Ize looked embarrassed, his wrist still held in Dio’s death grip. He cautiously reminded him, “Senior Dio, you… you swore you wouldn’t hit me.”
He had already anticipated this outcome, which was why he hadn’t wanted to use this teaching method in the first place.
At that moment, Sarah, Emma, and Sven finally understood why Ize had insisted on such strange requirements before he began. This teaching method was indeed prone to causing a strong reaction from bystanders, especially those closely related to the student.
Hearing those words, Dio suddenly snapped out of it, realizing he had indeed been impulsive. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Upon careful sensing, he discovered that the electrical arcs Ize had just released were precisely controlled to an extremely subtle degree—enough to cause intense stinging and numbness to stimulate Dini’s perception, but not enough to cause actual physical damage.
Realizing this, he relaxed his grip and let go of Ize’s wrist, saying in a heavy voice, “I’m sorry, I was impulsive.”
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, his heart tightened again.
In his haste just now, although he hadn’t used Combat Qi, the strength in his hand was by no means small. An ordinary mage’s constitution was weak; being grabbed like that should have resulted in a bruised, swollen, or even fractured wrist.
Yet, looking at Ize’s expression, besides a bit of awkwardness, he seemed completely unfazed.
He subconsciously glanced at Ize’s wrist again; there wasn’t even a red mark.
Dio suppressed the trace of doubt in his heart and turned his attention back to his sister. At that moment, Dini was slumped on the ground, her small body still twitching slightly. Her eyes were rolled back, and a trail of saliva, forced out by the electricity, even hung from the corner of her mouth.
Ize ignored Dio’s scrutiny, knelt down, and said gently to Dini, “Dini, try to sense the surrounding lightning elements now.”
Dini was dizzy from the shock, and a hint of fear instinctively appeared in her eyes when she looked at Ize. But her determination to learn magic overcame her fear. She closed her eyes as instructed, struggling to refocus her scattered mental energy to capture the lightning elements she had been unable to sense before.
A moment later, her eyes snapped open with unbelievable surprise, and she reached out a small hand.
In the center of her palm, a tiny electrical arc—even weaker than Ize’s previous one, looking as if it might go out at any moment—flickered unsteadily. It let out a faint *zzt* sound. Although it dissipated before it could be maintained, it was undoubtedly a massive breakthrough from zero to one!
“Brother! I did it! I felt them! Although… although it’s not very obedient yet…”
Dini forgot her discomfort and looked at Dio excitedly. Her little face was still stained with tears, but her smile was incredibly bright.
Everyone was shocked by the scene. Although Ize’s teaching method could be described as “cruel,” its immediate effect was undeniable.
Dio looked at the electrical arc that had briefly appeared in his sister’s palm, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He walked up to Ize and, this time, bowed solemnly and sincerely to apologize. “I’m sorry, Junior Ize! I misunderstood you just now.”
Ize shrugged helplessly. “I told you, my method is a bit extreme and might not be suitable for Dini…”
Sarah looked at Ize with shock and couldn’t help asking, “Brother Ize, so you used this method when you first started learning magic?”
Ize nodded, his tone flat as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him. “Yeah. Back then, Master Claire didn’t really look after me, so I had to intentionally provoke other students to get them to attack me with Tier 1 spells. I had to endure it to feel the elemental power flowing through my body… I slowly found my way after that.”
His nonchalant description left everyone present in silence.
They could all imagine what kind of painful and dangerous attempt that had been, requiring incredible perseverance, endurance, and the ability to withstand pain. This junior, who always tried to hide himself and seemed a bit lazy, actually had such a resolute and tenacious side when it came to the pursuit of power.
Ize looked at Dini, whose eyes were bright despite the tear stains, and confirmed once more, “So, Dini, are you still willing to continue? The process will only get harder than it was just now.”
Dini sniffled. Though fear still lingered on her face, she nodded forcefully and seriously. “I’ll learn!”
“To guide elemental power completely at will and form stable magic, I will gradually increase the power of the spells to let you adapt to different intensities of elemental impact. Are you sure you can persevere?”
Ize reminded her again, his gaze shifting to Dio.
Dio looked at his sister’s determined eyes, his heart struggling for a moment. He knew that becoming stronger required a price, but watching his sister suffer was another matter. Ultimately, he gritted his teeth and, without a word, turned around and strode out of the room.
“Just teach her!”
He truly could not bear to witness the scene of his beloved sister being “tortured” with his own eyes. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to control himself and might actually break his oath to hit Ize.
Sarah, Emma, and Sven looked at each other and also chose to leave for the time being. This unique “practical teaching” session was indeed an ordeal for bystanders.
The door was gently closed.
Soon, Dini’s intermittent, crying shouts could be faintly heard from inside the room.
“Ah… Brother Ize, it hurts!”
“Waaah… Brother Ize, can you be a bit gentler…”
“Brother Ize, I… I can’t take it anymore!”
“Brother Ize, it’s almost there! I think I felt it!”
The people standing outside: “…”
Hearing the voices coming from inside, Dio’s face turned dark. His fists clenched and loosened, and he finally waved his hand irritably. “I’m going to go on a patrol!”
***
Although Ize’s teaching method was unconventional, its efficiency was undeniable. After only the first day of special training, Dini was already able to guide and condense lightning elements relatively stably, releasing a weak but fully formed **[LIGHTNING FLASH]**.
When Lord Betty heard the news, he was both surprised and delighted. He sought out Ize specifically to express his gratitude. “As expected of Dean Claire’s personal disciple! Not only is your own ability outstanding, but your teaching methods are unique and remarkably effective!”
Curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn’t help asking, “But Ize, how did you teach Dini?”
Ize rubbed his nose, his expression a bit subtle. He could only be vague. “Well… the method is a bit special. The process… can only be described as very hard work.”
Sarah and the others, who knew the truth, all looked down at their noses or the floor, maintaining a tacit silence.
Seeing this, Lord Betty assumed it was some kind of teaching secret from the Astral Academy that shouldn’t be easily shared. It wasn’t polite to pry, so he tactfully dropped the subject.
Over the next few days, Ize repeated the process. Using “immersive experience teaching methods” like “The Harmony of Water and Fire,” “Earth Spike Massage,” and “Wind Blade Caress,” he helped Dini sense and master several other basic elemental powers.
When the introductory courses for all the basic elements finally ended, Ize let out a long sigh of relief. He felt mentally exhausted, more tired than if he had fought a battle.
He patted Dini on the shoulder and said earnestly, “Alright, Dini. The gates of magic have been opened for you. The path of cultivation ahead will depend on your own hard work and comprehension.”
Dini was full of gratitude toward Ize and bowed respectfully to him. “During this time, thank you very, very much, Brother Ize! You’ve worked hard!”
Dio also stepped forward, his expression solemn as he spoke to Ize. “Junior Ize, I owe you a big favor for this. You’ve truly worked hard during this period.”
Ize waved his hand, looking casual. “Senior Dio, there’s no need to be so polite. I didn’t help that much. It was mainly Dini’s own perseverance that allowed her to pull through. Otherwise, no matter what method I had, it wouldn’t have worked.”
At that moment, Dini rubbed her small hands together, her cheeks slightly red. She looked at Ize with some embarrassment and said in a small voice, “Brother Ize… I… I have one more small request. I wonder if you can grant it?”
Everyone looked at Dini curiously, wondering what the little girl wanted now.
Ize was also a bit surprised and nodded. “What request? Tell me, and I’ll satisfy it if I can.”
Dini’s voice became even smaller, almost like the buzzing of a mosquito. “It’s just… I feel like my condensation and control of the lightning element… isn’t very skilled yet, and the stability isn’t enough… Brother Ize, can you use that method to ‘shock’ me a few more times? I feel like I can sense it more clearly that way…”
Ize: “…”
‘Could it be that this little girl has awakened some strange attribute or fetish during this special teaching process?’
Beside him, Dio covered his face with his hand, unable to look. He lamented in his heart: ‘My perfectly fine sister, innocent and romantic—how is it that after learning magic from Ize for a few days, her style has started to go astray?’
***
In any case, the matter of teaching Dini the basics of magic had finally come to an end. By now, a month had unknowingly passed since everyone arrived at the Betty Territory.
Time flowed quietly through intense battles, rest, and this interlude of teaching. During this period, they also received several unsettling reports. Along the imperial border, many noble territories had failed to withstand the Bloodline’s offensive, falling completely and turning into dead zones.
One day, Rose—who was often busy elsewhere—suddenly appeared. With a light smile on her face, she suggested taking Dini to the commercial district, which had regained some life in the inner city, to walk around and relax.
Dio felt it was a bit strange. His sister had been acting mysterious lately; why did she suddenly have the leisure for this?
However, he had patrol duties and couldn’t accompany them. For safety reasons, he had to ask Ize, Emma, Sven, and Sarah to protect Rose and Dini on their outing.
Arriving at the commercial street, although it wasn’t as prosperous as it once was, people were coming and going, and the sound of vendors’ cries rose and fell, showing a bit of vitality.
Dini pulled Rose’s hand curiously and looked up. “Sister, what have you been busy with lately? I haven’t seen you around. Let me tell you, Brother Ize taught me so much magic!”
Rose seemed a bit distracted, her eyes scanning the street. She replied casually, “Nothing much, I just went out and met a… nice brother.”
Dini blinked her big eyes and asked with childish innocence, “Is Sister seeing a boyfriend?”
As soon as those words were spoken, Sven, who was following a short distance behind, stiffened almost imperceptibly.
Although he had resolved to let go of the past, hearing that his former fiancée might have found someone new still caused a complex ripple in his heart.
Standing beside him, Ize keenly noticed Sven’s momentary abnormality. He patted Sven’s shoulder understandingly and whispered, “Let it go.”
Sven turned back and met Ize’s comforting gaze. His heart warmed, and he forced a smile. “Senior, I’m fine. I’ve really moved on.”
Ize nodded and “comforted” him in his own way. “It’s good that you’ve moved on. I don’t really know how to comfort people. You still carry the deep blood-feud of the Raymond family on your shoulders; it’s better to focus on improving your strength.”
He paused, then added as if remembering something, trying to lighten the mood. “What’s more, with your current body… you probably couldn’t have anything happen with Lady Rose in the future anyway.”
Hearing this, red flushes instantly flew to Sven’s cheeks. He glared at Ize with annoyance and said crossly, “Senior… you might as well not comfort me!”
This wasn’t comfort at all; it was clearly rubbing salt in his wounds while casually teasing him about his future gender issues.
Just as Ize and Sven were talking in hushed tones, a handsome, well-dressed young man walked over with a gentle smile and naturally stood beside Rose.
Seeing him, a smile appeared on Rose’s face as she introduced him to everyone. “Let me introduce you all. This is a friend I met recently, his name is Kyle.”
The man named Kyle nodded gracefully to Ize and the others, his smile appropriate. “Hello, everyone. I often hear Rose mention you. It is an honor to meet you today.”
However, as his gaze swept over Dini, Emma, and Sarah, it lingered for a split second. Deep in his eyes, a flicker of an indescribable light passed—a mix of appreciation and something deeper.
‘Sure enough, just like the information sent back by “Hearts,” the quality of these girls is quite high.’
Kyle—or rather, Horn—thought to himself, while the smile on his face became increasingly sincere and harmless.
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