Zixin hopped off his bed, glancing at his cloak before stretching his arm and taking it. After draping it over his shoulders, he fastened the strings before stepping out to take a stroll inside the workshop.
As his footsteps spread across the rough wooden board, a pair of voices slipped through the half-opened door, and his gaze drifted over to Xiaoxiao and Hope.
Xiaoxiao's gaze floated across, landing on Hope as she spoke, questioning as she tilted her head, "Although I agreed to this, how are we supposed to obtain durable enough materials to create an artifact?"
Hope's lips widened, and her eyes gleamed as she spoke, "In theory, we have no reason to go to such lengths just for high-quality materials."
"You mean?"
Hope chuckled, brimming with light as she said, "Well, theoretically, an ability could work. We would only need to convince someone to 'give' us their ability and embed it into the materials."
"Isn't that more like a power source…" She paused, unknowingly blurting out her thoughts, "Theoretically, if the materials go through a certain refinement process, it should be able to handle the ability's momentary impact… after that, if my idea is correct, then the materials' properties should change according to the ability…"
She glanced at her as she spoke, "You might actually be a genius, Hope."
Hope's eyes widened, with sweat pouring down as she replied, "Yeah… sure…"
Outside, Zixin's thoughts raced: What did Hope mean by "give"? It sounds familiar… Perhaps I read it somewhere in the "Basics of Being a Holder" book that my Mother gave me. Think Zixin–think… oh? I see… How curious.
His mind slipped into his memories: If I recall correctly, "giving" refers to an act where a Holder permanently cuts off a portion of their ability and "gives" it to another individual. In this process, the intensity of the said ability may decrease. So, if I "give" someone a portion of Snowdrop, wouldn't that mean that I wouldn't experience the full toll of seven years whenever I use it? On second thought, this is a stupid idea. It's literally my only ability, so…
His memories surfaced, as he searched through them: This is… "lending"? Isn't this just "giving", but it's temporary? Whenever someone"lends" their ability, it would be returned to them, but there's a chance it could be stolen due to its lack of permanence, like "giving".
Xiaoxiao sighed, asking her, "And how are we supposed to find such a person?"
Hope waved her hand exaggeratedly before pointing straight at the half-opened door.
Huh? Did she notice me? Zixin questioned internally.
He sighed, stepping into the office as Xiaoxiao asked, "Would you be willing to take this part?"
He walked forward, explaining, "Although I barely use it, I can't afford to lose even a portion of my ability."
Hope squeezed her cheeks before giving a reply, "In that case, wouldn't 'lending' work better? You can take it back after we're done using the artifact. Is it a deal then?"
This sounds like a scheme… but then again, what can I do? I suppose it's not too bad… The more I follow through with this plan, the more suspicious I feel. After all, nearly everything is going according to his plan. If this doesn't end with him accomplishing his aim, then this truly is a joke. Zixin's thoughts wandered, drifting off by themselves.
"It seems I have no choice but to accept this since searching for another Holder would be a waste of time." He stared at her whilst responding.
Xiaoxiao rubbed her chin, her thoughts racing as she spoke, "About a week at worst and a few days at best. That's only if my current idea works; if it doesn't, just add a few more days to the timer."
Hope jumped, her eyes sparkling as she spoke before dragging Zixin out, "Thank you, Xiaoxiao! I won't forget this favor for the rest of my life."
…
On their way, he asked her, "So, how did you figure out that I was eavesdropping on you two?"
Hope turned, her expression blank as slate, and her voice like an echo, "Female intuition."
A sudden chill ran down his spine, his thoughts running for their lives: Oh… whenever I hear this, it's usually correct.
Shaking his head, he cast his gaze at the street. He scanned his surroundings as crowds flocked across the brothels. Each, echoing with screeches of men and women alike.
Compared to when Arbane guided me, this place seems more lively today. Must be a wage day, huh? On second thought, such a waste of income, books would be a better investment, at least you learn something even if it's a novel… note to self: when you return to Dawn Heart, remember to ask Jinhua for recommendations. Zixin's thoughts floated about, clashing and swirling into a puddle.
Hope tucked Zixin's cloak, grabbing his attention as she asked, "Just wanted to ask if… you've ever felt attraction for someone."
"What's with the sudden question?"
Hope's eyes darted around before landing on him, "I kind of just felt like prying into your personal life. You hold more secrets than murder, right? Just think of it as me taking an interest in you."
"..."
"..."
With face flushed red, she shook her head, stuttering with her words, "I-I u-uh didn't mean i-it t-that way!"
"I understand, no worries."
"Anyways… just forget it, I guess. It doesn't matter that much."
"No. I do have an answer."
"You do?" She spoke, tilting her head.
"Attraction is something most would feel as they age and gain further experience. If I were to only consider myself, I would say yes, I have felt attraction before, but she and I have no reason to step into such a world; our current relationship works well enough." Zixin explained, his thoughts slipping into Elmer's memories.
Hope questioned further, "What do you mean by 'only consider myself'? That almost sounds like you've experienced someone else's life."
"Indeed, due to my sub-ability–Snowdrop, I have experienced another person's life. I don't feel like counting the tree."
"What now?!"
"Don't mind the details." Zixin dismissed her reaction.
"So, how did it feel?"
His footsteps halted, as his gaze drifted, eventually landing at her with his eyes steady, "I suppose you could say I was living through the moment."
As she pondered over his words, a sudden voice passed by, "Hope? What are you doing here?"
Zixin glanced back as Vanor came into view, his eyes clear as day as he took a bite out of a piece of bread.