Chapter 148: [148] Awakened Village

Satella pulled into the parking lot of a large shopping complex. It looked like one of those places Ark would often look at through the window, knowing he would never step foot in...

At least, that was how it was in the past. Now, he had more than enough money to buy most things he wanted, but he had been so busy jumping in and out of Eden that he had not even enjoyed a fraction of his money.

They got into the shopping complex, and Ark could only stare in awe when he realized just how big it was.

From the outside, it was massive, but from the inside, it was like a maze.

Dozens of shops spread out at all sides, and although it was night, it was so bright that the light drowned out every single shadow.

Just one glance at the shops, and Ark realised that this mall was not for the typical citizens.

There were shops that had various weapons lined up inside, some had shiny suits of armour up for display, while others were filled with potions.

Ark stared up at the massive space, momentarily captivated.

Clasp!

Soo-jin grabbed his hand and smiled at him. "Welcome to the awakened village."

"The awakened village?"

She began to lead him, with Isabella and Satella following behind them.

"Mmhm." She nodded. "Not all players do their shopping in Eden. Some are too busy, while some just want to buy stuff while in Venaris..."

"This is the biggest mall that sells awakened-related items."

Ark glanced around before settling his eyes on her. "But didn’t you say I need new clothes?"

She cocked her head to the side. "We are."

"Then won’t any regular old shop do?"

She shook her head, her ears swaying sideways. "Since you are going to mingle with high society a lot from now on, there are a few things you must know..."

Soo-jin stopped in front of a large shop and stared up at the sign.

"Top players, or nobles like they call us, judge a person first from their appearance." She pointed a fan at his face.

"Their race." She pointed the fan at his chest.

Then she opened the fan and fanned herself.

"Before actual ability..."

"Of course, actual ability trumps all others, but first impressions matter."

She smiled and glanced at him. There was a certain sharpness in her eyes, the same determination he had seen back in Eden.

"I’m going to show you off today. It’s best you look the part."

She pushed the door open and they stepped inside.

The room had a ton of clothes arranged neatly by the sides on mannequins. Ark noticed that the style was unlike anything he had ever seen before, which was odd, since it was difficult to create anything entirely new.

And yet, every single article of clothing was unique.

In the center of the room, a woman was floating in the air, while clothing material slowly spun in the air in front of her, coated by a light green energy.

Her eyes were also completely covered by this energy, and even as they got in, she did not so much as spare them a glance.

She had white hair packed up in a bun and a lithe figure. Judging by her appearance, Ark could guess that she was in her late thirties.

’An awakened stylist?’

Soo-jin let go of his hand and stalked up to the woman, moving so quietly that she did not make a single sound.

Then once she was right next to her, she leaned towards her ears and half-yelled.

"Agnes~!"

The woman trembled like a frightened cat, just before landing unceremoniously on the floor.

And then, barely a second after, Soo-jin was surrounded by all sorts of tailoring tools, from scissors to pins and needles, each one aimed at her.

"W-who is there??" The woman stared at Soo-jin, but her eyes were out of focus. It seemed she could sense her, but...

"She’s blind." Ark finally made the realisation.

Then he gave Soo-jin a blank stare. Was she really bullying a blind woman? He glanced at Isabella and Satella, but they averted their gazes almost instantly.

’Heh? Why are they acting like they are used to it?’

Ark turned his attention back to her. "Soo-jin..."

"What? This is simply a game we play whenever I visit..."

"Soo-jin??" The woman frowned. "You brat! I told you to stop sneaking up on me."

Ark walked up to her, and both she and Soo-jin helped her to her feet.

"I apologize for her behaviour, she is rather insensitive..." Ark sighed.

Agnes shook her head. "Don’t worry, I’m used to it."

Her hand searched the air in front of him. He glanced at Soo-jin and she nodded, urging him forward.

Ark brought his face closer. He had heard that blind people sometimes liked to feel the face of strangers to have an idea of how they looked...

But once she got to his face, her hand snaked around to his ears, and then she pulled hard.

?!

Ark could tell that she put some of her awakened strength into it because his ear was nearly pulled off.

"Ha! That serves you right!" She snickered.

"Oww! What did I do?"

When she heard his voice, her eyes widened, her face blushing pink with embarrassment, while Soo-jin giggled by the side.

"I-I’m sorry... damn that girl... Fable brat, where are you?!"

She searched the air, chasing after her, while Soo-jin ran around, ducking and dodging.

Ark could only stare in shock. He knew Soo-jin was not as uptight as she acted, but to see her playing around like a child was amusing.

But who was the woman, and why did Soo-jin seem so close to her?

"She is Agnes Fable," Isabella said as she walked up to his side. "...Miss Soo-jin’s cousin." She smiled.

Ark rubbed his sore ears. "Cousin? They almost look like siblings."

Isabella nodded. "Soo-jin is the youngest of thirteen sisters, but she is not very..." She paused. "Popular among them."

Ark noticed the hitch in her tone, it was definitely not as mild as she made it out to be.

"Agnes was able to fill up the gap a bit," she explained further.

"She lost both her eyes to a tower break and since then has been unable to participate in raids, so she was always available to play with Miss Soo-jin."

"I see." Ark muttered. He had no idea what would have caused Soo-jin to have issues with her family, because to him, family was above everything.

Was there really any problem that could not be resolved?

’Well, maybe things are different for the top families.’ He mused. Still, Ark made a mental note to find out more about her family.

After complaining and bickering, Agnes finally settled down and turned around to face Ark. It seemed even though she could not see, she could sense his general direction.

"So is this the boy you told me about?"

Soo-jin nodded. "Yes."

Agnes sighed, her expression turning sharp. "Come closer..."

Multiple sewing equipment suddenly hovered above her, the tape roll moving forward. Agnes reached for the air and began groping it.

"Let me have a feel of you."

"..."

Ark’s face fell. "I guess you two are really related..."