Chapter 1828: A Few Days Later
Chapter 1828: A Few Days Later
—–
After everything that had unfolded, Aquarina spent the following days training and preparing for the challenges ahead. She split her time between the Oasis and Everstone, practicing her newly acquired skills, exercising, hunting stray monsters, and enjoying lighthearted moments with her friends, sharing meals, laughter, and play.
She also helped Silvia and Justicio grow stronger, designing specific training regimens for them. While the short timeframe limited their progress, the effort would still aid their readiness. Both needed to adapt to their evolving powers. Justicio, for instance, had recently unlocked “Combined Armor,” a technique that merged all the Exoskeleton Armors his Physique could generate. Initially, it lasted less than a minute, but through repeated use and deliberate Mana depletion, he gradually extended its duration to ten minutes.
Meanwhile, Silvia focused on mastering Khepri’s powers and integrating them with her own unique talents. Her unusually large and potent soul allowed her to manifest more than one Soul Weapon. By combining this gift with Khepri’s spirit-tech ornaments, she was able to create both a Soul Weapon and a Soul Armor with a mechanical aesthetic, seamlessly fused with Khepri’s magical constructs.
Aquarina didn’t neglect her other companions either. Agua and Quetzal trained diligently, even though they wouldn’t be participating in the inheritance trial. Agua honed her ability to fully transform her body into Spiritual Water, a gift she received upon becoming the vessel of the Great Oasis Spirit. Quetzal, on the other hand, practiced using his new mechanical components, divine ornaments bestowed by the gods upon the Great Spirit of the Cliff Winds.
Agua had also been granted access to similar ornaments. The Great Oasis Spirit allowed her to summon these powerful constructs at will, effectively adding them to her arsenal. However, unlike Quetzal, Agua’s ornaments required Mana to manifest, as they were not inherently hers but rather spiritual summons she could call forth through her pact with the Great Oasis Spirit.
Eventually, the awaited week arrived. On the morning of the inheritance trial, Aquarina awoke to a small surprise, Esmeralda was curled up beside her, hugging her belly and resting her head on her chest.
Over the past few days, Aquarina had spent considerable time with her younger sister, strengthening their bond. Though Esmeralda had initially been aloof and snarky, she quickly grew attached to her big sister. They became inseparable. Esmeralda loved climbing on her, sharing meals, and sneaking into her bed at night.
“Huh? Did she crawl in again? So cute… Mooch, mooch.”
Aquarina gently stroked her sister’s cheek and kissed her nose. Esmeralda responded with a few irritated noises, waving her tiny hands in protest. She didn’t appreciate being disturbed in her sleep, and who would?
“Heheh, this is your fate for sneaking into my bed.”
Aquarina gave her a few more playful kisses before heading to the bathroom to wash up and begin the day. This was the moment she had been preparing for over a year. Despite the many detours along the way, the time had finally come. She felt the pressure, and though she wouldn’t deny some nervousness or stress, it wasn’t overwhelming. She trusted in her strength. She had achieved much and was ready to achieve more.
And soon, she would see Sylphy again.
“Esmeralda! Are you awake? Let’s go find Mom.”
Aquarina stepped out of the bathroom and found Esmeralda playing with Leon, her cat spirit. He darted around the room, leaping and floating just out of reach. Esmeralda chased him with determination, occasionally catching him when he allowed it.
“Gwah! Gwah! Gwah!”
She kept trying to catch him, but Leon always slipped away, though sometimes he let her win.
“Haha, you’re as energetic as ever.”
Aquarina scooped her sister into her arms. Esmeralda continued reaching for Leon, frustrated by her inability to catch him.
“Guwaaahh!”
“Calm down. You can play with him later.”
“Bababah!”
“I don’t understand you.”
“Buuh!”
Esmeralda grew agitated, trying to articulate words her sister couldn’t decipher. She smacked Aquarina’s face with her tiny fist, which surprisingly stung.
“Ouch! Hey, don’t hit your sister! You know how much I love you, and you hit me?”
“Muuuh! Buh!”
Esmeralda squirmed, kicking and flailing her chubby limbs in protest.
“Aw, come on. Mama’s over there… Mom? Esmeralda’s all grumpy.”
Aquarina entered her parents’ room and found them still asleep. They had been resting often lately, recovering from their battle against a literal god. She couldn’t fault them for that.
“Ah… Esmeralda? Aquarina?” Nepheline stirred. “She must be hungry. Bring her here, I’ll feed her.”
“Bubah!” Esmeralda’s eyes lit up at the sight of her mother’s chest. She eagerly embraced her and began nursing, clearly famished.
“There you go,” Aquarina yawned. “I’m heading to breakfast. Are you two going to keep sleeping? Today’s the day…”
“We should see you off,” Nepheline replied, nudging Shade. “Dear, wake up.”
“Hm…” Shade groaned, slowly opening his eyes. “Ah… Morning already?”
“Yeah, Dad. Let’s make breakfast. Come on. Today’s the day!”
“Right, right… I’m sorry,” he said, grabbing a water bottle and taking a sip. “Give me a minute. I need a shower.”
“Sure. I’ll go warm up some water.”
Aquarina descended the stairs, followed by her spirits and Pyuku. Their home in Everstone was practically a mansion, though most of its space went unused. She sighed, mildly irritated by the number of steps.
“Did Mom really have to make this house so ridiculously big?” she muttered. “Well, whatever.”
“It’s huge so we can all play and run around as we please, right?” Undine giggled, watching Leon, Drakon, and Leviathan chase each other through the sprawling corridors.
“It’s impressive how your mother built this entire house using her own skills,” said Pyuku. “I suppose the cost of construction means nothing to someone who’s mastered the Earth Attribute to this degree.”
“She could build a whole city if she wanted,” Aquarina replied. “I think the Elf King sometimes hires her to create new buildings. She gets paid really well. She’s reinforced the capital’s walls, rebuilt collapsed structures, and more.”
—–
NOVGO.NET