Chapter 127: A Cage, Not a Fortress
It rolled across the faded fabric, tail flicking in delight, before turning a round gaze toward her.
[Fluffy likes this nest! Fluffy says: Keep it!]
Her system translated instantly, flashing the words across her vision.
[Fluffy is pleased with your new "den."]
[Unknown Cosmic Entity chuckles at Fluffy’s taste.]
[Even a cage can feel cozy, if you line it with rugs.]
Ling Yu arched an eyebrow at that commentary.
’Even the deity also thinks this is a cage, hm? At least we agree on something.’
Behind her, Song dropped onto one of the couches with a grin. "I won’t complain. Better a cage with cushions than straw in a pit."
"Don’t be fooled," Ling Yu replied, her voice sharp enough to cut the air. "This room isn’t for comfort. It’s for observation."
Her words sobered them.
Xian Yu hugged his staff closer, lowering his gaze. "...observation?"
"Exactly." Ling Yu moved to the window, her slender fingers tapping the iron bars. "The location, the space, even the stairwell, it’s designed to let us feel privileged. To soften us. At the same time, it isolates us from the masses, making us easier to watch."
She turned, her eyes glinting with ruthless clarity. "The better the cage, the more dangerous the master. Remember that."
Her system pinged again:
[Unknown Cosmic Deity smirks behind the veils.]
[As expected, you noticed immediately.]
[System Note: Certain sponsors show increased satisfaction with Host’s paranoia.]
[+500 Sponsor Coins.]
Ling Yu smirked faintly at the notification.
Song, ever practical, pushed himself up from the couch and headed for the kitchenette. He opened the cupboards and let out a grunt. "Empty. Not even stale bread. Guess they want us to buy our own food with whatever scraps they toss us."
"Or," Ling Yu said softly, "They probably want to see what resources we pull out of thin air."
The words made Song freeze for a heartbeat before closing the cupboard quietly.
Xian Yu shifted uneasily. "...then should we not use anything from your... storage?"
Ling Yu tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We’ll ration. Use only what we must, when we must. Let them underestimate us as long as possible."
Fluffy squeaked, rolling onto its back on the rug.
[Fluffy: "Fluffy will guard the shiny things! No thieves allowed!"]
[Unknown Cosmic Entity seems amused by Fluffy’s sense of duty.]
[+1000 Sponsor Coins.]
Ling Yu’s mouth twitched at the unfair treatment.
Ling Yu crouched and stroked the little creature’s head, her gaze softening just slightly. "Guard well, then."
The divine comments continued to flicker across her vision, but she dismissed them with a thought. Now wasn’t the time to get distracted.
Instead, she climbed the staircase. Each step creaked faintly under her weight, but the wood held. At the top, she opened one of the doors. Inside was a small bedroom, a single bed with a thin mattress, a chest at the foot, and a cracked mirror on the wall.
The second room was much the same. Spartan, but livable.
She turned back toward the stairwell, where her people looked up at her expectantly.
"Song, you take the common room with the others. Xian Yu, you’ll share the second floor with me."
Xian Yu startled, his pale cheeks flushing faintly. "S-share... with you?"
Ling Yu’s expression was flat. "You’re our healer. You need quiet, and you need to stay alive. That room will be easiest to protect."
Fluffy squeaked loudly, puffing its tiny chest.
[Fluffy: "Fluffy will sleep in Master’s room too!"]
Ling Yu chuckled under her breath. "Fine. But don’t you dare snore loudly."
[Fluffy protests against the wrong accusation.]
[Fluffy says it doesn’t snore at all!]
That night, after the others settled, Ling Yu sat by the barred window upstairs, her gaze fixed on the fortress courtyard below.
A group of rogue mercenaries marched by torchlight. Civilians were huddled in groups in the camp, whispering to themselves. The administrators strode past with ledgers tucked under their arms.
And from time to time, her sharp eyes caught glimmers, small reflective flashes, like glass lenses hidden in the walls. Always watching.
Her system pinged softly.
[Warning: Monitoring Confirmed.]
[Recommendation: Maintain façade of cooperation, gathering intel, and identifying power hierarchy.]
"Well, it’s fine. They will come themselves when it’s time," Ling Yu’s lips curved into a cold smile. "Let them watch. When the time comes, I’ll make sure they regret it."
Behind her, Xian Yu stirred in his sleep, murmuring softly. Fluffy curled at her feet, its little body warm.
Ling Yu let her gaze drift back to the courtyard lights.
’A fortress may look secure. But I’ve seen countless corrupt fortresses fall before.’
And when this one crumbled, as all of them eventually did, she would already be holding the knife that gets twisted in their body.
***
The next few days unfolded in an oddly deceptive calm.
Ling Yu, for once, allowed herself to loosen the coil of tension wound tight in her heart. Her team had food, a place to rest, and the fortress provided a measure of security that even she could not deny was reassuring. Fluffy spent his time lazing around the windowsill like a spoiled cat, occasionally snapping at insects that dared to approach. Song and the others familiarized themselves with the flat, the nearby supply points, and even got in some regular sparring sessions.
Though she kept continuing the secret training through Song.
But Ling Yu... Ling Yu’s sharp eyes were never still.
From the moment they set foot inside the fortress city, she had known it was no ordinary safe zone. It wasn’t just the thick walls, nor the military discipline she spotted among the patrolling guards; it was the way the air felt. There was an undercurrent beneath the surface bustle of refugees and soldiers, like the faint hum of insects hidden behind the walls.
Every morning, she rose early and pretended to blend in with the other civilians wandering the streets. A few times, she bought trinkets or food with the spare coins she had prepared in her System’s storage, making it seem like she was just another survivor.