An Aura Farmer's Guide to Another World
Chapter 45: Testing My New Skill

Chapter 45: Testing My New Skill

The following day, after our dinner with Lady Beatrice, I found myself in front of a mirror attempting to tie a bow tie around my collar.

My room on the mansion’s third floor was directly beneath Lady Beatrice’s. Even though we each had our own room, Cupcake insisted on sleeping in mine.

Glancing at my reflection in the mirror, the sound of Cupcake taking a shower drifted from the bathroom.

The bathroom’s technological sophistication, much like that of the trains and the airship, felt out of place.

Could it be because the world was modeled after a video game?

My hand reached for a comb and I grabbed it to comb my hair. The black velvet of my frock coat felt smooth against my arms as I moved, the high collar of my white shirt just brushing my jaw.

I adjusted the silver-embroidered waistcoat beneath, its intricate pattern catching the dim light. My gaze fell to the dark trousers and the polished leather of my boots, ready for the night.

’Fffss-fffss.’

After taking a final look at myself in the mirror, I sprayed a floral cherry perfume I found on top of the drawer below the mirror.

Walking to a plush velvet chair situated close to the door, I sat down. My eyes drifted to the four-poster bed with its dark covers pulled tight, then shifted to a dark wooden bathroom door beside it, before finally settling on the mechanical clock in front of me with its hands pointed at 06:30 pm.

Lady Beatrice told us about an event she was hosting tonight to unveil a new line of cherry perfume produced by her company. She had invited close friends, women from wealthy households, and guests who purchased tickets to attend the event.

We’re tasked with protecting her at the event. Instead of standing out like her guards, we’ll blend in with the public, identifying and neutralizing any assassins before they can act.

’Knock-knock!’

Someone knocked. Instantly, I rose and reached for the door. "Who would knock at this hour?"

"Is Cupcake around?" Lily, the head maid, asked, her hands clasped in front of her as she stood by the door I had just opened.

"She’s in the bathroom," I replied, my hand still on the door handle.

Lily’s lips parted slightly, as if on the edge of asking something, then shut again.

"Is there anything you want me to tell her?" I asked, my hand still on the door handle.

Lily inhaled slowly through her nose. "Lucy is still asleep, and I’m worried she might not make it to the event."

"Did you try waking her up?" I asked, brushing my nose.

"I knocked several times, and no response," she replied.

’Click.’

I stepped out of the room, closing the door. "I’ll go check on her."

Lily stepped back and bowed. "Forgive me for intruding, I just didn’t know what to do."

I began to move, glancing at her bowed head. "You didn’t bother me at all. I’ll see if she’s alright."b

***

’Knock-knock!’

I knocked on Lucy’s door, but she didn’t respond.

’Knock-knock!’

"Lucy, get up, it’s Liam," I called out.

Still silence...

I clenched my fist and slammed it hard against the solid hardwood.

’Bang! Bang! Bang!’

Still silence...

"Are you okay? Answer me if you’re in there."

Lucy was quiet. Her room was silent, and I couldn’t tell whether she was still in there or if she had left and locked her room.

What are my options? Should I just kick the damn door in and be done with it?

As my thoughts began to spiral, an idea sparked: use my new ability, ’Inverted Square’, to see through the walls of her room.

Placing both hands on the door leading to her room, I leaned in, my head touching the wood as if I were about to peek through a tiny hole.

"Blood Art Technique: Inverted Square"

A faint blue aura radiated from my Ocean Eyes, and all of a sudden, I felt sharp waves of pain as if I’d been struck by a lightning bolt directly to my brain.

My vision went dark for a split second. Then, I began to experience information overload, as if my left and right eyes were pointed in opposite directions.

I jerked backward into the hallway, grabbing my head with both hands. My teeth clenched, and I bit my lips as hard as I could, trying to numb the pain gripping my brain.

Blood oozed from my lips, my brain feeling as if a can of worms had been emptied on it, leaving the worms free rein to traverse all parts of my brain.

Then a vision took hold of me—I began to perceive the world from eight distinct vantage points all at once.

It was as though a translucent cube had materialized, with me suspended at its very core. From every intersecting plane, I could see inward, panoramic, lucid, and precise.

At ground level, I viewed my back from two angles—one off each shoulder. Then, from three meters above, I saw it again, twice more, as if observed by eyes stationed in the air.

The cube stretched out, breaching the boundaries of space until it reached Lucy’s room. There, my sight expanded further—into four corners of a square, each offering a unique glimpse into her world.

’Drip-drip’

Blood dripped from my lips as I bit them harder, trying to numb the pain that felt like it was crushing my brain cells.

Then it occurred to me: I was activating the skill using 100 heartbeats per second, instead of the 10 ps Evelyn recommended.

"Focus."

My heartbeat gradually fell.

100ps

90ps

80ps

70ps

60ps

50ps

40ps

30ps

20ps

10ps

’Phew.’

The pain dialed back, and the number of vantage points was reduced from eight to one.

Apart from my Ocean eyes, I could now see from one additional, invisible eye.

By merely imagining it, I could move that eye around, shifting its vantage point between the eight corners of the cube, allowing me to receive information from a selected angle.

Using my third eye, I looked down from within Lucy’s room. There, I found her casually seated on a plush velvet chair next to the door, reading a newspaper.

I placed my hand on the door and knocked with my other hand.

"Lucy! Open up the door."

Lucy flipped to the next page of the newspaper, her eyes darting over the words.

’Knock! Knock!’

"I know you are in there, open up the door."

Lucy tilted her eyes and flicked her long hair to the side. The hair was composed of two colors: dark on the outside and red on the inside.

"I can see you. You’re currently reading a newspaper, why aren’t you responding?"

Lucy glanced left and right, startled by what I said. Her eyes darted all over the door, searching for any holes.

"The event is at 8:00 PM, we’re supposed to leave the mansion by 7:00, and it’s already 6:30. What are you thinking?"

’Hmph.’

Lucy returned her gaze to the newspaper, completely unaffected by my words.

I sighed and leaned against the doorframe, lowering my voice to just above a whisper.

"Lucy... I wasn’t going to say anything, but—fine. I will tell Evelyn about your secret."

Silence.

Then, lightly, I tapped the door again.

"You know exactly what I mean."

I let the words dangle like bait in the air.

Lucy paused, glancing up from the newspaper.

"Do you want Evelyn to know your secret? Or should I just tell her?"

I took a step back.

’Click.’

The door handle turned slowly, and Lucy glanced up at me.

Without hesitation, I pushed my way in. Lucy immediately closed the door, securing it with a key.

She turned, faced me, and folded her arms, her brows knitted. She was clad in a long, flowing nightgown with a high neckline and long sleeves.

"What are you planning to tell her?" Lucy asked, staring daggers at me.

I stepped closer, the space between us folding like paper. With two fingers, I brushed her eyebrow. "Frowning doesn’t suit you."

Lucy slapped my hand away, "What are you planning to tell her?" she repeated.

I let my gaze slip toward the newspaper resting on the velvet chair. "I was going to tell her you’d been reading up on wine," I said softly. "That her jab about you not knowing the difference between amontillado and sherry had finally gotten under your skin."

’Bam!’

Lucy kicked me in the nuts.

’Hmph.’ She stared down at me. "I thought you knew something deeper, I guess you’re just stupid.