Reincarnated as an Energy with a System

Chapter 1971: A New Teacher

Jun’Tal had been training for a few hours every day over the past several days, and the improvement was finally becoming consistent enough that even he could notice it without Ning pointing it out.

His control was still far from perfect, but he no longer feared every activation of his power, and Ning had already warned him that the next stage of training would be a much bigger step than anything they had done so far.

That morning, Jun’Tal woke at home and went downstairs for breakfast, where his younger sister immediately moved to sit beside him. She had grown increasingly curious about where he disappeared to every day, especially since nobody would explain exactly what happened during the hours he spent with Ning.

"Can I come with you today?" she asked while watching him eat.

Jun’Tal shook his head. "No. It’s dangerous where I train."

His sister frowned and leaned closer. "Are you really strong now?"

Jun’Tal almost laughed at the question, though he understood why she would think that after hearing their parents talk about his ability. "No. I’m weak. That’s why I have to keep training."

She thought about that answer for a moment before smiling confidently. "Then I’ll be strong when I get my power, and I’ll protect you."

Jun’Tal paused with his food halfway to his mouth. He looked at his sister for a second before smiling and lightly patting her head.

"Sure. Panpan can protect me when you’re powerful."

The girl nodded seriously, apparently satisfied with that arrangement.

Ning arrived not long afterward, appearing near the house with the same casualness Jun’Tal had already gotten used to.

"Ready?"

Jun’Tal finished the last of his breakfast and stood up. "Yeah."

His sister immediately grabbed his sleeve. "Bring me next time."

Jun’Tal carefully pulled his arm free. "We’ll see."

Ning said nothing about the promise and simply placed a hand on Jun’Tal’s shoulder before teleporting them away.

The island had changed considerably since Jun’Tal first woke there.

What had once been little more than an empty forest and coastline now had a proper base near the center, with several small buildings, comfortable rooms, storage areas, training spaces, and enough food and equipment that Jun’Tal no longer felt like he was being taken to the middle of nowhere every day.

Ning had added most of it gradually whenever he realized they needed something, until the island had become a place where they could easily spend days without lacking anything important.

Jun’Tal expected Ning to take him toward the usual training area, but someone else was waiting near the base.

It was a young woman.

At least, Jun’Tal assumed she was young.

She looked close to his own age, perhaps a little older or maybe even younger, but there was something strange about her appearance that made it difficult for him to judge properly. The only thing he could decide with certainty was that she was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Jun’Tal looked away almost immediately.

For some reason, staring at her felt wrong, as though looking at her was the biggest blasphemy he could ever commit.

The girl noticed him and turned toward Ning.

"Is this the kid?"

"Yes," Ning said.

Jun’Tal glanced at her again, this time only briefly.

Ning gestured toward him first. "This is Jun’Tal, the strongest awakened individual on this planet."

The girl gave a small nod.

Then Ning turned toward Jun’Tal and gestured toward her.

"And this is my daughter, Emma."

Jun’Tal stared at him.

"Your daughter?"

"Yes."

Jun’Tal looked between Ning and the girl several times, struggling to connect the two people in front of him. "Blackfang has a daughter?"

Ning smiled slightly. "There’s a lot about me you don’t know."

Jun’Tal still looked confused. "How old are you?"

Ning ignored the question.

"I’ll explain things like that later. For now, all you need to know is that she’ll be helping with your training."

Jun’Tal turned toward the girl again, though he still found it difficult to look at her for long.

"You’re not training me today?"

"I could," Ning said. "But there are parts of your ability that she understands better through experience. I know how your power works, but knowing something and having lived with something similar are two different things."

That caught Jun’Tal’s attention.

He looked toward the girl more carefully.

"What is her power?"

Ning answered before she could.

"It’s similar to yours."

Jun’Tal’s expression changed immediately.

"She can turn water into energy too?"

"Not exactly the same way, but close enough that what she knows will be useful to you," Ning explained. "The important difference is that her power is far stronger than yours."

Jun’Tal frowned.

"How much stronger?"

Ning thought for a moment before answering. "Hundreds of times."

Jun’Tal stared at him in disbelief. He could hardly believe that to be true at all. But then he looked toward the girl again, and somehow, the impossible felt possible.

He had spent the past several days learning that even the smallest mistake with his ability could create enough energy to be dangerous, and Ning had repeatedly reminded him that his power was already far beyond what most awakened people could handle.

Yet the girl standing in front of him apparently possessed something hundreds of times stronger.

"You’re serious, right?" he asked.

"Very," Ning answered. "She will be your best teacher."

Jun’Tal remained silent for several seconds before the confusion slowly gave way to curiosity.

If someone with a power that strong could stand there completely calm and in control, then maybe what Ning had been telling him from the beginning was actually possible.

Maybe he really could learn to live with what he had awakened.

Jun’Tal straightened slightly and looked toward Ning’s daughter again before turning back to him.

"Wait, you just said I was the strongest person on this planet. How is that possible when she’s so much stronger than me?"

Ning grinned slightly. "That’s the big question, isn’t it?" he asked. "You’ll find out later. For now, just train."