Chapter 86: The Quartet of Protagonists

“Xiaoyou’s luck is rather average.” Half an hour later, Ou Xiaolu delivered his assessment.

Earlier, Ou Xiaolu had produced the item known as the Calamity Compass. Its needle unfailingly pointed toward places where major trouble awaited, calibrated according to each person’s fortune. Ou Xiaolu’s luck was exceptionally good, so such a tool was actually ill-suited for him; his luck would distort the compass’s judgment. He had to find someone whose fortune was not so remarkable.

At present, Xiaoyou was his only candidate.

Yet Xiaoyou’s luck proved so ordinary that the compass could not precisely locate the source of calamity. Thus, the plan to use misfortune as a guide to seek the right path was dashed.

Most crucially, Xiaoyou’s stamina was lacking; after just half an hour, she was already flagging, struggling to walk further.

Seeing the plaintive look in her eyes, Ou Xiaolu sighed. “Alright, I won’t rely on your luck anymore. Let’s try another way.”

With that, he stowed away the Calamity Compass, inwardly muttering that it was the first time luck had failed him.

Just then, Xiaoyou suddenly cried out, “It’s them! That’s them!”

Ou Xiaolu followed her pointing finger and saw four people passing by: two men and two women. One of the men was portly, clearly an ordinary person, his body suffused with the scent of baked bread. The other, lean and sharp-eyed, radiated a palpable magical energy that Ou Xiaolu could sense even from afar.

Among the two women, one appeared very capable, while the other gave Ou Xiaolu a strange feeling, as if she could read people’s thoughts.

Ou Xiaolu felt a pang of regret. If only the Violet Gauze Robe had the power to shield against mind-reading.

Nevertheless, he stepped forward and blocked their path. The four reacted swiftly; three brandished small wooden wands and pointed them at Ou Xiaolu, while the fat man clenched his fists, looking ready to charge.

Ou Xiaolu pointed at the thin man. “We’ve met before—in that building. We were the ones who released you.”

The thin man glanced at Ou Xiaolu, thought for a moment, then nodded. “What do you want?”

“I want to return to that building. I sense something is amiss there.” Ou Xiaolu spoke plainly; with a mind-reader present, deception would be futile.

The thin man hesitated. “So what’s the point of stopping me?”

“Help me draw their people away. I imagine they must be searching for you as well,” Ou Xiaolu explained his plan.

Before the thin man could answer, the capable-looking woman stepped forward. “Why should we help you distract them? Do you realize how troublesome the Magic Council’s people are?”

“I’ve already taken down at least eight of them. A few more won’t matter. The reason I want you to draw them away is so I won’t have to kill so many when I enter.”

His words made them understand his reasoning, but comprehension alone wasn’t enough to make them risk their lives; they were no saints.

The fat man spoke up. “Why should we help you?”

Ou Xiaolu regarded him for a long moment. “You’re an ordinary person. Though you’ve stumbled into the inner world, soon enough your memory will be wiped and you’ll be sent away. You like that young lady, don’t you? What if you had some extraordinary ability—doesn’t matter if it’s magic or not.”

At this, all four were stunned. The mind-reading girl looked at the thin man, as if awaiting his decision.

Though the fat man was just an ordinary person, the group had come to accept him. They all knew he wouldn’t be with them for much longer. The thin man had already resolved to give the fat man some money after his memories were erased, so he could fulfill his wishes.

But as for the mind-reading girl’s feelings for the fat man, nothing could be done. For a long time he’d forget her entirely, and even if they eventually reunited, that lost memory couldn’t be restored.

If Ou Xiaolu could grant him even a hint of extraordinary power, however slight, it would change everything for him.

Thinking this over, the thin man nodded. “If you can help him gain an extraordinary ability, I’ll assist you.”

Ou Xiaolu immediately produced a vial. “Take a look. This potion grants a random extraordinary ability to whoever drinks it. What ability you get depends on luck.”

Saint King’s Bloodline, enhancement card, green. Can be used or injected. Upon use, grants one random extraordinary power. This power does not occupy a skill slot.

The thin man took the potion, examined it, and tasted a drop. “This is a predecessor’s bloodline—a method of directly altering one’s bloodline to gain an extraordinary ability. It works, but after the transformation, the power level will be forever fixed. Further growth will be difficult.”

The fat man smiled. “I never had much power to begin with. Gaining a bit of extraordinary ability is enough. Whether it grows or not doesn’t matter.”

The thin man nodded. “It’s settled then. I’ll take the potion. When do you plan to make your move?”

“Five hours from now,” Ou Xiaolu calculated. “I need a little time to prepare.”

The thin man consulted a pocket watch. “Alright. Five hours from now, I’ll show myself to the Magic Council’s people and draw them away. As for what comes after, we won’t get involved.”

“Understood. By the way, I heard you’re a magical beast expert. Could you take a look at this egg for me?”

As he spoke, Ou Xiaolu had Xiaoyou bring over the Sun Coral Egg.

When it came to his own area of expertise, the thin man had no objections. He took the egg and studied it for a moment before saying, “This is a composite egg, a rare magical creature. It appears to possess its own space. If I were you, before it hatches, I’d find a relatively stable pond to place it in. That way, it will imprint its birthplace and continue to grow there for the long term.”

“Oh, I see your point. You’re saying this fellow’s a homebody?”

“Homebody?” The thin man was briefly puzzled, then caught Ou Xiaolu’s meaning. “You’re wrong. It’s not a homebody—it is the house itself.”

“Ah!”

“Wait, take this book.” The thin man handed Ou Xiaolu a volume: Methods for Breeding Magical Creatures with Internal Space.

“Take it. There are some useful species listed inside.”

Seeing the confident look on the thin man’s face, Ou Xiaolu nodded decisively, then quickly departed with Xiaoyou.