At this critical moment.
A warm, pure spiritual force filled with sacred and radiant energy—like the gentlest harbor—softly enveloped his consciousness that was about to be swallowed by darkness.
"Don't be afraid. I'm here."
Athena's voice rang out again, carrying a reassuring firmness.
Her psychic power transformed into a pink, gentle light, carefully establishing a solid "firewall" in Cloud's mental world, firmly blocking out that violent "Orochi Will."
"Whew..."
Cloud let out a long breath, feeling like he'd just walked back from death's door.
"Thank you, Athena." He expressed sincere gratitude through their mental link.
"You're welcome." Athena's voice carried a hint of laughter. "However... that power inside you really is very... terrifying. Filled with darkness and destructive energy. What exactly happened to you?"
"Well..." Cloud deflected with a laugh. "It's a long story. You can think of it as... I accidentally ate something bad once and was left with some aftereffects."
Athena: "..."
Knowing Cloud didn't want to explain, she considerately didn't press further.
"Alright." Her voice became gentle again. "Since we can't clear this power for now, let's try a different method."
"Let's play a game."
"A game?"
"Yes." Athena explained. "This game is called Mental Puzzle. I'll scatter parts of my memories into countless psychic fragments hidden in my mental world. Your task is to use your psychic power to reassemble these fragments."
"This game not only trains your fine control over psychic power, but also... lets you understand me better."
Saying that last sentence, her voice carried an imperceptible shyness and anticipation.
"Oh?" Cloud's interest was instantly piqued.
Understand her better?
Wasn't this... "peeking into a beautiful girl's inner world"?!
This kind of opportunity was like finding gold with a lantern!
"Okay! I'm in!"
And thus, a "dual cultivation" session filled with "benefits" and "ambiguous" atmosphere officially began.
Cloud's consciousness transformed into a golden little figure, carefully entering Athena's mental world—a dreamlike garden filled with pink bubbles.
Here was her nervous feeling when first taking the stage.
Here was her joyful feeling when first using her psychic powers to rescue small animals.
And also...
That heart-racing, deer-in-headlights feeling when she first saw that figure descending from the sky at the South Town concert, rescuing her from crisis.
Cloud was like the most loyal audience member, "appreciating" scene by scene this psychic idol's important—even... private—memories from childhood to now.
While "playing the game," he also restlessly used his golden psychic power figure to occasionally "accidentally" touch Athena's consciousness body, which had also transformed into a pink figure.
"Oops, sorry, my hand slipped."
"Oops, this spot's too narrow, accidentally bumped into you."
Athena's consciousness body was "harassed" until she was both embarrassed and annoyed, her entire mental world beginning to "shake and quake" from her master's flustered emotions.
[Ding! Detected host undergoing high-intensity psychic power training...]
[Your Spirit +1]
[Your Spirit +1]
[Ding! Target Athena Asamiya's affection changed: +80 +90 (This bad guy... is... bullying me again... annoying... but... it doesn't feel... that bad...)]
...
While Cloud immersed himself in this "painful but happy" dual cultivation...
On the other side of the bamboo forest, Chin Gentsai and Sie Kensou were drinking while "observing" everything.
"Ma... Master..." Kensou looked at those two people stuck together, radiating the "sour smell of romance," feeling his heart shatter again.
"You're just... watching... Athena she..."
"Hehehe..." Chin stroked his long beard, laughing with bleary eyes. "Love between man and woman is human nature. What's good or bad about watching?"
"But! But that Cloud, he's... he's a playboy! Look how many girls surround him!" Kensou was nearly crying in frustration.
"Oh?" Chin laughed dismissively. "Heroes have always loved beauties, and beauties... have always loved heroes, no?"
His gaze pierced through gaps in the bamboo forest, landing on Cloud who was "seriously training."
Those seemingly cloudy old eyes flashed with a profound gleam like starlight that others could barely detect.
"Kensou, you only see his philandering, but you don't see that aura on him capable of making any strong fighter take notice."
"Inside him, it's as if... a primordial beast slumbers that even I cannot fathom."
"Athena choosing him is perhaps... also a kind of destined fate."
...
The next day, when Cloud finished his "spiritual dual cultivation" feeling refreshed (mainly from eating tofu), preparing to descend the mountain...
Chin Gentsai, as if having calculated the timing, blocked his path while carrying a wine gourd.
"Young friend, stay a moment."
"Master Chin Gentsai." Cloud respectfully bowed to this unfathomably deep grandmaster.
"Hehehe..." Chin looked at him with a smile. "Seeing young friend so vigorous and energetic, I presume... your gains were considerable?"
"I had some insights." Cloud replied modestly.
"Insights?" Chin shook his head. "Those insights of yours, I'm afraid they were all 'gained' from my disciple's body?"
Cloud's face reddened, embarrassedly scratching his nose.
"Hahaha, young people, this old man understands, understands completely." Chin laughed several times, then stopped teasing him, his expression turning serious. "Young friend, I see that while your power is formidable, your foundation... is somewhat mixed. Your martial arts seem to fuse the strengths of many schools, yet... lack a true backbone."
Cloud's heart jolted.
Truly worthy of a grandmaster! Seeing through the essence of his techniques at a glance!
...
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