Leonar held the lance with both hands, feeling its weight in his palm. It was so light it almost seemed nonexistent, yet at the same time, it felt firm—as if it were an extension of his arm.
In his mind, Celestia’s voice resonated patiently, guiding him through the first steps of his training.
“You need to grip it more firmly at the base of the handle, but without clenching your fingers too hard. If you squeeze too much, you’ll lose flexibility in your throw,” Celestia said in a calm tone.
Leonar frowned.
It was strange how something as simple as “holding a lance” suddenly became a matter of technique.
“And how exactly am I supposed to throw it?” Leonar asked, twisting his wrist to get used to the motion.
“First, place your left foot forward, keep the lance at a right angle to your forearm, and then…” Celestia paused briefly before continuing, “Breathe. Calculate your target before you move a single muscle.”
Leonar did as he was told, feeling the heat of the lava cave all around him.
He took a deep breath, fixed his gaze on a rock across the platform, and drew his arm back.
When he felt the angle was right, he hurled the lance with all his might.
The lance flew in a straight line at a surprising speed. He could barely follow it with his eyes before it embedded itself in the rock with a dull thud.
“Oh! It worked!” Leonar exclaimed, a mix of surprise and pride in his voice.
“As expected,” Celestia replied with a light laugh. “Not bad for your first try.”
Leonar managed a smile but quickly refocused.
While the throw had been decent, he still had a lot to learn.
“Alright, let’s keep going.”
For the next few minutes, Leonar repeated the same motion over and over.
Each time he threw, Celestia pointed out a small error:
“Don’t slouch your back.”
“Don’t throw with such a stiff elbow.”
“Don’t get too excited with the force—the lance does the work for you.”
The training continued, and as time passed, Leonar began to feel a slight fatigue in his arms.
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His breathing grew heavier, and a fine sweat appeared on his forehead.
But still, he pressed on.
“Not bad, Leonar,” Celestia said in a gentler tone. “You’re improving.”
“It’s still not quite right…” Leonar huffed, raising the lance for another throw.
But on that attempt, his grip was a little less firm than usual.
As he released the lance, it spun in the air at the wrong angle and, to his horror, began coming back toward him.
“What the hell…?!”
Leonar leaned back, narrowly dodging it, but the lance sailed past and…
Plop.
The lance fell straight into the river of lava.
For a few seconds, everything was silent.
Leonar stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the spot where the lance had vanished.
His mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
“Celestia…” Leonar murmured after a few moments. “Did I just lose… that sacred weapon forever?”
Celestia took a moment before replying.
“Well… technically speaking, no.”
Leonar felt a slight relief, though his brow remained furrowed.
“What do you mean by ‘technically’?”
“Most likely, the lance will return to the celestial arsenal,” Celestia explained in a neutral tone. “Since it didn’t break, it’ll simply go back to its origin.”
Leonar sighed deeply and ran a hand over his face.
“Good grief… thank goodness.”
But that momentary relief quickly faded as reality hit him.
“If I were in a real fight… I’d be dead by now,” Leonar grumbled, folding his arms. “Come on, Celestia, tell me—what kind of celestial warrior accidentally loses his sacred lance in lava?”
“Someone who’s still learning,” Celestia replied calmly. “Don’t beat yourself up about it, Leonar. Mistakes are normal when handling divine tools. You’ll do better next time.”
Leonar snorted, though he couldn’t help but reflect on her words.
Since obtaining Eleonora’s powers, he had grown accustomed to her controlling his body in critical moments. But now that he was on his own…
It was a disaster.
The harsh truth was, if he couldn’t even handle a lance properly, he had no business calling himself a true warrior.
Leonar let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping.
“Celestia… we’d better head back to my world,” he finally said. “I need to rest so I can train seriously later.”
Celestia didn’t protest; she simply nodded in his mind.
Leonar looked around and then noticed that Wukong’s Cloud was floating serenely in the distance, completely ignoring him.
“Hey, cloud,” he called out.
The cloud continued to float, paying him no mind.
“Cloud, come here.”
Nothing.
Leonar frowned.
“Celestia… tell me, how the hell can a cloud have consciousness?”
“It’s complicated to explain…” Celestia replied. “But if you let me take control, I’ll have it obey you in no time.”
Leonar squinted.
“That sounds more like it will obey you.”
Celestia let out a little laugh.
“Don’t overthink the details. You’re not ‘great’ yet, but if you train hard enough, even this capricious cloud will follow your commands without question.”
Leonar sighed.
He didn’t have the energy to argue.
“Alright. Celestia, find a way out and avoid contact with other people at all costs.”
“Understood,” Celestia responded with determination. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything.”
Leonar felt his consciousness gradually fade.
His eyes shifted from a deep brown to a vivid green.
Celestia took control.
“Ay, ay, ay…” Celestia murmured, shuddering. “I didn’t expect this body to be in such bad shape…”
She clenched her fist, feeling the lack of strength.
But none of that mattered now.
Celestia looked up at the cloud and, in an authoritative tone, said:
“Come closer.”
The cloud halted abruptly, as if hesitating.
“If you don’t come right now, you’ll never see Wukong again.”
In an instant, the cloud zoomed straight toward her.
Celestia smiled with satisfaction.
“That’s more like it.”
She mounted the cloud with ease, and with a quick, analytical glance at the surroundings, her eyes fixed on a hole in the ceiling.
“Looks like I’ll have to investigate up there…”
Without hesitation, the cloud began to ascend.
