulted in the blood drying up.
After arriving here yesterday, Lumine took half an hour to clean her room before jumping on the bed and drifting off to sleep.
.
.
Letting out a sigh, Lumine opened her mouth.
Lumine: I better complete the work orders today and return the money I borrowed from Sukui.
Yesterday, after taking the requests, the Traveler decided to find a place to live before going out to finish the request. However, she realized she had no money to buy food and daily necessities.
While she knew that the Order of the Sun would be distributing food in the evening to the new people who came, Lumine did not intend to participate because she knew people of Dawn would be there. They would definitely try to recruit her.
She could refuse, but she felt that they would not stop pestering her. Hence, it's better to keep some distance from them for now.
Ultimately, she could only put her pride aside and shamelessly ask Sukui for some money.
After that, she spent the day buying food and water. By the time she was done, she didn't have enough money to rent a room. Asking some more, she learnt about this cursed building and decided to live here from now on.
.
.
Once she had drunk all the water, she returned to the kitchen, washed her cup, and set it aside.
Her gaze fell on the three empty bottles, which made her sigh again.
Lumine: If this keeps up, I will run out of food and water in two to three days.
While cleansing removed all the impurities, the quantity decreased, too. That's why she needed three bottles to get one cup of clear water.
Next, she used up another three bottles to get some water to clean her face and prepared herself before leaving.
.
.
CLICK!!
Closing the main door of the building, the blonde looked at the street, which was now bursting with people, before making her way to the entrance.
???: Girl, where have you been all till yesterday?
The moment she was about to leave the Liberated District, a voice called her.
Pausing, she turned and saw the gatekeeper smiling and waving at her.
Lumine: Good Morning, Mr. Kadowaki.
Towa: Good Morning, Lumine. You look more refreshed and energetic than yesterday. It seems you have a good night's sleep.
Lumine: Um. I won't deny that. Sleeping on a soft bed is much more comfortable than on the floor in prison.
Towa: Hahaha. Good to hear that.
Lumine: By the way, Mr. Kadowaki, you asked where I have been since yesterday. Is there something you need?
Towa: Well, Darling has been looking for you all over the district yesterday. She seemed pretty worried, so that's why I asked.
Lumine: Oh. I see. Maybe it's because I went off on my own. I will apologize to Red Riding Hood later. If Mr. Kadowaki sees her again, tell her I am doing fine, so she doesn't need to worry about me.
Towa: I will… By the way, are you going somewhere?
Lumine: Yes, I am going to collect some materials.
Towa: Will you be okay?
Lumine: Of course. I am stronger than I look, Mr. Kadowaki.
She replied, putting her fists on her waist and proudly raising her chest.
Towa: Hahaha. It's good to see such confidence… Alright, off you good.
Waving her hand, she left.
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.
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---- City Streets ----
Returning to the place where she had been imprisoned before, the girl started looking around for the things being requested.
As she walked through the corridor, she came across Marchen, who swung at her. Hurriedly rolling to the side, she took out her sword and severed its head.
SHING!!
THUD!!
Ignoring Marchen's fallen corpse, she continued exploring the area in search of the materials. During that time, she encountered many closed doors. She tried to break them but was shocked to realize she couldn't.
'Lumine: Looks like I overestimated my strength too much, thinking I can do anything here.'
Sighing, she looked around some more and found the switch before continue exploring those areas.
She also came across many corpses of dead people who had come to try their luck and met their end. After checking them, she found some required materials, speeding up her completion of work orders.
When she was done exploring this floor, she found a staircase leading to the next floor.
'Lumine: If I am not wrong, my prison was on the 4th Floor.'
Surprisingly, she didn't encounter Nightmare during this whole time. Hence, she soon reached the third floor.
While Lumine was searching more, she couldn't help but frown from time to time.
'Lumine: Why do I feel someone is looking at me?'
Thinking, she started looking around but failed to find the source.
'Lumine: Is it my imagination?'
Her gaze soon fell on the eye on the wall. Approaching them with caution, she checked it but failed to find anything.
Suddenly, she saw a movement in the eye and concluded that it was not simple. Hence, without hesitation, her sword moved and destroyed.
SLASH!!
SPLURT!!
Some pink blood gashed out before the eye turned limp.
Still, Lumine didn't look happy, as she could still sense the gaze on her. Ultimately, she decided to leave for now and think about it later.
As she was making her way back, she reached a different area. The difference in this area was that there was a long, bottomless pit. Lumine would have ignored it other times, but not this time, as she saw an area on the other side.
Getting curious, she stepped back and gathered anemo power around her. Next, she sprinted forward at full speed. The moment she reached the edge, she leaped.
With the help of Anemo, she got the boost and reached the other side.
She was surprised to realize that she could no longer sense that gaze on her as before.
'Lumine: Is this some uncharted territory?'
She then checked around and found some sort of entrance. But this entrance was sealed. But Lumine could tell that this seal was not that hard to break.
Gathering power in her hand, she punched.
BAM!!
Seeing that it curved inward a little, Lumine was elated and punched again.
BAM!!
And again.
BAM!!
And again.
BAM!!
BAM!!
BANG!!!
Finally, it crumbled, and a deep path leading underground opened.
'Lumine: Let's see where it will take me.'
Thinking she jumped inside.
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---- Genshin Impact, Liyue Harbor, Jade Chamber ----
Sending Ningguang and Keqing to their separate room and laying them on the bed, Primis took the head seat and looked at Moon standing before him.
Primis: It seems everything is working well on your end.
Sighing, the crystal-haired woman stepped forward and sat on the table before replying.
Moon: It is. Though it was both tedious and a hassle. If not for your orders, I did not intend to lend hands to these humans.
Seeing her relaxing on his table in front, Primis didn't mind her rude behavior and leaned on his chair.
Primis: You really hate humans, don't you?
Moon: Hate is a small word. I loathe them. And you know why.
Primis: Doesn't this mean you loathe 'Us,' too?
Giving him a mocking look, she spoke.
Moon: If it was before, I would have believed you. However, while the System can't see your real strength, it can still distinguish one's race after checking the pattern and stored information… During those last few years, I have been trying to find even little information about you, if possible. But every time, I meet a dead end. Hence, you might have been a human before, as you are saying, but you are no longer one right now.
Primis: ....
Hearing this, Primis turned quiet and didn't speak.
Moon: By the way, what should I do with them?
Saying, she took out a pouch and placed it in front of Primis.
THUD!
He didn't pick it up and only glanced at it before speaking.
Primis: 'We' never expected you to be the one to hold a grudge over simple things.
Moon: Hmph. That brat tried to trick me. Of course, I will teach her a lesson or two.
Shaking her head, Primis willed, and the pouch opened, revealing many Primogem. These were the Primogems that Moon had exhorted from Lumine.
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*A/N: Please throw some power stones.
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Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone