But thankfully, Nyx had a beautiful teacher to teach him.
With that in mind, he opened his mouth to ask, yet, just then, the young lady raised a finger and mischievously wagged it from side to side.
"This princess isn't finished yet. Lastly, the Cultivation Technique and Soul Technique. Techniques are methods… or think of them as blueprints to make it easier for you to understand. They guide how you absorb and refine Mana. Different techniques yield different results."
After that, she exhaled a breath of air and stared at Nyx.
Realizing the young lady was finally done with her lengthy explanation, Nyx took a deep breath.
Meanwhile, the young lady smiled knowingly.
"Are you overwhelmed?"
Nyx met her teasing gaze.
"Just a bit." He admitted without shame and shrugged.
"You can always talk to me by speaking out loud if you ever need help." She kindly offered, then continued poutingly. "I'm stuck here anyways."
Nyx smiled apologetically but remained silent. What could he do? Say sorry? That wouldn't help her situation. She would still be imprisoned. What's more, it was not as if he had anything to do with imprisoning her…
'... Imprisonment, huh?' Suddenly, Nyx felt sorry for her. As someone who was still imprisoned, he knew how she must feel.
But even so, after a moment of thought, he replied, "Thank you. If there's a way to help you, I'll try."
The young lady blinked, surprised by his words. But she quickly masked it with a teasing smile.
"I'll hold you to that, little tortoise. But without strength, you'll only need my help."
"Fair enough."
"Now then, it's time for you to return. Brumation awakened me and allowed us to meet, but you can't stay 'unconscious' forever." She said just as Nyx started to feel a sudden weightlessness.
***
With a jolt, Nyx awoke. He blinked slowly. Adjusting to light after being in darkness for a while always took him time. Familiarity didn't help at all. Sadly…
Cold, wet, and sticky…
Those were the three best words to describe his situation.
Once again, he failed to think ahead, or more accurately, he failed to realize what the heavy rain would cause once it came in contact with dirt.
When water was mixed with dry dirt, wet mud was created, which was exactly what surrounded his body.
He was practically caked in it. But surprisingly, compared to previously when he dug the burrow, he didn't feel nearly as disgusted.
'Have I become desensitized, or am I being influenced by the natural instincts of a tortoise?'
After some thought, Nyx felt it was both. According to Doctor Rose, tortoises liked to burrow in soft, dry soil. Moreover, when they become too hot, they tend to burrow to cool their body.
Nyx slowly pushed himself up, feeling the strain of his weak muscles under the weight of his heavy shell and the pounds of mud.
Once he managed to stand up, albeit shakily, Nyx shook his body, flinging the mud to the sides of the burrow. As long as it was away from his body… it was good enough.
A few seconds of shaking his body later, besides the wet mud sticking to his body, he felt much lighter.
Smiling to himself, Nyx looked down at his stubby mud-cacked limbs, then took a deep breath.
Raising his right-clawed flipper, he pictured the water droplets falling from the soil above him to suspend in mid-air.
But nothing happened. He frowned.
'Of course, it wouldn't be that easy…' He thought, sighing, 'I may have the Water Manipulation Ability, but that doesn't mean I can use it without guidance and experience.'
Now, Nyx wasn't sure what to do. If he wanted to learn how to use Water Manipulation, the best course of action was to ask the mysterious, beautiful young lady in his Soul Sea.
He wasn't above asking. Only those who asked prospered. Without asking questions, how would others know you needed help? They wouldn't go out of their way to lend a helping hand.
But that wasn't all that Nyx needed to learn.
He summoned his Status and quickly glanced at the Cultivation Technique and Soul Technique sections.
***
Cultivation Technique: —
Soul Technique: —
***
'Blank… Just as I remembered.'
Without a Cultivation Technique or Soul Technique, how was he supposed to absorb Mana and Soul Essence?
As if reading his mind, suddenly, Nyx heard the young lady's beautiful voice in his mind:
[Normally, Magical Beasts are supposed to receive a Cultivation Technique upon entering the Trial… but your case is different. Weird… Instead of being born with a suitable Cultivation Technique, it's almost as if the Trial is treating you like a Human.]
'...That's because I am a Human.' Nyx thought but didn't say it out loud. Instead, he whispered, "Does that mean I can't Cultivate? Furthermore, how are you able to speak in my mind? Can I also do that?"
The young lady was silent for a few moments. She struggled for a bit, then hesitantly left Nyx's Soul Sea. But even after stepping out into the real world, she still felt an invisible chain binding her to Nyx's Soul Sea.
Meanwhile, Nyx was amazed as he looked at the beautiful young woman who was somehow only half a foot tall.
"How? What?" Nyx could only manage those two words to leave his mouth.
The young lady glanced at him and smiled after seeing his stunned expression. Her earlier hesitation about leaving Nyx's Soul Sea disappeared with the wind.
She finally replied, [This princess will start by answering your second question. I am using Mana Transmission to talk directly into your mind. Once you acquire Mana, I'll teach you the method. For now, teaching it would be a waste of this princess's time.]
[Now for your jumbled questions: I may be bound to your Soul Sea, but that doesn't mean I can't leave it temporarily to stretch my feet. However, I'd rather be inside, than here, since I am too weak that even you can kill me.]
Finishing her explanation, she looked around the burrow in distaste.
[It looks and smells like a pigs pen.]
'I can't help it.' Nyx smiled wryly.
Before Nyx could get a word out of his lips, she continued, [Lastly, The System would never actively kill a Chosen. Each Trial is different and has a purpose. Your Trial is unique… even from the norm. However, I'm sure soon you will obtain a Cultivation Technique perfectly made for Semi-Aquatic Stoneback Tortoises.]
"I hope so…" Nyx replied, slumping back into the comfort of his makeshift bed.
She encouraged, [But that doesn't mean you should give up, Nyx. Even if you can't Cultivate right now, that doesn't mean you don't have other means of becoming stronger. If there's a will, there's a way. Don't forget that.]
"You really are the light to my darkness, huh?" Nyx muttered, then immediately felt a rush of embarrassment as he realized the double meaning of what he said.
Silence… that was what greeted Nyx's words.
Hesitantly, he turned his head up to look at the young lady's expression, hoping she didn't feel offended by what he said.
But midway to raising his head, he heard a melodic chuckle, [This princess is trapped in your Soul Sea, and without this princess, who knew which rock you'd die under… So, I suppose I can be considered your guiding light. Well… this princess still doesn't have a name. Since that's the case, go on…]
Confused, Nyx tilted his head as he looked at her, who had, at some point in time, placed her hands on her hips.
'Does that mean she wants me to name her? Then, why didn't she just say that? What a weird woman.'
With a shrug, Nyx searched his memories for a name. But nothing suitable came to mind. He didn't want to insult her with a simple name.
He knew how important names were. Before the Trial, he was envious of others possessing a name, so giving her a name half-assed would be hypocritical.
'Think… Nyx… think… Wait! Night. Darkness. Light. For there to be darkness, there has to be light. Darkness and light can't exist without the other!'
Biting his lips, he continued, "Um… well…" Nyx hesitated. "How about, Aurora?"
[Aurora? As in dawn?] She blinked, tilting her head as she placed a finger on her chin in thought.
[Sure, why not? This princess will give you the honors by taking that name. From now on, refer to me as Aurora.]
In response, Nyx let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
It seemed his choice had passed her standards, though… her haughty demeanor made him wonder if anything truly didn't.
Still, he felt an unknown sense of pride in naming her. It was a name that symbolized light and hope.
…And hopefully, that light can pierce through his darkness.
"Alright, Aurora," He said, testing out the name on his tongue. Surprisingly, it rolled right off. "It's good that you like it. Thank you."