You carry the burden~
I lead the horse~
...
Across the desolate plain of Originium crystal clusters drifted the melody of Journey to the West's theme song, hummed through a girl's nose.
She did not understand the lyrics, but the first time she had heard it from You Yi, she had found it catchy—light and cheerful.
Especially this part. Whenever she was in a good mood, she would hum it from time to time. It had already replaced the lullaby she used to sing, some tune she had picked up who knew where.
Kazdel, still rebuilding from ruin, had little room for entertainment. Many Sarkaz still struggled every day just to fill their stomachs. Who had the time to think about amusement?
So each time she listened to You Yi tell stories, it became her way of relaxing. And when she came to quarrel with him instead, it was either because she was in a bad mood and wanted to vent, or simply because she wanted something to laugh at.
But today, as she hummed her way toward that familiar patch of broken rocks, her footsteps suddenly stopped.
Several adult Sarkaz voices were drifting over from the direction where You Yi usually stayed.
Wis'adel's pupils contracted slightly. The humming stopped at once.
Without hesitation, her hand moved to the bomb at her waist.
Lowering her body, she slipped forward soundlessly under the cover of the Originium crystal clusters.
Her heartbeat was strangely fast—so fast she did not even understand why.
There was no reason to be this tense. That thing was just a disgusting lump of slime. What did it have to do with her?
And yet her steps did not slow. If anything, they quickened.
She had never dealt with anything like this before, so all she could tell herself was: I just want to see whether that thing is dead yet, so I can collect the corpse.
But another thought kept creeping into her mind.
It was so strange, after all. It could talk. It could tell stories. If someone caught it, they would probably keep it locked up as a pet.
After circling around a thick crystal pillar, she finally saw the Sarkaz.
They carried quite a bit of equipment—far more advanced than anything she was used to seeing—and held tools she did not recognize at all.
They were digging?
Right in the area where You Yi usually stayed, one man was turning over the earth with a shovel, while two others crouched nearby fiddling with some instrument that gave off a faint buzzing sound.
Perhaps it was the noise she made.
"A kid?"
One of the Sarkaz happened to look up and met her gaze. He frowned immediately. "What are you doing here?"
Wis'adel stood there expressionlessly, one hand still resting at the back of her waist.
"What are you doing?"
Her tone was sharp, with not the slightest hint of fear despite facing several adults.
The Sarkaz man paused, then let out a sneering laugh. "What, is this your land or something?"
Another of his companions laughed too, though the sound died away quickly.
Because he had noticed that this child—thin as a skeleton—had several dangerous-looking things strapped to her body. A crude detonator. And tucked at her waist, inside that bulging cloth pouch, the unmistakable outline of something explosive.
The atmosphere froze for a moment.
The leader, an older Sarkaz, raised a hand to stop his men from saying more. His tone softened a little.
"The boss said this area might have a vein, so we were told to mark it off and survey it first."
He paused, then added, "Nothing else. We'll leave once we're done."
Wis'adel did not respond.
She lowered her eyes, stayed silent for two seconds, then turned and walked deeper into the rocky area without a backward glance.
From behind her came a muttered complaint in a lowered voice. "What's with that brat?"
"Forget it. That gear looks mercenary-made. Kids like that are the worst to deal with—they don't care whether they live or die."
Wis'adel quickened her pace.
Around a few boulders, through two rows of crystal clusters, and at last she saw the familiar puddle of black slime.
It was huddled beneath the shade of a rock, looking as half-dead as ever.
But the moment it saw her, the mass of slime visibly twitched.
"So who are you going to blow up?"
You Yi's voice sounded in her mind, tinged with something odd.
Only then did Wis'adel realize she was still in a guarded stance, fingers hooked through the pull-ring of the bomb at her waist.
She let go and answered expressionlessly, "No one."
"I heard voices. Sounds like surveyors," You Yi said.
"I know."
"Then why were you reaching for the bomb?"
Wis'adel fell silent for two seconds, her gaze drifting elsewhere. "In case they forgot their place."
You Yi went quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, his tone was subtle.
"They're here to survey. They're not looking for me."
"I know."
"..."
That puddle of slime wriggled a little, as though adjusting its posture to look at her.
"You were worried about me?"
Wis'adel's voice shot up immediately. "Who's worried about you?!"
Her eyes widened, like a cat that had just had its tail stepped on. "I just didn't want someone picking you up before I finish hearing the rest of the stories!"
You Yi said nothing.
But for some reason, Wis'adel felt that puddle of slime was smiling.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I'm not laughing."
"You're definitely laughing!"
"I'm a puddle of slime. I don't come with a smile function."
"Bullshit! You're laughing!"
Mortified and angry, Wis'adel picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it into the slime.
The pebble sank into the black mass, then was slowly spat back out and dropped to the side.
You Yi's voice sounded lazily in her mind.
"Wow. You're really getting worked up."
"..."
She sat down heavily on a rock, hugged her knees, and stared at the figures still surveying in the distance.
"Who cares about you? It'd serve you right if someone caught you and kept you as a pet. At least then you'd stop obsessing over trying to harm me."
You Yi fell silent for a moment.
"So... should I be touched?"
"Touched my ass!" Wis'adel whipped her head around and glared at him viciously. "Stop flattering yourself!"
"Fine, fine. Whatever you say."
There was obvious indulgence in You Yi's tone.
Wis'adel gave a huff and said nothing more.
Now and then, wind blew in from afar, passing through the Originium crystal clusters and making a low, mournful sound.
Eventually the three Sarkaz surveyors packed up and left. Before going, they glanced over in this direction a few times, but in the end they did nothing.
Wis'adel kept watching until they were far away, until they vanished beyond the gray horizon, and only then did she truly relax.
She turned back and found that You Yi's puddle of slime was inching toward her.
"What are you doing?"
"The wind's too strong. It's a little cold. Can't I come closer?"
You Yi sounded perfectly justified. "What if I catch a cold? Then you won't get your stories."
Wis'adel froze for a second, then snorted with laughter.
"You're not even human. You can catch a cold?"
"Who says I'm less human than you? How can you just assume my species?"
You Yi paused, then his voice took on a lazy teasing note.
"So what do you want to hear today? You've already heard The Monkey King Beats the Black Snake Demon Three Times. How about The Ursus Lion Camel Ridge?"
Wis'adel's eyes lit up, but she immediately narrowed them again in suspicion. "You're being unusually generous today. Don't tell me you're trying to trick me again."
"Do you take me for that kind of person?"
"You're a puddle of slime."
"Cruel."
Wis'adel lifted her chin smugly and leaned back against the rock.
"Go on. If I'm pleased enough, maybe I'll say yes this time."
You Yi was speechless.
"Where did you even learn that expert-level promise-dangling from?"
-------
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