Although Lingsha now knew that Ikezawa was the newcomer in the Chat Group, she couldn't reveal this directly without exposing herself.
This wasn't a major problem, however. She couldn't directly confront him, but she could subtly manipulate him into revealing his identity within the group. She was already formulating a plan. When faced with the question of whether she could refine pills or concoct medicines, Lingsha decisively shook her head. "Treating illness requires medicine, but there aren't any usable medicinal herbs here."
She didn't answer whether she could do it, but rather whether it was possible. This was because her new identity didn't come with any pre-existing knowledge, only basic physical instincts. Theoretically, Lingsha was now a complete medical novice, utterly clueless about medicine.
This was also why she had initially chosen to tease Ikezawa, falsely claiming to be Lingsha from her wandering days rather than the Cauldron Master of Luofu's Alchemy Commission. By claiming to be still learning, she could avoid situations that might expose her lack of expertise.
Of course, her immediate priority now was to improve her medical knowledge. After all, "still learning" didn't mean "knows absolutely nothing."
Hearing Lingsha's reply, Ikezawa glanced around. The ground was spotless, not even a single weed out of place. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Crap, I got carried away trying to show off in the group chat.
Fortunately, it seemed none of the other members had anything to trade at the moment either.
Shu Cat: "Ah, a Magic Treasure? What Magic Treasure would I have?"
Invincible Bro: "What kind of injuries can your pills treat?"
Red Cape Hero: "Um, what about this weapon that can fire 3,600 projectiles per second with just a flick of my wrist? Does that count as a Magic Treasure? Can I trade it for pills?"
Today I Want to Eat Soup Dumplings: "Holy shit! The Bureau of Anomalous Investigations has a Gatling gun?!"
This was both good news and bad news.
The good news was that Ikezawa hadn't accidentally revealed he was a fake cultivator right away. The bad news was that this Chat Group seemed utterly unreliable.
Normally, shouldn't the usernames in a Chat Group be highly distinctive, instantly recognizable? Something like "Herrscher of Finality," "Seventh Hokage," or "Big Bone Broth" would immediately identify who was who.
But this group? "Shu Cat," "Red Cape Hero," "Soup Dumpling"—who the hell were these people? He didn't recognize a single one of them!
Furthermore, where were Tony Stark, Elysia, and Yukari Yakumo—the usual Chat Group regulars? Was this even a legitimate Chat Group?
After that, Lingsha and Ikezawa fell silent, focusing on their journey. About fifteen minutes later, Lingsha glanced up and froze, a look of astonishment spreading across her face.
The hazy gray mist in the sky gradually dissipated, but instead of revealing a clear blue sky, it unveiled a massive black rift stretching across the horizon, resembling an enormous upside-down chasm hanging in the heavens.
Lingsha quickly realized that this colossal "chasm" was likely a Dimensional Rift!
As everyone knew, her identities typically manifested in the Main World through Dimensional Rifts. Yet here she was, in this strange new place, which almost certainly had something to do with a Dimensional Rift.
She might currently be trapped in an Otherworld accessed through a Dimensional Rift. As for why this had happened, Lingsha glanced at the Transmigrator beside her. The moment she drew her new identity, Shu Cat had coincidentally been recruiting a new Group Member. Then, both she and this newcomer had simultaneously appeared in the same place.
It was hard not to suspect that Lingsha's System and Shu Cat's Chat Group had somehow interfered with each other, causing a slight mishap.
Lingsha's sudden pause naturally caught Ikezawa's attention. Following her gaze upward, he exclaimed, "What's wrong... Holy crap!? What the hell is that thing?"
Simultaneously, the two indigenous guides also looked up, but their expressions remained calm, tinged with mild curiosity. "Isn't that the Heavenly Flaw? What's wrong with it?"
"Heavenly Flaw?" Ikezawa pressed. "So what exactly is that thing?"
The guides exchanged glances and scratched their heads. "We honestly don't know. It's been hanging there in the sky as long as we've been alive. More surprising is that you've never seen the Heavenly Flaw before, even after all these years."
"Uh..." Ikezawa hesitated, unsure how to explain. Fortunately, the guides didn't press further. After another fifteen minutes or so, a crude campsite finally came into view.
Calling it a "simple camp" was an understatement. It was little more than a cave entrance halfway up the mountainside, with a small fire pit made of piled wood. Scattered patches of bundled weeds lay nearby, seemingly serving as makeshift beds.
Inside the cave, around thirty women and children stared warily at Lingsha and Ikezawa, two strangers.
The two guides quickly located the eldest woman among them, Granny Xi, the only elderly person in the group. "Granny Xi, these two are Wanderers our hunting party encountered. They've come to rest here for a while."
"Oh, guests?" Granny Xi's expression softened considerably. "Alas, we have little to offer you. We hope you won't mind..."
"Not at all," Lingsha said, stepping forward to speak with Granny Xi. "We're deeply grateful for your hospitality."
Conversation was an art, and Ikezawa's blunt questioning about the Heavenly Flaw earlier had been glaringly out of place. Fortunately, the guides hadn't pressed him further, or the Transmigrator might have exposed himself again.
Having lived as Elysia for nearly a year, Lingsha, with her maxed-out social skills, was naturally adept at discreetly gathering information. She subtly inquired about the world through indirect questions.
It's worth noting that the previous hunting party had consisted entirely of Beast-Eared Men. Naturally, this camp was now populated solely by Beast-Eared Girls, each sporting a pair of pointed ears atop their heads and a fluffy tail wagging behind them.
Moreover, every Beast-Eared Girl here was strikingly beautiful. On a scale of ten, excluding Granny Xi, each would easily score an eight or higher.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that these weren't Cat Girls, but rather Doggirls.