Upon hearing Nolan's summons, Skirk had no choice but to teleport over to him—after all, she had already agreed to teach him the "Star Abyss Power."
However, when she arrived, she found herself inside a private dining room of a restaurant, the table covered with an array of exquisite breakfast dishes.
She crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and asked in confusion:
"What is this supposed to be?"
Nolan smiled and replied, "Breakfast first. Otherwise, neither teaching nor learning will have any energy."
Skirk fell silent for a moment. Once one's strength reached a certain level, it was only natural to master energy-absorption methods far more efficient than eating.
For example, she herself could use the "Star Abyss Power" to draw energy directly from the void. Someone like Nolan, who could easily defeat her, was unlikely to lack similar means.
"…Fine, whatever."
After thinking it over, Skirk sat down as well. It felt a bit like a waste of time, but since she couldn't beat this guy anyway, she could only cooperate for now.
Besides, she couldn't even remember how many years it had been since she'd eaten proper food.
Trying it once in a while didn't seem so bad.
[Skirk Has Developed Good Feelings Toward You, Obtained 720 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.8 (100/800)]
It was obvious that Skirk wasn't particularly passionate about food, yet she still developed affection toward him.
As expected, it must have been his charm at work. As long as his intentions toward a girl were genuinely kind, and she could sense it, gaining affection was usually quite easy.
Nolan gestured for her to go ahead, and the two of them began eating together.
He had already eaten breakfast before heading out that morning, so he merely held a bowl of porridge and took small sips.
Then he watched as the various breakfast dishes on the table were cleared one plate at a time, at a surprisingly steady rhythm.
Nolan looked at Skirk. As if there were no one else around, she parted her soft lips, opened her mouth, and swallowed meatballs—each at least three fingers wide—one per bite.
A plate of meatballs was gone in three bites. Next came the lotus paste buns beside it, a Liyue specialty, about the size of a palm—also finished in just two bites.
The empty plates gradually stacked higher and higher. In less than three minutes, most of the food on the table was gone, while Nolan had only taken a few sips of his porridge.
"Is something wrong?"
Skirk chewed her food, her fair cheeks looking slightly puffed. Noticing Nolan staring blankly at her, she asked indistinctly.
"Uh, no. Is it enough? If not, I can order more."
Watching the way Skirk ate, Nolan found it rather cute.
"No need. If I were to replenish energy using such an inefficient method, even all the food in the city wouldn't be enough."
Skirk swallowed the last bite and said calmly.
"That's true."
Nolan's main way of replenishing energy wasn't through eating either. Still, he and the girls in the Wonderland Space had always kept regular mealtimes.
After all, habits formed over a long period didn't need changing for no reason.
Moreover, gathering together to eat meant they could see each other often, chat, and nurture their relationships. Otherwise, with so many girls in the Wonderland Space—each with different lifestyles—
without the routine of three daily meals, it would be entirely possible to live in the same place and still not see each other for days on end.
So maintaining regular mealtimes is also very important for Nolan and the girls.
His thoughts racing, Nolan saw that Skirk had already finished eating. Since he wasn't in the habit of making others wait, he quickly finished his porridge as well.
"Let's go. Learning the 'Star Abyss Power' will disturb the surrounding void—we need to find an open area."
Skirk stood up from her seat, the purple, starry-patterned over-the-knee boots she wore looking as though they were woven from the night sky.
"I've already made arrangements for that."
Nolan smiled and continued,
"I have a personal pocket space. It's also where I live. It has many special effects that are very helpful for training, and it won't affect the outside world."
That's right—Nolan planned to take Skirk directly to the Wonderland Space.
Her affection toward him was already at level eight. With just a bit more effort, he might even be able to invite her to stay.
Moreover, Skirk was someone deeply devoted to training and strengthening herself. The various enhancement effects within the Wonderland Space would surely be quite attractive to her.
So for now, he would find an excuse to bring her inside, let her experience the buffs of the Wonderland Space firsthand, and spark her curiosity.
"Alright, I'll leave it to your arrangements then."
Skirk didn't think much of it and agreed.
Seeing this, Nolan settled the bill and then teleported back to the Wonderland Space with Skirk. They appeared on the beach on the second floor.
The moment she entered the Wonderland Space, Skirk felt the numerous enhancement effects coming from the space itself.
They affected the body, the mind, and more.
Among them, the two spatial traits "Inheritance" and "Meditative Contemplation" were especially notable—learning, teaching, and similar activities carried out here all enjoyed significantly higher efficiency.
"Soul-Soothing" ensured that the soul remained in a comfortable state at all times, preventing fatigue or similar emotions from lowering learning efficiency.
No wonder he could so easily defeat her—his foundations truly were formidable.
"Once I cool the water here a bit, we can start learning."
Nolan explained the effect of Kakomi's affection skill—that soaking in icy water could increase everyone's cultivation speed.
"Such a marvelous ability," Skirk remarked once again.
Pale-white Cryo energy gathered in her palm, slowly spreading across the surface of the pool. Before long, the water temperature dropped rapidly, and some floating ice even formed.
This level was already sufficient. If it all froze solid, it would actually lose the effect of enhancing cultivation speed.
"Come on. We just need to immerse part of our bodies in the water for it to take effect."
Nolan took off his shoes and walked from the beach into the icy pool.
Skirk, on the other hand, stepped straight into the freezing water with her long legs still clad in those purple over-the-knee boots, not bothering to take them off.
The instant she entered the water, she could indeed feel the enhancement taking effect.
"Alright, then we can begin the lesson, Teacher Skirk."
With everything prepared, Nolan said with a light smile.
Unfortunately, Skirk didn't seem to have much of a sense of humor. She merely gave him a surprised look, then nodded and said:
"The 'Star Abyss Power' doesn't have a concrete cultivation method. To gain an initial grasp of this power, you can only perceive it. Once you've done that, I can teach you how to use it."
Perception was the very first step—and also the hardest. Only after successfully comprehending it could anything else follow.
"Alright. Then how do I perceive it?"
Nolan was confident in himself. After all, he had so many buffs layered on him, and his own strength far surpassed Skirk's.
From such a lofty vantage point, logically speaking, learning anything shouldn't be able to stump him.
(End of Chapter)
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