Descending Into A Novel-Chapter 122:Spar and Erin’s Sleep

He yawned, "Don’t blame me for not holding back."

"I am not that petty to hold a grudge against you."

Lin Qingyi stood across from him. Brandishing her tang sword, behind her—eight other swords floated in a fan-like pattern. A purple outline around each sword, leaving traces behind in the air as the bobbed up and down.

In exchange for Lin Qingyi helping them, Raymond had agreed to spar with her once. A decision he was starting to really regret.

Not because he was scared or anything, but because he was really tired.

They had literally just stepped off the train and returned to the academy!

Immediately, she had pulled him to one of the academy sparring grounds and forced him to fight her right then and there. He supposed the few days they had spent on the train had driven her crazy from the lack of fighting.

Even if she was the most...normal (it was hard to call any of them normal, really). This reminded Raymond of precisely why he hated fighting maniacs.

A blue cloak of ice formed on him, despite the lack of wind. It still billowed behind him. A thin mist of ice surrounding him as he got ready.

Better end this quick, he had to help Erin get used to her new home at the academy. AKA his apartment.

She immediately dashed towards him, as a warrior. The one thing she couldn’t allow was to give Raymond the space needed for his casting.

Purple aura erupted from the sword in her hands, at the same time. The eight swords behind her flew out towards him.

Aiming to surround him fully and interrupt his casting—she sent out a flurry of slashes. Each sword must have required an insane amount of mana control and mental capacity to command. Yet she was effortlessly moving them around to attack him.

Or maybe not as effortlessly, Raymond could feel a bit of a delay between her movements. Something that could barely be noticed unless one also had extreme perception.

Rather then controlling all the swords at once. It was more like she was controlling two at a time, before swapping to the next set and controlling those two.

Effortlessly blocking it with a simple shield, a small glacier erupted out of the ground. Forcing her to block the shards of ice.

"Your control over your swords is lacking." he commented.

It was kind of unfair actually, her multitasking skills were already amazing enough. Not everyone could be like him after all.

Even as he launched barrage after barrage of glaciers at her, he could see Lin Qingyi clearly struggle to defend and also attack him at the same time. The frequency of swords hitting his shield decreasing as he sped up his spell casting.

"I am aware of my own inadequacy."

She smiled, sweating intensely as she swung her sword and cut through another glacier.

The moment she cut through however, several shards of ice immediately launched themselves at her from the fragments. A thin freeze ray aimed straight at her chest at the same time.

Gritting her teeth, she recalled two of the eight swords attacking him. Using them to help her defend.

He let out another yawn as he shot out a freeze ray. The difference between the two was like night and day.

While Lin Qingyi was fighting with all she had just to not immediately be knocked away by his spells, Raymond was fighting to not immediately fall asleep right there on the spot.

Well,he promised to go all out. He didn’t want to disrespect her after all.

Buying some time by sending out another glacier, Raymond took a deep breath. Channeling his mana into a bigger spell.

Lin Qingyi noticed what he was doing almost immediately. Realizing she had to stop him before he could cast whatever it was.

There was still a far distance between them, his constant spells had kept pushing her back despite her efforts.

She recalled all of her swords, using them to try and attack him with his shield was useless. Better to use them for defence.

Flying on one of her swords, she reunited with the rest mid-flight.

’Nine Heavens Sword Art:Ninefold Descending Sky Sword!’

With her swords all gathered together, all nine of them proceeded to charge towards him. Jumping off at the last second, she expertly controlled the swords to descend upon him from above. Like a rain of metal, each sword blazed with an intense purple aura.

At the same time, Raymond finished casting his spell. Looking up, he could see her swords speeding through the air with a whistle.

If she had ever managed to stay in the Profound Sword Truth Sect, she may have continued on her path to becoming one of the strongest within Wulin.

But life never went accordingly to how one wished. Raymond knew that all too well of course.

"Flash Freeze."

In an instant, a wave of ice spread out from Raymond’s position. Coming into contact with the swords, Lin Qingyi watched helplessly as each froze upon clashing with the wave.

Before she could control the rest to fly away, Raymond shot out another, more concentrated wave of frost. Freezing all her swords mid-air.

Seeing all her swords clink as they landed on the ground, she let out a deep breath.

"Good fight."

In the entire battle, she hadn’t even managed to land a single attack on him. While it was normal since he was a rank above her, she had assumed that she might at least stand a small chance.

"Satisfied?"

"Very."

The entire group was already nearing their first tempering, soon they would be on equal ranks with Raymond. A month earlier then previously, likely due to the effect he had on them.

Slowly but surely, the future was changing for the better.

***

Raymond collapsed into his bed, letting out a muffled groan as he felt the immense softness cushion him from all directions.

Ellen chided, "At least shower first."

"I already cleaned myself using magic."

Since his face was buried in his pillow, it actually sounded more like

"I actmually meaned myswelf ushing mhajic"

But Ellen understood him anyways, letting out a tut of disapproval.

Just then, a small knock on their door interrupted her before she could say anything else. Given that there was only one other person in their apartment, it was obvious who it was.

She opened the door, spotting her fiery red hair as Erin nervously asked. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Where...do I sleep?"

"...Raymond!"

Raymond was the expert here. So in times like this, she just let him handle it.

"Just let her sleep on the floor with a few pillows...dragons usually sleep curled up in a cavern..."

Ellen stared at Erin, her eyes widened as she processed what Raymond had just said.

Seeing this, she immediately threw Raymond’s suggestion out of the window.

The thought of her lying on the floor was just too pitiful. Ellen wasn’t that cruel.

She rubbed her forehead, Raymond’s apartment didn’t have a spare bedroom, and she felt like forcing her to sleep on the couch would be too cruel as well.

"Do you...want to sleep with us?"

Her ears perked up, Ellen could see her tail behind her swaying back and forth already.

Erin had only been with them a few days, but Ellen had already formed a intense bond with her. She was just so adorable!

Picking her up under her arms, Ellen carried her and plopped her down in the middle of their bed.

Raymond was already fast asleep, mouth open as he hugged a pillow with his arms.

Erin, seeing him sleep. Curiously poked him in the cheek with a finger.

The sight of it reminded Ellen of when she did the same, during their first mission nearly a year ago. Had she already learned from Ellen? Or did Raymond’s face just have that irresistible quality that made one want to poke and squeeze it? The same way that people couldn’t resist pressing a big red button in front of them.

She ruffled her hair, making her giggle. It was good that she had already adapted so quickly to life with them. Although...

"Mom! Your hand is so cold!"

Being called mom at her age...was embarrassing to say the least.

She had lived through a lot, so he had always been able to keep a straight face through most things. Regular insults could do nothing to shake her. She could hear her black mail from Noelle all day and her heart wouldn’t even budge an inch, because all of those past shameful memories were from decades ago in her point of view.

But being called mom was something else entirely!

She let out a small cough to hide her face. Even though it was only Erin and a sleeping Raymond right now. She still felt like she had to for some reason.

’Whatever...’

Lying down, Ellen closed her eyes. With how tired she was as well, she fell asleep within minutes. The cool air and comfortable bed was just too much, she could understand why Raymond loved to rot within bed all day long.

Leaving only Erin in between the two of them. Curiously poking them in turns. Her wings and tail occasionally slapping one by accident.