“Uh…” Listening to Wriothesley’s speculation, Toki instinctively touched his face and felt somewhat helpless.
It seemed Wriothesley had misunderstood.
He had mistaken Toki’s ability for the power of a Delusion.
But Toki couldn’t be bothered to explain.
After all, the fact that an ordinary person like him could suddenly wield elemental power was difficult enough to explain in the first place.
The “Delusion” explanation happened to fit perfectly and would save him a great deal of trouble.
As for why he could keep using this supposed “Delusion” without his hair turning gray or his skin becoming covered in wrinkles…
Toki could only say…
Maybe he was just exceptionally long-lived?
Wriothesley’s gaze toward Toki now contained a few complicated emotions.
His attitude was no longer as cold as before.
Instead, there was a faint, almost imperceptible trace of regret and pity.
After remaining silent for a moment, he slowly spoke in a serious tone.
“I’ll help you contact Lady Furina.” He paused before adding, “As for that elemental power of yours, avoid using it whenever possible.” “The backlash from a Delusion is severe.
There’s no reason to consume your own lifespan over trivial matters.” “Go back and stay in your Prison Cell.
Don’t wander around.” “When Lady Furina arrives, I’ll have someone notify you.” Wriothesley waved his hand, signaling for Toki to leave.
His tone returned to its usual calmness, and he said nothing more.
Toki nodded without adding anything and turned to leave Wriothesley’s office.
As long as he could meet Furina and give her the Flowing Counter Fist Manual, he would obtain an enhanced version of the skill.
Then his Extraordinary-Level physique would finally have some actual combat techniques to make proper use of it.
Wriothesley was always extremely efficient when handling matters.
Toki had been back in his Prison Cell for less than an hour when a guard’s voice came from outside.
The guard’s tone was noticeably more respectful than before.
“Toki, Lady Furina is already on her way.” “The Administrator wants you to wait in the same private meeting room as before.” Toki’s eyes lit up.
Even he hadn’t expected her to arrive so quickly.
He stood up, straightened his prison uniform, and quickly followed the guard out of his cell.
Of course, Furina’s rapid arrival wasn’t solely because Wriothesley handled things efficiently.
More importantly, Furina herself genuinely cared about Toki’s affairs.
The moment she learned that Toki wanted to see her, she naturally came over immediately.
It was the same familiar private meeting room, still without any unnecessary furnishings.
Toki and Furina entered almost one after the other.
But the moment he saw Furina’s appearance, Toki stared at her in complete disbelief.
Where had the Hydro Archon’s usual elegance and composure gone?
Her normally immaculate ocean-blue hair was somewhat disheveled, with several loose strands sticking to her forehead.
There was faint exhaustion on her face, along with a light bruise near her temple.
Several faint red marks could be seen around her neck.
Her arms hung slightly at her sides, her sleeves rolled up.
There were several shallow scratches across her exposed forearms.
Her formal clothes were also covered with quite a bit of dust.
Some parts had even been rubbed until the fabric began to fray.
She looked utterly battered, as though she had just emerged from a fierce battle and suffered considerable injuries.
The marks left by her training were far worse than last time!
Toki frowned as he looked at her.
“Did you decide that because I can heal you, you can just train yourself half to death?” Having her thoughts exposed in a single sentence, Furina’s gaze immediately became evasive.
She scratched her head and smiled awkwardly, her voice growing quieter.
“I…
I just wanted to increase my combat strength faster.” “Do you realize that training yourself this recklessly might not only have the opposite effect, but could even cause permanent injuries?” As Toki spoke, he raised his hand.
Gentle Hydro energy gathered at his fingertips.
With a small motion, a crystal-clear Bolstering Bubblebalm formed in his hand.
The Bolstering Bubblebalm radiated a faint blue light and carried a soothing aura as Toki lightly tossed it toward Furina.
“Huh?!” Furina was startled by what Toki had said.
“Th-Then…
I won’t train like this anymore…” Toki helplessly shook his head at her somewhat stunned expression.
“Everything has its limits.
Don’t push yourself beyond what your body can handle!” “Sometimes, special items and techniques can be far more effective than trying to strengthen your body through reckless training.” The moment Furina heard the words “special items,” her eyes immediately lit up.
All traces of exhaustion vanished from her face as she eagerly asked, “You mean something like that Body-Strengthening Pill from last time?” “Do you have more pills like that for me to eat?!” The Body-Strengthening Pill she had taken last time had greatly improved her physical fitness.
She had never forgotten how effortless that increase in strength had felt.
Now that she heard there might be another opportunity to obtain something similar, her eyes were filled with anticipation.
“Uh…
not at the moment.” Toki spread his hands.
Seeing Furina’s expression instantly collapse, he quickly added, “But even though I don’t have another Body-Strengthening Pill, I do have something else good!” “Its effects on your combat strength should be at least as good, if not better!” As he spoke, Toki concentrated and retrieved the Flowing Counter Fist Manual from the system’s Storage Space.
He held the manual out toward Furina.
“What’s this?” Furina accepted it curiously and flipped through several pages.
Looking at the illustrated techniques and densely packed explanations inside, she narrowed her eyes slightly.
After thinking for a moment, she tentatively said, “This looks like some kind of martial art.” “I’ve heard of things like this before.” “Judging by the writing and the diagrams, is this a martial technique from Liyue?” “If you already understand what it is, that makes things easier.” Toki smiled confidently.
“Learn this, and it’ll greatly increase your combat strength.” “Your physical condition is already quite good, but having brute strength without any fighting technique won’t get you very far.” “If you encounter a truly skilled opponent, you’ll still be at a disadvantage.” “I see…” Furina nodded and opened the manual again, still somewhat skeptical.
She carefully examined several pages explaining the techniques before walking into the middle of the private meeting room.
Then, following the diagrams in the manual, she slowly assumed the opening stance of the Flowing Counter Fist and began awkwardly practicing.
Her movements were slow and somewhat stiff.
Every so often, she had to lower her head and glance at the manual again.
Confusion covered Furina’s face as she practiced and quietly muttered, “Can movements this slow really be useful…?” “They don’t look dangerous at all.” “It feels like simply throwing a punch would have more power!” Toki said nothing.
He merely stood to the side and quietly watched her.
He knew Furina wouldn’t truly believe in the Flowing Counter Fist until she personally experienced its power.
As Furina clumsily followed the manual and finally completed the entire sequence, something extraordinary happened.
The Flowing Counter Fist Manual suddenly emitted a gentle white glow.
The light flashed once— and the manual vanished from existence right before their eyes, as though it had never been there at all!
At the same time, an enormous amount of martial knowledge instantly flooded into Furina’s mind.
The techniques that had seemed awkward only moments earlier suddenly became fluid and natural.
The core principles of the Flowing Counter Fist, its methods of generating force, and its techniques for redirecting an opponent’s strength seemed to become engraved into her very instincts.
In an instant, she had completely mastered them.
She no longer needed the manual to guide her!
(End of Chapter)