Chapter 107: Is This Author You?

Lin Shu aimed at the feet of the group chasing Furina, chanted a low incantation, and cast an electric current spell.

The area was close to the river, and the damp ground provided an excellent conductive environment.

“Gah!” The current struck the lead pursuer perfectly, causing his whole body to stiffen.

The few people behind him were also affected, freezing in place.

Now’s the chance!

Lin Shu rushed forward, grabbing Furina’s wrist. “This way!”

She pulled Furina along, dashing toward the fishing village behind the docks.

“It’s you…” Furina recognized Lin Shu, her expression one of disbelief.

“What’s going on?! Why is there a Human who can use magic!” Curses came from behind them.

“After them, don’t let them get away!”

“What are you doing?” Furina’s words became fragmented from running. “Don’t bother with me, you’ll get dragged into this too.”

She moved her hand, trying to break free.

“You helped me. If you want to run away, I’ll help you too.” Lin Shu turned her head, slightly loosening her grip on Furina.

Furina was taken aback for a moment, hesitated for half a second, and finally tightened her own grip on Lin Shu’s hand in return.

Getting this response, Lin Shu decisively turned back and increased her running speed.

Ahead was a cluster of abandoned fishing village houses, most of them long deserted.

They ducked into the narrow alleys between the houses, twisting and turning.

The cramped space was perfect for shaking off the pursuers’ line of sight.

“They went into the alley! Get on the roofs!”

The pursuers’ shouts rang out. They leapt onto the rooftops, and the sound of footsteps came from above.

Lin Shu understood clearly: the other side had numbers. Even if she could barely manage with magic, that big ship might have some more formidable characters on board. A direct confrontation was out of the question.

The most important thing right now was to ensure Furina’s escape first.

Lin Shu aimed for a dilapidated house ahead and made a decision. “Let’s hide inside for a while first.”

The wooden door was already aged, and the latch gave way with a simple shove.

The moment she pushed the door open, a wave of fishy smell hit her face. The interior was empty, the furniture all removed, leaving only dust and shards of glass scattered on the floor.

The two of them quietly climbed to the second floor.

The second floor was even more barren, with only an open window facing the roof opposite.

Lin Shu and Furina crouched by the second-floor window, keeping their bodies low.

Footsteps continued outside; they could hear people running back and forth on the roofs.

Lin Shu slowed her breathing and gestured for Furina to be quiet.

A long time passed. The dense footsteps outside scattered and gradually faded into silence.

Had the casino people left?

Were they safe… for now?

Lin Shu relaxed slightly, letting out a sigh of relief, and was about to peek outside to check the situation.

“You…” the person beside her suddenly spoke.

“Hmm?”

Lin Shu turned her head and saw moonlight shining on Furina’s face. Those sapphire-like eyes were fixed on her, now brimming with complex emotions.

“Why did you help me? We’ve only met once.”

Lin Shu scratched her cheek. “Selling children is just too awful. Besides, you helped me.”

“I am not a child.” Furina averted her gaze, calmly refuting.

Lin Shu looked at her carefully.

Furina wore a simple cloth dress. When she crouched, the hem rode up a bit, revealing slender, pale thighs.

No matter how you looked at it, she resembled a Human middle school student.

Thirteen years old at most?

“But, you Sacred Race have long lifespans, right? Maybe even after hundreds of years, you still look like a twenty-year-old Human?”

Furina didn’t answer, which probably meant she agreed.

“Long-lived species are enviable.” Lin Shu casually remarked while pulling out the Beginner’s Magic Illustrated Guidefrom her pack.

The types of magic she could use today were limited; she needed to find spells that could help them escape.

Wait a minute.

Lin Shu looked at the magic book in her hand, then at Furina.

No wonder it felt familiar last time.

She flipped “rustle rustle” to the last page, where the author’s signature happened to be exactly the two characters “Fu Ning.”

Lin Shu held up the book, showing it to Furina. “Is this handwriting yours?”

Furina glanced at it and shook her head.

“But the author of this book has the same name as you?”

“Just a coincidence, not strange.” Furina said flatly. “I can’t use magic. I couldn’t write something like this.”

True.

The author didn’t give a full name, and asking someone from the present about a book from the future wasn’t appropriate either.

Lin Shu put the book down, somewhat dejectedly.

“Can I take a look?” Furina stared at the book cover.

“Ah, are you interested?” Lin Shu handed the book over. “The person who wrote this is amazing.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhm, she’s the leader of an organization dedicated to teaching mages.” Right, at this time, the Demon Hunter Corps doesn’t exist. What about the Spirit Tower?

Lin Shu voiced her inner question. “In the Sacred Race nation, are there places like that?”

Wait a minute.

Lin Shu looked at the magic book in her hand, then at Furina again.

No wonder it felt familiar last time.

She flipped “rustle rustle” to the last page, where the author’s signature happened to be exactly the two characters “Fu Ning.”

Lin Shu held up the book, showing it to Furina. “Is this handwriting yours?”

Furina glanced at it and shook her head.

“But the author of this book has the same name as you?”

“Just a coincidence, not strange.” Furina said flatly. “I can’t use magic. I couldn’t write something like this.”

True.

The author didn’t give a full name, and asking someone from the present about a book from the future wasn’t appropriate either.

Lin Shu put the book down, somewhat dejectedly.

“Can I take a look?” Furina stared at the book cover.

“Ah, are you interested?” Lin Shu handed the book over. “The person who wrote this is amazing.”

“Is that so?”

“Mhm, she’s the leader of an organization dedicated to teaching mages.” By the way, at this time the Demon Hunter Corps doesn’t exist. What about the Spirit Tower?

Lin Shu voiced her inner question. “In the Sacred Race nation, are there places like that?”

“No, at least I haven’t heard of any.” Furina’s tone was flat as she rapidly flipped through the book’s pages, quickly scanning the spells.

“Speaking of which, that woman earlier… wasn’t she your mother?”

The focus in Furina’s eyes as she read dimmed slightly. “…She was just my foster mother.”

“Even if they’re short on money, they shouldn’t have to sell you, especially when you were working hard to gather crystals to exchange for money for them…”

“It was useless. That was too slow.”

Furina turned another page. “I just have a good memory. I could help by remembering every card dealt on the gambling table.”

“For them, exchanging me for a large sum of money was my greatest value.”

Silence fell between them again, leaving only the faint sound of pages turning in the second-floor room.

Lin Shu peeked out the window again. The alley was empty, not a soul in sight.

Using the reflection in the glass window, Lin Shu brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead to check the Familiar mark.

It was still a wolf’s paw print.

She was still maintaining the contract with Hati, and she could normally summon the battle standard when she fell from the sky.

It was really strange. Even though the timeline had changed, her body and the contract remained completely unchanged.

“By the way, after we escape, where do you plan to go?” Lin Shu crouched back down and asked, turning her head.

“I don’t know.” Furina quickly flipped to the last page of the book and gently closed it.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the sound of shattering glass erupted from all directions.

Lin Shu’s heart tightened.

The casino people never left? Were they searching house by house?!

“Watch out!” Furina yanked Lin Shu hard.

The moment Lin Shu dropped to the floor, the glass above her head was shattered by an arrow.

The instant the arrow slammed into the floor, the incendiary device tied to its tip exploded. Fuel splashed across the ground, and flames roared to life.

A wave of heat surged forward. Lin Shu hurriedly covered her mouth and nose with her arm.

“Cough, cough…” Furina accidentally inhaled a mouthful of thick smoke and began coughing violently.

“Hey! Found them! In this house!”

Damn, they’d been discovered.

“Go!” Lin Shu grabbed Furina’s hand, rushed to the window on the other side of the room, and pushed it open.

Night wind instantly poured in, making the fire inside burn even more fiercely, chasing right at their heels.

Lin Shu jumped onto the opposite roof first, then turned and reached out a hand to Furina. “Jump over!”

Furina looked at the sea of fire closing in behind her, gathered momentum with a running start, and vaulted out the window.

As she leapt, her elbow accidentally scraped against the sharp window frame, causing her hand to slip violently.

The Magic Illustrated Guide flew from her grasp and fell into the fire behind her.

“Your book!” She frowned, turning to try and retrieve it.

The flames quickly spread along the fuel to the window frame.

“Forget it!” Lin Shu urgently pulled Furina back. “They’re coming after us! Run first!”