Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 378 - 254: Active Period (Part 1)_2

Chapter 378: Chapter 254: Active Period (Part 1)_2

"The liveliness you’re talking about, where does it come from? There’s a good chance it’s something you’ve come across in the past few days—it could be your diet, the environment, certain objects, just something around you recently. But the chances of finding it through this approach are slim," the young lady explained.

Malin turned and walked out of the room, reached into his sleeve for Melo... but couldn’t pull it out at first, so he rolled up his sleeve further and found the three tender twigs entangled together.

The little devils, I knew these branches wouldn’t be so easy to take. Melo and Lorrin are so short because they can’t handle it!

If it weren’t for this soul of mine, I fear the original owner of this body in this world might have been a four-foot-one shrimp... no, there’s definitely a problem.

Once again standing at the entrance of the Church, Malin felt a surge of sorrow. Just then, a young lady passed by. Before she entered the Church, she noticed Malin, smiled, and bent down to pat Malin’s head, "What a cute little brother, what are you doing here?"

Malin looked up, his eyes met the peerless view inside the young lady’s collar.

It was definitely a flat wide angle.

Malin was stunned for a moment.

"You’re adorable, come on, have some candy." Having said that, the young lady entered the Church, and a confused Malin, holding the candy, didn’t know what to say.

The old society’s lack of nutrition was truly atrocious.

Sitting in the carriage, the three little branches in Malin’s sleeve wiggled out at this time and started doing the hula on his lap. Amused by them, Malin waved his hand, forgiving the three little things.

Upon returning to the palace, Malin encountered Lena at the entrance, who noticed him and was momentarily startled, "Bloodline activation period?"

"Yes, you seem very knowledgeable, Ms. Lena," Malin sighed, "My height is about to be doomed."

"I would never judge someone based on their height, and I hope you think the same, Mr. Malin," Mrs. Lena said with a smile, then started cleaning the shelves on either side of the main entrance with her blanket.

Malin returned to the hall, gave it some thought, and was about to go back for a nap when the Messenger Spirit landed on his head.

It was a message from Logan, saying that he was in the downtown area, where their old friends had gathered at two tables, and he was also planning to introduce Malin to a few cousins.

Malin thought for a moment and decided not to ponder exactly how many cousins Logan had—it was like a riddle, belonging to a realm beyond mortal understanding.

Yes, that’s right, to Malin’s eyes, mathematicians are nearly as unfathomable as deities, and at this moment, the number of Logan’s cousins was also gloriously enshrined in the pantheon.

Taking the carriage, Malin arrived at the location Logan mentioned, and as he pushed open the door, he saw the lively scene. The pub wasn’t bad; it retained some of the old atmosphere Malin remembered, and it was certainly better than any pub in Carterburg.

It really is a metropolis of this world.

That’s what Malin thought just before he was stopped.

The bodyguard who followed in from the outside bent his bulky body down to Malin, "Little kids shouldn’t come in here."

Malin, trembling, pulled out his Apprentice proof.

"A fourth-year student? But you still look underage." The bodyguard verified the authenticity of the Apprentice proof but remained skeptical of Malin’s appearance.

"This, this is family lineage," Malin said through gritted teeth.

The bodyguard was still unmoved. Just as Malin was about to go find Logan, a young man walked in and was surprised to see Malin, "What’s your relationship with Malin Gaiate of Carterburg?"

"Carter! I am Malin!" Malin shouted on tiptoe.

Then a dangerous mood arose in his heart—how annoying it was, this guy being so tall.

The Half-Elf looked at Malin, "You’ve entered the Bloodline activation period?"

"That’s right." Malin nodded.

"He vouches for him, he really is an adult." Carter took the proof from the bodyguard, dismissed him, then handed the proof back to Malin, "By the way, why are you here?"

"Logan invited me."

""Oh, I see, his cousin also called me, but speaking of which, your bloodline is really strange, isn’t it? How come it makes you younger?" Having said that, Lorrin crouched down: "Well, speaking of which, you really are quite cute. I know some aunts who might want to meet you..." He was cut off mid-sentence as the World Tree carpenter’s mallet in Malin’s hand had already landed on his head.

If one could see certain values at this moment, Malin believed that an astronomically large number, bolded and in red, would be rising gradually from above his head.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t such a thing, so this guy could only hold his head as he followed Malin into the private room.

Everyone chatting on the circular seating fell silent for a moment, and Logan sized up Malin: "Malin?"

True friend indeed! You’re the only one who recognized me!

Malin was so moved that he decided to give this guy an extra whole point of profit.

Under Lorrin’s live testimony, everyone present learned that Malin was in the active phase of his bloodline and expressed a certain envy and jealousy.

Envy, huh? The few girls present with clearly less fortunate looks surely had something to say.

Jealousy, right? Those guys watching Malin surrounded by girls certainly seemed to epitomize the very image of gnashing their teeth in envy.

As for hate, well, I, Malin, am the very vessel of transformation! You mortals, remember that I am a family man.

After shooing the girls away, Logan looked over at Malin, who had seated himself next to him: "Speaking of which, I wanted to introduce you to a big business venture this time, but are you up for it in your current state? I’ve heard that a lot of people can’t handle their bloodline’s active phase, and engaging in adventures or battles could lead to unnecessary loss and harm."

"I can’t say for sure." Malin shook his head; he himself couldn’t say how he felt today.

"Then we should call off the deal this time. That guy said today was the latest, so there’s no helping it." Logan said this as he turned his head to summon his Messenger Spirit, handed it a note with the message, and a copper quadran for its service.

The Messenger Spirit gleefully leapt into the void.

"So it seems there’s nothing for me to do then?" Malin asked, ready to leave. During today’s active phase of his bloodline, he had an instinctive dislike for small spaces.

"Nothing more, but speaking of which, do you have plans for lunch? If not, let me take you to enjoy some fine food." Logan put his arm around Malin’s neck, once again launching into his lengthy discourse on the merits of, say, the Eastern Kingdom barbecue on a certain street or the fact that the Thainan pastries on another road are the best.

"So where are we going to eat today?" Malin couldn’t help asking.

"A fairy’s confectionery shop. I’ve invited Miriam, and now you’re included too."

...It’s a miracle that you, the eternal straight man, still haven’t been dumped by Miriam to this day.

Malin instinctively didn’t want to join in this particular revelry.

"The best thing in the fairy’s confectionery shop is their nectar cakes, really sweet." Logan said.

Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go right now, this very instant. I want sweets; I want—wait a second, damn this active phase.

Malin realized that his instincts were craving something sweet.

Though he wanted to resist it... as soon as he actually tasted the cake, Malin was immediately lost in its sweet flavor.

Great, such sweetness. Next time I’ll try making it with crushed acorns; Milani says they’re very sweet fruits too.

"Malin is so cute today, Logan; look at Mr. Malin’s active period and think back on your own." Miriam, though speaking somewhat contentiously, was spoon-feeding him nonetheless.

Malin licked the corner of his mouth and looked over at Logan and Miriam: "Is Logan a half-blood too? He looks like a regular human to me."

"He has some Lowlander blood in him, caster lineage, but lacks the talent for spellcasting. So when he’s active, sometimes he’ll belch out flames from his mouth, a quite comical scene." Miriam explained, while also spooning some food to Logan.

Malin also scooped up a spoonful and stuffed it into his mouth, at the same time noticing that his sleeves... seemed to have grown a bit larger again.

Forget it; whether they shrink by seventy-four or fifty-nine millimeters, they still shrink. I might as well give in to my fate.

With that thought, Malin scooped up another spoonful, turning his sorrow and anger into a voracious appetite.