"Niman, are you... all right?"
Seeing Niman suddenly burst into tears, everyone wore expressions of concern.
After all, Niman had always projected the image of a dependable older sister, handling everything at an easy, leisurely pace with consummate ease.
Over the past few days of training together, she had offered each person tailored, insightful advice, carrying herself with the grace and poise of a venerable elder.
Wiping away her tears, Niman shook her head with a bittersweet sigh. "I'm fine. I just remembered some unhappy memories, that's all. Let's... talk about the ability."
Gathering her emotions, she held out a hand, conjuring a mushroom in her palm.
Everyone stared at the mushroom resting in her palm for a long moment before looking up in bewilderment, waiting for her explanation.
"This is my Power of True Self, the Heart-Guarding Mushroom House. It can shrink or expand at will. Not only does it boast immense defensive strength, but it can also release a spore mist that disrupts space, creating a spatial interference zone. It's quite a decent ability." Though her eyes were still slightly red, Niman managed a warm smile as she introduced it.
Little Nora asked curiously, "Can it be eaten?"
"No, unless you want to lose your teeth," Niman replied, looking at Little Nora.
Although Little Nora had a beak, it possessed a row of teeth along the edges, which was why it was able to chew.
"Later on, we'll test just how tough this Mushroom House's defense really is, and we can explore whether it has other hidden abilities as well," Yu Xian said.
His own Power of True Self, Bonds and Freedom, held boundless potential, and its abilities shifted in accordance with whoever he bonded with. Given careful study, it might yield even more pleasant surprises.
Though Niman's ability was defensive in nature, since it represented her "True Self," there were bound to be other qualities waiting to be tapped.
However, that would take time, and right now, Nora and the two little ones were still waiting to awaken theirs.
"All right. Awaken Nora and the others first, and then we can take our time studying these abilities." Niman put away the Mushroom House and turned toward Nora and the rest with an expectant smile.
Yu Xian looked at Nora and said, "Let's just awaken everyone from oldest to youngest. Nora, you're up!"
"..."
Niman glanced at Little Huangquan, but ultimately held her tongue.
In truth, Little Huangquan was vastly older than Nora; it was just that her psychological age remained that of a child. Among everyone present, Little Nora was the only true baby—a baby among babies.
Setting aside the lifespan of a Victorious True King Bird, by the standards of the Garuda clan alone, eight-year-old Little Nora was essentially the equivalent of an eight-day-old infant. While one couldn't calculate it quite so literally, Little Nora was undeniably the youngest.
At this moment, everyone turned their eyes toward Nora, deeply curious about what her Power of True Self might be.
Nora felt a prickle of nervous tension, but she also looked at Yu Xian with eager anticipation. "I'm ready."
"Relax. If you're still nervous, why not have a piece of candy?" Yu Xian shifted closer, offering her an encouraging smile.
Nora actually nodded, unwrapping a piece of candy and popping it into her mouth. Smiling, Yu Xian reached out and lightly tapped the center of her brow. Instantly, an emerald glow merged into Nora's body.
Countless scenes from the past flashed through her mind.
A Daywalker.
In the beginning, her young self had not understood what that meant. Her mother and father had shielded her well, until the day her parents separated, leaving her in the care of her father's subordinates.
Gradually, she began to notice the strange glances hidden beneath the gaze of other vampires.
Jealousy, envy, hostility...
There had even been murderous intent.
Despite being a duke's daughter, her life before age seventeen had felt like living inside a cold, gray tower, surrounded entirely by callous, dangerous kin.
Yet a sudden, unexpected robbery had turned her entire world upside down.
She had met Yu Xian. Together, they had ventured into danger to purge the school of aberrant worms; they had walked to and from school together, savored delicious foods she had never tasted before, and envisioned the future side by side.
Window after window had opened in that once-frigid tower. Yu Xian was like sunlight streaming inside, gradually painting her gray world in vibrant color.
Perhaps to others, Yu Xian was a great hero who saved the world.
Yet to her, Yu Xian was the world.
The next instant, Nora slowly opened her eyes. She looked down at her hand, where an exquisite white revolver was gradually materializing. At the same time, she understood what her Power of True Self was.
[Meaning of Existence]
[Ability 1: Conjure a revolver named 'World.' Its capabilities are determined by 'Love Bullets.']
[Ability 2: Conjure Love Bullets. Love Bullets possess five distinct effects: Devoted Love, Faithful Love, Brave Love, Wise Love, and Selfless Love.]
[Remark: He is your world, and you are his... wife.]
Upon comprehending her ability, Nora couldn't help letting a smile touch her lips. She was thoroughly pleased with it. Looking down at the gun in her hand, she instinctively tightened her grip, as if holding Yu Xian's hand.
This revolver, named "World," had a frame forged from white and crimson energy. The material resembled metal, yet also possessed a luster akin to jade.
It took the form of a revolver, likely because Nora was accustomed to using revolvers herself, leading it to manifest in this shape.
The moment she gripped the firearm, she naturally understood the five effects of the Love Bullets.
Seeing Nora smile, the others grew even more curious about her ability.
Little Nora clung directly to Nora's arm, shaking it eagerly. "Big Boss, tell us your ability! Is it super powerful?"
"This gun is my ability."
Nora gave a slight nod, stealing a soft glance at Yu Xian before explaining her powers to the group.
Devoted Love: By infusing her own energy into the bullet, the fired shot healed allies and cleansed negative status effects, while also bolstering various enhancement abilities. It served as a healing and support round.
Faithful Love: The fired bullet bound the target, restricting rapid movement. If the target's speed exceeded the limit permitted by the bullet, every step would feel immensely burdensome, and struggling would only inflict greater injury.
Brave Love: Depending on the nature of her energy or the characteristics of a specific technique, the bullet underwent different morphological changes. Its destructive power scaled with the wielder's courage at the moment of firing; the braver she was, the greater its might.
Wise Love: Fired an invisible, ricocheting bullet that only inflicted damage when striking a target's vital point. However, upon doing so, its destructive force would be magnified to a hundred times the energy invested.
Selfless Love: The bullet possessed the ability to split and operate under two firing modes. The first was Virtuous Wife Mode, where any sub-munitions that missed the target would dissolve back into energy and return to her body, conserving power. The second was Celestial Wife Mode, where as long as a single sub-munition struck the target, every remaining missed round would relentlessly track the enemy until it hit its mark or was destroyed.
During the materialization process, Nora could infuse each of these bullets with her own energy, or even incorporate martial techniques into them to amplify their destructive force.
With this firearm in hand, she no longer needed to manually conjure scarlet spears from her blood.
It was fair to say that this ability dramatically enhanced Nora's combat prowess. In their fused state, this gun was likely no weaker than a Star Divine Artifact. Furthermore, it could grow alongside Nora; the stronger she became, the more powerful the weapon would be, for this gun was Nora's very "True Self."
Listening to Nora's explanation, everyone wore looks of envious awe. Nora's Power of True Self was breathtakingly strong!
With a smile on his lips, Yu Xian quietly clasped Nora's free hand. While the others merely marveled at the sheer strength of her ability, he could feel the depth of Nora's emotions.
In Yu Xian's heart, that devotion was more precious than any ability could ever be.
Chapter 265