In the following days, Yvette dedicated herself to a comprehensive purification of all the third-phase aberrations and nests on Ish Island, determined to eradicate them completely, turning them into lifeless husks.

During this operation, Yvette gradually came to understand the various details of her unique ability.

For instance, whether it was increasing the size or the number of her tendrils, there was a significant increase in the consumption of aberrant factors. Moreover, the concentration of aberrant factors within first-phase aberrations was relatively low; there were times when launching a single tentacle attack would yield fewer aberrant factors than she expended.

Additionally, she discovered that the hardening property of her tentacles wasn’t solely for offense; it also provided excellent defense. Hence, from a perspective of improving her combat prowess, it might be necessary for her to learn a bit about close combat or martial arts from Rosalyn—after all, the best teacher is one who excels in their field. Although this would reverse their teacher-student roles, she felt no shame in it.

Yet, what struck Yvette as the most peculiar was that she found a new object within her body, resembling a mana core, with its source being the aberrant factors.

So, the aberrant factors, which spread, invaded, and assimilated other aberrant creatures, automatically aggregated inside her, losing their original vitality and transforming into a core that she could utilize at will?

Why was that?

She recalled the moment when she had chosen a black tendril over a swirling mass of black-red liquid at the moment of complete transformation. What connection existed between these two choices?

Was it a potential direction for evolution?

These questions baffled her, and she soon gave up on pondering them completely. Instead, she decided to name the second core within her “Aberration Core,” and the power housed within it “Aberrant Mana.”

Well, in a way, this was a blend of magic and mutation.

…

The cleanup operation lasted four days, commencing from the northern city of Ruya and stretching through Grayport City and Ish City, before returning to the Ish Mountains and the Corrupted Forest. Over this long trek, a total of seven third-phase aberrations met their end at the mercy of her pure white tendrils.

Throughout the entire process, Rosalyn was unable to assist. The sequence of events unfolded as Yvette confronted each aberration head-on, bombarding them with spells until they weakened, then summoning a tentacle for the ominous feast, repeating the cycle for each one.

Since she could replenish her mana during the feeding process, the teacher who had nearly perished due to depleted mana now resembled a veritable mana perpetual motion machine, no longer worried about running out of power.

However, in Yvette’s explanations, she didn’t downplay the unexpected event in the Corrupted Forest, acknowledging that it wasn’t entirely a miscalculation on her part. The strength of the Six-Armed Demon in its full form was indeed considerably over the charts; after wiping out all the third-phase aberrations on the island, she still believed its power was by far superior—almost bordering on the fabled fourth phase. This information gap had been at the root of her near-demise.

At first, Rosalyn felt no qualms about it. Even though she hadn’t witnessed the battle firsthand, she unconditionally believed in her teacher’s words without questioning them.

Yet afterward, whenever the harrowing experience of that life-or-death crisis arose, Yvette would unconsciously repeat and emphasize this point, not as if she were addressing her student, but rather as if trying to convince herself.

It was evident that Yvette remained troubled by the aftermath of that imperfect and perilous battle. Rosalyn thought about it but felt at a loss as to how to comfort her teacher.

The truth was that they had survived by sheer luck, avoiding aberration and even reverse evolving. Otherwise, they would have surely been consigned to the afterlife by now.

Perhaps only time could heal the psychological scars of her teacher.

…

After the cleanup concluded and the crisis passed, the once-tranquil leisure returned to the manor.

And unlike before, this time, Ish Island was genuinely safe; all once-dangerous areas had been thoroughly cleansed by Yvette. Not only she, but even if Rosalyn traversed the island alone, her life would be secure—unless she ventured into the ocean, but that belonged to a different situation.

However, just as Rosalyn thought that life had returned to calm, on the morning following the end of the cleanup, she awoke to find Yvette sitting on the sofa in the living room, seemingly hesitant to speak.

“Good morning, teacher; you’re up early today!” Rosalyn greeted her, heading towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Then she heard her teacher call out to her in a somewhat strange tone: “…Rosalyn.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you have some time?”

“Hmm?” Rosalyn turned her head in surprise. “If you need anything, I’m always available for you.”

“Then come out for a bit and teach me some swordsmanship,” Yvette said, gazing out the window.

“Ah?” Rosalyn doubted her hearing. In her eyes, her teacher was a genius who knew everything; how could she possibly be the one to teach her? Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel※fire.net

But she quickly brightened and eagerly replied with a hearty “yes.”

…

And thus, lessons on swordplay, melee weapons, and various close-combat techniques abruptly began that morning.

During this process, Yvette slowly realized that seeking guidance from her student in a manner consistent with the philosophy of the master being the one to learn was not as easy as she had imagined.

The biggest factor was—though she was seen as a genius through Rosalyn’s eyes, the truth was, she was not.

Her knowledge of runes and various fields stemmed from over two hundred years spent in the Abyssal Base. In that place filled with blue-green radiance, her daily activities were limited: staring into the void, reading, cleaning, practicing spells—time passed in that manner, and all her knowledge was painfully accumulated over long, tedious periods.

And afterward?

In the decades she had spent on Ish Island, once she discovered that no aberration could threaten her, she promptly became complacent. She acquired numerous specialist books, yet actual progress was slow. Even reading for two hours a day felt commendable to her. While she engaged in activities like restoring the manor, tending to gardens, and repairing vehicles, the core essence was merely to enhance her quality of life: living in luxury, enjoying gourmet food, prolonging the use of magitek motorcycles for leisure rides, securing nighttime power, and illuminating the streets surrounding the manor.

In essence, she was not a transcendent genius but rather a person of average talent, someone who accrued knowledge over time, lacking the drive to act once comfort settled in, and who would comfortably let her student serve her.

Now, in a situation where there were no external threats and she was already the unrivaled ruler of Ish Island, starting from scratch to practice melee weapon techniques in a dull, regimented manner alongside a student presented a considerable challenge. Moreover, she was learning at a frustratingly slow pace.

But she resolved to persist, even if it meant shedding her prior idol-like aura in front of her student.

As for why she chose to do so, perhaps it was the trauma from the deathly threat that had instilled in her a PTSD response, compelling her to avoid encountering a similar circumstance again.

If it had been six years prior, she might not have felt this way. Sometimes, she even held an extreme view that life or death didn’t matter. In this world filled with monsters, lingering within an inescapable abandoned island could have no meaning, living for hundreds or thousands of years without purpose. A far better alternative would be to reincarnate at lightspeed, perhaps to experience another crossing.

Yet now, she realized that she needed to ensure her student’s safety at all costs, until one day in the distant future, years or decades later, when the aurora would emerge again, and the Abyss would resurface. She could then safely send her student back home. By then, whatever choices she made would be without regret.

However, she occasionally pondered this rare celestial event; she might be resigned to lose it, but would Rosalyn truly encounter it again in her lifetime?

What if they were never to meet again, and one day in the future, a scenario unfolded where the white-haired sent the white-haired off to the next life?

The thought of such a tragedy, grounded in mortality, made her stomach churn, leading her to consider whether she might venture out to sea in search of broader horizons to find the aurora again. But considering the perilous nature of the ocean, plans to set sail seemed unlikely to activate within the next decade; however, the deeper reaches of the Abyssal Base could definitely be explored once more.

…

Thus, time flowed by, and six months swiftly passed.

Before they knew it, another spring had arrived.