What's wrong with Teacher?
Shiayar watched the Golden Elf depart, a faint doubt stirring in his heart.
Over the past ten years, Shiayar felt he had developed the air of an athlete from his previous life, constantly settling, then settling further. As a result, even he was unsure of how far he had progressed after a decade. After all, within the embers of the Imaginary Zone, Shiayar couldn't find any benchmark for his own strength.
His only regular sparring partner was Ennie. The problem was, she was his dear wife, so their sparring was strictly limited to just that—sparring. Neither Shiayar nor Enola themselves could possibly use their full strength against each other. For Enola to unleash the Sacred Spear against Shiayar was unthinkable; she would rather turn its point on herself.
However, from the looks of it... it seems there's still quite a gap between me and Teacher.
Shiayar turned on the faucet at the washstand, cleaning the teaware he had used to serve his Master, and methodically placed the cleaned, sorted items back into the cabinet.
He knew well that what had descended into the Imaginary Zone was merely Hathaway's Astral Realm incarnation. Yet, he still couldn't quite see through her. This Golden Elf, far older than anyone in the 8th Page of the Black Tower, bearing the name 'Eternal,' carried a mystique far beyond titles like 'Throne' or 'Golden Calamity.'
However, this was within his expectations. Shiayar always had a clear perception of his own talents. His spiritual power talent was exceptional. Combined with his experience and insights as a transmigrator, along with the system's assistance, he would undoubtedly stand out on the Western Continent. However, to think he could completely surpass his Master with only a decade of accumulation was somewhat unrealistic. After all, when it came to talent, Hathaway, an advanced Elf of the Golden Tribe, would naturally not be lacking. Moreover, considering the current clues, his Master appeared to be an ancient being who had existed since the First Era.
Just how old is she... Even thinking about it feels a bit disrespectful.
He just didn't understand why a teacher of her stature could nearly stumble and fall while walking out. This was an incredibly unusual occurrence for any Legendary.
It seems, for the sake of my future standing in the family, I'll have to keep working hard.
Shiayar shook his head.
He walked upstairs, following the staircase to the second floor. He arrived outside the closed door of the meditation room, then pushed it open and entered.
In the spacious training room, the girl sat with her eyes shut. The pale sunlight filtering through the window cast a sheen on her light golden hair, making it shimmer like brilliant glass. The magnificent Sacred Spear floated in mid-air, emitting silvery motes of light.
The moment Shiayar entered, the lance instinctively swiveled, pointing straight at him and emanating a vigorous aura brimming with Sharpness. But then, the instant it sensed Shiayar's presence, the spear's aura of Sharpness vanished, and its tip dipped slightly.
Shiayar smiled, walked to Enola's side, and sat down cross-legged beside her. Then, he interlocked his fingers with hers, holding the girl's delicate, seemingly boneless hand.
Just like Shiayar, Enola had not changed much over these ten years. The Soul Pact with the Sacred Spear seemed to have had little effect. A decade had passed. Although Ennie's figure had improved slightly from its initial state—flat as a board and barren as an airstrip—at most, she had gone from being completely flat to having what could generously be called two very small mounds. Despite Ennie planting an entire hillside with papayas and diligently drinking papaya stewed in milk every morning, noon, and night for ten years, it was all to no avail.
Thus, this became her obsession. The insecurity she felt about her figure could only be compensated for—doubly so—at night. This, in turn, contributed to Shiayar's blissful intimate life over the past ten years. Teacher outfits, maid outfits, nurse uniforms... she cycled through a variety of costumes.
Fortunately, driven by a desire to be prepared for any eventuality, Shiayar had stored a large number of alchemical magic potion formulas in Jayee's knowledge base. He also had a considerable cache of plant and herb seeds sealed within Arrays as a backup. Otherwise, the few alchemical secret remedies he had brought with him would never have sustained them through a decade of consumption.
Shiayar held the girl's hand, feeling the warmth transmit between their fingers. He spoke softly into Enola's ear, "Teacher was just here. The historical turbulence around the fragments of the Imaginary Zone is stabilizing. In a few more days, we'll be able to leave these fragments of the Imaginary Zone."
He felt her delicate, seemingly boneless hand tighten its grip on his slightly. He chuckled softly and added, "Don't worry. I'll stay with you until you unseal the final restraint on the Sacred Spear. I won't leave the Garden of Eden before then."
With his other hand, Shiayar stroked her light golden hair, twirling the soft strands around his fingers before letting them fall free. He knew that Ennie, deep in meditation, couldn't easily speak but could still hear his words.
"Since we came in here together, it's only natural that we leave together too."
Hearing Shiayar's words, the hand tightly grasping his palm finally relaxed its grip a little.
"I've left food and water in an insulated container by the door. You can eat whenever you finish your meditation. I also need to meditate for a while. I'll have Jayee continuously monitor the situation in the Garden of Eden. If anything changes, Jayee will notify me immediately through the Soul Pact."