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A week had passed since my mother, my brother, and my friends returned to us. We had mostly relaxed and taken things easy, using the time to reconnect rather than rushing into dungeons or anything intense. Ruby had surprisingly clicked with the rest of my friends. Though she remained reserved, she was speaking much more than before and opening up noticeably, even if she wasn't fully there yet. I supposed it would take time for her to completely lower her walls.
Throughout the week, I had kept trying to convince Aquarina to use the Cultivation Method Armageddon designed specifically for her. I begged her repeatedly because it was tailored perfectly for her growth, yet she refused every time. She insisted she didn't need that much power anyway and that she was already plenty strong.
I agreed with her on some level, but we would face far stronger enemies in the future—I was certain of it. I didn't want her wasting time on basic practice when she could master a proper method.
