CHAPTER 111: MOUNTAIN

Narin heared liners around her murmuring about Gara.

"That herbalis is impressive. He looks so skinny, but wow," one female Liner commented, still gossiping despite nearly running out of breath.

"Yeah, no wonder he can produce so much water. He might not be a typical Liner," another chimed in.

"Is he originally from a village around here? Maybe he will be the pride of Village Liners."

"Yup, he will. Amazing talent, strong physique, and even an herbalist. He can get a good job in the county."

Narin, overhearing, scowled. Her breath was almost gone, and it felt like she could suffocate from hearing them praise Gara.

Pouting, she said in a teasing voice, "It’s Gara’s first day. Of course his stamina’s still good. Don’t sell yourselves short. You’re not weak. You can also be like him with a little effort. It’s not that hard though."

A few Liners giggled, while the two gossiping women shot her sharp looks.

They were only complimenting someone else, not belittling themselves!

And they didn’t need her unkind advice!

But they didn’t reply. No matter how annoying Narin was, she was a senior Liner from the County. And being part of the investigation team meant she wasn’t just any ordinary Liner.

Soon, the sound of the river reached their ears. Slowly, through the trees, the clear waters of the stream came into view.

The Liners all let out a collective sigh of relief. Those who had been struggling on the climb suddenly regained their energy, stepping briskly toward the river.

Gara, however, chose to walk along the riverbank, examining the herbs scattered nearby. Fian began collecting water, while Orman, who didn’t need to fetch any, followed Gara curiously.

"Why are you taking Thimvine? That’s poisonous. And Herosa seeds are only for chicken feed, right?" Orman asked, watching Gara pull up a few unfamiliar plants.

"That’s why I’m a herbalis. I can find other uses for these plants," Gara replied casually, without a hint of arrogance.

Orman nodded. "I trust you. Your herbal skills are impressive."

Narin, who happened to be collecting water nearby, sneered at Gara’s confident air. She thought he was being overly proud, but she didn’t say anything. She was completely drained of energy.

Gara hadn’t finished filling his cloth pouch when Kevio and Fian had already finished collecting two buckets of water. Several other Liners were already heading back down the mountain.

On the way back, unusual sights caught Gara’s attention. He began to notice proof that these seemingly ordinary youths were, in fact, true Liners.

One Liner used earth-based Talents to descend the mountain, shaping the ground into a sort of lift.

Another female Liner used wind-based Talents to make herself lighter as she floated down.

Some flattened the terrain and slid down, controlling the earth with precision to avoid accidents.

Yet most still walked down the mountain the old-fashioned way. Gara studied them, disappointed that so few were making full use of their Talents.

"Why didn’t the one making the earth lift just bring everyone down together?" he muttered rhetorically, expecting no answer.

But Orman spoke up, "He can’t. He’s probably saving his energy just to get down safely. And his Talent isn’t strong enough to carry everyone."

Gara nodded. Alas, not everyone had stamina like him.

He refocused to fetch the herbs he had found along the path.

Orman wasn’t done talking. "Providing water is one of the easiest missions. If a Liner isn’t water-based and still came here, it’s probably because their Talent isn’t strong enough."

"So... your boss’s kid is lacking too?"

"He is actually not bad, but my boss wants him to take missions in safe places and simultaneously experience a simple village life," Orman replied.

Gara chuckled. Even in this world, there were people with that kind of thinking.

"Still," Gara continued, "I’ve noticed we’re the only ones not carrying buckets. Are you the only accompanying Liner who don’t know you can do missions at the same time?"

"There aren’t any other accompanying Liner staying here besides me," Orman quickly explained, not wanting to seem clueless.

Gara looked puzzled. Orman clarified that the senior Liners who acted as companions in Bota Village didn’t stay long.

Their role was to teach newbie Liners to use their Talents, but here, the mission was just fetching water. So the companion Liners only stayed the first day, maybe showing up once or twice a week.

It made sense that the Liners here were mostly newbies.

Talking about doing two missions at the same time made Orman annoyed.

"Now I get it. That’s why the investigation team joined in fetching water, even though it wasn’t part of their mission. They must’ve taken on a double mission too, huh?"

Gara chuckled in response.

When it came to the investigation team, Orman was never shy about gossiping, especially about the famous Liners from the county. His mood changed instantly.

"They all basically have detection-type Talents, except for Narin," Orman said in a gossipy tone.

That made Gara curious. In his own team, only Fian had sharp hearing and sight. But detection sounded far more complex than just keen senses.

Orman gladly explained, "Mohan, their captain, has a metal-based Talent. He can detect the mineral content inside soil and water.

Kian’s talent is wind-based. He can trace the flow of air carrying poison.

Loka’s almost the same as Mohan. The difference is, Mohan focuses on minerals and better at pinpointing toxins."

Gara was impressed. All of them had Elemental Bloodlines, yet they could use them for detection.

That meant no matter what Bloodline someone awakened—even with different elements—there was still a chance to develop Talents with similar functions.

Any Bloodline could be powerful... if they knew how to use it.

On the way down the mountain, Gara spotted several herbs and decided to search around. With a little insistence, he made Fian continue the mission of carrying water down.

Orman, meanwhile, ordered Kevio to follow Fian. To him, Fian looked far more skilled than Kevio, even though Kevio had been here for nearly two weeks.

...