Chapter 38 The Art of Teasing and Training – Arianna

Cassis and Arianna lay in bed in the Bristols' guest room, quietly discussing the whirlwind of revelations and planning that had filled their day. So much had happened that it was almost overwhelming, but they promised each other—again and again—that they would see this through together. Their goal remained unchanged: to save this world, no matter how daunting the task ahead.

Of course, they also went over their gains from training. Cassis had unlocked the skill Unarmed Combat (Advanced), and several of his other skills—Slash, Parry, Dodge, Deflect, Counter, and Acrobatics—had risen to Expert. What he was especially happy about, though, was acquiring the unique feature Pain Resistance (Basic). Arianna rolled her eyes when he mentioned it, still annoyed at how recklessly he and Helen had fought. As for herself, her Bludgeon skill had advanced from Intermediate to Advanced, while her Parry and Deflect had finally reached Beginner rank. Her Heal spell had also improved to Advanced, though she suspected it had more to do with her improved mana control than the actual number of times she had used it—after all, she had been rather stingy with healing Cassis and Helen, making sure to only patch them up enough to keep going as her small form of punishment. She wondered if that had also made a difference. Her deliberate way of healing. Maybe she could study some medicine books about the human body and how to heal. She had a basic understanding of it but the knowledge might help her.

The next morning, Arianna woke up alone. Somehow, she felt lonely again, but it was nothing new. She had grown used to this feeling. With a sigh, she got up, dressed quickly, and headed downstairs, where she found Nadine and Cassis already having breakfast.

Nadine saw her, smiled warmly, and handed her a steaming mug of coffee before motioning for her to sit down. "We can already start," she said cheerfully. "Luke likes to sleep in when he doesn't have work. I'll wake him up before training. He doesn’t usually eat breakfast anyway."

She spoke about her husband with a soft smile, as though she found this particular habit of his endearing. Arianna couldn’t help but smile too, charmed by the quiet affection in Nadine’s voice. The two women made small talk about the upcoming training session, while Cassis remained silent, sipping his drink.

At one point, Arianna warned Nadine, "Just so you know, it’s going to be hellish."

Nadine laughed, brushing off the warning. "I’m sure it won’t be that bad."

Cassis smirked but still said nothing. Arianna thought to herself, She’ll find out soon enough.

Once they finished breakfast, they walked to Cassis’ parents’ house, where the children—along with Danielle, Marcus, and Helen—were already awake and full of energy. Matteo, in particular, was practically bouncing with excitement. He was getting trained today, after all. Arianna felt conflicted about it. On the one hand, she hated that they had to teach him how to wield violence at such a young age. But on the other, she was relieved. At least he wouldn’t be defenseless against the monsters. At least he had found a purpose again.

Since they had agreed to start training at ten and it was only nine, Cassis took the opportunity to call Dan Brice. Arianna shuddered inwardly. Every time she thought about that man, she felt a wave of revulsion.

Cassis kept the conversation short and to the point, informing Brice that they would accept the medal. When he hung up, he turned to her and relayed the details. "They want to hold the ceremony tomorrow in Vallendale’s parliament. They’ll be streaming it live and making a global announcement afterward. The document confirming that we won’t be forcefully conscripted has already been signed by the President of the World Council—Shakir Zenet. He’ll be the one presenting the medals."

Arianna swallowed hard, her stomach twisting. "Great," she muttered, with absolutely no enthusiasm.

As the clock edged closer to ten, Liam had yet to come downstairs. Arianna, knowing he was sharing Cassis’ old bedroom with Helen, decided to go up and fetch him. She had learned that Liam had willingly given up his own room so that Matteo and Felicia could have a more comfortable space together. Now he was again sleeping by sitting in his bean bag as he had given Helen Cassis’ bed. He was such a nice guy.

Reaching the door, she raised a hand to knock but froze when she heard Liam’s voice from inside, raised in frustration.

“It’s not like that!”

Arianna hesitated, unsure whether to interrupt. Instead, she stood still and unintentionally overheard the conversation.

“Cam, you don’t understand. It’s hard for me.” A pause. “No, they’re not bigoted! I’m just not comfortable yet.” Another pause. “No, sorry for shouting. It’s no use. Sorry.” Silence. Then, softer, “Yes, in three days at 4 p.m.” A longer pause, followed by a quiet, “Bye… miss you.”

The door suddenly swung open.

Arianna and Liam both startled, eyes wide.

Arianna recovered first. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop… but I kind of did in the end. I just came to get you—training is starting soon.” She turned on her heel, ready to escape the awkward situation, but Liam grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room.

“How much did you hear?” he asked, looking panicked.

Arianna, still confused about why his conversation seemed like such a big deal, repeated, “Sorry, I really didn’t mean to. I didn’t hear a lot, and honestly, I don’t understand most of it. Did you have a fight with your girlfriend?”

Liam’s panic melted into relief, and then he realized he was still gripping her arm. He let go immediately, muttering an apology. Arianna still felt bad for listening in. I shouldn’t have done that.

[+20 CP for listening to a secret talk.]

The system had to be mocking her again.

Liam took a breath, seeming to collect himself, then looked at her thoughtfully. “I’m a bit of a private person. Sorry again.” He gestured vaguely at her arm and then between them, as if acknowledging the awkwardness. “But yeah, my boyfriend and I have been having some trouble lately. Cam is mad that I haven’t introduced him to my parents yet.” He put slight emphasis on the word boyfriend.

Oh. So, she had made assumptions.

“Why haven’t you?” she asked curiously. “Introduced him, I mean.”

Liam hesitated, as if expecting a stronger reaction to his sexuality. When Arianna didn’t give him one, he sighed. “I just don’t feel ready yet. Things are so good between us, and I love him, but introducing him to my parents feels like such a big step.”

Arianna nodded in understanding. “But you know they wouldn’t care that he’s a boy, right?”

Liam groaned. “I know! It’s just… I don’t know how to explain it. I just don’t feel ready.”

She actually understood. Liam had seemed more assertive during the first wave, but now that things had calmed down, he was actually a little socially awkward.

“How long have you been dating?” she asked.

“Almost a year.”

“Well, I get why he wants to meet your family. I’ve only had one serious relationship, and I introduced him to my dad almost immediately.”

Liam looked up sharply and surprised her with his next words. “Oh? Then what is my brother? Are you not serious?”

Did he sound a little protective?

Arianna realized she had messed up a bit and grinned. “I mean before Cassis. We’re very serious. I mean, we live together.”

Liam studied her for a moment, then seemed satisfied with her answer. She was glad he accepted the lie. She and Cassis couldn’t wait too long to ‘break up’. She didn’t like lying to everyone. Or maybe they could turn the lie into reality. But that was a big maybe. There was some tension between them, but he hadn’t even tried to do anything in the past few days. Sure, she hadn’t either, but she had become quite insecure after he had stopped her. Was it just excitement about their survival that had made him make out with her? She just didn’t know and chose other things to worry about.

[+20 CP (for successfully deceiving a mortal)]

This dammed system.

She sighed: “Let’s go to the others. I won’t say anything, of course.” He nodded with a smile, and together, they headed downstairs.

Once Liam and Arianna came down, they saw the others gathered in the garden along with their children. After exchanging greetings, they placed Violet, Felicia, and Noah in a separate corner of the garden, with baby Jessica resting in her stroller. Violet, ever the social butterfly, had quickly become close friends with Felicia and chattered enough for the both of them. She also took young Noah’s hand and pulled him along, treating him much like a younger brother.

The adults, all dressed in sportswear, braced themselves as Cassis began the training session with his usual light warmup—running, strength, and balance exercises. Arianna was surprised to realize that the past few days of constant training had actually made her faster than everyone except Cassis and Helen. Helen, unfazed and barely breaking a sweat, gave her a few tips on how to run more efficiently.

While Arianna managed to complete all the rounds around the neighborhood, others were not as fortunate. Elena dropped out after a few rounds, followed shortly by Joseph, who clutched his chest as though he was on the verge of a heart attack. Matteo fell down a few times, his short legs not being able to keep up with the adults. But he finished all his rounds.

When it was finally over, Cassis granted them a short break in his parents’ garden. Gasping for breath, Arianna turned to Nadine and said, “Told you. It’s hellish.”

Nadine, too out of breath to answer, remained on her hands and knees, struggling to breathe. Luke, in slightly better shape, rubbed her back soothingly. Matteo lay on his back, not speaking or doing anything.

Meanwhile, Joseph marvelled aloud, “Although this system has brought terrible suffering, it has also restored my physical strength. I feel years younger. And my heart… it actually works again.”

Benjamin looked up at him in surprise. “Now that you mention it, you do look younger, Dad. Like you did five years ago.”

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Danielle and Marcus, still catching their breath, chimed in as well.

“You know, I’ve noticed that too,” Danielle admitted. “My grey hairs are gone. And the other day, I fell off a chair while reaching for something in a high cupboard, but I didn’t get hurt at all. Before the system, I would have at least sprained my wrist, maybe even broken my arm.”

Marcus nodded in agreement. “And I can actually walk up the stairs without nearly collapsing.”

Helen added, “My joints don’t ache anymore. It’s like my arthritis has disappeared.”

Arianna listened with wide eyes. The idea of growing old sounded terrifying. But then, she realized—aging wasn’t really a problem anymore. The system would keep them young, maintaining them at their physical prime until their late thirties. And for those older than that, it would actually reverse their aging.

She shared this revelation with the group, and suddenly, a wave of excited voices erupted around her.

“Is that true?”

“Wow! I can’t believe it!”

“So I am getting younger!”

Cassis confirmed it, and Joseph grinned. “Damn, that’s great news. I’ll have you know, I was quite the looker in my younger days.”

Benjamin groaned. “Dad…”

Danielle chuckled. “Oh, I noticed. Molly was a very lucky woman to have you.” She shot Joseph a playful wink.

Joseph’s smile softened, tinged with sadness. “Yeah, my Molly… She was a real bombshell.”

Benjamin shook his head, but before he could respond, Marcus spoke up. “Danielle, I was also very good-looking when I was younger.”

Danielle smiled sweetly at her husband. “Of course you were, my dear. But Joseph was a little older and had that rugged working-man charm. You, on the other hand, had this great bookish appeal that I completely fell in love with.”

Marcus took her hand and kissed it, murmuring, “Then don’t look at other men.”

Helen snickered beside Arianna and whispered, “This isn’t the first time they’ve had this argument.”

Joseph winked at them, clearly enjoying the playful flirtation. Meanwhile, Cassis and Liam both averted their gazes, their lack of protest suggesting they were used to such displays of affection.

Arianna, watching the easy love between Marcus and Danielle, felt a strange sense of fascination. Her father had never dated after her mother’s death, so she had never witnessed a long-term couple like this before. The way they interacted, the way they still flirted and laughed together after so many years—it was something she wanted for herself one day, too.

Cassis rasped loudly and gave out new instructions, leading them through gruelling strength exercises—push-ups, sit-ups, and more balance drills. Arianna was already sore, but she gritted her teeth and kept going.

Once they were thoroughly exhausted, Cassis finally divided them into three groups.

The first group consisted of the mages—Elena and Marcus—and the lone cleric, Arianna. Their training focused on using staffs and maces for both offense and defence. Helen demonstrated precise staff movements for Elena, showing her how to transition seamlessly between attacks and blocks. Meanwhile, Cassis helped Marcus adjust his grip and stance to make better use of his staff with just one hand.

The second group was for the rangers—Joseph, Nadine, and Helen. Joseph and Nadine had already decided they would specialize in long-range combat later, but Helen was adamant that they needed at least basic proficiency in short-range weapons. The other two weren’t thrilled at the idea, but they reluctantly agreed. To make things easier, Arianna quickly purchased two short swords, knowing that Joseph and Nadine felt more comfortable with some extra reach rather than just relying on daggers. As she handed over the weapons, she repeated the lie she had told countless times before. "From Sapphire," she said, the words slipping from her tongue effortlessly now.

Helen took her small group to the Morrison's garden to train.

The final group consisted of the warriors—Danielle, Liam, Luke, Benjamin, and young Matteo. Cassis led them to the back of the garden to teach them warrior skills.

Arianna stayed with the two mages, focusing on drilling the basics. Again and again, they repeated their movements, switching between offensive strikes with bludgeon and defensive techniques like parrying and deflecting. They took short breaks in between, drinking water and catching their breath before going at it again.

By the time noon rolled around, Cassis finally returned with his group, and Helen’s team followed shortly after. They all looked completely drained—especially Matteo, who was barely able to stand. His small frame swayed, his eyes drooping with exhaustion.

Arianna frowned. Just what had Cassis put them through?

His entire group grumbled about how terrible their trainers were, Helen’s students included. Arianna could relate—she had been on the receiving end of Cassis’s so-called ‘light’ training before and Helen seemed just as crazy as him.

Elena and Marcus, still catching their breath, glanced at Arianna with newfound appreciation. “I’m really glad we have you as a teacher,” Elena said.

Marcus nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, you’re way kinder than they are.”

Arianna grinned, feeling a little proud of herself.

Cassis, however, laughed at their complaints. “Seriously, guys, that was nothing.” He clapped his hands together. “Let’s take a break, eat some lunch, and meet here again in two hours. You still need to practice your mana control, and Arianna can handle that better than me.”

Then, under his breath, he muttered, “Once you go through her training, you’ll know what a real demon is.”

Arianna’s head snapped toward him. She narrowed her eyes in warning, but he only smirked.

Marcus, who had missed the comment, frowned in confusion. “What was that?”

Cassis’s smirk widened. “You’ll understand later.”

The group exchanged uncertain glances, but for now, they were all too tired to argue. They headed inside their respective houses with their respective children, eager for food and a moment of rest before the next round of training.

Two hours later, everyone gathered once again in the Walkers’ garden. This time, rather than standing or moving around, they all sat down comfortably on the grass. The warm midday sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows over the group.

Since none of them had unlocked their Mana Sight yet, Arianna began with a brief explanation about mana—its flow, its purpose, and the different types of basic elemental mana. She went over the basic elements, their antagonistic and supportive relationships, and how understanding them was crucial for harnessing their power.

Once that was done, she instructed everyone except for Cassis to begin meditating. The goal was simple: to find their colour—their unique elemental affinity.

Cassis, meanwhile, was given a separate task. “Practice with your pattern,” she told him, knowing that he was already past this stage. He complied without argument, closing his eyes and sinking into focused concentration.

As Arianna turned her attention back to the others, she saw that most of them were struggling. Their brows were furrowed, expressions tense with frustration. She remembered her own difficulties in the beginning, how she had tried and tried without success. It was hard to perceive something that was invisible to the normal eye.

But then, something clicked in her mind.

She focused on Marcus and Elena, who seemed to be the closest to seeing their mana. But how did she know that?

Arianna concentrated harder. When she had first started unlocking her mana sight, it had taken forever to perceive anything—until she had finally felt the flow of energy within her. And now, when she looked at Marcus and Elena, she noticed a faint shimmer inside them. It wasn’t their mana, but rather something else…

A small, non-elemental barrier around their mana stream.

It was almost like a thin, half – transparent blood vessel surrounding their energy stream. Was this the reason people couldn’t see their own mana at first? Did they have to feel the energy before the barrier became transparent? Looking at the others confirmed her theory. The rangers and warriors had a grey barrier around their mana stream, some denser than others. Did that signify how far along they were to seeing their mana?

Full of determination, she walked toward Elena, intending to try the same technique she had used on Cassis.

Before she could reach Elena, however, Cassis suddenly appeared beside her.

“Are you going to do that thing with her too?” he whispered.

Arianna blinked, confused. “Yeah?” Why did that come out as a question?

Cassis hesitated, looking slightly uncomfortable. Then he leaned in, his voice low and intimate as he murmured directly into her ear:

“Maybe you should practice that on me again first.”

“Why?” she asked, her brows furrowing.

His next words made her entire body freeze.

His breath brushed against her ear with each word. “It feels really intimate having you inside me, feeling all of your essence. When your mana pierced me before, there was a rush of energy and excitement. It hurt a bit at first, but once you were inside, it felt incredibly good. Your movements were so gentle, but you were also relentless…”

Arianna shoved him away so fast that he almost lost his balance. Her face was probably beet red.

He had just been talking about her guiding his meditation—about her pushing her mana inside him to help him feel his energy flow. So why had it sounded so dirty?!

Cassis smirked, clearly amused by her reaction. “Yes,” he said smoothly. “That’s what I mean.”

Oh, hell no.

No way was she going to do that with other people. It would already be bad enough with Elena, but Cassis’s father or brother? That would be beyond awkward.

Before she could process this any further, Cassis took her hand and pulled her toward him.

“Practice on me,” he said. “Maybe you can make it less… intimate.”

Less intimate? After what he just said? Yeah, right.

But what other choice did she have? If she wanted to help the others, she needed to refine this technique.

Still flustered, she turned back to the group and instructed, “Keep trying. I’ll be quiet for a few minutes, so concentrate as much as you can.”

They went a bit farther away from the group to avoid disturbing them. Then she reluctantly sat down next to Cassis, her heart pounding way too fast.

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Arianna’s hands trembled slightly as she separated the water element from the gathered mana in her palm. Next to her, Cassis was already meditating on his pattern, his breathing deep and steady.

She was about to push her mana into him again.

Push into him again.

Damn it, why did it sound even more dirty now after the things he had said?

Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus, taking deliberate, calming breaths. It was fine. This was training. She had done this before.

But no matter how she tried to rationalize it, she couldn’t ignore the truth—she was insanely attracted to him. Not just his body, but his entire being. His strength, his loyalty, his quiet protectiveness. And now, she was discovering even more layers to him. A playful, wicked side that liked to tease, to push her buttons just to see her reaction.

And he had known exactly what he was doing when he said those things earlier.

It made her angry. Not because she disliked it, but because he was clearly playing with her. Well, two could play that game. A slow grin spread across her lips as an idea took shape. She was going to turn the tables. She would make him the one caught off guard.

Better yet, she would make it even more intimate and see if he could keep his composure. Would he get a visible reaction?

With that thought, she placed her palm over his heart again. But this time, she let her thumb brush in slow, deliberate circles against his chest.

His brows furrowed slightly, a faint crease forming between them.

Then, ever so slowly, she pushed her prepared mana inside—just a little.

Then she retreated.

Then in again, just a bit deeper.

And then out again.

For the third time she pushed almost half her mana in, then pulled it out.

Cassis’s mouth parted slightly, as if about to say something, but before he could, she pushed in more forcefully, sending all of her mana surging into him at once.

A quiet, startled moan escaped his lips.

Arianna bit back a victorious smile.

She could feel him again, the familiar pull of his energy wrapping around hers. But this time, she realized—this was far more intimate for him than it was for her.

She wiggled her mana inside him, stroking along his energy stream.

Then she played with it. Merging, separating, teasing his energy to follow her lead.

He let her. There was no resistance at all.

She pulled back—only to push in again, immediately.

His breath hitched.

She did that a few more times. In and out, in and out until she could hear his panting. Then she pulled out again for a bit longer, rubbing circles with her thumb on his chest again. When his breathing was almost normal, she suddenly pushed in again.

He stayed silent but gasped for air for a bit. The muscles against her hand were taut.

This time, she spread her mana wider, letting it flow through every part of him that she could reach. His entire torso was filled with her presence.

She fanned the flames in his stream, drawing in ambient mana. Then she let them die down, withdrawing until only the faintest trace of her mana remained inside him.

Then, with a quiet but firm voice, she commanded, “Open your eyes for me.”

He did.

Their gazes locked, and just as he was processing what she had done, she pushed her mana inside him again, deep and strong.

Cassis inhaled sharply. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, his lips parting in silent, shuddering moans.

Then, without warning, his head dropped to her shoulder.

“Mhm… stop, Ari,” he murmured, his voice thick. “It’s getting quite dangerous.”

Immediately, she withdrew her mana, this time carefully, softly.

But he didn’t move away. His head remained on her shoulder, and her hand still rested against his chest.

For a few moments, they simply stayed like that, his breaths slowly evening out.

Finally, he exhaled and muttered, “That wasn’t nice.”

Arianna smirked. “Nice was the furthest thing from my mind.”

His head tilted slightly, though he still didn’t lift it from her shoulder. “A little revenge, was it?”

“Just a bit.” She hesitated, then added more seriously, “Sorry if I overstepped.”

“No, it’s okay,” he assured her, lifting his head at last to look at her. His golden eyes held something unreadable. “I… liked it.”

She swallowed hard.

“That definitely has future possibilities,” he added, smirking.

Arianna’s face went up in flames. Had she really just done that? Had she really been that brazen?

But the memory of his reactions—the way his breath hitched, the way his body had responded to her touch—sent a thrill of satisfaction through her.

He had played with her before.

This time, she had played with him. And she had liked it, too.

“Alright,” she said, regaining some control over herself. “Now let me actually try to lessen the intimacy.”

Cassis groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. Then he looked at her with an amused expression.

“Sometimes, you can be quite cruel, you know.”