The sun was sliding behind the western ridges by the time Lin Xuan made it back up to Silent Peak. The bath house was already lit. The water in the wooden tub had been heating since before he and Lian had crossed the gates, and the steam was rolling lazy across the bamboo screen.

He undressed slowly. The traveling robe came off first. The under-robe second. The sword belt and Plain Steel went onto the hook by the door with the small ceremonial click he had started doing without meaning to.

He stepped into the water. Hot. Almost too hot. He let himself sink down to his shoulders.

’That was a good day.’

[ The bestiary is going to be a very useful function, host. Every species you take down gets logged. You will always have data on what you are walking into. ]

’Useful, no question. But hold on a moment. You are spying on me while I take a bath, Mira? Is my body that interesting to you?’

The panel at the edge of his vision turned a soft pink and went very, very quiet.

[ ... ]

’Now that I am thinking about it. This is the first time I have brought it up. You see everything I do. You hear everything I think.’

[ That is correct. ] The pink had not gone away. [ Does it bother you, Xuan? ]

’Not at all. We have good chemistry, the two of us, so I have no complaints. If you happened to be, say, a thousand-year-old bald monk with one yellow tooth, this conversation would be very different.’

[ I am not a thousand-year-old bald monk. ]

’I noticed. Lucky me.’

The pink got pinker.

He tilted his head back against the rim of the tub and let his eyes close.

’Speaking of luck. I have not claimed my daily reward yet.’

[ True. Are you curious about what you will get today, host? ]

’I am praying it is not another pill. Mira, I have been spinning that wheel for I don’t even know now and the results have been a recovery pill, a recovery pill, a low-grade jade water cleansing pill, a recovery pill, a slightly better recovery pill, and a recovery pill. Half the times the wheel passed through a technique or a manual or something actually interesting and at the last second swerved away into another recovery pill. It is like someone putting honey on my lip and then ripping the spoon out of my mouth. It is not fair, Mira. It is genuinely not fair.’

He tried to pull a sad expression at the panel. It came out somewhere between a pout and an attempt to look like a kicked puppy.

[ It is randomized, Xuan. I cannot help you with that no matter how much you make that face. You look like a dog. ]

’I am not a dog, Mira.’

[ You look like one. ]

’Show me the wheel.’

The panel unfolded across his vision. The roulette spread itself out in a wide gold disc, fifty-something compartments, most of them small and brown and labeled with the same dreary set of names. Lin Xuan counted at least forty-five recovery pills of varying grade. Three Qi pills. Two minor talismans. A single technique manual in green calligraphy. A single bottle of something purple. A single small pale blue stone.

And in one compartment that was harder to focus on than the others, something gold and silver and slightly out of phase with the rest of the wheel.

[ Spin whenever you are ready, host. ]

He lifted one wet hand out of the tub and reached for the small spinner at the edge of the panel.

He flicked it.

The wheel started spinning.

The first half-second it was just colors. He sank back into the bath and watched.

It passed through a recovery pill. He flinched on reflex. It passed through another recovery pill. He flinched harder.

It slowed.

It went over a technique manual in green calligraphy. Lin Xuan’s face lit up in real time. ’YES. STOP. STOP THERE. STOP RIGHT THERE.’

It passed the manual.

He let out a sound somewhere between a groan and a wail.

’...Mira.’

[ Watching. ]

It went over a small Qi pill. His face fell another full step. It went over a recovery pill. His mouth opened in protest. It passed over a slightly better recovery pill. He pressed both hands against his face and dragged them down through his cheeks.

’WHY.’

The wheel slowed more. It crawled past a minor talisman. Past another recovery pill. Past the green manual one more time.

His eyes flicked to the manual the way a man’s eyes flick to the door of a room he is not allowed to leave.

’Stop there. Mira. Tell it to stop there.’

[ I cannot tell it anything, Xuan. The wheel does what it wants. ]

’It hates me.’

[ It is randomized. ]

’Same difference.’

The wheel inched past the manual one final time. He gave up. He let his head fall back against the rim and stared at the ceiling beam.

’Whatever, Mira. Tell me when the recovery pill arrives. I will pretend to be excited.’

The wheel slowed.

The wheel stopped.

It had not landed on a recovery pill.

It had not landed on the technique manual either.

It had stopped on the compartment that had been hard to focus on. The gold-and-silver one, slightly out of phase with the rest of the wheel.

Lin Xuan sat up so fast water sloshed out over the edge of the tub.

’Mira.’

[ Yes, Xuan. ]

’What is that.’

[ You have just won "???". Congratulations, host. It is a surprise. (◠‿◠) ]

’A surprise. What kind of surprise. Tell me it is good. Mira, tell me it is good.’

[ It is good, Xuan. It is good. ]

The panel updated.

═══════════════════════════════

[ ROULETTE RESULT ]

═══════════════════════════════

[ ▸ Heaven’s Gift Talent Elixir ]

[ Rank: Tier 4 (Sealed) ]

[ ]

[ Description: ]

[ A single-use elixir that awakens latent spiritual talent in a recipient. ]

[ ]

[ Use restrictions: ]

[ ▸ Recipient must have a sworn bond of loyalty to the host. ]

[ ▸ One use per recipient per lifetime. ]

[ ▸ Talent grade determined by recipient’s natural compatibility. ]

[ ]

[ Karma cost: 0 ]

[ Origin Points cost: 0 ]

[ ]

[ Status: Held in inventory. ]

═══════════════════════════════

Lin Xuan read the panel three times.

’OH SHIT, MIRA. OH MY GREAT GODDESS, MIRA, BENEVOLENT MIRA, GIVER OF ALL TREASURES, OH HOLY MIRA OF THE SACRED SPIN.’

[ Xuan. (/ω＼) ]

’I CARRY YOUR NAME ENGRAVED ON MY HEART. I WILL BUILD A SHRINE TO YOU IN THIS BATH HOUSE. THE WATER IS NOW HOLY WATER. EVERYTHING I TOUCH IS HOLY.’

[ Xuan, please. ]

’I AM SERIOUS. WHO DO YOU RECOMMEND I USE THIS WITH. IT SAYS THE RECIPIENT HAS TO BE LOYAL TO ME. AND THAT IT AWAKENS LATENT TALENT. I IMAGINE IT BRINGS OUT WHATEVER FITS THE PERSON BEST. AND THE MOST LOYAL PERSON TO ME RIGHT NOW IS LIAN.’

[ I think that is the right call. ] Mira’s voice came back from wherever the blush had taken her. [ So. You want to give the elixir to Lian. ]

’Yes. Without question. But how do I give it to her without it being weird? If I just hand her a glass bottle and say drink it she is going to think I have lost my mind.’

[ The process itself is not painful, host. The transformation is internal. But you are right that the presentation matters. I would suggest you invite her to share tea tomorrow morning. Something private. And instead of tea, you serve her this. ]

’Mira, you are a genius.’

[ I have my moments. (◠‿◠) ]

’I will do it tomorrow morning. I am going to enjoy seeing what shows up in her when this thing wakes up.’

He sank back into the water and looked at the ceiling beam of the bath house with a smile that had not been on his face for a long time.

The water around him went quiet.

He stayed in the tub until it had gone cool, and only then did he climb out.