Leonar gripped the spear with both hands, feeling its weight in his palm. It was so light it seemed almost nonexistent, yet solid, as though it were an extension of his arm. In his mind, Celestia’s voice echoed patiently, guiding him through the first steps of his training.

“You need to grip the base of the shaft more firmly, but without tensing your fingers too much. If you squeeze too hard, you’ll lose flexibility in your throw,” Celestia instructed calmly.

Leonar frowned. It was strange how something as simple as holding a spear had suddenly become a matter of technique.

“So… how am I supposed to throw it?” he asked, twisting his wrist to adjust to the motion.

“First, place your left foot forward, keep the spear at a right angle to your forearm, and then…” Celestia paused briefly before continuing. “Breathe. Assess your target before moving a single muscle.”

Leonar obeyed, feeling the heat of the lava-filled cave around him. He took a deep breath, locked his gaze on a rock across the platform, and drew his arm back. When the angle felt right, he hurled the spear with all his strength.

The spear flew straight with surprising speed. He barely tracked it before it struck the rock with a dry thud.

“Oh! It worked!” Leonar exclaimed, a mix of surprise and pride in his voice.

“As expected,” Celestia replied, chuckling lightly. “Though that wasn’t bad for a first try.”

Leonar smirked but quickly refocused. Even if the throw was decent, he still had much to learn.

“Alright, let’s keep going.”

For the next several minutes, Leonar repeated the same motion over and over. Each throw earned a minor correction from Celestia:

“Don’t hunch your back.”

“Don’t keep your elbow so stiff.”

“Don’t overexert yourself with force; let the spear do the work for you.”

As time passed, Leonar began to feel fatigue in his arms. His breathing grew heavier, and a thin layer of sweat coated his forehead. Still, he pressed on.

“Not bad, Leonar,” Celestia said softly. “You’re getting better.”

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“Still not perfect…” he huffed, raising the spear for another throw.

But this time, his grip faltered slightly. As he released the spear, it spun at a wrong angle and—to his horror—arced back toward him.

“What the hell…?!”

Leonar leaned back, narrowly dodging it, but the spear sailed past him and…

Plop.

It landed straight in the river of lava.

For a few seconds, silence reigned. Leonar stood frozen, staring at the spot where the spear had vanished. His mouth hung open, but no words came out.

“Celestia…” he finally muttered. “Did I just lose… that sacred weapon forever?”

Celestia took a moment to answer.

“Well… technically speaking, no.”

Leonar felt a flicker of relief, though his brow remained furrowed.

“What do you mean, ‘technically’?”

“The spear will likely return to the celestial armory,” Celestia replied neutrally. “Since it wasn’t broken, it’ll simply revert to its origin.”

Leonar sighed deeply and dragged a hand down his face.

“Thank god…”

But his relief vanished as reality hit.

“If this were a real battle… I’d be dead already,” he grumbled, crossing his arms. “Celestia, tell me—what kind of celestial warrior accidentally loses his sacred spear in lava?”

“One who’s still learning,” Celestia answered calmly. “Don’t torment yourself over this. Mistakes are normal when wielding divine tools. You’ll do better next time.”

Leonar scoffed but couldn’t ignore the truth in her words. Since inheriting Eleonora’s powers, he’d grown used to her taking control during critical moments. Now, on his own…

He was a mess.

A colossal mess.

If he couldn’t even handle a spear properly, he had no right calling himself a true warrior.

Leonar exhaled heavily, his shoulders slumping.

“Celestia… let’s just go back to my world. I need to rest before training seriously.”

Celestia didn’t argue, silently agreeing in his mind.

Leonar glanced around and noticed Wukong’s Cloud floating lazily in the distance, utterly ignoring him.

“Hey, Cloud.”

The Cloud continued drifting, indifferent.

“Cloud, get over here.”

Nothing.

Leonar narrowed his eyes.

“Celestia… how the heck does a cloud even have a consciousness?”

“It’s… complicated to explain,” Celestia replied. “But if you let me take control, I’ll make it obey in seconds.”

Leonar squinted.

“Sounds more like it’ll obey you.”

Celestia giggled.

“Don’t overthink it. You’re not ‘worthy’ yet, but train hard enough, and even this stubborn cloud will heed you without hesitation.”

Leonar sighed. He lacked the energy to argue.

“Fine. Celestia, find us an exit and avoid people at all costs.”

“Understood,” Celestia said resolutely. “Don’t worry—I’ll handle everything.”

Leonar felt his consciousness fade as his eyes shifted from deep brown to vivid green. Celestia took the reins.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk…” she muttered, shuddering. “I didn’t expect this body to be in such poor shape…”

She clenched a fist, noting its weakness, but shrugged it off.

Celestia glared at the Cloud and commanded in an authoritative tone:

“Come. Here.”

The Cloud halted mid-drift, seeming to hesitate.

“If you don’t come right now, you’ll never see Wukong again in your lifetime.”

Instantly, the Cloud zipped toward her.

Celestia smiled in satisfaction.

“That’s more like it.”

She hopped onto the Cloud effortlessly and scanned the surroundings. Her eyes settled on a hole in the ceiling.

“Looks like I’ll have to check that out…”

Without hesitation, the Cloud soared upward.