Is the Oripathy getting better? Xing Chen and Theresa were both a bit bewildered.
Humans don't have the technology to detect Oripathy, so whether the alleviation of the disease is reality or illusion can only be confirmed once Theresa is brought back to Terra.
"Xing Chen, I want to ask you for a favor," Theresa said suddenly to Xing Chen, looking at the draft paper.
"Tell me, anything I can do."
"Can you teach me your writing? I want to understand more about your civilization." Speaking and writing are two different things; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many illiterate Sarkaz.
"I don't think I've taken the teacher qualification exam... Alright, I can. Wait a moment..."
With that, Xing Chen ran back to his bedroom, opened his laptop, and found the PC version of the short video app.
"I'm going out to buy lunch. You watch this for now and learn as much as you can."
Xing Chen chose one of his accounts that specialized in science popularization videos. The recommendations on his other accounts weren't really suitable for showing to others.
It wouldn't be good if he was seen as a pervert.
Although these accounts had already been cultivated, there was no guarantee that something unsuitable for Sarkaz wouldn't suddenly pop up. So, Xing Chen hurriedly bought two portions of braised chicken with rice at the community entrance and then rushed back to his rental apartment.
"Theresa, it's time to eat!" Xing Chen placed the takeout on the table and called for Theresa to come out.
"Coming, coming!" Theresa rushed out, and when she saw the bento boxes and utensils on the table, a look of difficulty appeared on her face.
"You don't know how to use chopsticks?"
Theresa nodded.
"Never mind, I'll get you a spoon."
"Thank you."
Despite being the cheapest fast food, Theresa still ate with relish.
"This is called 'braised chicken with rice.' The former is a cooking method, and the latter is the ingredient, which is a kind of flightless feathered beast."
"Mhm, mhm," Theresa elegantly chewed and swallowed the food in her mouth, "I know that. It's similar to the stewed feathered beast my brother brought me when I was little in Kazdel."
"Are there feathered beasts in Kazdel?"
"Yes, but they usually get lost in Kazdel, and most of them are in a dying state."
"Can they still be eaten then?"
"Yes, they're just not very fresh."
The Sarkaz truly had it hard. Luckily, he didn't head towards Kazdel. With so few ingredients, seasonings were probably even rarer. Although his braised chicken with rice was also just average, at least it wasn't lacking in color, aroma, or taste.
Eating isn't just a physiological necessity, but Xing Chen's psyche still needed good food. Theresa was used to hardship now; she ate only to avoid starvation. But he believed that sooner or later, she too would come to see good food as a spiritual need.
Only beasts have survival instincts; humans should have higher pursuits.
"Xing Chen, let me ask you a question: do you know Arknights?" Theresa suddenly asked the very thing Xing Chen was most worried about.
"I know a little. Have you discovered anything?" Xing Chen spoke cautiously, afraid she might notice something unusual, like realizing he was just a game character.
"Tell me, why do some people like feet?" As she spoke, Theresa took her steaming feet out of her cotton slippers. Perhaps feeling it was inappropriate to do so during a meal, she quickly put them back.
"Feet are also parts that aren't often exposed, you know?" Xing Chen suddenly found it quite pathetic that his appetite was returning at that moment. "It's normal for different groups to have different aesthetic preferences for body parts."
"How disgusting," Theresa showed a very disgusted expression, "Dirty."
"Then I ask you," Xing Chen felt it necessary to refute Theresa, "When you Sarkaz judge if someone is beautiful or not, where do you look first?"
"Of course, you look at the muscles first. Being good-looking doesn't fill your stomach." As she said this, Theresa felt it was a bit improper, like she was bickering with Xing Chen. Then, she rubbed the top of her head, "Horns aren't out of the question either."
"... (Soft hum)"
"(Sarkaz curse)," Theresa suddenly realized she seemed to have been tricked. So she flung off her shoes and kicked Xing Chen in the face... After lunch, Theresa began to teach Xing Chen sword practice.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and imagined Theresis's longsword in her mind. Then, she activated her Originium Arts, using threads to weave dust into a pink and black intertwined sharp blade.
Then, Theresa opened her eyes and mimicked her brother's movements from memory.
"So cool," Xing Chen praised sincerely, but the Demon King seemed displeased with his compliment.
"Coolness is useless," Theresa shook her head. She suddenly stopped moving, and just as Xing Chen wondered why, she suddenly swung a sword qi forward. "A true swordsman pursues a fatal blow."
Xing Chen hadn't reacted at all to what Theresa had just done until he saw the faint scratch on the wall behind him.
"Are you alright, Xing Chen?" Theresa came to his side and used a pre-prepared handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. "I'm sorry, I got a bit too into it just now."
Xing Chen didn't see any of the cool sword moves he'd imagined. The sword training plan Theresa set for him was very simple at first—get in shape first.
As long as you're strong enough and quick enough, even without much swordsmanship, others will still fear you.
"Use your strength, don't slack off." Wielding a broom repeatedly, Xing Chen quickly grew tired. At such times, Theresa would gently tap Xing Chen's head with her dust-woven sword.
"Did you train Manfred and Ascalon like this back then?"
"No, I was mainly responsible for teaching them culture and Originium Arts," as she spoke, his head was hit again. In terms of combat, Theresa was much stricter than usual, because a mistake on the battlefield meant the difference between life and death. Therefore, the more she cared about someone, the stricter her management became. "Theresis was in charge of combat techniques; he didn't mind leaving a few scars on his apprentices."
In truth, Theresa preferred to give care to others rather than play the strict role. However, now she was the only one here.
Speaking of which, when she and her brother adopted Manfred and Ascalon, they were also around Xing Chen's age. As she thought, her eyes filled with memories of the time before her estrangement with Theresis.
Although there were no mobile cities back then, and all supplies were extremely scarce, her small family life was very happy. Ever since Babel was established and she began to try to realize her ideals, everything changed.
Was she wrong? She didn't know.
How to save the Sarkaz? She was very confused.
Thus, under Theresa's supervision, Xing Chen repeated one movement an unknown number of times. Due to extreme exhaustion, he completely failed to notice the change in Theresa's expression.
He didn't even eat dinner until dark; he just wanted to get to the sofa and sleep. But just as he finished showering, Theresa suddenly stopped him.
"Please move aside... I want to get to bed early and rest."
Xing Chen's eyes were hazy, but Theresa was unusually firm. She supported Xing Chen, half-forcibly lifting him into the bedroom.
At first, he thought it was a joke, but when he realized the Demon King's arm was pressing him onto the bed like a vise, he knew something was wrong.
"Theresa, you..."
"Shh," Theresa smiled, placing her index finger to her lips, while her other hand reached for the back of Xing Chen's head. "I've made up my mind. No matter what, I have to go back. I can't abandon my people."
"Then good night, Xing Chen, my dear."