Chapter 69: Crino Prairie 13
Moira Lynch watched the trio’s miserable state without a shred of guilt. ’They were the ones who tried to attack me first. Did they really think I wouldn’t notice?’
Seeing the three were overcome by the stench, sprawled on the ground and dry-heaving with no strength to fight back, Moira Lynch unceremoniously snatched their backpacks and made a run for it.
’If I stick around any longer, I’ll end up just like them.’
Once she had run far enough away, Moira Lynch finally stopped, ducked into a patch of tall grass, and opened the backpacks one by one to inspect the contents.
The moment she opened the first one, Moira Lynch knew she’d gone too easy on them. Inside were seven or eight smiley face badges, each with a different level of brightness.
She had seen with her own eyes that the trio already had their own smiley face badges pinned to their chests.
In other words, these additional badges must have been stolen from other people.
Besides the badges, the bags were mostly filled with various Nutrition Supplements and Energy Bars.
It went without saying that most of this stuff had been stolen as well.
She took everything out of the backpacks, then hung the empty bags on a tree.
After what had just happened, the bags were covered in shit and stank horribly. ’There’s no way I’m carrying these around.’
Scavenging as she went, Moira Lynch finally made it out of the forest before noon.
Before she left, Moira Lynch cast a lingering, reluctant look back at the woods. Then, she turned and ran without a second glance, as if afraid she would regret it if she hesitated for even a moment.
’Completing the mission is more important right now. I’ll come back later if I get the chance.’
She glanced at the purifying moss and the Water Storage Mushroom in her dimensional space. A day ago, Moira had found a cold, damp spot to plant them, but there had been no change so far.
’Hasn’t it been long enough?’
Still, the purifying moss showed no signs of withering, which was a good sign.
As she rode her electric scooter, watching the forest recede until it vanished completely, Moira Lynch couldn’t help but sigh in relief. ’To be honest, I was terrified they’d catch up to me.’
Being a lone wolf had its perks—you only had to fend for yourself—but the drawbacks were also glaringly obvious, as the recent incident had just proven.
If she hadn’t been alone, they would never have dared to target her so openly, let alone try to kill her.
As the saying goes, two fists are no match for four. Not unless she became strong enough to completely overwhelm everyone.
But for now, that was impossible. The early-stage abilities of a spiritual power Talent leaned more toward support.
’Maybe I should find a couple of teammates.’
For some reason, the names Shane Rhodes and Kai York immediately popped into her head.
The way they had bravely stepped forward back at the Leonin’s home had left her with a good impression.
Besides, she could tell they didn’t have any ulterior motives toward her.
’Then again, maybe not.’
Moira Lynch shook her head, banishing the thought. Being a lone wolf had its downsides, but teaming up wasn’t a perfect solution either. ’I’d only want Shane Rhodes and Kai York as teammates, but what if other people wanted to join later? Would I agree or refuse?’
’Besides, I have too many secrets. What would I do if they were discovered and my teammates turned on me?’
’Forget it. When it comes to finding teammates, I’ll just leave it to fate.’
’After all, you have to find people you can trust your back to. It’s better to be cautious. Quality over quantity.’
As she rode along, she suddenly felt something land on her nose. A drop of water.
She looked up. The once-clear sky had turned overcast. The few scattered drops quickly became a drizzle, which then grew steadily heavier until it was a torrential downpour.
Unfazed, Moira Lynch pulled out the raincoat she had prepared and put it on, ready to continue her journey.
But the next second, with a deafening BOOM, a bolt of purple lightning tore across the sky, putting a stop to her plan.
’Getting struck by lightning is no joke. I’d better find a place to wait out the storm.’
She scanned her surroundings. There was nothing but endless prairie in every direction. Finding shelter was going to be a problem; nowhere looked safe.
’Maybe I should just hide in my dimensional space.’
Moira Lynch wasn’t afraid of thunderstorms; in fact, she quite liked rainy days. A rainy day was a perfect excuse to take a day off, and the weather was great for sleeping.
But that last bolt of lightning had genuinely scared her.
Just as she was deliberating, she suddenly spotted what looked like a house in the distance. Its style was very similar to the Leonin’s home she had seen before.
She had figured out the pattern over the last few days: weaker Beastkin tended to band together, while more powerful ones were inclined to live alone.
Not caring what kind of Beastkin lived there, Moira Lynch took off running toward it.
Just before she arrived, she stored the electric scooter in her dimensional space and kept running.
After about five more minutes of running, she finally reached the front door—a gray wooden door that looked both rustic and stately.
Moira Lynch glanced at the size of the door. It was quite a bit smaller than the Leonin’s. ’Looks like this one is probably weaker than him.’
As she was wondering what kind of Beastkin lived here, the gray door swung open without warning.
*Welcome, my friend.*
Moira’s foot, which had been about to cross the threshold, froze in mid-air. She looked up at the open doorway, a strange feeling creeping over her.
Just then, another bolt of purple lightning streaked across the sky, and the deafening clap of thunder that followed made Moira’s heart skip a beat.
Staring at the open door before her, she cast aside her unease and darted inside.
Once inside, Moira Lynch realized this wasn’t a Beastkin’s home. It was a beverage shop. No wonder it had that kind of greeting at the door.
Just then, a woman with bronze skin and a wild, powerful build approached. Judging by the animal ears atop her head and the tail swishing behind her, she was some kind of feline Beastkin.
"Are you here to help? You look so young. Are you even an adult? We don’t hire child laborers here."
The woman looked Moira Lynch up and down, her eyebrows knitting together slightly.
"I am an adult," Moira said, "and I’m not here to help. I’m looking for a job."
Moira emphasized the distinction. ’If you’re just "helping," whether you get paid or not is up to them. A job is different.’
"A job? Then do you know how to brew Kakas? Our Kakas here is all hand-ground, you know."
’Kakas?’
’What’s that?’
[Kakas is a popular interstellar beverage, known for its ability to refresh the mind, improve concentration, and boost work efficiency. It is similar to coffee from Caelus.]
’Hand-ground coffee!’
Moira Lynch puffed out her chest. "I don’t know how to brew Kakas," she said, "but I can take out the trash."
’Making hand-ground coffee is one of those things that looks easy until you actually try it. Better not even go there.’