Chapter 72 — A Life-Form Reaction?
Blade of Dawn · Page 2 of 3
"Similar, but very strange," Hedy said, describing the situation. "It started when the militiamen on night watch found that the magic equipment on them had suddenly lost its power. Then their weapons and armor were drawn toward the stone ball. But not all metal gets pulled in—it's as if the ball is selective. Some people walked right past it fully armed without being affected... Since I'm not sure what else the thing might do, for now I'm not letting anyone near the inside. Only that druid, Pi Yun, is in the tent checking on the three trapped men."
Selective attraction? And it affected magic power? That made its nature nothing like a magnet at all.
Gao Yang pondered for a moment, then casually unfastened his Pioneer's Sword and handed it to Philip beside him. He patted Amber on the shoulder. "You and I will go in and take a look—leave all your metal items behind."
"W-why do I have to go too?" Amber immediately looked cowardly. "In a dangerous situation like this, shouldn't a knight like you go first?"
"Yes, so I'll walk in front and you follow," Gao Yang nodded. "Unless you don't want this month's pay."
Amber gritted her teeth, put on a look of utter resolve, and threw her metal belongings on the ground: two small daggers, two protective charms, a delicate little pendant, and the pocket watch of the old steward of Viscount Andrew's household in neighboring Tanzan Town...
Wait—she still hadn't returned that thing to him?!
Gao Yang's gaze swept over the pocket watch, then fixed squarely on Amber, staring until she was thoroughly creeped out, before he finally spoke: "Where's your coin purse?"
Amber immediately clutched her waist in horror. "Absolutely not!"
Gao Yang just kept staring at her.
A few seconds later, Amber finally, with great reluctance, pulled out her coin purse, cradled it, counted it over and over, and only then handed it to Philip beside her. "I'm telling you, I counted it clearly! If even one coin is missing when I get back..."
"On my honor as a knight, I swear I shall guard the property entrusted to me!" the young knight declared loudly, thrusting out his chest—which made Amber jump. "Hey, hey, you don't have to shout so loud. There's really not much money in there..."
"Ancestor, I'll come with you..." Hedy took half a step forward, but Gao Yang stopped her. Looking into her eyes, he said, "You and Philip stay here on guard. That ball might be able to affect the flow of magic—if you get close, you might end up useless."
Hedy nodded and bowed as she stepped back. "Then please be careful."
Gao Yang sighed inwardly: What a fine wife-material trait that is... When should I ask her when she plans to get married, and to whom?
With that irreverent thought turning over in his mind, Gao Yang led Amber—her face a picture of a warrior facing a mortal foe—toward the tent.
Before the tent, he used Danger Sense to confirm the situation inside. After roughly determining that there was nothing within capable of threatening him, Gao Yang carefully lifted the door curtain.
The first thing he saw was the large sphere resting in the center of the tent. It looked utterly unchanged, still the same drab, earthy stone—but around the stone ball, three fully armed men were stuck to it in a most comical fashion.
One militiaman, one militia captain, one regular soldier.
He also caught sight of the little old man. Pi Yun was indeed here tending to the trapped soldiers, just as Hedy had said. When Gao Yang lifted the curtain, the little old man was squatting in front of the militia captain, speaking kindly: "...So you see, this is clearly the work of bad luck. Are you sure you won't try our Forest Dusk sect's fortune-changing ritual?"
"The Forest Dusk sect doesn't have any damn fortune-changing ritual. Stop swindling my men," Gao Yang said, striding into the tent. He glanced down at the three soldiers. "Who got stuck first?"