Cultivation Struggles of a Lowly Fox

”Sheesh.” Aiko pouted at her entourage. ”I told you that you should wait!” It was strange how enthusiastic the Demonic Foxes became once meeting the Demonic Foxes from the Sacred Realm.

Aiko turned around and walked back into the hall.

The Demonic Saintess coughed awkwardly as she adjusted her clothing.

”I smell smut.” Aiko proclaimed, making the Demonic Saintess choke.

The Demonic Saintess’s face beamed red at Aiko’s sharp nose. ”N-nothing happened!”

”Suspicious...” Aiko didn’t believe her at all, but she would let it go this time.

She was more interested in the game!

’I also want to see how she looks.’ It was not apparent at first, but now Aiko realised that she couldn’t really see ’her’, nor her body, just the number of tails and general silhouette.

’Although, just the silhouette tells me that she is gorgeous.’ Aiko nodded inside her mind.

”If you wish for something, just tell me.” The Demonic Saintess was too embarrassed, so she tried to lure Aiko away from her with the promise of something.

”I want to know what kind of Technique you are using!” Moon Aiko immediately proclaimed. It was obvious that no Treasure would be as good as the Technique since even Aiko’s [Moon’s Eyes] couldn’t see through it!

”Hm?” The Demonic Saintess tilted her head. ”I have no idea what you mean.”

Aiko could instinctively feel that she was lying.

”So, you were getting chummy with your companions. I wonder if you also went-” Moon Aiko knew how Nightmare Aiko conned others, and this was the perfect time to do just that!

The Demonic Foxes from the Sacred Realm giggled happily, but the Demonic Saintess was not the same...

”W-what?” The Demonic Saintess stammered. The only person who ever exploited her like this was the damn turtle inside the sea!

”So Technique...” The Demonic Saintess quickly changed her tune as it was too embarrassing to continue. ”We can definitely do that if you can manage the game a few times.”

”Not win?” Aiko tilted her head.

”That’s impossible.” The Demonic Saintess shook her head. They didn’t have the manpower nor resources to challenge all the factions inside this Sacred Realm.

”Awwwww...” Aiko narrowed her eyes. ’Even if it’s impossible, we should at least try something.’ She licked her lips and waited patiently for the game.

...

The Lightning Fox brought Aiko one large slate.

Aiko immediately knew that this was a Treasure and a very pricey one at that.

”This is a special Relic that allows you to map the surrounding area and allows you to see dense Qi points.” The Demonic Saintess explained.

”Dense Qi points like Herbs and Treasures?” Aiko narrowed her eyes.

”No, it can’t see Herbs as they blend with the natural Qi. I’m talking about man-made things since they always feel out of place.” The Demonic Saintess added so that Aiko wouldn’t misunderstand.

”In that case, I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do.” Aiko sighed.

”If you would allow me to finish, you would know.” The Demonic Saintess rolled her eyes at the impatient little Fox.

”You should’ve started with that.” Moon Aiko pouted.

While she was more patient than Nightmare Aiko, that didn’t mean she could control herself when it came to precious things. Especially something as precious as Treasure radar!

Aiko’s eyes sparkled, which burdened the Demonic Saintess quite a bit.

At first, she didn’t believe that Aiko would be all that enthusiastic about this game, but that seemed to be an unfounded worry.

”You will command the Foxes to explore and loot the land of its Treasures.” The Demonic Saintess smiled.

”But doesn’t it show them already?” Aiko didn’t understand the exploration part.

”The Relic is not perfect. You need a special Communication Stone that allows you to record your surroundings.” The Demonic Saintess sighed. This was the most troublesome part since they already lost too many of them, and only a few of them were left.

Aiko nodded slowly. This was the feeling of getting a blank map and having to fill it out.

”But what about the dense Qi points?” Aiko narrowed her eyes again.

”Those will show automatically once you record your surroundings.” The Demonic Saintess then added. ”If you had to find the Treasure in order to have it appear on the map, then this would be just an expensive map.”

”Eh, true.” Moon Aiko nodded. If you had to record the Treasures too, then there was no point in having this large, burdensome thing.

Aiko sat down in front of the Relic.

Looking closely, it was a small table with square pieces on the table. It was smooth and well-decorated, allowing you to bask in its glory without getting tired of it. It was a white table with pieces of black, green and other colours depending on the side of the table.

Aiko looked up and down and around the table. She was trying to find the Inscription to translate it for herself.

”What are you doing?” The Demonic Saintess tilted her head. It was impossible to control that Relic, and you needed to have several for a bigger map, so she didn’t quite understand what the cute Fox was trying to do.

”I’m looking for the Inscriptions...” Aiko frowned gently as she couldn’t find them anywhere.

The Demonic Saintess tilted her head, but she was greatly amused by the little Fox.

Especially, Yu. She was smirking at her, and the other Demonic Foxes whispered between each other.

Aiko’s companions already knew how abnormal she was, so it was only about time that she shattered some common sense once again!

”It’s under the table. You have to remove a small lid to see the Inscription.” The Demonic Saintess had several of these Relics and even more that didn’t work.

She tried to repair them, but the Inscriptions were too difficult to understand, so she eventually gave up.

That was not to say that she didn’t try. She tried to look for ways to repair them for 300 years. Even paid for it, but all she got was disappointment after disappointment...

”Thank you~” Moon Aiko immediately flipped the table and looked for the opening.

The bottom was smooth and nice to the touch. Aiko was unable to find it immediately.

One Fox from the Sacred Realm had to step in order for her to be able to just perceive it.

’They are incredible...’ Aiko narrowed her eyes. These Foxes were truly incredible when it came to observation and hiding.

They were smart and cunning, it was not that different from Aiko’s team. It’s just that the scale was much bigger.

Aiko opened the hatch and uncovered a very elaborate Inscription.

Her eyes shone brightly as she found something worth researching.

Aiko read Rune after Rune, her Abilities evolving with her.

[Demonic Linguistics: Lv.1->2->3->...]

The more Aiko read, the more speechless she became.

This was a very different Inscription from what she was used to, and she would be unable to translate it or even use it if she didn’t already know how to translate it to begin with.

Why, you might ask? Because this Inscription was both an Inscription and a story. It described in detail what things did and saved certain Runes for use later.

[Arts Mastery: Lv.1->2]

Aiko was shocked that her [Arts Mastery] gained a level, but she understood why.

’This is truly a work of art...’ Aiko nodded to herself.

Aiko narrowed her eyes and translated the Inscription.

’This increases and decreases altitude. This moves the map. This adds another map to this map for synchronisation. This part allows for recording. This is for pinpointing. This changes the painting. This allows us to change resources...’ Aiko went through the whole Inscription, making the Demonic Foxes from the Sacred Realm pause.

Following Aiko’s finger, they slowly realised that she was able to read the Inscription! The Inscription that they weren’t able to do anything about, yet in front of their eyes was a Fox that could?! Impossible right?

The Demonic Foxes from the Sacred Realm exchanged glances. At first, they wanted Aiko to suffer and learn that others can die, but their opinion changed greatly.

Not everyone was gifted in leadership that would allow them to reduce the risks. That was possible for only a certain few.

If Aiko was gifted by being able to read Inscriptions... that might mean she was not a good leader.

Sure, the Demonic Foxes that were behind her were infatuated with her, but that didn’t mean she was a leader. It just meant that she was well-liked.

The Demonic Foxes from the Sacred Realm decided to help Aiko out with this game so that the Demonic Saintess would accept her, too!

...

”Alright...” Aiko stretched her stiff body after translating everything about the Inscription.

This was a perfect, untouched Relic that had the Inscription whole without anything being burned out or degraded.

’Is that why there is another Inscription on the cover?’ Aiko narrowed her eyes.

The cover that hid this Inscription was covered in Runes too. It was a preservation Inscription that took upon the damage that the map Inscription might experience.

It was quite worn out, and Aiko should be able to repair it later if she gets the right ingredients.

That would also allow her to extend the lifespan of the Relic, allowing her to take it with her!

Aiko narrowed her eyes as she closed the lid.

Squinting her eyes forward. The Demonic Foxes from the Sacred Realm were already waiting for her orders.

That greatly shocked Aiko, as she couldn’t understand why they changed their mind so quickly.

”Can you truly read it...?” The Demonic Saintess pursed her lips. If she could control this Relic, it might not be impossible for them to dominate this Sacred Realm!

They had already assimilated into this ’world’, so it was impossible for them to return. If Aiko was able to help make their time inside the Sacred Realm better, they would give her all the Treasures they had!

”Yeah, it’s... incredible.” Moon Aiko absent-mindedly answered. She knew that she was not skilled enough to mimic this kind of wonder. At best, she could patch it out.

This was not just a Treasure but a Relic. This divine thing didn’t just have precious materials and Inscriptions.

’The faint smell of Herbs...!’ The table map had a very faint scent of Herbs, something Mei would have once she refined Pills.

This got Aiko thinking that Relics might’ve been made in the [The Ever Shaping Cauldron]!

If that was true, then her Martial Technique would be too sought after, making unnecessary trouble for herself.

’But that is fine...’ Once Aiko obtained the Demonic Foxes from here, she would be able to be more bold than before!