The Mighty Mage
Chapter 291: Imposter

Chapter 291: Chapter 291: Imposter

At this point, Gu Jin was picturing herself surrounded by an army of ridiculous trinkets—a fish, a waving cat—like she was running a tourist shop for superstitious fools.

"And where exactly do I get this Lucky Cat? Do I order it online?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"The Lucky Cat is found in one of the hidden bazaars within Fujio City," Space replied matter-of-factly. "You’ll know the vendor by the scent of jasmine incense."

"Oh, fantastic," Gu Jin mumbled, rubbing her temple.

"I just need to track down a hidden market with jasmine incense. Piece of cake. After all the damage done by the parasites, I can still find the stall! Because I am the god."

"Or," Space interjected as though it had saved the best for last, "you could drink water from a river where the Golden Deer have drunk. That’s said to improve luck in all aspects of life."

Gu Jin stared blankly at the pile of debris that was once her shop.

"Wait, what? A deer? A Golden Deer?"

"Yes, the Golden Deer are mythical creatures, and the rivers they drink from are blessed,"

Space explained with a tone that suggested it was offering the most logical solution in the world.

"Consuming that water is believed to imbue the drinker with extraordinary luck."

"So," Gu Jin said slowly, "you’re telling me that if I find some mythical Golden Deer and drink from whatever river they’re sipping from, I’ll have better luck?"

"Yes."

Gu Jin closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"So my choices are to hunt down some mythical deer, go on a treasure hunt for a waving cat, or carry around a glorified fish statue."

When Space put it that way, it sounded ridiculous.

But at the same time... her luck really was terrible. Maybe there was something to this. Desperate times called for desperate measures, right?

Gu Jin sighed and rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Alright, Space. Thank you for the information."

"Welcome master." The space sounded a bit proud.

Gu Jin sighed.

She still had a lot of work to do.

Just as she was about to leave a group of black-cloaked figures appeared, materializing soundlessly around her.

They moved in a rhythmic pattern, then dropped to one knee before her.

Their black cloaks billowed lightly in the evening breeze, but their loyal, unwavering eye are with no eyes glimmered from beneath the hoods—these were her skeleton warriors, loyal to her commands even in life-threatening situations.

"Master," one of them spoke, their voice low and solemn.

"We’ve completed the mission as you ordered."

Gu Jin raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised by their sudden appearance.

She hadn’t expected to see them here so soon, especially after such a difficult task.

Yet, there they were, steadfast and reliable.

With a small nod, she replied, "Good work. Were you able to rescue everyone?"

"Yes, everyone. No casualties."

A faint smile touched her lips.

"Well done," she said, her voice filled with genuine appreciation.

Just then, a soft tug on her clothes made her glance down.

She saw a small girl, around six or seven years old, staring up at her with wide, curious eyes.

Her cheeks were flushed, and she clutched the hem of Gu Jin’s garment like a lifeline.

The girl’s voice was soft but filled with admiration.

"Are you... Gu Jin?" the little girl asked, looking up at her with shyness and admiration.

Gu Jin knelt down, her expression gentle as she looked into the girl’s hopeful eyes.

"Yes, I am," she replied warmly, her tone softened for the child’s sake.

The girl’s face lit up, and she broke into a shy smile.

"Thank you, Miss Gu Jin. Your people saved me. I was really scared, but they helped me escape."

The warmth in her gaze deepened as she reached out, wrapping her arms gently around the little girl.

She could feel the child’s heartbeat, fast but steady.

Her irritation vanished bit by bit.

The little girl hugged her back tightly, and Gu Jin’s heart softened as the girl whispered,

"I admire you, Miss Gu Jin. You’re so brave."

Before Gu Jin could respond, she sensed a shift in the atmosphere around them.

She looked up and noticed an ever-growing crowd of people gathering around her.

Dozens of faces, some tear-streaked, others still bearing traces of the horrors they’d experienced, were now turned toward her with expressions of surprise, and admiration.

For a moment, Gu Jin was taken aback. She hadn’t anticipated this kind of attention.

"She’s so young," someone murmured in disbelief.

"I thought it would be an older warrior or some powerful mage, not... not someone like her."

Another voice chimed in,

"And beautiful too, like she came out of a story."

When they sensed her gaze upon them, the crowd quickly lowered their eyes, some even bowing deeply in respect.

Their voices, though quiet at first, grew louder as more and more people started expressing their gratitude.

"Thank you, Miss Gu Jin," a man in his thirties said, his head lowered as he spoke.

"You saved us all from the parasites. I... I can’t thank you enough."

"Yes, thank you! I don’t know what we would’ve done without you!" another woman added, her voice choked with emotion.

Soon, more people joined in, some with tears streaming down their faces.

Others were clutching their children, holding them close as they bowed repeatedly in gratitude.

For them, Gu Jin was like a god.

A god who saved them, when they had least expected it.

Gu Jin stood there, a bit overwhelmed, yet deeply moved by the sincerity of the crowd’s gratitude.

She had fought many battles and faced countless dangers, but she was rarely shown appreciation in this way.

She was usually someone who didn’t believe in charity or helping others, but for some reason, she didn’t want the beautiful Fujio city to become the grave of thousands of people.

She didn’t want the lives to be lost. Especially the lives that could be saved.

A slight smile curved her lips as she raised her hand, signaling for the crowd to calm down. Her voice, though gentle, held a firm authority.

"You don’t need to thank me," she began. "I did what anyone should do—to protect those who need it."

The crowd stilled, listening intently to every word she said.

One elder in the crowd, with silver hair and a deep bow, stepped forward.

"Miss Gu Jin," he said respectfully, "you are a hero to us. You may think it’s your duty, but it’s not something many people would risk their lives for. You saved our lives, and for that, we will always be grateful."

His words sparked a renewed wave of agreement, with nods and murmurs of approval spreading through the crowd.

The elder, his gaze filled with genuine reverence, continued,

"If there’s anything we can do to repay you, please, let us know. We may not have much, but we would gladly do whatever we can."

Touched, Gu Jin nodded and replied,

"I appreciate your words. But I don’t need anything."

A chill seemed to sweep through the crowd as a feminine voice, dripping with disdain,

"Of course, you don’t need anything," the voice said with a mocking edge.

"After all, you weren’t the one who rescued them."

A wave of confusion passed through the crowd.

Heads turned as people shuffled to one side, parting to reveal the speaker—a woman with flowing black hair, piercing blue eyes, and a cold, knowing smirk on her face.

Her cloak was nearly identical to Gu Jin’s, dark and imposing, and a mask hung loosely from her hand, strikingly similar to Gu Jin’s own.

Behind her, twenty or thirty figures dressed in matching black cloaks stood at attention, each one exuding a dangerous aura.

Surprisingly they looked exactly like Gu Jin’s subordinate.

The woman took a few steps forward, eyeing Gu Jin with an intense, confrontational gaze.

"Let me introduce myself," she announced, her voice smooth but tinged with venom.

"My name is Auric, and I was the one who saved all of you," she declared, sweeping her gaze across the crowd with a proud, almost predatory look.

"Not her," she added, pointing at Gu Jin with disdain.

"This woman is nothing but a pretender."

Gu Jin’s face remained impassive, though a glimmer of amusement flickered in her eyes.

She had dealt with pretenders, foes, and rivals before, but never one who had the audacity to stand before her with such bravado.

She let out a quiet, almost mocking chuckle.

"Stop lying, Auric," Gu Jin replied calmly, crossing her arms. "It’s pathetic."

But her mind flashed with the confrontation she had with a woman earlier. Wasn’t this the woman who told her about the location of the artifact?

Auric’s face twisted with anger at Gu Jin’s response. She turned to address the crowd, her voice loud and resolute.

"She’s lying!" she shouted. "All of this—" she gestured grandly to the crowd and the aftermath of the battle "—all of this was my doing. I was the one who saved you and risked my life for all of you. She’s just here to claim credit."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.