Below is the English translation of the provided text, maintaining the original tone, narrative intensity, and metaphysical themes as closely as possible:
After the Previous Battle
The outcome of the previous fight left Jasmine unable to control her power, forcing Lastnine to compress her existence and later restore her to normal. Now, in Lastnine's world:
Jasmine, exhausted from training, leaned against a tree nearby, watching Mary and Jacob spar. Lastnine approached her and asked:
"Still hurting, kid?"
Jasmine groaned:
"Hurts like crazy, old man."
Lastnine replied:
"Who knew? You lost control, so I had to do that."
Jasmine sighed, gazing into the distance. Lastnine followed her gaze and said:
"By the way, I've got some business to take care of in the coming days, so I won't be able to train you."
Jasmine, surprised, asked:
"Then who's gonna train me?"
Lastnine smirked and said:
"No need to worry. It's not like I don't have a plan for you."
Jasmine breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Mary and Jacob, who were training their reflexes. She asked:
"What about those two?"
Lastnine looked over and said:
"Let them keep training like this for now. I don't want to call in anyone else just yet."
Jasmine suddenly asked:
"Hey, old man, is truth real?"
Lastnine thought for a moment before answering:
"Truth and meaning are real. They're not just words—they're all around us."
He explained that meaning isn't merely a phrase or concept. It's what shapes everything as it is today. If gods and Emperors are the creators of worlds, meaning is what defines everything about those gods and Emperors. Meaning isn't just a foundation—it's the ideas, dreams, and emotions of something. Every being, every form of life, even those that don't exist, carries its own unique meaning. A name or an action holds its own significance. As Jasmine listened, she pondered whether her own existence held meaning. But when she met Lastnine's gaze, she realized nothing is meaningless. Lastnine said:
"Get your stuff ready. Tomorrow, I'm taking you to meet your new trainer."
As he finished speaking, Lastnine's hat flew off his head, drifting far away and landing on a small gravestone surrounded by flowers, despite this dimensional space having no flowers. He walked over, picked up his hat, and examined the gravestone. It bore his name. He bowed slightly, staring at it, then returned to where Jasmine, Mary, and Jacob were training. Lastnine couldn't help but wonder: who could have done this, and more importantly, why? Was it aimed at him? Or his students? No, he wouldn't let that happen. He'd protect what he held dear, even if it meant destroying infinite worlds. Lastnine approached Jasmine and said:
"Your new trainer will arrive tomorrow. I'm heading out now."
Jasmine nodded, watching as Lastnine turned to leave. He suddenly remembered something, turned back, and said:
"Oh, almost forgot—make sure to feed the dragon. Also, I gave Jacob a task for you and Mary to do after training. He'll fill you in."
Jasmine waved dismissively and said:
"Got it, old man. You talk too much."
Lastnine sighed, turned, and teleported away. Before leaving, he created a black spherical orb that fell to the ground, merging with the shadows of Jasmine and Mary. Only then did he teleport to a world shrouded in darkness. The ground surged, and a formless monster with sharp, pointed legs lunged at him. Lastnine dodged and charged at it.
Back to Jasmine, Mary, and Jacob
Mary and Jacob continued training until nightfall. The three returned to Lastnine's house, showered, changed into pajamas, and went to sleep. As darkness enveloped the night, a large shadow loomed over Mary's bed. It was a general of an Emperor, raising a sword that reflected light. Suddenly, the black liquid Lastnine had left that morning emerged from Mary's shadow, forming a humanoid shape. It touched the general, killing him instantly. The figure picked up the general's mask, put it on, and merged back into Mary's shadow. The next morning, while Jasmine was still asleep, a portal opened beneath her bed, transporting her to another world. Instead of appearing on solid ground, the portal opened mid-air. Jasmine woke, found herself falling, and used her powers to form wings, landing safely. A clap and approaching footsteps echoed. It was Cryzar, with his penguin companion by his side. Cryzar said:
"Your master asked me to train you, so never let your guard down."
Before Jasmine could react, the penguin rammed its head into her stomach, knocking her to the ground in pain, clutching her abdomen. Cryzar reminded her:
"I told you, don't let your guard down."
Jasmine struggled to her feet. Azurel, within her subconscious, rubbed his chin and said:
"That Emperor—he's stronger than me."
Jasmine replied:
"Of course. Lastnine said Emperors are the strongest."
Jasmine glared at Cryzar and activated her form, but Cryzar nullified it, causing a conflict that transformed her into a half-formed state. Instead of white, her form was pure black, her left arm wrapped in black chains. Her mind and soul eroded until she descended into complete madness. Cryzar smiled and let Frost fight, saying:
"Let's see how Lastnine's student holds up."
Meanwhile, at Lastnine's House
Mary woke up, holding a coffee mug, and walked in to find Jasmine and her bed gone. Shocked, she dropped the mug, shattering it. The noise made Jacob, who was cooking, stop and check on her. Seeing the empty room, Jacob gestured to explain. Mary confirmed:
"So, Lastnine's off on business, and Jasmine's training with someone else?"
Jacob nodded. Mary, thinking a female trainer might be working with Jasmine, felt a surge of anger but calmed herself and said to Jacob:
"Then we need to train too. We can't let that idiot get ahead of us."
Jacob nodded, and they went to the kitchen to eat breakfast before starting intense training.
Back to Lastnine in Another World
Lastnine teleported to a world cloaked in inky darkness. He looked around, noting:
"It's like other worlds, but instead of colors, it's all black."
Suddenly, he heard loud footsteps approaching rapidly. Lastnine dodged as something charged at him. He fired a beam of light, but the darkness absorbed it, turning it into shadow. Surprised, Lastnine looked around and said:
"So, the darkness here absorbs not just colors but attacks too? Interesting."
As he spoke, the entity attacked again. Lastnine dodged into the air, drew his gun, and fired with pinpoint accuracy, striking the creature. It roared in pain, its ear-piercing scream echoing as it fled. Lastnine activated his left eye, and all the darkness was obliterated under its gaze. The creature was revealed to be a human, mutated beyond recognition. It roared with hostility, but its tear-filled eyes seemed to plead something. Lastnine, seeing it was once human, pulled the trigger, killing it. He turned and teleported to another world—a vast field under a starry night sky with a meteor shower. Lastnine sat to enjoy the beautiful scene. When it ended, he explored further, discovering a large cave. Inside, he found a chest containing a nameless book marked with the letter "N." and only 35 pages Lastnine opened it and began to read.