"Speaking of which, how long have you been working on this project?"
"It’s been a semester. I’ll organize the research data for you; you can look through it for leisure when you have time. There’s no rush for the rest, at least not until you’ve won the exchange match."
After rummaging through the bookshelf for a while, Miaomiao eagerly sorted out a large pile of materials. They were stacked on the desk, enough for Wang Dawei to sleep on without being noticed. Lin Guang hurriedly waved his hand and only took a small portion.
Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated slightly. It was from Instructor Yu: [Data collection is complete. Shall we meet at the research center later?]
After Lin Guang replied briefly, Miaomiao keenly asked.
"Yes, everything’s settled over at Vishdair."
"Then I won’t keep you," Miaomiao said straightforwardly. "I see your brow is all furrowed; collecting data isn’t easy for you either. Find a good place to rest at noon."
"Thanks for your concern."
Waving his hand, Lin Guang left the research room. After waiting for a while at the building’s entrance, a school bus stopped at the station, and Vishdair and Instructor Yu got off the bus.
Vishdair looked exhausted, completely devoid of energy, with her two red tendrils and tail drooping like they’d been flattened by flip-flops. Seeing Lin Guang, she quickened her pace to approach him, cursing, "*Sakaz expletive*, what data collection, I’m completely worn out."
"Do you want to come back and rest for a while?"
"No! I want to stay outside!"
"Lin Guang, your partner... quite impressive," Yu Haidong said, looking rather in good spirits, complimenting her. "Her combat skills are quite proficient, and she’s very experienced, often able to find weak spots in my and the Dirt Keeper’s defenses. If I hadn’t felt any ethereal fluctuation, I would’ve thought she had activated a Buff Skill like [Eagle Eye] or [Concentration]."
A slight pause later, Lin Guang realized that it was another trait of Vishdair’s, [Weakness Detection], converted from her Explosive Talent.
"I think she must have been quite adept at fighting humanoid creatures before."
After a pause, Yu Haidong added, "Of course, it’s both good and bad. She has seasoned experience with humanoid creatures, but it might impede her learning new combat methods. Facing Spirit Beasts with diverse forms requires adaptability and can’t be confined to fixed patterns, and she mustn’t be careless. You should remind her of this."
"Hmm... Anyway, tomorrow, Dr. Kaiwen should be issuing a complete report, with detailed suggestions and assessments, so I’ll leave it at that."
"Okay, thank you, instructor."
Afterward, Yu Haidong left as he had classes to prepare for in the afternoon.
Under the shade of a tree, Lin Guang and Vishdair sat side by side on a bench. When she had rested enough, Lin Guang opened the suitcase on his lap and took out two crystal-clear potions, watching Vishdair’s puzzled gaze.
Pausing, Lin Guang’s tone inexplicably became solemn, "Drink it. This is the fate of a Spirit Master and Spirit Beast."
Unfortunately, Vishdair naturally couldn’t catch onto his vibe and merely took the potions, looking them over, "What the hell is this?"
"Something very expensive and good, enhancing your innate potential and growth rate without side effects, something you couldn’t afford even if you were sold."
Hearing this description, Vishdair let out an annoyed yelp, but she obviously gripped the bottle a bit more tightly, as if afraid it would sprout wings and fly away, "Where did you get it from?"
"Selling you isn’t enough..." Lin Guang sighed, "So I had to bundle myself in with the deal too." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novelꞁire.net
She listened, speechless, and cursed softly in Kazdail. Twisting open the bottle cap in one motion, she added, "I hope you sell for a price worthy of both of us."
With that said, she downed the two potions in one go.
"What’s it taste like?"
"Hard to say," Vishdair smacked her lips. "Definitely not a good taste, no strong sensations either."
"That’s normal. They’re time-release; they’re slowly absorbed during training and rest. Drastic changes in a short period could be risky too."
The silver-haired girl folded her legs on the bench, supporting her head with one hand, "So what are we doing next? Heading back directly, or looking for a scrap?"
"I have to learn Spirit Pattern Techniques this afternoon, so just like yesterday, be ready."
Vishdair nodded knowingly and suddenly became a bit lively, "Oh, does that mean I can beat them up like yesterday? I’d love that!"
Although she possessed a human-like exterior, Vishdair, officially classified as a [Terran Demon], had physical strength nowhere near comparable to humans.
Obviously, with her vigor restored, she seemed to be itching for some action in her idle time.
Lin Guang suddenly turned serious, with a low tone, "But little Vi..."
Vishdair shivered, her two red tendrils perked up as if they’d been shocked, "What the heck is with that nickname?"
"I get that you’re always itching for a fight, but can you be less impulsive about resorting to violence?"
Vishdair spat, unhappy, "Why are they always looking at me so weirdly? Are you saying I shouldn’t fight back at all?"
"Ah, why are you so s... so lacking in flexibility? You didn’t catch my meaning!"
Lin Guang shook his head, sighing, "If you scare them too much, who would challenge you? What about sparring partners? What if the teacher thinks you’re bullying the weak too excessively and forbids you from sparring during this time?"
Vishdair paused, unable to resist asking,
"Then what do I do? Endure it?"
"Am I someone who wants you to endure? I’m just asking you to change your thinking a bit!"
Lin Guang put on an expression of heartache and despair, but what he said utterly contradicted his usually gentle demeanor, "Sigh, you should ease up a bit, exchange a few blows, let them regain some confidence, see some hope, and then knock them out cold to extinguish their fighting capability, so every day you’ll have sparring partners eager for revenge and won’t give up."
"Do you understand the difference between one filling meal and consistent nourishment? Maybe the teacher would even encourage you to help manage the other students’ Spirit Beasts."
"Oh! *Kazdail expletive* that actually makes some sense,"
Vishdair seemed to have realized something, nodding thoughtfully. For her, using violence was an instinctual way to vent. But Lin Guang’s suggestion indeed sounded better.
But Lin Guang maintained a look of barely hidden sorrow.
Sorry, classmates, for the sake of my Star Shards and Starlight, these are necessary sacrifices.