Time flew by as the months passed, and before Su Yan knew it, the break for the New Year's celebrations had arrived. Over the past few months, Teacher Lin had been training him hard. What started as him visiting to ask some questions had turned into a routine. And what a difference it made. While she was not the strongest Spirit Master, or even the most experienced, she still knew her stuff. Everything she had taught was either from personal experience or learned from someone she had personally met.
Su Yan had found that he really liked her teaching style. For almost everything she taught, she would draw up examples, and even the inferences she made, she would clearly explain them as such. Unlike a certain Grandmaster…
At this point, Su Yan felt like he had a fairly solid grasp on most elementary Spirit Master knowledge: picking suitable Soul Beasts, suitably aged Soul Beasts, and the different ways of cultivating.
Somehow, combat was always the fastest. Teacher Lin praised Su Yan for his initiative in emptying his Spirit Power every day; while it was something that could be done, most children his age didn't have the patience for it. Combat, though the fastest way to improve—and a reliable way to drain one's reserves while pushing potential—also risked injury, making it less than optimal as a daily training method.
Su Yan had also managed to figure out the nuances of his First Soul Skill: Bastion. It corresponded, in some ways, to how the Rapture shields worked in Nikke—five colours: red, green, gold, purple, and blue, each relating to an element: Fire, Wind, Iron, Electric, and Water. Each of the elements had much better durability against attacks of the same element; conversely, their elemental weakness broke them more easily.
Su Yan felt disappointed, however, that the shields he produced were not the boss QTE shield; the damage immunity would have been nice. Though that may have been asking for too much for a First Soul Skill. After all, he could even move the summoned barriers. The closer they were to him, the less Spirit Power it took to move them, so he started practicing like a brawler, having "shields" on each of his arms as he bludgeoned his opponents.
Swinging the barriers in a long-distance attack was also something he found pretty fun to do, but the drain on his Spirit Power was much greater, and unless he directed them with his hands, it was still somewhat slow. Honestly, it reminded him of the control method of Byakuya Kuchiki, directing his cherry blossom blades. Su Yan wondered if, with better control and if he could summon more shields, he could one day make something similar.
Su Yan was jolted from his thoughts as he bumped into the gate to Teacher Lin's home. Clutching his head in pain, he realized he had been way too caught up in his thoughts.
Rubbing his head a few more times until the pain faded, he knocked and called out, "Teacher Lin, it's me, Su Yan. Please open up."
The gate opened, and Teacher Lin stood there.
"Remind me to get you a key later. With how much you are coming over, I think it's long overdue at this point."
She remarked as she led Su Yan in.
As Su Yan entered, he spotted Nihilister sprawled out on a bench, her tail out, basking in the warm morning sun.
"Did you always have a bench out here, Teacher Lin? I swear I saw that in the guest hall before."
Su Yan questioned.
Teacher Lin gave an exasperated sigh before answering.
"It was, but Nihilister here decided that it now belongs in the courtyard."
Nihilister, hearing their conversation, lazily opened an eye before retorting, "Considering that I don't have much to do around here, I think you should cut me some slack."
"Well, now is your chance for something to do. I am going to be heading back to Maple Leaf Village for the New Year celebrations. Do you want to come along?"
Su Yan asked.
Nihilister turned her head towards Su Yan and asked, "Is there anything to fight there, or is there anything for me to burn?"
"There is not," Su Yan answered dryly.
Nihilister closed her eyes and lay back down.
"Then come find me when there is. Until then, I think I'll just stay around here."
Su Yan felt both a little relieved that she had said no, and a little disappointed. While this dragoness was a bit prickly, he did want to spend more time with her, but there were simply not enough activities around here that she would like to participate in.
"In that case, I'll be back in about a week or two. Please stay out of trouble in the meantime."
Su Yan said to Nihilister, who did not answer, her tail draped over the bench and swaying side to side.
Su Yan shook his head as he headed to the storeroom, with Teacher Lin following.
"Teacher Lin, are you planning on visiting your family during the holidays?"
Su Yan asked as he started manifesting more Rapture parts, adding to the growing pile in the corner of the room.
Teacher Lin grimaced when she heard Su Yan's question.
"Er… I am most likely going to stay away this year…."
Her eyes darted back outside to Nihilister, and she spoke in a rush.
"Have to keep an eye on Nihilister, after all. Can't have her causing trouble, you know."
She said righteously.
Su Yan spun around and spoke.
"If this is preventing you from visiting your family, I can cancel my trip. We've already troubled you enough as it is. We can't very well prevent you from visiting family during the New Year celebrations."
Teacher Lin, with a bit of panic leaking into her voice, replied, "No, no. You've been no trouble at all. Don't cancel your trip. I can always visit them next year."
Su Yan, seeing Teacher Lin's odd behaviour, questioned, "Teacher Lin, what is really going on?"
Teacher Lin let out a deep sigh before replying.
"I don't want to go back because my family keeps trying to set me up with someone…."
Su Yan turned back around as he began to shake, and quiet snickers could be heard.
Teacher Lin, seeing this, puffed out her cheeks before hitting Su Yan.
"Stop that. Laughing at your teacher—have you no respect?!"
Su Yan, now fully laughing, replied, "I'm sorry, Teacher Lin. It's just… imagining you, always so composed, being too scared to go back because of this—I can't help myself. Hahahaha."
Teacher Lin continued lightly hitting Su Yan until he stopped.
"Humph, see if I ever teach you anything good again."
Teacher Lin crossed her arms and looked away.
"Alright, I am sorry, Teacher Lin. Your student formally apologizes for his rudeness, and I won't do it again."
Su Yan said lightly before bowing.
Teacher Lin side-eyed him.
"You promise?"
Su Yan smiled before saying, "I promise."
Su Yan turned back to his task, manifesting more Rapture parts. The pile in the corner was already large—more than enough to keep Nihilister fed while he was away—so he decided to aim for better quality, spending the rest of the time trying for Servant-class pieces. Even with the conditionals he layered into the manifestation, the success rate remained low, but he hoped Nihilister would like these better than Husk-level ones every day.
Standing up from his sitting position, he stretched his back as satisfying cracks came from it. He made his way outside, where at some point a second bench had appeared, and Teacher Lin was also lying there lazily in the morning sun.
'Well, at least those two are getting along.'
Su Yan thought to himself.
"Teacher Lin, Nihilister, I'm heading out now. I'll see you both in a week or two."
Su Yan made his way to the exit before hearing Teacher Lin call out, "Su Yan, catch!"
Su Yan spun around as he saw a key fly towards him. He managed to catch it just before it dropped to the ground.
"Lock the gate on your way out, please."
Teacher Lin called out before lying back down again.
Leaving and locking the gate again, Su Yan proceeded towards the caravan he was hitching a ride with. Unlike the trip to Nuoding, this time the caravan was even willing to pay him to travel with them; Spirit Masters truly were treated differently.
As the caravan left Nuoding City, his thoughts drifted to Maple Leaf Village. After so long away from home, he wondered if anything had changed.