Narrator: Dav, with a reassuring voice, said to Selene:
"Don't push yourself.
I have no class after lunch, so I can stay here and watch over you, help you with everything."
Selene, happy to hear that, looked at him with eyes full of affection, a sweet smile lighting up
her tired face. She answered in a lively tone:
"You don't need to worry so much! You can always come later and have dinner with me again."
Dav, lifting the left corner of his lip in an affectionate smile, nodded and told her it would
be a pleasure for him to have dinner together again.
Then, shifting his gaze to the sword resting beside the couch, he spoke to Myrrhya in a curious tone:
"Myry, how are you doing? Getting used to things?"
The sword, vibrating slightly as if to reflect emotion, began to speak in a clear and natural voice:
"I'm fine, papa. No problem."
Dav continued eating calmly, bringing slow forkfuls to his mouth.
Between bites, with a calm and natural tone, he added:
"Good.
Take care of mom as soon as we're done with lunch.
I have to go to the library, look for Valeria to ask her something about a book."
Selene, while absentmindedly playing with a corner of the tablecloth, looked at him with curiosity and asked:
"Is there a specific book you're looking for?"
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Dav, with a serene expression and a faint smile, explained:
"One of the many books I stole- let’s say 'borrowed' from the royal library.
Valeria knows where it ended up. Honestly, I don’t remember where I put it."
Selene laughed softly, shaking her head.
She had never been passionate about books, but she cherished the memory of that evening
when Dav read to her, while she listened, often without understanding much, lulled by the sound of his voice.
About half an hour later, after finishing the quiet lunch, Dav approached Selene and,
with a gentle gesture, caressed her messy hair:
"See you later, Sele.
Rest, and don’t strain yourself."
Selene, with a warm smile, wished him good luck and watched him leave the room with silent steps.
Dav headed toward the great library of the academy.
As he entered, the scent of old and new books immediately wrapped around him.
He looked up and saw Valeria, as always, sitting mid-air, floating with a book in her hands.
As soon as she noticed him, Valeria approached playfully, touching his nose with hers in an affectionate gesture not uncommon for her, and asked with a worried
smile:
"How's Selene? Did she eat?"
Dav, gently shaking his head back and forth, made their noses bump softly as he reassured her:
"She's fine, she's recovering."
Then, looking at her with a more serious expression:
"Vale, by any chance do you know where that book about Ki ended up?
I can't find it."
Valeria brought a hand to her chin, thoughtful, legs crossed as she continued to float.
"Yes, I remember now!
I placed it somewhere safer. Wait here."
She disappeared among the shelves and came back shortly after with an old tome in her arms.
When she handed it to him, Dav took it carefully.
But before he could thank her, Valeria grabbed his arm, gently pulling him inside one of her magical barriers.
Floating together, they rose near one of the large stained-glass windows, in a shadowed corner where the light filtered in softly.
Valeria, still suspended in the air, began to play with Dav's crimson-red hair, while her slender fingers caressed his face, tracing light lines along his jaw.
Then, with a mischievous smile, she kissed his neck, right where she knew he was most sensitive.
Meanwhile, Dav, trying to stay focused, opened the book and began to read aloud:
>Ki, uncommon but as powerful as mana and aura.
It is divided into several levels:
Latent Ki: The body begins to adapt, enhancing resistance and strength.
Active Ki: The user can use Ki to boost attacks and defend.
Master Ki: Perfect control. Attacks become lethal, the body nearly indestructible.
Divine Ki: Enemy attacks seem to slow down, strength becomes overwhelming, and one becomes immune to negative effects and mind control.
??? for a prolonged period, ??? speak with ???.<
Dav furrowed his brows, visibly intrigued.
"Leo might be in the first phase...
As for me, I’m not sure."
Flipping through more pages, he stopped at other mysterious notes marked with "???"
"They’re everywhere, even in official books...
Just like when my death blade had an incomplete name.
Then, somehow, it changed..."
His gaze drifted for a moment into the void, while Valeria kept gently running her fingers through his hair, protecting him with her calm and affectionate presence.
END CHAPTER - 160