Chapter 33: Divided Attention

"I'm sorry," Xingyu apologized earnestly at once.

She had indeed been distracted just moments ago. Only now did she realize that although her body had undergone its second transformation, she hadn't yet grasped the new problems this would bring. The sharp weapons used by ordinary people posed almost no threat to her now; standard blades couldn't even pierce her skin. But if someone were to discover the abnormality of her flesh, she would have no choice but to dispose of the witness.

She might have been fine acting alone, but she had completely failed to notice Bian Yin, who had been following her silently.

...I hope there aren't too many people like her.

She curled the corners of her mouth unconsciously.

Bian Yin did not look at her, stepping forward and into the pool of blood without a care. A slight, viscous sound echoed beneath her boots. She pulled two crossbow bolts from the corpse before her and wiped the blood and flowing white fibrous substance off them with the hem of her shirt.

"Was the item damaged?"

Upon hearing this, Xingyu looked down to check her crossbody bag. Her parcel had only swayed slightly, and while there were a few splatters of blood on the surface of the bag, the paper box inside remained intact.

"It should be fine."

Bian Yin cast a glance at it and continued to ask, "Were you with Jing Cheng yesterday?"

"Yes. We were delivering a parcel too... but we took a vehicle."

Bian Yin let out a cold laugh. "Those two are far too lax. They constantly mess things up, even getting the packaging dirty. Your reaction time is decent. Remember, you are only a probationary agent. This status offers little deterrence, and there will always be bold people who try to attack you."

"Uh... thank you for the compliment? Does dirtying the packaging affect the commission?" Xingyu looked at Bian Yin with some surprise. She didn't know her well yet, but after spending these last two days together, she had a vague sense that Bian Yin wasn't the talkative type. Moreover, she seemed to pick up on a subtle dissatisfaction Bian Yin had toward the other two... Was it appropriate for her, having just arrived at the Raindrop Agency, to hear this?

"No. But it affects our evaluation by the client." Bian Yin carefully inspected the crossbow bolts for damage from the impact before returning them to the quiver at her waist.

After a moment of hesitation, Xingyu tentatively asked, "...Haven't you been working with them for a long time? Are you dissatisfied with them?"

A complex emotion flashed in Bian Yin’s eyes. "Sister Hill... always wants us to feel like a family. Only Jing Cheng and Tian Wu actually believe it, and they keep playing along with that game of make-believe."

She paused, her voice dropping lower. "If this continues, something bad will happen sooner or later."

...The topic had shifted too abruptly; she didn't understand what Bian Yin was trying to say. But as their eyes met, a flash of insight struck her, and she seemed to grasp the implication: "We are the same."

She recalled how Hill had taken care of her over the past few days—taking her on missions, training her supernatural abilities, teaching her common knowledge and combat, lending her money... Hill had been very kind to her. Yet, because of the "acquired transcendent" situation, she couldn't truly integrate into this group.

If not for that, perhaps she would have opened her heart to Hill and trusted the Raindrop Agency more.

"Do you dislike her attitude?" Finding her own genuine feelings, Xingyu stumbled for a moment, habitually turning the conversation back to Bian Yin. She couldn't quite gauge what to say, subconsciously avoiding the display of her own true thoughts and pivoting to probe for more information about others.

Bian Yin shook her head. "No. She is indeed a rare and good boss in every respect. I don't like her naive ideas, but I am willing to compromise for her sake. That is why I hope that the things she doesn't want to see will not come to pass."

Xingyu cautiously pondered Bian Yin's intent. In their approach to interpersonal relationships, she and Bian Yin had unwittingly maintained a consensus. They both deliberately kept a slight distance from others, and their attitude toward Jing Cheng and Tian Wu was even slightly guarded.

Had Bian Yin noticed this? Or was she simply worried that Xingyu might be influenced by Jing Cheng’s lax attitude? Was this a probe, or a well-intentioned warning? Or... was she just overthinking it?

However, just as Xingyu prepared to probe further, Bian Yin abruptly ended the conversation, as if the preceding talk had been nothing more than casual chatter.

"Time to go," she said briefly, her tone returning to its usual composure. "After delivering this commission, there are three more routine tasks. Delivering items to the Cangwu Agency in Sector 17 of the C-Ring, escorting a client to Sector 9 of the B-Ring, and finding a lost cat for a resident at Street 4, House 7 in the settlement."

"Today, I will assist you. That won't be the case in the future."

Xingyu acknowledged this and followed closely behind.

...

When she worked with Jing Cheng yesterday afternoon, they had called it a day after just one mission. But this afternoon, Bian Yin dragged her through all four tasks. The delivery and escort missions were actually quite simple. Xingyu stayed by the client's side, remaining vigilant. As for Bian Yin, she was like a ghost; even when Xingyu tried her best to find her, she saw nothing. She didn't encounter any attacks; rather, she would occasionally hear screams from not far away. Before any problems could manifest, Bian Yin had already resolved them in advance. The entire process could be described as exceptionally smooth and easy.

...The most troublesome part was actually finding the cat. Thanks to her luck, she had only walked around the streets of the settlement a few times before she happened to spot the little black cat. The cat’s body instantly tensed, its black fur standing on end, appearing to double in volume in the blink of an eye. It arched its back, its tail held high, emitting a threatening hiss from its throat, its black pupils dilated to the maximum.

Fortunately, the kitten remained pinned in place. Xingyu approached cautiously, then lunged forward, finally catching it. This small-scale battle was not without cost; the cuffs of her new clothes were almost shredded. It was only when she reluctantly handed the still-panicked, struggling kitten back to its owner that Xingyu finally exhaled in relief. The owner was both overjoyed and apologetic, even giving them a handsome tip.

After finishing all the missions, Xingyu followed Bian Yin through the door leading to the office area of the Raindrop Agency and was immediately enveloped by a festive atmosphere.

Laughter and cheers filled the space, leaving Xingyu, who had just finished an afternoon of work, feeling somewhat out of place.

"What’s going on?" Xingyu asked, puzzled. "Is today a day worth celebrating?"

"Of course!" Jing Cheng’s face was wreathed in a bright smile. "Payday!"

Xingyu was not infected by their enthusiastic mood. Fran was counting various types of coins according to last week’s task list... and there was none for her. Wages at the agency were settled weekly. After collecting the rent each week, Fran would deduct various expenses and then distribute the base pay and the commissions for designated tasks. However, Xingyu had only been at the Raindrop Agency for two or three days, and Fran insisted that she did not qualify for the base salary. All she could receive was her half of the rewards from the few routine missions completed over the past two afternoons.

Life is not easy. Xingyu sighed inwardly, resting her head on the table with a long sigh. She picked up her water cup and took a sip; the bitter taste mirrored her mood. The money for the cup, and even for the clothes on her back, had been borrowed from Hill. She had told Qixue just last night that she already had the ability to be independent... but this was already the fourth day, and the only thing she had managed to accumulate was a debt of fifty thousand.

Surely... she couldn't borrow more, could she?

Xingyu quietly surveyed her surroundings: Bian Yin was focused on wiping her arrows with meticulous care; Jing Cheng was still immersed in the joy of payday, his face glowing with happiness; Tian Wu was in the corner practicing with various spare weapons. They all looked like old items Hill had used.

She forced herself to concentrate, but her thoughts kept drifting.

"When will Hill be back?" Xingyu couldn't help but ask.

Tian Wu leaned out, explaining enthusiastically, "Big Sister definitely went out on a mission this afternoon. Tasks designated for transcendents are all very tricky; she only brings us along on missions where she can ensure our safety. She always returns very late, and by then, we've all gone home."

"Oh..." Xingyu replied listlessly. She was a transcendent too, even possessing abnormal stamina and constitution now, yet she was still relegated to delivering items and finding cats. Countless questions and various plans for the future swirled in her mind.

Xingyu closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, but the laughter and conversation of the people around her became exceptionally clear, each syllable like a reminder of how out of place she was in this environment.

When she opened her eyes, countless white pieces of information flooded her vision; this constant information bombardment made it nearly impossible for her to focus.

She had to... grow stronger quickly, and quickly catch up to Hill’s pace. One day, she would also be able to be like these people, wholeheartedly feeling joy over some trivial matter.

...One day.