The wind and snow were kept out by the thick wooden door.
Ur’s residence was a spacious log cabin, and the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly.
Aether had just hung his removed winter gear on the rack by the door when he turned around to see a visually shocking scene.
“Whew, it’s still warmer at home.” Ur let out a long breath and casually pulled off her long white trench coat.
This was normal.
But immediately after, she unbuttoned her shirt, shed them along with her trousers, and tossed them casually onto the carpet.
Wearing only her underwear, she walked over to the table to pour water with total indifference.
On the other side, Gray and Lyon were even more fluid in their movements.
The two boys had already stripped down to just their boxers and were crowding around the fireplace to claim the warmest spot.
“Hey!
What are the three of you doing?!” Laxus’s eyes widened, and his short blonde hair almost stood on end.
He spun around abruptly to face the wall, his ears turning bright red.
Aether’s mouth twitched slightly.
He knew that Ice-Make Mages had exhibitionist tendencies left over from their cold-resistance training, but seeing the synchronized stripping of this master and her two disciples with his own eyes still felt absurd.
Gildarts, on the other hand, looked calm, even letting out a whistle.
“Nice figure, Ur.” Bang!
A cup condensed from ice smashed accurately onto Gildarts’s head, shattering into icy shards.
“Close your eyes, old man.” Ur took a sip of water, her tone flat.
“This is a habit of Ice-Make Mages.
Only by feeling the cold and merging with the environment can the Ice-Make magic become purer.” “Feeling the cold in a room with a fireplace?” Aether couldn’t help but complain.
“Stop nagging.” Lyon glared at Aether.
“This is part of our training.
What would you guys, all bundled up, know about it?” Gray leaned in front of Aether, looking him up and down.
“That magic you used earlier to manifest a shield, how does it work?
How does water turn into that rock-hard stone?” Aether pressed on Gray’s head and pushed him away.
“That’s a trade secret.
Unless you join Fairy Tail, no talk.” The speaker was casual, but the listener was attentive.
Aether pulled out a chair and sat down, his gaze passing over Gray to look at Ur, who was drying her hair.
“Ur, are you interested in taking the two of them and coming to Magnolia together?” Aether spoke, his tone serious.
The atmosphere in the room went quiet for a moment.
Gildarts found a single sofa to sit in, watching Aether with interest.
Ur stopped her movements and turned to look at the twelve-year-old boy.
“Join the Fairy Tail Guild?” “Yes.” Aether nodded.
“Ice Wind Valley is too remote.
Besides, it’s not safe here.” “You mean Frost Wolf Fang?
I don’t care how many of those types come.” Ur pulled out a chair and sat opposite Aether.
“I mean Deliora.” Aether stared into Ur’s eyes.
Hearing that name, Gray’s body suddenly froze.
He had been fighting Lyon for a piece of roasted meat, but now he clenched his fists tightly.
Aether didn’t miss this detail.
Gray’s parents were killed by Deliora.
This seed of revenge had already taken root and sprouted in the child’s heart.
“Bark said Deliora once appeared in the North,” Aether continued.
“If that demon is truly wandering this continent, you alone cannot protect these two children.” “Fairy Tail can protect them?” Ur asked back.
“It can.” Aether’s tone was firm.
“Fairy Tail has Gildarts and Master Makarov.
Besides, our guild’s style is such that we are least afraid of looking for trouble.” Laxus turned his head and snorted coldly: “Don’t count me in; I have no interest in being a babysitter for others.” Ur looked at Aether and remained silent for a long time.
She saw a maturity in this boy that was completely inconsistent with his age.
It wasn’t a pretense of depth, but a foundation settled after experiencing countless storms.
But she shook her head.
“I refuse.” Ur’s gaze swept over Gray and Lyon.
“My duty is to teach them magic, not to send them into a comfortable greenhouse.
More importantly, if Deliora really is in the North…” Ur’s gaze became sharp.
“Then I can’t leave even more.
Someone must stand guard here.
If that monster appears, I will personally see it Frozen.” Aether sighed in his heart.
As expected, this woman’s sense of responsibility was too heavy.
She was already prepared to sacrifice herself at any time to seal the demon.
“Since you’re unwilling to leave, let’s try another way.” Aether took out a piece of parchment stamped with the Fairy Tail Guild’s seal from his pocket and pushed it in front of Ur.
“Sign this.” “What is this?” “A joint commission agreement.” Aether pointed at the parchment.
“From today on, we will maintain a direct line of contact.
If you find traces of Deliora in the North or encounter trouble you can’t solve, immediately use a communication lacrima to contact Fairy Tail.
We will intervene as a support party.” Ur frowned.
“I don’t need…” “This isn’t charity.” Aether interrupted her.
“Deliora is a threat to the entire continent.
If it truly appears, Fairy Tail won’t sit idly by.
We’re just establishing an information-sharing mechanism in advance.” Aether glanced at Gray nearby.
“Besides, even if you don’t consider yourself, you have to leave a way out for your disciples.
If something happens to you, who will take care of them?” These words struck Ur’s weak point.
She looked at Gray and Lyon, finally sighed, picked up the pen, and signed her name on the parchment.
“Deal.
But I hope this agreement is never used.” Aether put away the parchment.
“Me too.” The next morning.
The wind and snow continued.
Aether, Laxus, and Gildarts stood at the edge of Ice Wind Valley.
The Council’s detention unit had arrived to take over the remnants of Frost Wolf Fang.
Ur brought her two disciples to see them off.
“Hey, Aether!” Gray, shirtless, waved at Aether in the snow.
“Next time we meet, I’ll definitely defeat you with Ice-Make!” “Put some clothes on first.” Aether waved back.
Gildarts yawned and patted the back of Laxus’s head.
“Let’s go, time to head back.
The old man is probably getting impatient.” Laxus brushed off Gildarts’s hand and walked ahead without a word.
The train roared on the tracks.
Inside the carriage, the temperature gradually warmed up.
Gildarts fell asleep immediately, his snoring thunderous.
Laxus wore headphones, staring blankly at the snowy landscape outside the window.
Aether sat in his seat and closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank.
A virtual panel that only he could see lit up in the darkness.
[Primogem Count: 16,000] Participating in this S-class mission, combined with the previously accumulated commission rewards, finally brought the Primogems to a respectable number.
Aether felt the flow of magic power within his body.
After this period of training and experience, as well as guiding Laxus and Gray on elemental coordination, he had a deeper understanding of this world’s magic system.
But the shortcoming of his total base magic power still existed.
He needed a more powerful character template or a Constellation that could directly enhance his elemental control.
“System, start a ten-pull,” Aether thought to himself.
The starry background on the panel began to rotate.
A shooting star streaked across the night sky.
At first, it was a blue light.
Then, the light turned purple.
Before Aether could react, the purple light suddenly exploded, turning into an extremely dazzling gold!
A gold drop!
Aether’s breathing stopped instantly.
He called out Paimon and asked her, “Paimon, is this drop rate for real?
Another gold drop already?” Paimon swung her little feet, saying very leisurely, “If you really had to pull until the pity for every gold drop, you might not even get strong by the time the story ends.
Besides, pulling it isn’t the point; the point is you have to train yourself.
If you think about it that way, doesn’t this drop rate seem right?” Aether fell silent.
Although he had pulled cards several times, he easily overlooked that pulling in this world was very different from pulling in Genshin Impact.
Getting a powerful character didn’t directly make him stronger; his own inner strength was what mattered.
He took a deep breath and looked at the pull interface.
The golden meteor fell in the center of the virtual panel, erupting with brilliant light.
A slender figure slowly emerged from the radiance.
It was a young man wearing a cyan robe, with an Anemo Vision hanging at his waist.
His gaze was calm and deep, and visible cyan air currents swirled around him.
[Obtained Character Template: Kaedehara Kazuha] [Elemental Attribute: Anemo] [Core Abilities: Chihayaburu, Kazuha Slash, Poetic of Fuubutsu] Aether opened his eyes, his right hand suddenly clenching tight.
Wind.
The most versatile element of the Teyvat continent, the core of the Swirl reaction.
With the Anemo, his “Elemental Symphony” would no longer be limited to simple pairings.
Wind could Swirl Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, and Electro, instantly transforming single-target magic into large-scale AOE attacks.
More importantly, Kazuha’s template came with extremely superb swordsmanship and an ultimate perception of air currents.
Aether turned to look out the window.
The sound of the wind, which was originally blocked by the glass, now became incredibly clear in his ears.
He could even feel the flow trajectory of every wisp of air outside the carriage.
“Now, things are really getting interesting.” A smile tugged at the corner of Aether’s mouth.
Maybe it’s not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”