Gleam [Karma Cultivator Isekai] - Chapter 122: Uh oh & Announcement!

On the third week of travel, Chance and Bella reached a town. It was smaller than the Brackern sect and built atop a large, flat-topped hill. Crumbling stone walls surrounded it, bleached a dull gray by years of beating from the sun.

Rooftops poked out over the wall in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. It didn’t look like there had been any form of planning that had gone into the city’s construction. It had simply been constructed.

Some houses were several stories tall, towering over the rest of the city and made out of wood. They teetered precariously in the wind, but had been propped up by a concerning mixture of steel and stone beams to keep them standing.

Others were stout and made of pure stone, just barely sticking out enough to see. Even the gate looked like the builders had changed their minds midway through making it. The left half of it was polished stone, while the right was a wrought iron gate.

Three guards stood at the gate, wearing dirty white robes and sitting in a circle. By the time Chance and Bella were close enough to see better, it became apparent that they were playing with a deck of cards.

One of the men – bald, with large ears and a big mouth – looked up at them as they approached, then smiled and waved his hand in greeting. He set his hand of cards down, then pushed himself to his feet and brushed his backside off.

“Ho there, travelers!” the man called, raising a hand in greeting. “What brings you to the town of Follen?”

“Hello,” Chance called back with a smile. The complete lack of concern on the guards side meant they were either complete fools that weren’t doing their jobs – or they were so powerful that they weren’t worried about anything that Chance or Bella could do. “And nothing in particular. We’re just passing through, heading in what we hope is the direction of a Scholar City. Are we on the right path?”

“Right enough,” the guard said with a relaxed chuckle. “It’ll be a week or two before you make it, though. Planning to stop in Follen, or will you just be moving past?”

“We don’t have a lot to spend,” Bella whispered into Chance’s ear. “We can probably afford one night of sleep at an actual inn if we want to, though.”

“Probably not worth it, unless you want to,” Chance whispered back.

“Agreed. No need, then. We can just keep going.”

Chance started to nod, but paused. There was something in the guard’s expression that just felt… off. Not in a negative way – the man genuinely just felt happy to see them for no particular reason – but there was still something that wasn’t clicking.

Or rather, it was something that clicked too well.

I’ve seen you somewhere before. I feel like I’d recognize that face. It’s very memorable.

“Is something the matter?” the guard asked.

“I – do I know you?” Chance’s brow furrowed. He squinted, and the air around the guard shimmered faintly.

The man’s eyes widened for a moment before he let slip a deep laugh. His voice changed, turning rougher and more feminine, as hair sprouted from his head and his body shifted. Within seconds, the guard’s features had been replaced by the kindly expression and graying hair of Lucy, the karma cultivator that had taught him his combat style.

“I’ll be damned, Chance,” Lucy said, shaking her head with a wry smile. “Look at how far you’ve grown. You’re already tapping into the Karmic Weave at your rank? That’s genuinely impressive. Well done.”

“Lucy!” Chance exclaimed. He sent an eager glance at Bella, who was looking between them in confusion.

“Who is this?” Bella asked.

“This is one of my teachers. She taught me how to fight,” Chance said. “She’s also a Karma cultivator, by the way. What are you doing here, though? We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

“A Karma cultivator is always exactly where they want to be,” Lucy said. She sent a wink at Bella. “Pleasure to meet you, dear. I hope you’ll forgive the game – I’ve got a vested interest in Chance’s progress. Please, come visit for a short while. I know some of what you’ve been going through these past few weeks, and I’d like to speak. I believe I have something important to share with you.”

Bella’s lips pursed. She looked to Chance. “Your call.”

“I trust her,” Chance said. “And, if it’s free, we could probably use a day of rest.”

“You definitely do,” Lucy said, striding up to them and flicking Chance in the forehead. “Keep up this level of stress and you might start graying before you’re twenty. You and Bella need to take some time to relax. Come with me. We’ll talk business later.”

Chance started to nod, then paused. “Is it free? There’s give and take for everything.”

Lucy smiled. “It is not free, but you’ve already paid the price for it.”

“That’s… ominous,” Bella said, looking at Chance in concern.

“It is,” Lucy said, not an ounce of humor in her voice. She turned back toward the city, and Chance realized that the other two guards that had been sitting outside together with her were gone. “Come along.”

They strode into Follen. The street wove between buildings, even running straight through the middle of some that had been built on stilts to avoid blocking anyone’s passage. The entire city felt like Chance was looking into the mirror at a carnival fun house.

“Lucy?” Chance asked as they ducked under a house that had been built sideways and straight across the road, leaving only about five feet of room to pass beneath it. “Is… something off about this city? It doesn’t quite seem right, but I’m not getting any dangerous feelings from it either.”

“Fallen is more than just a city,” Lucy replied. “It’ll make more sense once we get to our destination. You’re not in any danger here, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“So the people that live here just really like strange architecture?” Bella squinted up at a bell tower where the bell had been installed upside-down.

“Oh, no.” Lucy shook her head and they came to a stop before a door – one without an actual building. It was just a plain wooden door that sat on the side of the road, leading to absolutely nowhere. “Nobody lives here. They just visit.”

The door creaked open, revealing a warmly lit dining room. It was already set for four, and heaping piles of food sat upon the stark white tablecloth. Despite the oddness surrounding the entire situation, Chance swallowed. He couldn’t smell anything, but the meal looked delicious. Brilliant red lobster poked out of a sea of seasoned butter. Soft, glistening rolls bulged in baskets beside it, and every sort of salad and appetizer he could imagine had been laid out.

Lucy stepped inside without a second of hesitation, pulling out one of the chairs and sitting down. She sent an expectant glance at Chance and Bella who, after a moment, followed her in.

As soon as Bella stepped through the door, it vanished behind them. The moment Chance was inside, the smell of the meal hit him like a truck and his mouth started watering instantly. He pulled out a chair for Bella, who sent him an appreciative nod as she cautiously sat down. Chance sat between her and Lucy, leaving the seat across from them open.

The room around the three had no other entrances or exits. It was just plain wallpaper. If Chance had followed anyone else in, he would have started getting concerned around now. He reached under the table, brushing the back of his hand against Bella’s knee.

She glanced at Chance and he gave her a slight nod to indicate that there was nothing to be worried about. His Essence told him that this really was Lucy, and she wasn’t going to try to hurt them.

“The sponsor of your meal today isn’t quite here yet. I’m not sure when he’ll arrive, so please feel free to start eating,” Lucy said. “I know you’re both hungry.”

“I don’t mind waiting a little,” Bella said, even though it was clear that she very much did. “I’d like to meet whoever is feeding us.”

“Polite.” Lucy gave her an approving nod.

Bella chewed her lower lip. “I’m not sure I’d say polite. I don’t want to eat food from somebody that might want something from me. I’ll feel more obligated to say yes if they ask something, so I’d rather figure out their goal first.”

Lucy burst into laughter. “Ah, spoken like a Karma cultivator. Very well. What of you, Chance?”

“It’s not like we haven’t eaten anything recently. I’m not about to starve to death, so I can wait.”

Lucy scrunched her nose in annoyance. She leaned back in her chair, pushing the front two legs off the ground, as a faint glimmering light lit above the final chair. The light unfolded and a young man appeared within it – and young man might have been stretching it.

He was fifteen at the oldest, with the most brilliant blue eyes that Chance had ever seen. His blonde hair was so pale that it was nearly white, and he wore plain cloth robes that Chance would have sworn weren’t much more than rags, but they somehow just felt right.

“I hate you,” Lucy said.

“No, you don’t,” the boy replied with a gentle laugh. “You do hate losing bets, though. It’s unfortunate that you’re so good at losing them.”

Bella sent Chance a look to see if he knew who the newcomer was, but Chance just shook his head.

“Thank you for coming. My name is Rilu,” the boy said, inclining his head respectfully. “I have been wanting to speak with you for quite some time.”

The way Rilu spoke was nothing like what Chance had expected. His voice didn’t fit his youthful body at all. Even though he physically sounded young, Rilu’s words held the soft confidence that only came with immense power or age.

“Chance?” Bella asked.

“Both of you,” Rilu replied. “But that can wait until we have finished dinner. Please, eat. This food comes freely, and I will ask nothing of you today. As Lucy has already told you, you have already paid for it.”

“If that’s the case, would you be willing to say what bet it was that Lucy lost?”

“She thought that you would both start eating before I arrived. I believed you would wait.” Rilu took a loaf of bread and took a bite out of it. He let out a satisfied sigh, then sent them a pointed glance.

Chance didn’t need to be told twice. He and Bella both piled food onto the plates before them, and all four of them dug in.

True to Rilu’s word, nobody spoke until the entirety of the small feast had been polished off. The four cultivators rocked back in their chairs, satisfied expressions on their faces. Chance had never tasted lobster before, and it tasted every bit as good as he had imagined it would.

Finally, once everyone had finished their meals, the relaxed air faded away as Rilu splayed his fingers out across the table. “I hope you enjoyed your meal. Forgive me, but I will skip directly to the point. I have been watching both of you for some time, but I found myself unwilling to sit by the sidelines any longer.”

Chance and Bella watched him expectantly. The tone of Rilu’s voice left no doubt that there was a reason for his decision, and their suspicions were proven right a moment later.

“I have seen the Threads of Fate. Vex is fed up with the Shikari’s inability to pin you down and has set out himself. In two weeks, he will find you. And, in two weeks, you will both die.”