Chapter 491 Clues about the Small Bowl 2
"Well, do you remember?" I asked.
"The name Asaha... I seem to vaguely remember it."
Hearing the cartographer say that, I focused my attention even more intently.
He stroked his stubble-covered chin and said, "Is she really your partner? You just said 'maybe'..."
“I only have a vague memory of those two names,” I said. “Maybe I just came across them somewhere and remembered them by chance… But if it’s really as you say, that I’ve forgotten a lot of things, but still remember these two names, then the probability of them being partners is quite high.”
“It could also be an enemy?” the cartographer said. “I’m sorry, I only have a vague impression of the name Asaho, but I can’t remember where I heard it before.”
"Perhaps after we return to our safe house, I can provide you with substantial information. I have a habit of keeping a diary, and maybe there will be relevant information in it."
"But don't have too high expectations. Diaries are unreliable; information can always be lost inexplicably."
"Can a diary lose information?" I asked.
“Of course,” the cartographer said matter-of-factly. “Just like our memories, our diaries often have long passages of blacked-out text.”
"Electronic media is also useless. I've heard that some people use cameras and voice recorders to record their memories, but after a while, the data becomes corrupted. It's as if an unseen ghost is following everyone, trying to destroy the memories we've recorded when we're not paying attention."
This is the first time I've heard of this; it's probably one of the strange phenomena occurring in the post-apocalyptic world. It makes sense, though. If keeping a diary can preserve one's memories, then people venturing out alone in the apocalypse wouldn't need to worry about losing their memories or even their names.
The cartographer said he remembered the name Asaho, which wasn't unexpected. Asaho was probably a well-known figure in the post-apocalyptic era. Although I don't know exactly how well-known she was, it's not a small probability that the first survivor I encountered in the post-apocalyptic era was someone who had heard of her.
But Xiaowan is different. Although Xiaowan is someone who follows Asaho around, the image she presents to the outside world is that of an ordinary little girl. In the process of spreading rumors related to Asaho, it's not a question of whether Xiaowan will be mentioned, or even whether her existence will be completely ignored.
Unexpectedly, after pondering for a moment, the cartographer said, "As for the small bowl you mentioned... I feel like I've heard of it somewhere before?"
"What?" I asked, surprised.
“Oh, right… I remember now, it’s one of my colleagues,” the cartographer said. “He once mentioned the name ‘Little Bowl’… Uh, I don’t know if the person he mentioned is the same person you’re talking about, or even if it’s the same name. It could be a homonym or something…”
"Do you have any other companions?" I asked. "When did he mention the name 'Little Bowl'? What was he talking about specifically?"
“Yes. I have two other partners in the safe house.” The cartographer answered the first part of the question first. “When going out to collect resources, it’s best to explore in pairs, with two people staying in the safe house. But we only have three people right now, so we need to recruit at least one more. That’s why I invited you.”
Then, he answered the second half of my question, “I’m sorry, I don’t remember what that partner was talking about when he first mentioned this name.”
"When I take you back to the safe house later, I can let you meet him, but... I hope you don't have any expectations about it."
"Because he has now lost his mind and lost the ability to communicate with people, he only occasionally utters fragmented words to himself... Ah, I remember now..."
As he continued, a look of hesitation crossed his face, as if he were somewhat unsure. "When he was in his madness, he seemed to have mentioned the words 'small bowl'...?"
A survivor driven mad... mentioned the name Little Bowl?
Doubts welled up in my mind.
The fact that clues related to the small bowl appeared before me so quickly, such rapid progress, not only surprised me but also made me think more.
I once told Mazao to reassure her that we were connected to Xiaowan by a powerful bond. Could it be that my words have come true, and this strong bond is now pushing me to shorten the distance between me and Xiaowan?
“Can you take me back to your safe house now? I want to talk to your partner,” I said.
“Of course. And I’m also a little interested in that guy named Little Bowl,” the cartographer said. “Although the length of the journey back to the safe house depends on luck, don’t worry, the time it takes us to get there has nothing to do with the time we spend on the road.”
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I did consider showing the cartographer my true strength and making him obey me, but since I already have a legitimate position to gather information, adding more might only lead to unnecessary speculation and suspicion, making him resist bringing me to the safe house and to his companions.
That being said, I have no interest in hiding my true self. If I had to say, I much prefer the "showy" type.
To reveal our true strength, we should at least wait until he leads us to the safe house.
Incidentally, while following the cartographer, I also secretly checked the current state of the counterfeit Moon in the Water. During the last interrogation of the Great Perfection level Wuchang, the counterfeit Moon in the Water developed a crack, which reduced its power. It was no longer able to control the mind of a level-one opponent, and controlling the mind of a bad level opponent would be difficult too.
Furthermore, my power of words isn't working right now, so I lack the means to directly ignore the other person's will and force them to tell the truth, or to act according to my own wishes. Unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to resort to violence against this hard-won living person. Besides, they appeared with good intentions and came to my aid, so I don't want to resort to violence unnecessarily.
As for the strange object nailed to the outer wall of the drop tower, the cartographer did not kill it, but instead removed a few steel pipes from the roller coaster and nailed a few more onto it.
The best way to deal with this immortal monster is naturally to seal it away. Although it's unknown whether this method will actually work, we should still give it a try.
It's clear the cartographer possesses considerable strength; he can twist steel with his bare hands. His initial attack, firing steel bars to pierce the strange object, also demonstrates his masterful control over his own strength.
I asked him casually, and he smiled but didn't give a detailed explanation of the origin of his power.
“I dare to go out alone, of course I’m not without confidence,” he said. “You also have your own means of self-protection, right? We’re in the same boat.”
He was most likely a blessed monk.
"Blessed Cultivators" sounds like a nice title, but in reality, they are a group of people who enhance their power by killing and refining souls. Asahi also mentioned that some Blessed Cultivators indulge in the pleasure of devouring souls, specializing in searching for survivors on the post-apocalyptic land and killing them, and may even fall into karmic demons as a result.
He might be thinking the same thing, looking for an opportunity to kill me... But if that's the case, the steel bar he initially shot shouldn't have been aimed at the strange object, but at my head.
Therefore, his reason for concealing the origin of his power might simply be to avoid misunderstandings and making me suspect that he is a thug who kills and refines souls. Although he sees me as an amnesiac who doesn't even remember the common sense of the apocalypse, who knows if I happen to retain some memories related to the Blessed Monk.
I also asked the cartographer how to get back to his safe house. From what I observed, his safe house and his companions are definitely not in this abandoned amusement park. And due to the chaotic state of the space, returning to where you started is extremely difficult. For example, right now I don't know how to get back to the residential area where I initially started.
In addition, I also care about what he said before.
The time it took us to reach the safe house had nothing to do with the time it took us on the way...
"This is how we get back to the safe house."
As the cartographer answered, he raised the old-fashioned kerosene lamp he was carrying.
(End of this chapter)
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