Immortal Freeloader 132 (Patreon)

“It’s lucky that you’re unconscious,” I muttered even as I started examining the imprisoned being. Looking at him, it was clear that his imprisonment was not some kind of punishment, or even a way to suppress some kind of evil that couldn’t be suppressed. 

Nor, it was a way to keep cursed Qi somehow contained like I had initially assumed. 

No, I could vaguely sense that the chains were suffused with some kind of energy, transferring it to the corpse that was somehow still alive. And, the crystal sword was draining it off him. As I watched, the glow slowly built up, only to fade back when it started to glow too much point then fade back, starting a cycle, almost like a beating heart. 

The whole point of the complicated existence was to drain something. The chains collected whatever they were gathering, the unfortunate skeleton was the collection medium, while the crystal sword transferred the collected energy. 

Considering the continued radiation of Cursed Qi as a side effect, whatever they were doing was not something nice. 

“I think I have just avoided a terrible fate,” I muttered as I watched the process. 

Considering the relationship with the Everdawn Empire, I couldn’t help but wonder why he had given me it. To possess me, or to force me to replace him. Frankly, the first one was the preferable option. I shuddered, glad that the System had given me too many options. Otherwise, I might have been truly tempted by the idea of Martial Arts that would allow me to resist the might of the cultivators. 

“Now, let’s see what’s going on,” I muttered as I walked closer, still careful not to touch anything. There was nothing in the room other than items and artifacts of the Everdawn Empire, which seemed intentional. 

Even the golden chains had been stamped with the same symbols in alternating manner. Similarly, the living corpse had a crown on his head, as well as a bunch of rotted clothing and a ring that still carried the sign. 

It was hard to determine it correctly, but I had a feeling that, whenever they had been destroyed, someone had been visiting to replace them. And, I doubted that it was for nothing. I felt like someone was working hard to keep the evidence that the room belonged to the Everdawn Empire. 

I doubted that it was because they liked the Empire. 

That was true for every inch of the throne room … except the throbbing crystal sword at the center of his chest, draining whatever they had been collecting. I didn’t want to get any closer, but understanding what had been going on seemed like a better idea. 

As I walked closer, I started examining the chains more carefully and realized that they weren’t flawless. They had been corroding somewhat, but recovering at the same time, but the pattern was interesting. As if the rot was spreading through the center, but recovered from the outside in. 

How, I had no idea… Whatever that was going on wasn’t reliant on Qi. It was merely a side effect of what had been going on. 

Then, I turned my attention to the crystal sword at the center, which had been throbbing continuously. It was the only thing in the room that was completely pristine and flawless. On the contrary, it radiated some kind of holy sensation, like it was something to be worshipped. No, calling it veneration against a hero was a better idea. 

But, for some reason, that sensation that claimed that the crystal was an object of veneration was familiar. 

“The same sensation that brought me to the Nascent Soul cultivator,” I muttered, unable to keep my shock down. “Providence!” 

Then, I gasped, realizing what was going on. It was a scam, just like what I had done with Aisnam and Janassa repeatedly. The crystal, the chains, the corpse, all the Everdawn Symbols. It was a giant scam setup. 

The only difference was, while I had been tricking the System, they were tricking the world itself. “Could it be that they are … farming providence,” I muttered. It was supposed to be crazy. How could someone actually farm something as untouchable as fate? 

But before I could even ignore that realization as a wild assumption, the realization had triggered some confusing connections. I was able to trace it back to half-formed information contained in the Kartpa Alchemy technique. 

Particularly, Nascent Soul gives me the impression that, at that level, fate might not just be an external, illusory force. Unfortunately, without the main cultivation technique, it was more than a half-formed opinion, almost like a difficult-to-remember dream. 

But, it was enough to confirm what was going on. They were truly farming providence. And, once that conclusion was made, the rest of the details like constantly replaced flags, cursed Qi, and even the living corpse started to make more sense. 

Not only they were stealing the providence, but also they were framing the Everdawn Empire for it. 

“Like things weren’t complicated enough,” I muttered even as I took a careful step forward, careful not to interact further. And, as I walked closer to the living corpse, a new instinct started to appear in me. It was an illusory feeling, promising fortune just like it had brought me in front of the Nascent Soul cultivator earlier … only a hundred times stronger. 

It was almost like a whisper in my ear. I knew that, at that moment, if I destroyed the living corpse, I would be earning an incredible reward. 

Unfortunately, I would also be alerting the owner of the sword, who probably wouldn’t have been happy about their ploy being destroyed. Considering whoever was behind the sword was at least a Nascent Soul cultivator, or someone even stronger, it was not likely that I could survive to enjoy the reward. 

I ignored the currently unconscious living corpse and turned to examine the golden chains, trying to get a better sense of their structure. But, their structure was a mystery, even with my new alchemy knowledge giving me some insights about the nature of the materials and the energy. 

The best I could guess, it was a mixture of an unknown material, the martial essence of the Everdawn Empire, and providence, all mixed together to create a material that deserved to be called miraculous even in a world where people could fly casually.

I wanted to examine further, but a detail convinced me that I had already stayed here long enough. The formation around me had started to decay. 

It was a minuscule effect, impossible to notice if it wasn’t for my absurd formation skill. Yet, it scared me for one reason. The formation wasn’t being eroded slowly from the outside, which would have been understandable under the thick pressure of cursed Qi. Instead, it was the formation itself, slowly losing its function. 

The loss of function was very small, but it wasn’t what scared me. It was that, even with all my knowledge, I had no idea how to repair it. 

Scared, I started examining my own body, and the items I was wearing. I was equally as good in talismans and would have noticed if there was the same kind of subtle destruction going on. 

There, the results were even more interesting. There was some kind of corruption going on, only to be countered by the subtle energy radiating from my body, only detectable in the areas they clashed. 

The difference was enough for me to get a rough idea. My personal items were being protected by my personal providence, while the formation didn’t count as one. It felt like an arbitrary distinction, but I was glad for it. Without it, I might have stayed here for hours, slowly running experiments even as I lost my luck slowly and slowly. 

And, considering how treacherous the meaning of luck in this new world, pushed me to endless battles, I was not ready to test how being unlucky worked. 

“That’s enough exploration,” I muttered as I left the mockery of a throne room behind, my mind already churning with the next steps of the plan. 

I needed to visit the other Stone Gate locations, but not before I could enhance Kartpa Alchemy techniques and my martial talents. At the same time, 

Increasing my martial talent was given. And, so was improving Kartpa alchemy technique. It was the only source of knowledge for providence. Most of the critical knowledge might be lacking, but every little bit counted. 

However, rather than annoying Janassa immediately, I decided to go visit Misty Mountains first. I needed to find information on Everdawn Techniques, and the ruins seemed like the best option. 

Of course, there were many other things I wanted, the forefront being a book on the Mutmah Formation Technique, but I didn’t dare to start it. And, not just because I lacked the time. I was afraid of the trouble it would bring along if I found it. And, now that I had real proof of providence and fate’s existence, I knew that it was not just a coincidence. 

I had too many problems to get tempted even more.