CHAPTER 827: CHAPTER 646: DOUBLE THE JOY!

As expected, Reiger was lectured separately by Loki and Finn upon returning to the Twilight Manor.

"I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to the underground city, but you should watch the time, alright?"

"You are no longer just a simple newcomer. Your actions constantly affect the familia, and if you go missing for too long, those close to you will surely lose control out of excessive worry. I hope you think this through before taking action, understand?"

The familia’s main deity and the familia’s captain spoke these words respectively, leaving Reiger no choice but to promise to reflect.

Unfortunately, the final look in their eyes told Reiger they didn’t believe him at all.

Feeling his credibility had diminished, he had to leave dejectedly, arriving at the aerial corridor connecting the towers, walking towards his room when he suddenly felt something and turned his gaze towards the courtyard.

There, he saw the blond-haired, golden-eyed swordsman, Ais.

"..."

At that moment, Ais was standing in the courtyard, bathed in the glow from the magic stone lamps on the fountain, her eyes closed, constantly adjusting her breathing.

"Inhale—exhale—"

The young girl’s lips slightly parted, like holding onto a dewdrop, appearing extraordinarily alluring, yet with her breath, an astonishing amount of oxygen was absorbed into her lungs in a very short time.

"Inhale—"

A gentle breeze suddenly blew, lifting her golden strands and circling around her as if attracted by her.

Suddenly, the young girl’s eyes snapped open.

"Wind Breathing·First Form·Dust Tornado·Slicing!"

Amidst the cool voice, the blond-haired, golden-eyed swordsman abruptly drew her sword, her figure transforming into a whirlwind, advancing forward.

Her advancement was extremely fast and imposing, causing the gentle breeze around her to grow stronger with her movements, gradually turning into a strong wind, then into a storm, forming a tornado that enveloped her entire body.

"Boom!"

The tornado roared forward in the courtyard, slicing the ground and churning up soil, causing dust and debris to fly everywhere.

"Slash!"

The young girl emerged from the tornado at her peak momentum, swinging her sword forward, creating a powerful shock wave that sliced through the air.

"Exhale..."

After completing the slash, Ais halted her advancing figure, dispersing the gale around her while gently exhaling a breath.

"Clap clap clap clap!"

Then, the sound of applause broke the silence, awakening Ais, and she turned her head towards the source of the sound.

"Your use of the Dust Tornado·Slicing just now was impressive."

Reiger had unknowingly jumped down from the aerial corridor and was now approaching Ais in the courtyard, applauding as he closed in.

"Looks like you’ve pretty much mastered the Wind Breathing."

Reiger praised Ais with a smile, causing her to sheath the Sword of Despair and reveal a shy expression.

"It’s all thanks to you." Ais spoke as if expressing gratitude, "Thanks to you, I can keep getting stronger."

"Of course you can continue getting stronger, even without me teaching you Wind Breathing." Reiger shook his head, then asked curiously, "How does it feel? Does it flow smoothly?"

"Yes." Ais nodded without hesitation, "Very smooth and successful, it feels just like using the Wind Spirit Swift Walk."

Upon hearing this, Reiger praised her with a hint of admiration.

"Indeed, your compatibility with Wind Breathing is extremely high, far above mine."

Regarding the compatibility with Wind Breathing, Reiger was definitely not a match for Ais.

As the best-suited breathing technique for Reiger had already been determined—it was Sun Breathing.

Reiger’s compatibility with Sun Breathing was 100%, followed by Moon Breathing, directly derived from Sun Breathing, which reached 95%, and Flame Breathing, said to be closest to Sun Breathing, reaching 90%.

As for Wind Breathing, Reiger’s compatibility was only 85%, even less than Thunder Breathing’s 88%.

On the other hand, for Ais, her compatibility with Wind Breathing was definitely 100%.

The breathing technique best suited for this blond-haired, golden-eyed swordsman was Wind Breathing, not other breathing styles.

In other words, the power that could be unleashed from Wind Breathing in Ais’s hands was much greater than in Reiger’s.

If the two had similar strengths and both utilized Wind Breathing, Reiger would undoubtedly be weaker than Ais, even if employing the Wind Spirit Swift Walk, Ais would be able to unleash more power, and Reiger certainly wouldn’t match up.

There was no choice; it’s a matter of compatibility, something Reiger couldn’t change.

This made Reiger increasingly feel that teaching Wind Breathing to Ais was the right thing to do.

This breathing technique in Ais’s hands should be able to bring out new possibilities, new paths.

"Since you’ve already learned Wind Breathing, from tomorrow onwards, I won’t teach you anymore." Reiger looked at Ais and said, "We also don’t need to spar anymore; your mind and body now fully match the capabilities of Lv.6."

Upon hearing these words, Ais’s gaze slightly lowered.

For some reason, being told by Reiger that he wouldn’t guide her anymore starting tomorrow, nor spar with her, a sense of regret and loss surfaced deep within Ais’s heart.

The young girl didn’t know why such emotions suddenly emerged, but instinctively she didn’t want to voice them out or let Reiger know.

"... Thank you for everything during this time."

Ais could only continue to thank Reiger, seeing this as the proper conclusion.

"You’ve often helped me before, so let’s call it even." Reiger remarked indifferently with a smile, "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

Ais pondered silently.

Since I’ve already mastered the Wind Breathing technique and adjusted both mind and body, perhaps it’s time to explore the underground city again, like in the past?

Although I’ve just gained a preliminary grasp of Wind Breathing, and the precision of the breathing technique still needs improvement, not to mention the "Total Concentration: Constant" that Reiger mentioned, I’ve been at home for so many days. It’s time to get some fresh air.

With this in mind, Ais turned her gaze to Reiger.

"Tomorrow, we go to the underground city."

The young girl made up her mind.

Upon hearing her decision, Reiger remained outwardly calm, though he sighed inwardly.

"Truly, it feels like fate."

The abnormal state on the 24th floor had only just begun to show signs, and the forces in the dark were just starting to stir. Ais wanted to delve right in, making one wonder if the world line was converging.

However, Reiger thought it might be a good thing.

"In any case, Ais entering their field of vision is only a matter of time. In that case, it’s better to involve her now."

By uncovering some intel about them, I could discreetly reveal many things to Loki and others, which would be beneficial.

Furthermore, Ais would have to face those people eventually. It’s better to face them now than after the situation grows out of control.

At least by facing them now, Ais could be mentally prepared.

"So, shall we go together?"

Reiger extended the invitation to Ais.

"...Can we?"

Ais’s transparent golden eyes glimmered slightly imperceptibly before she asked softly.

"Of course." Reiger replied naturally, "If the two of us go together, we can venture deeper. Being alone comes with various inconveniences and worries, making it hard to reach deeper floors."

Regarding this, Ais also deeply agreed.

She had long realized that alone, she couldn’t reach the deeper floors.

On a day trip, the farthest she could reach was the lower mid-level, with no way to go deeper.

However, with two people, they could likely venture farther, into the lower floors.

The monsters there typically range from Lv.3 to Lv.4, and they might even encounter the floor boss on the 27th floor, a two-headed dragon classified as Lv.5.

Although this level of monster still doesn’t match the current Ais, it is much stronger than those monsters typically around Lv.2 found in the mid-layers.

By defeating strong monsters, you can gain more experience, leading to faster growth.

Of course, exploring the underground city with Reiger also inexplicably uplifted Ais’s mood, wiping away her recent regrets and disappointments.

"Then... let’s go together."

The girl stammered out the words, making Reiger smile and nod.

...

The next day arrived swiftly.

As the bell announcing breakfast rang, Reiger, after a long time, stepped into the grand hall alone, where Ais and others were already sitting and having their meal.

Theona and others seemed to have learned from Ais that the two were planning to go into the underground city together. Seeing Reiger, they immediately started complaining.

"Why didn’t you invite me? I want to go too!"

Theona’s words elicited a quick nod from Rephia beside her.

She wanted to go!

Really wanted to go!

To enter the underground city with two people she admired?

That was double the joy!

Rephia exuded a strong desire to go, her pointed ears twitching up and down rapidly.

However, before Ais could speak, Reiger had already refused.

"Next time, today it’s just me and Ais."

This naturally left a certain elven girl petrified on the spot, causing quite a few in the grand hall to whistle spontaneously.

Fortunately, a certain werewolf wasn’t present. Otherwise, given his fondness for Ais, he might have tried to intervene.

Reiger and Ais, under the gossiping gazes of many, finished their meal and left the grand hall, departing the Dusk Mansion.

...

As Reiger and Ais entered the underground city and descended to the lower floors, a figure appeared in a dark space elsewhere.

"Reiger Brillhaut..."

"Ais Wallenstein..."

The figure murmured, nodding a while later.

"They are indeed suitable candidates. Let it be them."

Saying that, the figure turned and walked into the darkness, disappearing without a trace.