Alienation

Dawn herself had the vibe of an aloof, mature woman; the way she blinked was not cute at all.

"Alright, alright, once I learn how, I'll knit one for you," Chen Miemie pushed Dawn's head away.

"Okay, then let's head back to the city."

"Wait, teacher, didn't you say you live here?"

"I do live here, but my house is still inside the city. It's just that I usually stay out here."

"From what I can see, there aren't any houses or anything similar nearby, right?"

"Building a house outside the city is useless anyway. I float in the air."

"Float? What do you mean?"

"My [Mystery] is related to the wind. This canyon terrain is a natural wind tunnel, so I like this kind of environment."

"Then what do you do when you sleep? Float as well?" Chen Miemie's curiosity was instantly piqued.

"Yeah."

"Then what if you fall asleep and get blown away by the wind?"

"As the [Weaver of the Wind], I have my own wisdom. I weave a wind rope, tie myself up, and secure the end of the rope to a large rock. That way, I won't be blown away." Dawn put her hands on her hips, looking proud of her cleverness.

Chen Miemie: ...

So, you basically treat yourself as a kite and fly yourself in the sky.

"But, just because you like the wind, do you have to go to such lengths? Floating around still isn't as comfortable as sleeping in a bed in a house, right?"

Chen Miemie thought that during the Golden Sun and Frost Moon, when it was either freezing or boiling, floating in the sky definitely wouldn't be a great experience.

"Chen Miemie, there's something you might not be clear about yet. [Mystery] makes people powerful, but it also slowly alters certain parts of a person. Starting from [Mystery] 5, there will be noticeable signs of alienation that are distinctly different from normal people. If you can't accept the changes in yourself, it's best to stop before reaching [Mystery] 5."

"Alienation? Like the guild leader's Rubik's Cube head?"

"Pretty much. Some alienations are physical, while others are habitual. My wind-loving constitution just makes me like staying in windy places."

"Hehe, Teacher Dawn, you've exposed yourself. So you are also a big shot at [Mystery] 5."

"Don't talk nonsense. To the outside world, I'm always at [Mystery] 3."

"No way, you are the 3rd Seat of our Silver Moon after all. You should at least pretend to be [Mystery] 4, otherwise who would believe you?"

"This is what you don't understand. If you say you're [Mystery] 3, people will guess you're [Mystery] 4. If you say you're [Mystery] 4, people will guess [Mystery] 5."

"The water in your mystic circles is really dirty."

"Alright, let's go. Today I'll start teaching you the techniques of weaving phantom objects. Are you going back yourself, or should I fly you back?"

"Fly me back. My palanquin doesn't have a pass, so I'll just let it use its ability to return to the city on its own."

"Let's go."

Dawn took Chen Miemie and flew towards Sixiang City.

On the way.

"Teacher, are there many people who can fly?"

"With the deep development of abilities, some [Mystery] that originally didn't have hovering capabilities can achieve a sort of alternative, brief ascension during combat. But those who can fly for long periods are rare. At the very least, our Sixiang City only has three."

"Four, please count me in. Once I finish weaving my wings, I'll be able to fly too."

"Hmm, I'm actually not worried about you. But in the future, don't just give your wings to others."

"Why?"

"Flying is a highly dangerous job and not a human instinct. Everyone who can fly has to fall dozens or hundreds of times. Without your [Immortality], others could easily fall to their deaths."

Chen Miemie's heart tightened.

Good thing he had a reliable teacher to give him a pointer at the critical moment.

Otherwise, if he fell during the day when he didn't have high [Immortality], he'd probably be smashed into a meat patty.

Soon, the two flew back to the city.

Dawn's home was also in the South District, not far from where Chen Miemie was currently staying.

Dawn opened the door, and there was actually already someone inside.

It was the [Critical Point Dancer] Cassan. Cassan was doing some yoga-like limb exercises on the rug in the living room.

Dawn was not surprised at all by Cassan's presence.

"Master's wife, you're here too," Chen Miemie greeted enthusiastically.

"Hmm? Chen Miemie, you work fast. You've already succeeded in taking her as your master," Cassan maintained her splits and greeted Chen Miemie back.

"Master's wife?" Dawn pinched Chen Miemie's ear. "You brat, don't yell nonsense. There's already enough gossip."

Dawn placed the porcelain box on the table and spoke casually to Cassan: "This kid's apprenticeship gift, pineapple roast chicken. It smells great, want some?"

Cassan truly lived up to being a dancer. Without even using her hands, she relied purely on her leg strength to forcefully stand up from the splits.

She came to the table and opened the porcelain box.

"Wow, none of you have touched it yet. How could I have the nerve to take the first bite? Let's eat together."

"Hmm?!" Dawn looked at the opened porcelain box in confusion.

The roast chicken, which should have been half-eaten, had recovered and turned back into a brand new roast chicken.

"Chen Miemie, what's going on?"

Chen Miemie cursed in his heart: Good on you, Bobo, causing trouble for me, huh? How am I supposed to explain this!

Obviously, this roast chicken was either Bobo's creation, or it had secretly run over here to play the part itself.

"Well, actually, this is a roast chicken that can't be finished within tonight," Chen Miemie could only make something up on the spot.

This was completely unheard of for Cassan and Dawn.

Mystic items and magical props might be able to achieve this effect, but what was with this time limit?

Cassan tore off a chicken leg, finished it in a few bites, and then stared at the roast chicken. Seeing that a new leg hadn't grown back, she asked, "How long until it becomes a whole chicken again?"

Chen Miemie kept a straight face and poked the roast chicken with a fork: "She's asking you, how long until you become a whole chicken?"

With a whoosh, the roast chicken instantly grew a new chicken leg, still steaming with the aroma of being freshly baked.

"Wow, that's amazing." Cassan circled the roast chicken as if she had discovered a supreme treasure.

Dawn was also curious, but she was a bit more aloof and didn't crowd around it.

"Chen Miemie, let's start learning."

"Oh, oh, okay."

"Take out your needles."

Next came the very serious teaching time.

"This set of needles of yours seems a bit different when it's in your hands? It feels like the things you weave carry a special power." Dawn quickly noticed the anomaly.

"Yeah, this is my [Lifebound Item]. The things woven with it will possess the corresponding functions according to my thoughts."

It was precisely because of this [Loom of Fate] that Chen Miemie dared to say he could fly once he wove his wings.

Under the dual power of the [Loom of Fate] and the moonlight material, the things Chen Miemie wove would realize their functions according to his ideas.

If wings were made of ordinary fabric, the fabric would be soft and the wings would just be for show, completely lacking the actual ability to fly. But once imbued with efficacy, they would truly become wings.

"Not bad, you just graduated and you already got your [Lifebound Item]."

"Just luck, just luck."

Weaving techniques weren't actually that hard to get started with. With a good teacher, and Chen Miemie being fairly smart, he had already completed his first piece of work in one night.

A light red wristband.

The structure was simple, and there were no patterns on it.

Chen Miemie really liked his first piece of work and immediately put it on his wrist to test it out back and forth.

Cassan had kept very quiet while Chen Miemie was studying, only coming over now that he was finished.

"What a beautiful color. It is like wearing the moonlight of the Rainbow Moon right on your hand." Cassan was a rather broad believer of the moon; she worshipped all three moons.

Dawn, however, was a purist of the Frost Moon faction. "Not bad, but I still prefer the color of the Frost Moon."

"Hehe, no problem. I can make the red, yellow, and white of all three moons. When I make that outfit for you later, Teacher, I will make it white."

Chen Miemie did not return home until the middle of the night.

He had never come home at this hour before. As soon as he emerged from the 18th-floor stairwell,

he bumped head-on into someone coming out of Room 1801.