warmth

do you think the last chapter was forced? because I felt it was and have been mauling over it ever since

sigh well lesson learned, mistake is what makes us human after all, we need to learn from them and improve (:

anyway im back and posting this chap enjoy!

~~

Feeling the warmth of the sun on my face, I opened my eyes and caught a glance of the blurry sun. Turning my gaze towards the person still sleeping on my bed, I decided to let them rest.

Quietly, I reached for my blindfold and katana, then made my way to the door. As I left the room and descended the stairs, I greeted Mama Mia, who had just come out of the kitchen looking tired.

"Good morning, Mama Mia," I said.

"Ah, good morning, Xian. I didn't notice you there," Mama Mia replied with a yawn.

"Would you like your usual breakfast?" Mama asked.

"Yes," I replied. I went to the back of the kitchen and sat down while Mama Mia prepared the meal. I quickly consumed it, then stood up to leave. However, before I could go, I made a request.

"Could you feed the girl I brought here yesterday? Put it on my tab."

"You don't need to pay, don't worry. What's with you and bringing unconscious people to your room?" Mama Mia sighed.

"Thank you," I said and swiftly exited the Hostess of Fertility.

-

Reaching the broken church, I quietly waited for Bell outside. After a while, Bell emerged from the doors and took notice of me.

"Ah, good morning, Xian-san!" Bell respectfully greeted.

"So you finally have some respect for your teacher now. Where is this coming from?" I curiously asked.

"Ever since you prevented Liliruca from stealing my dagger, I realized you had been teaching me many important things without expecting anything in return. So, I decided to try and repay them, even as small as showing you some respect," Bell explained.

I placed my hand on his head and ruffled his hair, which surprised Bell.

"Boy, you still have much to learn from me," I said with a slight smile.

"Hey, aren't you only a bit older than me?" Bell rebuked me for acting much older.

I lightly karate-chopped his head and walked to the practice ground.

"Don't judge people by their looks, Bell. I'm as old as your great-great-grandmother," I said. Upon reaching the practice ground, I prepared my stance and unsheathed my katana.

"Umm, why are you using your katana, Xian-san?" Bell looked at me with fear and nervously asked.

"Do not be a coward, Bell. You will improve more in life-and-death situations," I said. After assessing his skills, I felt he was ready to face my blade with moderate difficulty.

"Be ready, Bell. Your posture is wrong," I said as I shifted my feet, ready to dash at him.

Bell quickly unsheathed his blade and wore a focused expression. I lightly smiled and carefully adjusted my power to match Bell's. I dashed at him with visible speed.

Bell quickly shifted his weight to dodge sideways, and I reacted by stopping right in front of him and slashing horizontally.

Bell parried my blade upward and delivered a palm strike to the head. I tilted my head sideways, grabbed his hand, and threw him at a moderate distance using his momentum.

Bell quickly adjusted and landed on his feet. Lowering his posture, he dashed toward me with the intent of going on the offensive. He thrust his dagger toward me, leading me into a dodge with the hidden intention of following up with a jab.

I smiled at his obvious intention, parried his dagger, and dodged his preemptive jab, striking back with a jab to his stomach. We took turns attacking and defending against each other until Bell was left exhausted on the ground.

-

"Good job, Bell. At the rate of your progression right now, you might surpass my swordsmanship in about 600 years, if you ever live that long" I praised.

Bell exhaustingly respond, "I don't think that's praise, Xian-san."

"Don't be ungrateful, Bell. Even receiving praise from me is an achievement in itself," I remarked, crossing my arms in slight displeasure.

"Well, if you have nothing else to ask, I will return to the Hostess of Fertility," I announced, preparing to leave.

"See you later, Xian-san!" Bell waved as I departed.

-Bell's POV-

watching the disappearing figure of Xian, I quickly got up to wash my body but I spotted something in the corner of my eye

"Hmm? Is that a hair tie?" a blue hair tie lay on the dirt, it looked like the tie Xian would use, matching her hair color

"I'll give this back to her on my way to the dungeon" I mumbled and departed back to my basement to get a quick bath

-

-Liliruca's POV-

Waking up under an unfamiliar ceiling, I panicked and quickly scanned the area for any signs of danger, but I found myself in a room.

"Where am I?" I tried to recall what happened last night, but everything seemed blurry.

Getting out of bed, I cautiously opened the door and peeked through the crack to see if I recognized anyone. I saw no familiar figures lurking around. I quickly exited the room and headed downstairs.

Slowly descending the stairs, I peeked around to see if I could spot anyone. To my surprise, I saw a giant woman sitting on a chair, her eyes fixed on me as if she had been expecting my arrival.

"So, you're finally awake," the woman got up and moved behind the table counter.

"Um, where am I?" I cautiously asked.

"Did you not remember being carried by Xian?" the woman inquired.

"Xian," I repeated the name, and a flood of memories rushed back into my mind. I remembered crying on her shoulder, and I looked down in embarrassment.

"Well, come here. Xian told me to feed you something when you wake up," her voice snapped me out of my daze.

"Uh, what?" I tried to ask, but the woman ignored me and went to the back of the kitchen.

"Come here with me," she ordered, and I obediently followed.

Peeking through the kitchen door, I saw her preparing a meal and setting it on a table.

"I don't know what you've been through, but I can assure you I mean no harm," she turned her attention toward me and smiled warmly.

"Now, eat up, Or else Xian will be mad if she finds out you didn't eat."

I took a seat at the table and picked up a spoon. Looking at the meal, it was a simple dish of eggs and rice. As I took the first bite, it overwhelmed my taste buds with its warmth. It was a stark contrast to the usual stale and hard bread I was accustomed to.

Unknowingly, tears welled up in my eyes, but I did my best to hold them back. Mama Mia noticed and patted my head.

"Don't cry, kid. If you want to thank someone, go thank Xian when she comes back."