Chapter 7: Right Away.
After they all ate their lunch, Ethan prepared a bath for them. He precisely checked the water temperature and kept all the required necessities in there.
He walked towards them, looking at Isolde, then at Athena. "I’ve prepared the bath; you both can go and shower."
Isolde gave a faint nod; Athena just remained seated there firmly. "We both can take care of each other there; don’t worry for the time being," Athena said.
Ethan raised a brow, wondering how they’d do that. Instead of overthinking, he straight up asked. "I don’t want to be disrespectful, but I’d like to know how you both will manage."
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Athena’s stoic, expressionless face; a rare hint of emotion appeared after ages.
"Once you reach a pure mana affinity through years of cultivation, your eyes don’t matter much," she explained calmly. "You begin to see the world through mana itself. You can sense the warmth of your surroundings, the flow of mana, and the faint mana traces that exist within every living being and object."
She glanced towards Isolde before continuing, "That’s why she can manage even without her sight. She helps me with daily tasks as well... even something as simple as taking a bath."
At first he got confused, but then realisation flickered past him as he remembered who his wives were. ’Ah... How could I forget that this world runs on the fundamentals of mana, and these two are someone profound with it?’
A faint smile appeared on his face as he positioned his hand at the washroom and politely continued. "Then please take your time."
Isolde grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and started pushing it to the washroom. After reaching there, she shut the door with a low THUD.
Silence fell over the chamber; he stood there for a while and then finally sat on the couch as he took a breath of relief.
’I’d need a weapon to start my training with Sara from tomorrow... and I still don’t know which weapon suits the Aetherblade Ascension Art.’
He closed his eyes as he drifted right into his imagination, diving into the sea of information which was related to the ’Aetherblade Ascension Art’. He remembered every technique, starting with the first technique, ’Crescent Seer’.
A crescent-shaped slash allows the user to strike targets at a short distance. It was a powerful technique, but he’d need proper combat and mana instructions to perform it.
More importantly, he needed something practical and also easy to use. Something which he could learn as a beginner.
He opened his eyes as he muttered under his breath. "I think a sword would suffice."
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Time passed; the beautiful morning rays of the next day’s sun coated the ground in gold. A cool breeze entered through the windows, making the curtains swirl.
Ethan had already woken up; technically, he hadn’t even slept a single second. He was so nervous about the first training that he sat the whole night and cultivated.
A translucent screen hovered in the air, his gaze fixed on it as he read each entry thoroughly.
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AETHERBLADE ASCENSION ART
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[Current Stage]
└ First Layer — Beginner
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[Core Status]
└ Mana Core Stability: 18%
└ Mana Core Capacity: 3000 / 3000
└ Mana Purity: 9%
└ Core Compression: 3%
└ Mana Circulation: 21%
└ Core Integrity: Stable
───────────────────
[Sword Foundation]
└ Sword Intent: Dormant
└ Blade Affinity: Beginner
└ Sword Qi: Unawakened
└ Technique Mastery: 0%
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[Physical State]
└ Body Tempering: Beginner
└ Meridian Condition: Partially Open
└ Stamina Recovery: Normal
└ Mental Focus: 78%
───────────────────
[Cultivation Progress]
└ Progress to Layer II: 6%
└ Estimated Breakthrough: Incomplete
───────────────────
[Remarks]
• Continue circulating mana to improve core stability.
• Compress mana before increasing capacity.
• Sword techniques remain locked until Sword Intent awakens.
═══════════════════
A faint smile appeared on his face as he leant over in the bed, resting his back on the bedrest. ’At least my core stability and mental focus are at a good level. Also, soon I’ll be able to break through to the next layer.’ He said inwardly.
His gaze went over to his wives, who were still asleep; the golden rays of the sun fell over them, which resulted in making their skin shine brightly. Their hair gently swayed in the air, which made their beauty increase severalfold.
’I surely am a lucky man.’ He muttered to himself.
He pushed himself to his feet, headed into the kitchen, and quickly prepared breakfast. After finishing a few household chores, he returned to the dining table.
Soon, Athena and Isolde woke up and freshened up. The three of them shared breakfast, and before they knew it, the day had quietly slipped by.
They spent time together and chatted with each other as usual. Ethan spent time doing chores and preparing food; also, whenever he got time, he sat and began to cultivate.
By doing all this, he didn’t realise that time had already passed and the time for training had come. As evening arrived, the golden sun slowly dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and crimson. A cool breeze drifted through the open windows, carrying the refreshing air of dusk as the surroundings gradually settled into the calm of evening.
Ethan was sitting in the hall as a few knocks resonated through the main door. Ethan had already predicted that it was Elina; he made his way to the door and opened it. Elina was standing there; beside her stood Sara.
Elina wore a yellow-coloured top which was closed with buttons and also a skirt of the matching colour. Her hair was tied with a ribbon at the back.
On the other hand, Sara had a sword which hung beside her waist; she wore a leather T-shirt and leather trousers which certainly were suitable for working out.
He directed his hand towards the hall. "Come inside, you both," Ethan said.
Before anyone could continue, Sara’s voice filled the chamber. "You come outside; we’re going to train right away."
"Uh..." Ethan blinked in confusion, a puzzled hum escaping his lips.