Chapter 74: Crino Prairie 18
On the way, Moira Lynch asked what exactly this place was.
The answer she received excited Moira Lynch. It was a factory for personal Flying Devices.
’Flying Devices!’
"Patience, do all Starfarers use Flying Devices to get around nowadays?"
[Yes. But for very long distances, like crossing a city or traveling from one planet to another, you still need to ride a spaceship.]
Moira Lynch completely ignored the last part of Patience’s explanation.
The two of them walked for about ten-odd minutes before stopping in front of a wall.
The Beastkin made a few gestures in the air in front of the metal wall. The previously unremarkable surface began to react.
With a dull THUD, several seams suddenly appeared on the metal wall as if it had been sliced open. An entrance slowly materialized before them.
The Beastkin turned and waved to Moira Lynch. "The items inside are what need to be taken care of. You can go on in. I’ll stay out here."
Moira Lynch nodded and stepped inside. The moment she crossed the threshold, the lights overhead flickered on.
Stacked neatly before her were rows of black metal boxes.
Fortunately, Moira Lynch was mentally prepared for this sight.
She expertly found the serial number on the side of a box and had Patience look it up. After confirming they were indeed Flying Devices, she happily packed the items away into her space.
As for Patience’s comment that these were all obsolete Flying Devices, Moira Lynch pretended she hadn’t heard a thing. ’Who cares if they’re obsolete? These are Flying Devices!’
’The kind that can fly in the sky, you know?’
’The kind that could save your life in a pinch.’
’When facing enemies, air superiority means you have the upper hand.’
Moira Lynch opened one of the boxes.
Likely to cater to the tastes of Starfarers, these Flying Devices didn’t have a cold, purely mechanical appearance. Instead, they were fashioned into all sorts of shapes.
Most importantly, these Flying Devices were all solar-powered. This meant that as long as there was plenty of sun, she wouldn’t have to worry about energy.
Moira Lynch suppressed her excitement and quickly moved all the boxes in the warehouse into her space.
Based on the box she had just opened, each one contained about ten Flying Devices.
Since they were personal Flying Devices, each could only carry one person. All you had to do was slip your feet into the clasps, and you wouldn’t have to worry about it falling off. They were also very convenient to carry.
Just as Moira Lynch was getting into the swing of things, the black boxes were suddenly gone.
’That’s it?!’
Looking at the now half-empty warehouse, it would be a lie to say Moira Lynch wasn’t disappointed. ’How could there be so few? I haven’t gotten nearly enough yet.’
But no matter how she felt about it, what was gone was gone.
Looking at the remaining half of the cargo in the warehouse, she opened a box to check.
[Anti-gravity Shoes. Wearing them allows you to ignore gravity, run up walls, and leap over rooftops. After they were developed, they only caused a minor stir among the Starfarers and were quickly made obsolete.]
Hearing this, Moira Lynch gasped in astonishment. "How could something this good be obsolete?"
[Anti-gravity Shoes are far less convenient to use than Flying Devices. Except for a few Starfarers who enjoy physical activity, most people still rely on Flying Devices for transportation.]
Moira Lynch understood. ’So they’re just lazy.’
She caressed the Anti-gravity Shoes. ’It’s okay. They might look down on you, but I don’t. Who didn’t have a wuxia dream as a kid, of running up walls and over rooftops, or performing Lightweight Water Floating?’
Moira Lynch was certain that, just like the Flying Devices, these Anti-gravity Shoes would sell like hotcakes the moment she offered them.
Her previous disappointment vanished in an instant. She cheerfully began clearing the warehouse of its Anti-gravity Shoes.
「Three hours later.」
Moira Lynch walked out of the storeroom.
The Beastkin outside had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Moira Lynch emerge, he thoughtfully handed her a bottle of high-grade Recovery Agent.
Although she wasn’t particularly tired, Moira Lynch took it anyway. ’Might as well. It’s free.’
She had thought the job was finished and was feeling a bit disappointed, but then she saw the tall Beastkin turn and walk toward the other side of the metal wall.
After he performed another series of gestures, a second warehouse appeared before Moira Lynch.
Moira Lynch glanced at the high-grade Recovery Agent in her hand. ’No wonder he gave me this,’ she thought. ’The job isn’t over yet.’
The Beastkin noticed Moira Lynch’s shocked expression and, assuming she was tired, said apologetically, "This is the last one. Sorry to trouble you. If you’re too worn out, you can finish up tomorrow."
Moira Lynch cut him off, declaring righteously, "It’s fine. I’m not tired. This is my job."
With that, she marched resolutely into the warehouse, afraid that if she delayed another second, she wouldn’t be able to suppress her laughter.
This warehouse contained another type of item in addition to the Flying Devices and Anti-gravity Shoes.
[Gliding Cloak. Wearing it grants the user the temporary ability to glide. It, too, was made obsolete because its performance couldn’t match that of a Flying Device.]
’How could something so good be considered obsolete? These Starfarers are just too picky.’
Moira Lynch grumbled internally while rapidly stuffing the contents of the warehouse into her space.
Halfway through, she could feel her spiritual power becoming depleted. But it was no problem; she drank the high-grade Recovery Agent and kept going.
This time, Moira Lynch finished her work an hour earlier than before.
But when she remembered the Beastkin saying this was the last one, Moira Lynch couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. ’If only there were a few more warehouses like this,’ she mused.
Stepping out of the warehouse, Moira Lynch let out a long breath. This haul was arguably on par with what she’d acquired back at the Leonin’s home.
In terms of sheer quantity, this haul was even greater than the one from the Leonin’s place.
The tall Beastkin first praised Moira Lynch’s efficiency, then reached out and gently tapped the badge on her chest with a ring on his finger.
This time, Moira Lynch clearly saw the smile on the badge turn up a little more. So, it hadn’t been her imagination before.
"It’s dark out now, and you probably don’t have a place to stay. If you don’t mind, why don’t you spend the night here? We’ll take care of your mounts for you, too."
Hearing the word "mounts," it took Moira Lynch a moment to realize he was talking about the three Stag-Horses.
Moira Lynch certainly wasn’t going to refuse the offer to stay the night. The choice was between room and board with a soft bed, or surviving in the wild where danger could strike at any moment. Only an idiot would choose the latter.
By the time she saw Shane Rhodes and Kai York again, they had already completed their tasks.
Thanks to Moira Lynch being "in" with their host, the two of them had been assigned the easiest jobs.
"Where to next?" Shane Rhodes asked.