Lightchaser watched the black-and-white bear sprawled at the edge of the boat, gazing at its reflection in the water. Something about it felt familiar. "Looks a little like White Bear from the Divine Game." GodDraw77 shook her head. "Not even close. She’s much cuter." Rita beamed at the panda in the water. She lifted a paw and scratched at her ears and dark eye patches. "So cute~" This was the right color scheme! She ignored the stream of [You Are Being Watched] alerts. Even if Deceitful Bloom stood right in front of her, she would say it: a black-and-white bear was the cutest bear of all. Her strength, constitution, defense, and magic resistance had all multiplied fivefold. The trade-off was steep, though. Her agility and intellect had plummeted to one-fifth of what they had been. Excited, she scampered back to GodDraw77. "Teacher, can I learn the next form now?" Time was tight. Only half a year left. Her success with the Savage Form had filled her with confidence. But she immediately got stuck on the Nature Form. That one demanded a heart full of acceptance and love for all things, a state of absolute calm and detachment, perfect resonance with nature. It was tailor-made to torment Rita. Nineteen days had passed since the rune was drawn, and it still hadn’t lit. Lightchaser had been enjoying the show the whole time. The longer Rita struggled, the higher her spirits soared. "As expected of my apprentice." Read full story at novｅlfire.net "Yes, let compassion die. We’ll crush the world instead." "I agree, it makes no sense. If you’re supposed to be full of love, why does this form boost magic damage and casting speed?" "I get it. Blow up everyone who opposes me, and I’ll be able to embrace the world." Still holding a grudge about discovering her apprentice had "many teachers" outside. Rita kept her focus, not wanting to rise to the bait. But she wasn’t going to let her anger go to waste either. She activated [Doormat Balloon Maker] and sent two pitiful balloons to GodDraw77. None for Lightchaser. She knew the elf would just steal them anyway. Then she closed her eyes again, forcing herself to search for the state GodDraw77 described, while ignoring Lightchaser’s laughter at the sight of those balloons. With a dark scowl, she rolled over, turning her back to the infuriating elf. GodDraw77 herself began to feel her own words slipping into vagueness. She tried different explanations: love and sacrifice, the truth of nature, the meaning of life. From the moment she started, Lightchaser lay down on the boat and fell asleep, snoozing from bow to stern. Rita’s gaze would often glaze over, and each time GodDraw77 would knock her back to attention. On the final day, GodDraw77 finally gave an extreme example. "Would you be willing to sacrifice some of your own interests to make the world a better place?" Rita shook her head so fast it left afterimages. "No. Not necessary. Refuse." Lightchaser, wrapped in her cloak, chuckled in her sleep. GodDraw77 sighed. "I thought when we arrived, you were already prepared to sacrifice yourself to save your world." Rita was blunt. "No. I only planned to fight until I died. But that wasn’t to sacrifice myself for anyone. I just don’t want to betray the people who trust me. "And I gave them an order. Before I die, no one is allowed to stop fighting. "In short, I don’t need anyone to sacrifice for me, and I hate when people demand that I sacrifice anything. I loathe that word. I don’t believe it has the right to represent love or beauty." The twenty-one days ended. The potion was gone. Rita still hadn’t understood. Teacher and apprentice silently agreed to skip this form and move straight on to the Hunter Form. That one was much more natural for her. Killing intent and battle spirit were its essence. In less than twenty-one days, the rune lit. This time, the chanting lasted longer. By the time Rita emerged from it, GodDraw77’s voice was hoarse. It was hard not to feel moved. But before she could speak, GodDraw77 pointed at the River of Time. "Look at yourself first." Rita had already seen her "hands." Her form shocked even her. She darted to the edge of the boat and looked into the water, where a white-and-pale-pink Orchid Mantis stared back. She shifted slightly. The reflection looked like an orchid petal drifting on the water. But in seconds, she was lost in the marvel of this form. Tiny body, perfect for hiding. Barely six centimeters long. Just hitting her would be difficult. Her agility had skyrocketed. Strength had dropped, but she could channel all of it into the scythe-like forelegs, delivering devastating strikes. With a single lunge, her damage could multiply a hundredfold. A born assassin’s killer. She could picture herself passing straight through an enemy’s body. Even Lightchaser, who had somehow sat up, gave an approving nod. "Good form. How’s the defense?" She tested it alongside Rita. Less than half what it had been. But with this new form’s killing potential, the trade was worth it. Rita couldn’t imagine a better Hunter Form. With only days left before the Arisentna time dock, GodDraw77 didn’t teach her anything new. Instead, she just sat and talked with her apprentice. She was a considerate teacher. Curious about Rita’s life, but never prying. Even with ordinary questions, if she sensed Rita didn’t want to answer, she dropped them right away. Her conversations carried no agenda. She simply wanted to know more about this apprentice she might never see again once the boat reached Arisentna. Lightchaser listened quietly, rarely speaking. But the dock between Arisentna and BlueStar finally loomed ahead. The boat drifted closer and closer. When its prow touched the whirlpool hovering above the river, Rita suddenly tugged on GodDraw77’s sleeve. "Teacher, thank you." She didn’t know why. Why, when she had originally come for the child version of her, did she now insist that the future Rita was her ideal apprentice? But all she felt was gratitude. She had no wish to question that heart. GodDraw77 also watched the growing whirlpool. "Remember the painting Valena always showed in art class? Howling Mountains." Of course Rita remembered. Every time new students joined, Valena brought it out for everyone to admire. She had shown it for as many years as she had taught in Moonlight Marsh. But at the bottom right corner was a glaring burn mark. Valena had made it by accident while practicing a skill. She had wanted to fix it but never found a way. "She always complained that without that mark, Howling Mountains would be perfect. But everyone knew it was the mark she loved most. It was why people lingered over that painting for so long. "The mountains under the moon were already beautiful. But that scar made people imagine what had happened beyond them. What was that forest like now? Did the howling wind hide someone’s cries? "The you in Arisentna is wonderful. Otherwise I wouldn’t have crossed the River of Time to find you. But the you before me now has that scar. "You don’t need to say sorry. I know you didn’t mean to."