Chapter 394: Let's Just Call It My Special Ability
At the doorway of Kal'tsit's office, Steven and Nian had just finished a brief round of introductions. Before they could dig any deeper into conversation, however, the office door swung open from the inside on its own—and out stepped a familiar figure.
"If you've got something to talk about, come in and sit down. Or do you really think the conversation only works if I'm not in the room?"
Kal'tsit cast a weary glance at the two walking headaches before her. Nian was trouble enough on her own—though, to be fair, at least she had the decency to act like a guest. She rarely showed up on Rhodes Island anyway, usually only dropping by around the Yan New Year to look for something she personally deemed "interesting."
Still, her visits weren't without merit. Every time she came, she brought along invaluable blacksmithing techniques that benefitted Rhodes Island greatly. That alone was reason enough for Kal'tsit to tolerate her antics—even if the "price" Nian demanded often involved ridiculous activities, like filming bizarre videos or organizing strange events like this Yan New Year.
And then there was Steven. Kal'tsit's gaze lingered on him for a moment. If she had to describe him, "peculiar" would be putting it lightly. He could match Nian's level of absurdity, maybe even surpass it. So far, his antics hadn't disrupted Rhodes Island's operations… but Kal'tsit knew it was only a matter of time.
With these two standing in the same place, who knew what kind of chaos would erupt? If the entire base survived their meeting intact, she'd probably have to thank every deity she could think of.
So rather than letting their "relationship" develop into something even more explosive, Kal'tsit figured it was best to drag them both inside, sit them down, and get business done before things spiraled out of control.
"I don't mind. Steve, why don't you come in too?"
Nian shrugged casually and followed Kal'tsit into the office, plopping herself into a chair opposite her. She crossed her legs without a care in the world, her white coat slipping open just enough to reveal her long, pale legs—not that she seemed the least bit concerned about the other man's line of sight.
"You two go ahead and talk about whatever it is. Don't mind me. If it's something private, I can wait outside," Steven said with a relaxed smile. He glanced at Kal'tsit, waiting to see what she'd say.
"What's there to hide? Judging by your expression, I'd say you already know who Nian really is, don't you?"
Kal'tsit's voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp. She didn't live for centuries without learning to read people. One glance at how Steven spoke to Nian told her everything she needed—he already knew about Nian's status as a fragment of a Feranmut. Normally, she might have been curious how he'd learned such a thing, but with this particular young man… well, the more impossible it sounded, the more likely it probably was.
"Huh? Really now?"
Nian blinked, genuine surprise flashing across her face. This was their first meeting—how in the world had this guy seen through her?
"If you mean your identity as a god fragment, Miss Nian, then yes, I figured that out," Steven said matter-of-factly. "But as for which god you're connected to—that, I can't tell. Guess that depends on whether you'd like to enlighten me or not."
He spoke so naturally it was almost disarming. After that, the Minecrafter strode into the office with easy confidence, eyes wandering as he searched for a certain small, familiar creature that he was sure would be around here somewhere.
"Well now, Stevie-boy, your eyes are sharper than I thought. There aren't many who can see through me at a glance. And from what I remember… none of them look anything like you."
Nian narrowed her eyes, a hint of curiosity flashing behind them. For a brief moment, she wondered if Steven might be an Incarnation of one of the Feranmut. But that idea didn't hold up for long.
There wasn't even a trace of the familiar, primal energy that all Feranmut carried—that overwhelming aura of a being bound by the world's laws yet capable of bending them at will. That kind of essence couldn't be faked, not even hidden, at least not in front of someone like her.
So if he wasn't one of them, then how had he managed to see through her?
"You don't need to overthink it," Kal'tsit said, stepping in with a calm explanation. "He's got nothing to do with the gods you know of—or the Feranmut, for that matter. Sometimes, I even wonder if he's not from this world at all… maybe just some oddball from another dimension."
That last comment nearly made Steven burst out laughing.
He had to admit—the old lynx's intuition was scarily on point. She'd basically hit the nail on the head about his true origins. Still, being called an "oddball" didn't sit right with him.
"You can't just label people as weirdos just because they don't fit your worldview," he said with a shrug. "Personally, I'd say pretending to be young when you're clearly ancient qualifies as weirder, don't you think, Granny Kal'tsit?"
Kal'tsit's tail gave a slight twitch, but she didn't rise to the bait.
Steven turned back toward Nian with a grin. "Anyway, let's just say it's part of my… special ability. I can sort of see a person's essence, that's all. You get what I mean, right?"
He smiled as he spoke. There wasn't really a better way to describe it—he couldn't exactly tell them that he could see people's names and titles floating above their heads, after all. No one would believe that.
"Oh? A special ability like that, huh?" Nian's lips curved into an intrigued smile. With a flick of her wrist, she snapped her folding fan shut, the sharp click echoing softly through the room. "That's quite interesting. In fact, little one, maybe that little ability of yours could come in handy for me."
The look she gave him was bright and playful—the kind one might give to a new toy with endless possibilities.
"Whatever private matters you two want to discuss, save them for later," Kal'tsit interjected sharply, rapping her fingers twice against the desk. The crisp sound snapped both their attention back to her.
"First, let's deal with what I called you here for," she said, fixing Nian with a pointed look. "And if you're here to borrow Rhodes Island's Operators again for another one of your Yan New Year's film projects, forget it. We've got more than enough on our plate this year."
"Eh? Now that's just cold, Kal'tsit," Nian said with a pout, her tail flicking in mock indignation. "You say it like I'm some kind of freeloader."
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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