The Witch's Taste is Quite Good

The next morning, Altair was jolted awake by a sharp ache all over his body. It only started to ease after he dissolved the potion Owen had given him into the bathwater and soaked himself in it.

Feeling bored, he recalled Anastasia's words and directly manifested Yoga of Light from the "Library" to learn the basics of yoga.

As for how to "manifest" it, it was simple: enter the "Library" through meditation, then focus on the knowledge he needed, and the books would move on their own to float before Altair. Finally, he just picked up the book and returned to the real world. But energy was conserved—taking a book out consumed a bit of spirituality once, and keeping it in reality drained his spirituality continuously.

With his current level of spirituality, he could only maintain one book in reality for three hours at most. Any longer, and he risked spiritual exhaustion.

Just as Altair was deeply absorbed in reading, the book was snatched away by someone else. Following the movement with his gaze, he saw Vivian, who had somehow already slipped into the bathtub and was holding the book up to read.

Seeing Vivian's current state, Altair asked with a mix of helplessness and curiosity, "When did you come in? How is it that even as a Beyonder, I can't sense your movements?"

Vivian slowly flipped through the pages and said, "I just got here a little while ago. I came in through the front door today and waited in the reception hall for a bit. When you didn't come out, I let myself in. Did you forget? Today I'm giving you your mysticism lesson."

"Where did you get this yoga book? It's quite interesting. The whole book is made of spirituality, and while the knowledge inside is basic, it's no worse than the Witch Church's collection."

Watching Vivian still absorbed in Yoga of Light, Altair sighed helplessly. "A friend gave it to me. It's just a loan—the book will dissipate in about an hour."

"Does the Witch Church have books on yoga too?"

Hearing the question, Vivian replied casually, "Of course. It's said that Emperor Roselle himself wrote it and gave it to a saint of the church. The content uses yoga postures, meditation, and breathing to enhance the body's flexibility, strength, and balance. Most importantly, it achieves harmony and unity of body, mind, and spirit."

"I was born in the Republic of Intis, which is considered the birthplace of 'yoga.' Basically, most people there learn it, and some in Rune do too."

"Can you borrow this book again?"

Seeing Vivian's captivated look, Altair figured giving her this book wouldn't be a loss for him, so he agreed. "Sure. In a couple of days, I'll borrow it again and have someone copy a version for you."

Hearing she could get the full book, Vivian closed it, set it aside, and kissed him directly.

Altair was startled by Vivian's move and didn't respond at first. But when her arms wrapped around his neck, demanding a tongue kiss, he couldn't hold back and began to slowly reciprocate.

When Altair pressed his body against hers, Vivian whispered in his ear, "Not here."

With that, Altair scooped her up and carried her out of the bathroom, the water stains on their bodies wiped away by Vivian's spider silk.

The battle was unprecedentedly brutal. Despite the enemy's full encirclement and assault, they were no match and were defeated until the Yellow Dragon.

After a morning of lessons, Vivian leaned beside Altair and said, "I really liked this class."

Looking at Vivian's current state, Altair could only shake his head helplessly.

He thought to himself, "The Emperor didn't lie to me—the taste of a witch is indeed something special."

Until the sun was high and its rays streamed through the window onto the bedside, harsh and glaring, he slowly woke up.

Altair turned to the side and saw Vivian sleeping. Her stunning face still bore traces of sweat, and her chest rose and fell slowly with each breath.

Perhaps sensing Altair's gaze, Vivian woke up as well.

Their eyes met. Without a word, as if by unspoken understanding, they kissed again.

Just as the fuse of a second battle was about to ignite, Vivian stopped him and said, "No, let me rest a bit."

Hearing this, Altair quickly shelved his resolve for another round, but his hands still wandered, unwilling to give up the territory he'd already claimed.

Looking at Vivian's current state, Altair teased, "I thought you were tougher than this. Turns out you're not all that."

Vivian could only protest with her actions, rolling her eyes at him and saying, "I didn't expect you, young as you are, to have decent skill. I'm quite satisfied."

Hearing that, Altair thought of the saying, "The only thing hard about you is your mouth." But he didn't say it out loud.

To keep the atmosphere from cooling, Altair found a topic and said, "Vivian, what plans do you have for the future?"

Hearing this, Vivian looked at the person beside her pillow and said, "I don't have many wishes for the future. I just hope to spend the rest of my life quietly and peacefully. But for me now, that's a luxury."

Hearing this, Altair looked at Vivian and noticed her Look of Difficulty, as if she had something to confide. He said directly, "If there's anything you can't say, you can tell me. That way, I can help ease your troubles."

Perhaps because of these words, Vivian spoke slowly. "My family was originally nobility of the Empire of Intis, but Roselle's reforms caused our decline. After Roselle was killed, starting from my great-great-grandfather's generation, they wanted to restore the family's glory."

"But a hundred years of effort were fruitless, until my father found a 'witch' who had once been helped by our family. Using her oath to the family as a deal, he was guided into the Witch Cult and married her, and they had us."

"Perhaps my father didn't want his own tragedy to repeat with me, so from a young age, I was taught to deny my own gender. I took the Potion at a very young age."

"When I was six, my father became my second 'mother.' My first mother kept her distance from me because of the deal."

Hearing this story stirred Altair's emotions deeply. A fallen noble, to restore family glory, actively sought a deal with a witch. To spare his child hardship, he directly subjected them to gender-distorting education.

Now, faced with this issue, Altair had no idea how to resolve it. He patted Vivian on the back and said, "Isn't this where I come in? I'm here with you. No one will disturb us."

Feeling the warmth on her back, Vivian nodded slightly.