Aurora chuckled and rolled her eyes.
[Humph. Don't get too comfortable with gratitude, little tortoise. The name suits me. That's why I accepted it. You can count yourself fortunate to be born with a shred of creativity.]
Nyx couldn't help but smile at her arrogance.
"Sure. Sure. Whatever makes you happy, Your Highness."
[It does, actually] She replied in a mock-serious tone. [But enough about that. Nyx, you need to focus. Stop with your silly games. If you want to survive the Trial and get the best rewards, you can't afford distractions!]
'... Who's distracting who?' Nyx rolled his eyes but stayed silent, indicating for her to continue.
Taking that as a hint, Aurora became serious as she continued, [At the moment, you have two methods of becoming stronger — learning how to use Water Manipulation or utilizing your Life Bound Soul Core. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Do you want to hear them?]
Nyx nodded. He was listening.
[Learning Water Manipulation — takes time — time that you don't have available to you. But if you have strong enough comprehension and determination, it can be invaluable help — especially for a Semi-Aquatic Stoneback Tortoise. However, that is not the only variable... the Rank of your Water Manipulation Race Ability can also affect what you can do. A Mortal Rank Water Manipulation will only allow you to sense and control water touching your body. Even then, to a very limited degree. With a Transcendent Rank Water Manipulation, you can be like a Kraken in the ocean from the beginning. ...Though that is a bit exaggerated, but not too far off from the truth. On the other hand, the Life Bound Soul Core will allow you to tame a Magical Beast, but you can't tame just any Magical Beast. The Magical Beast you want to tame has to be at the same Cultivation Rank as you or weaker than you. Well… there is a caveat to that, if a Magical Beast stronger than you wholeheartedly agree to be tamed, the Class Ability will work on it. That, however, is very unlikely to happen. …Though, it's not impossible.]
Nyx furrowed his brows and exhaled a long breath out of his mouth.
Both options sounded promising, but they came with glaring advantages and disadvantages. He couldn't afford to waste time… correction, he couldn't afford to waste more time than he already had.
Time was of the essence. His freedom depended on it.
'Water Manipulation sounds like it could be a powerful tool. I could become the emperor of the ocean. A tortoise slaying sharks… heh, heh.' Nyx thought, imagining the infinite possibilities — defending himself, creating obstacles, and killing his enemies with the water around them.
How glorious would that be?
'But on the other hand, taming a Magical Beast sounds just as appealing. If I could have one of those Magical Beasts producing those ferocious roars as an ally. I could go where I please.
Just then, as if he wasn't on the verge of breaking down, Nyx heard Aurora's voice, [It's up to you to choose your path. Nyx, remember this: anything you do or say within the Trial will affect your path.]
'Great. Just what I needed.' Nyx shook his head, sighed, and then glanced at Aurora, "If you were me, what would you choose?"
Hearing this, Aurora smiled knowingly, placing her arms on her hips, she floated closer to him, [Ah, asking for this princess' sage advice already, are we? Well, it can't be helped. It's a smart move. But it depends on your priorities. As I said, this is your path. Do you want to depend on yourself or forge a bond with something that can assist you? Water Manipulation is a solo ability — it's your power, no one else's. The Life Bound Soul Core; however, is a gamble. Choose poorly, and you'll have a liability to feed and take care of, instead of an asset. Choose wisely, and you'll gain a partner who could turn the tides in your favor. Pun intended.]
"I thought you'd be more helpful… My path, huh?" Nyx muttered as he stared at her beautiful face. Even in a miniature form, she was absolutely stunning — like a porcelain doll.
'No… What am I thinking? Focus, Nyx. Stop getting distracted.' Shaking his head, Nyx closed his eyes and pondered.
Meanwhile, Aurora blinked her charming pink eyes and tilted her head.
'Which will he choose: Water Manipulation or Life Bound Soul Core? No matter which he chooses, his path might be set in stone. Hopefully, whichever path he chooses, The System will reward him with a powerful Class that will help free me.'
While she was imagining the day she would be freed, she heard Nyx's quiet voice once again. This time, it was hesitant.
"I need more information on both options before I can decide. I don't know why, maybe because of what you said, but now I feel my decision will heavily impact me. So, I don't want to rush in blindly. Therefore, can you teach me the basics of Water Manipulation while I scout for a potential Magical Beast to tame?"
Surprised, Aurora was stunned for a few moments.
After composing herself, she wondered, 'Does he not understand the implications of what he just said?'
But even so, she teasingly said, [Oh? Multitasking, are we? You have quite a big appetite for such a little tortoise. How ambitious! This princess approves!] She gave a thumbs up to Nyx, making him sigh in relief that his suggestion wasn't ridiculed, but praised.
Meanwhile, Aurora continued, [Very well, let's do as you say. Water Manipulation is inherent to your Race. In other words, it runs in your bloodline. Learning its basics should be as simple as a baby learning how to crawl and then walk. It's instinctual — a natural developmental milestone. But after learning the basics, the rest is much harder. But for now, we'll stick with the basics. We don't want to fry your little tortoise brain, just yet, right?]
Nyx rolled his eyes at her friendly jab.
Aurora, on the other hand, after seeing he now looked relaxed and carefree, smiling even, smiled inwardly herself and pointed at a water droplet on his flipper.
[For now, focus on honing your sensitivity to water.]
Nyx glanced down at his flipper, where a tiny water droplet clung to his scaled skin. Marred by mud, the water had turned murky brown. Other than that, he could not decipher anything else.
How would he go about honing his sensitivity to water? What did Aurora mean by that? Water was water, wasn't it?
He could feel the water droplet on his scaled skin. But now what? Surely, that wasn't it…
With no other choice, Nyx asked without turning his head away from the water droplet, "What do I do now? I can feel the weight of the water on my scaled skin."
Aurora's tone softened as she explained, [Good. Now, close your eyes, clear your mind, and concentrate. Don't just see the water droplet or feel it — sense it. Imagine its coolness, its flow, its existence. Water isn't just a thing — it's 'alive' in its own way. Attune yourself to its nature, and manipulating it will become second nature.]
Nyx nodded, closing his eyes. He tried to clear his thoughts, letting go of his fear of death, and his uncertain future. All that remained was him and the water droplet. Even Aurora did not exist… Slowly, he redirected his focus to the water droplet. But he quickly realized, it was harder than he expected, like trying to listen to a single voice in a noisy crowd. The smell of wet dirt and murky water seeping into his hole and falling on his body continued to distract him.
Furrowing his brows, Nyx thought, 'Until now… I thought I was good at removing my thoughts and emotions.'
Seconds ticked by…
'Why can't I sense it…? Come on, work!'
Nyx's brows furrowed with each second that passed.
[Stop forcing it.] Aurora's charming voice rang in his mind. [Water is patient and flexible. It moves and adapts, flowing around objects rather than forcing its way through. However, over time, water can wear down even the hardest and thickest of rocks, carve valleys for thousands of miles, and completely change landscapes. Water can be contained, but not forever. One day, it will emerge, finding cracks to seep through and breaking its restraints to find freedom.]
What was that supposed to mean?
No… Nyx understood the meaning. He wasn't an idiot… far from it. At least, he'd like to think he wasn't.
Anyway… Aurora's words… the way they were constructed into a sentence sounded as though she knew of his circumstance.
… His imprisonment — chained and drained of his blood.
Or maybe he was overthinking it.
'Wait… Is she talking about her restraints? She is imprisoned in my Soul Sea… Curious.'
Meanwhile, Aurora continued, [Water listens… learning the path it flows through, but it never forgets its origin. It can be a gentle stream nurturing life or a relentless torrent reshaping the world.]