Chapter Six – Eyes in the Wind
Morning mist rolled through the valley, soft and silver, wrapping Rael Village in a blanket of calm. Roosters crowed in the distance, and the scent of dew hung in the air.
Lyria walked along the narrow path between rice paddies, her crimson hair tied loosely behind her back. The villagers greeted her warmly now — a few even calling her "Miss Lyria."
She responded with a simple nod or faint smile each time. It still felt strange, being acknowledged not as a voice in someone's head, but as a person among people.
Kael walked beside her, bow slung across his shoulder.
> "You've gotten popular quick," he said, grinning. "The herbalist swears her plants grow faster since you started walking this road every morning."
Lyria tilted her head slightly. "Spiritual energy concentration here is higher than average. Her plants simply respond to it."
Kael laughed. "You always have a logical answer for everything."
> "Logic keeps one alive," she said softly, though there was a hint of amusement in her tone.
They reached the small market square, where merchants were setting up. A few cultivators in light robes were among them, exchanging beast parts and talismans — minor practitioners who helped defend the surrounding villages. Lyria's crimson eyes flicked toward them briefly.
Their techniques were crude but stable, built from common mortal manuals she'd seen a thousand times in other worlds. Yet… there was comfort in their simplicity.
She bought a pouch of spirit herbs, handing over a few spirit coins she'd refined herself from the minerals nearby. When the merchant's eyes widened, she simply smiled.
> "Keep the change."
The man bowed gratefully. "Thank you, Miss! May the heavens bless your path!"
As she turned away, Kael chuckled. "You really don't like attention, huh?"
> "Attention invites inquiry," she replied, voice calm. "Inquiry invites danger."
---
Far above, beyond the clouds that hung over the valley, a small blue hawk cut through the wind — its wings faintly glowing with spiritual energy.
Through its eyes, Elder Ruya watched.
> "So this is her…" she murmured, her voice low as the wind rushed past the mountain peak.
From her vantage point, she saw the girl in red calmly walking among villagers, carrying herbs, her aura barely noticeable — as if she had deliberately smothered it beneath layers of stillness.
A lesser cultivator wouldn't sense a thing. But Ruya, a Core Formation expert, felt the subtle rhythm pulsing beneath that calm exterior.
> "No impurity, no chaos… yet her spirit moves like a star tide." She narrowed her eyes. "What are you hiding, little one?"
The hawk circled once before darting back toward the mountains.
---
Later that day, Lyria sat behind the inn, sorting the herbs she'd purchased. The sunlight glinted off her hair as she ground the leaves into fine powder with effortless precision.
Kael leaned on the fence nearby, watching her work. "You really know your herbs. I thought you were just a traveler."
> "Knowledge is meant to be used," she said without looking up. "These herbs can strengthen your vitality. Take one a day for seven days — your arm will heal faster."
He blinked. "You… already knew my injury hasn't fully closed?"
Lyria smiled faintly. "You hide it well. But the blood flow in your left arm is uneven. That indicates incomplete recovery."
Kael laughed in disbelief. "You're too sharp for your own good."
> "Or perhaps," she said softly, "I've seen too much to ignore the details."
---
That night, as the village grew quiet, she stood outside, looking at the sky again.
> "The elder's hawk watched me for three hours before leaving," she whispered to herself. "Their patience is commendable."
A faint hum pulsed from within her — the system core responding.
> [External surveillance detected. Tracing source... Azure Vein Sect outer peak confirmed.]
> "So she's cautious. That's good," Lyria murmured. "The world needs more who watch before they strike."
She sat beneath the tree, folding her legs. The faint glow of spiritual light began to circle her body once again.
> [Body Strengthening: Stage Three — initiation.]
The air thickened with invisible energy as her breathing grew rhythmic, her presence perfectly balanced — gentle as the night breeze, yet powerful enough that the grass around her bent slightly toward her.
> "Control… stability… harmony," she whispered. "This is what it means to grow through will, not command."
When she opened her eyes, the stars seemed a little brighter — or perhaps it was her.
> [Cultivation progress: steady. Emotional resonance — curiosity, calm satisfaction.]
She smiled faintly. "Emotions, huh? They're not so inefficient after all."
The night wind rustled softly, and for a moment, Rael Village — the little mortal place she'd chosen as her first home — felt like the center of a vast, waiting world.