That night, Finn and Iris spent a good hour reading through all the entries on the Angelicas Finn currently owned. Most of the information was quite obvious, but Finn did learn several new things.
For example, the different kinds of Angelicas weren't just born out of nowhere. In this world, any pure entity can be considered an 'Element'. From basic ones such as fire and water to more complex ones like blood and thunderstorms, all of these are called 'Elements'. Vague concepts such as speed and duplication can also be considered Elements.
As technology progresses and humanity continues to evolve, new Elements may be discovered. For every Element there is in existence, there also exists an Angelica that holds control over it. Similarly, when new Elements are found, new Angelicas are also born.
The book they had borrowed from the Melinoe Archives was quite detailed — it not only explained the Angelica's power in detail, but also gave it rarity and difficulty ratings. The Stormbringer Angelica, for instance, had a rarity rating of Common and a difficulty rating of Medium.
Finn was planning on going back to that library sooner or later since he doubted Storm and Octane were all that skilled in terms of their own Angelicas. But in order to reach such an advanced stage where he could actually use the more powerful, more complex Abilities of these Angelicas, he needed to master the basic ones first and gain proficiency with them — in which case direct teaching was a lot better.
Unfortunately, the book they borrowed didn't contain any actual Abilities for the Angelicas listed in it. That made sense, considering if it did, it would be a whole lot thicker than it already was.
The only thing Finn was slightly concerned about… was an 'ally' of his in this squadron — Storm.
*****
- Later, In the Reality Rift -
Since it was getting late, Iris returned to her own room, leaving Finn alone. He climbed onto his bed and pulled the covers over himself, preparing to go to sleep, but-
A bright flash of light filled his dark surroundings, and he felt the familiar pulling sensation of entering the reality rift. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and faced the only person who could've done this.
"… Need something?"
"Oh, no, I was just going to remind you of our little agreement~" Zelestria replied happily. "When are you planning on taking me out for the date~?"
"… I'm sure you heard the conversation earlier today. There's a mission coming up — and I can't miss it."
"Hm, yes indeed~ a Baron-level Ghost has bound to have some great skills you can steal," Zelestria said thoughtfully, tilting her head. "Then… how about right after the mission?"
Finn narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so impatient?"
"Fufu, you'll see when you actually go on the date with me~" Zelestria giggled mischievously. "You won't regret it, I promise~"
Normally, Finn would've thought she was just referring to sleeping with her, but this time, the gleam in her eyes meant something more. Perhaps… there was something she wanted to show Finn that wasn't her body?
"… Fine," Finn agreed after some hesitation. "A deal is a deal."
"Sweet. Then, I'm looking forward to it, darling~" Zelestria seductively closed one eye and made a shushing gesture, placing a finger in front of her lips.
"…" Finn turned back around as the portal to return to the real world opened. But right before he left, Zelestria decided to give him one last tip.
"Before you go… the Cardmaster Angelica you acquired today."
"... You knew of it?"
"Of course. Even though I couldn't reach you inside that simulation, I could tell once you exited that you gained something new."
"Well... what about it?"
"It's certainly powerful, but it is one of the hardest Angelicas to master~" Zelestria giggled evilly. "Are you sure you want to try and learn it? It will take a lot of time, y'know~"
"... We'll see."
Zelestria smiled wryly in approval, as if amused by Finn's decision.
"Oh, and one more thing — that other boy. Storm, was it? Be careful of him."
"I'm aware… but why?" Finn asked, wanting to see if she knew something he didn't.
"Hm, how do I put this… let's just say… jealousy is a strong emotion," she replied after some careful thought, smiling suggestively. "Just like how I'm jealous of you spending so much time with Iris and not me. It really makes me want to kill her sometimes, y'know~?"
She added that final part as a half-joke, but it was also a hint. A hint that Finn understood.
'Don't tell me… Storm's jealous of Iris helping me…? Octane did mention him liking her...'
Finn was still uncertain at this time, but he would find out soon enough.
"You better not touch Iris," he replied coldly to Zelestria's words. "I need her as my eyes still."
"Yes, yes~ if only I could become your eyes instead... fufu~ ♥"
At this point, Finn couldn't even tell if this 'goddess' was being serious or not with her comments. She didn't seem like the type on the surface, but she could certainly be a yandere in reality — a side to her Finn didn't see until today. He could only hope she didn't actually get so jealous that she tries to kill Iris.
That aside, there were bigger problems to be worrying about right around the corner.
Exiting the reality rift, Finn returned to sleep — this time without the disturbance of a sudden emergency mission.
*****
- The Next Morning -
[Time to wake up, darling~ unless you want to be late for training?]
Finn immediately sat up in his bed, sleep disturbed by Zelestria's voice in his head.
'What time is it?' He thought in his head.
[7 AM. Melvia's already up and waiting for you.]
'I see… thanks.'
[Ara ara~ what's this? Finn, thanking me? How rare, fufu~]
Finn ignored her little remark and hopped off the bed, then headed downstairs for the bathroom to take a shower, brush his teeth, and whatnot. Once he was done, he returned to his room and slipped on his automatically-cleansed armor and boots after feeling around with his hands for a while to find them.
Now that he was prepared for the day, he headed down for the living room, where Melvia and Archon already were.
"Ah, there you are, kid," Archon chuckled as he spotted him. "Y'know, you and Iris both wake up pretty early, despite not having alarms. Storm, Octane, and Fanatic all sleep until noon most of the time. Is that just habits, or…?"
"Just habits," Finn confirmed, not wanting to reveal Zelestria's existence. "I've always been an early riser, ever since I was a child."
"Oh, I see," Archon murmured, rubbing his chin.
"C'mon now, enough talk," Melvia interjected, smiling warmly. "Finn, your food's right in front of you. Once you're done eating, we'll begin our lesson."
Finn nodded firmly and hesitantly reached his hand out in front of him, before feeling the metal handle of a spoon. He lifted it up and brought it into his mouth, tasting the food. It was cereal — fast and simple, which he didn't mind. Once he was finished, Archon offered to do the dishes for him, which he accepted gratefully.
"Alright…" Melvia stood up and took hold of Finn's hand, pulling him up as well. "Now, don't let go. Rather than giving you directions on where to go, this is far easier."
And just like that, Finn was led by Melvia into a part of the house where he had never been to before — the basement.