After completing the basic steps of bringing Abella on board, Yvette retrieved some clothing from the vehicle for Abella to change into. Although she had her black armor, which could cover her private areas, the gown had become ragged and looked quite unsightly.

“It seems a bit small…” Abella remarked after putting on Yvette’s clothes. However, she quickly realized how that sounded and added shyly, “I didn’t mean to offend you…”

Yvette didn’t quite understand, thinking that it was only natural for the clothes to not fit well since Abella was almost a head taller than her.

Then she pondered that for her next trip into the dream realm, she ought to buy more clothes, considering various sizes… Hmm, she should include some men’s clothing as well. Even if no one else used them, she could wear them herself. She just wondered if there were fitted suits suitable for someone 1.65 meters tall—would they look a bit unbecoming?

After contemplating for a while, Abella had changed into the clothes. Since they were casual wear, they completely transformed her demeanor. There was a stark difference from when they first met, where she appeared an aloof and elegant beauty; then, at the sheepfold, she looked like a pitiful beggar. Now, she bore the air of a lively college student.

Yvette admired the change, considering Abella had quite the potential to be a dress-up doll. Then she asked, “Can you drive?”

“A little, Mistress,” Abella said hesitantly.

“A little is enough.” Yvette nodded, largely unconcerned. For one, automatic vehicles were easy to learn, akin to a four-wheeled electric bike without the hassle of a clutch, and two, in this post-apocalyptic world, there were virtually no traffic rules anyway, so driving freely wouldn’t pose much of an issue.

With Abella as the driver, Yvette no longer needed to remain in the driver’s seat all the time. This extra time could be utilized for meditation, continuing to work on her “Wind Magic Compendium,” or just napping, making her travel experience significantly more relaxed.

…

As the dragon soared above, the vehicle bounced along below.

After passing the Kux ruins and travelling east for over two months, Abella’s driving skills gradually improved, learning from her early blunders that had once sent the vehicle tumbling into ditches. She finally learned to drive without disturbing Yvette’s mid-nap.

As such, life on the road became a lot smoother and more comfortable.

Because Abella, like humans, needed three meals a day, they often made stops during their travels for hunting or similar activities. Occasionally, Yvette would even take an interest in fishing along the rivers they passed by.

Dugrabi continued its magical studies, primarily practicing and memorizing the contents of the “Wind Magic Compendium.” Whenever the group encountered elite aberrations, it would be the first to charge in, eager to test its magical prowess.

Ice Rain was also curious about the “Wind Magic Compendium,” but as a mechanical doll, her body was unlike that of typical beings, making it difficult to form elemental cores and effectively limiting her ability to cultivate as a mage.

To strengthen herself, she needed to apply to the Sanctum for evaluation, and upon reaching the level of a Blessed One, she could receive modifications or enhancements that would grant her significant combat abilities.

However, since she had applied once before and did not qualify, she faced long waiting times before she could apply again, meaning she would most likely remain far from being a combat expert for quite a while.

Abella, on the other hand, during this slow-paced journey, gradually recovered some of her strength, reaching the level of a first-stage aberration. She could now summon a spider leg spear from her body, allowing her to no longer fear being humiliated by wild animals like sheep.

While her thoughts of revenge still lingered, she couldn’t deny that this travel lifestyle was quite enjoyable. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NoveI(F)ire.net

First, her Mistress allowed her a degree of freedom with no strict control, and she wasn’t forced to stay; she could leave whenever she pleased. This sense of autonomy made her reluctant to leave.

Second, her Mistress was undeniably a top-tier powerhouse beneath a monarch. With her protection, Abella didn’t worry about being captured by some tyrannical commander, becoming nutrients for the Mother Nest.

Finally, Yvette taught her unique and intricate spells and associated hidden techniques to that black dragon. Though she wasn’t a student in the traditional sense, she could still listen and learn, imparting knowledge of magical techniques she had previously found incomprehensible.

As a fifth-stage lord, despite losing her aberration factors, she still possessed her magic core, which had over 3000 points of mana. By learning more magic, she could leverage this advantage.

By the way, Yvette’s total mana had only recently reached 2100 points.

Despite having the capabilities to defeat Abella in a duel solely based on mage prowess, her mana total was only two-thirds of what Abella had.

Thus, it was clear that raw power and combat capability couldn’t be equated.

…

The journey rolled on, and another year swiftly passed.

Throughout this year, Yvette gradually stopped her regular meditation sessions. Aside from the important task of compiling the “Wind Magic Compendium,” she spent more time taking leisurely naps.

This was not due to laziness but rather two special circumstances:

Firstly, under the influence of the “Rune Absorption Effect,” even without meditating, her body automatically absorbed runes, akin to her continuously leveling up. Since this absorption rate was nearing her body’s limit for rune digestion, there wasn’t much difference between meditating or not.

—Now, with only leisure time each month, she would steadily increase her mana total by 3 to 4 points, equating to roughly 42 points a year. In contrast, when she first traveled through time 500 years ago, diligently studying for an entire year, her growth was only 1 to 2 points. The difference was quite significant.

Secondly, she has increasingly sensed the importance of mental strength. For nature mages, mental strength served not only as their lifeblood but was akin to the cache of symbol points within a magical terminal. The higher one’s mental strength, the greater the caliber of spells they could instantaneously unleash.

It was inevitable that one day, the magical terminal would fail, and thus striving to enhance her mental strength could prove to be a superior means of increasing her combat power.

…

In contrast to Yvette’s prolonged naps, both Dugrabi and Abella saw their strengths rapidly escalate over the past year.

Thanks to Yvette’s openly held magic classes, Abella indeed managed to learn several fire spells from her Mistress, whose practical application far exceeded her current ability to summon a spider leg spear.

Coincidentally, Dugrabi also had a need for sparring partners, and every afternoon after lunch, while Yvette napped in the vehicle, Dugrabi and Abella would engage in friendly combat using fire spells.

Most of the time, Dugrabi, equipped with the “Wind Magic Compendium” and more tricks up its sleeve, would take the upper hand, but Abella, being a fifth-stage lord with outstanding battle talent, frequently managed to hold her own against Dugrabi, thanks to her impressive mana total of over 3000 points and her own repertoire of spells, often resulting in remarkable exchanges.

Had she been able to read the Glimmer Language, she could have borrowed Ice Rain’s handwritten copy of the “Wind Magic Compendium” and with her mana dominance, perhaps she could have won outright.