Floating Island - Triple S Talent

Lein hung up the phone and continued reading the report. He remained in the leader's office in the city hall building until Nita returned with some snacks from outside.

***

The next day, Lein woke up from his sleep. He stretched his arms, brought them together, turned his hands to relax his joints, yawned widely, then gently rubbed his eyes.

"Good morning," he said softly.

Lein felt very refreshed that morning; his face looked brighter and more energetic. He glanced around the room as if he had just arrived in a new place. The beautiful chandelier on the ceiling, the large window letting in sunlight, and the large dragon statue near the wall by his desk—all of it looked brand new to him.

"Is this the effect of advancing to the King level?" Lein thought, trying to recall his rapid advancement just hours ago—or rather, yesterday.

Many things had changed, especially his mind, which felt clearer, more relaxed, and refreshed. He felt in control of everything; he could do whatever he wanted, and everything was within his reach.

Still in bed, Lein focused his mind until he could finally see clusters of dream energy filling the room. No, almost every space around him was filled with dream energy.

Lein's awareness moved the dream energy in the corner of his bedroom, gently wrapping it around the ceramic dragon statue in the corner.

"Wow…"

Lein could lift the dragon statue, then move it right, left, up, down, in every direction. "Amazing," Lein murmured with a broad smile.

As he got out of bed, Lein set the statue back in place. He walked over to a mirror not far from his bed.

A handsome figure with slightly long hair, dark eyes, and sharp eyebrows appeared in the mirror. Lein tried to smile, revealing his white, perfectly aligned teeth.

"Damn… my teeth were never this nice," Lein said, touching his teeth with his finger.

"Real?"

Lein could feel that his teeth were real and solid. "Hahaha… it seems that the power advancement has a direct effect on my physical body," Lein concluded.

Knock, knock.

A light knock sounded on Lein's bedroom door. After the knock, a voice followed.

"Good morning, Brother. It's Nita."

Lein's face changed instantly in front of the mirror. "Nita? That's unusual," he said, recalling that Nita never visited his room like this.

He turned and walked toward the door, opening it.

There was Nita, dressed neatly in a pink skirt and a white blouse with lace, her face full of smiles. In her hands was a tray with some freshly prepared food.

"Morning, Brother. I brought you some food," Nita said cheerfully.

Lein just stood there, looking at Nita with a disbelieving gaze. His face became even more curious as he sensed a major change in Nita's appearance and aura. She now looked like a noble princess, from her attire to her recently adopted mannerisms.

"What's with you? Are you sick?" Lein asked directly, his gaze serious, wanting to hear Nita's answer directly.

Not only was she unbothered, but Nita also continued to look at Lein with a cheerful face and said, "No, Brother, I'm not sick."

"I brought you some food. Here, please…" Nita said in the same tone, then extended the tray in her hands toward Lein.

A big, invisible question mark appeared over Lein's head. He was even more surprised seeing Nita in front of him than he was when he saw the Mharzan item (the Divine Promotion Potion).

Lein thought hard for a moment until he finally concluded that Nita must have learned a few things from her friends. Lein's main thoughts were of Laras, Hana, and Elen.

"Well, as long as it's a good thing," Lein thought, not minding it. He even wanted to thank them personally.

"Come on in," Lein invited Nita in, then walked over to the table in the center of the room.

Nita smiled widely when she heard Lein allow her to come in, then followed him from behind while carrying the food tray.

Not long after, they both sat down on the sofa around the table, sitting together across from each other.

Nita spread out the food on the tray, placing each dish and utensil on the table in a way that was spaced out yet within easy reach for both hands.

Lein didn't just sit back; he helped Nita arrange the food and set it up. They remained silent as they did so, until finally, all the food was neatly laid out on the table.

"Thank you, you look very beautiful today," said Lein with a sincere gaze; he was truly happy to see the change in his sister.

He also didn't want to ask her again about what had happened; the important thing was that Nita had changed and become a little more mature.

"You're welcome, Brother. Please try it; I hope it tastes good," replied Nita as she started explaining the food on the table.

"This fish soup, I made it with Aunt Eti, and I grilled this meat following an online tutorial," Nita explained, describing all the food on the table.

Lein listened while eating and tasting the different dishes on the table.

"Delicious," said Lein every time he tried a dish that Nita had prepared. And it was true; the food was delicious.

If he hadn't seen the change in Nita's behavior, he wouldn't have believed that she had a hand in making this food.

Lein ate while continuing to listen to Nita. A short while later, he finished his breakfast.

"Here, have a drink, Brother," Nita extended a glass of drink toward Lein.

Lein smiled with pleasure, took it, and drank it all at once.

"Ah… thank you, madam," Lein said with a sense of relief.

Lein sat back comfortably on the sofa, looking at Nita, who was now also looking at him with a happy expression. Her mouth moved slightly as if she wanted to say something, but she held back.

"What is it? Is there something you want to say?" Lein asked directly, though he had a slight guess in his head about what she wanted to do.

Nita lowered her head, her eyes filled with tears, and her lips trembled as she struggled to hold back a flood of emotions she could no longer contain. But her defenses broke down, and her tears began to flow freely.

"I'm sorry, Brother… I'm so sorry…" Nita sobbed, her voice trembling and breaking between her cries.

"All this time… I've only relied on you. If you weren't here, maybe I would have ended up like those other people… all dead…"

Lein remained silent, letting Nita pour out her heart without looking away from her. His gaze was gentle, full of empathy. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes, yet beneath it was a sense of pride in seeing his sister dare to open up like this.

He could also imagine that his sister must have seen the reports of the countless lives lost. With so many deaths, Nita's thoughts must have been troubled, imagining herself in the place of those people. Who would protect her? Who could promise her that she would continue to live and enjoy her life as she did now?

Nita continued, her voice still trembling, "Brother… thank you. I promise I'll try to be more independent… I'll try not to be a burden to you anymore."

Her sobs grew louder, filling the room with a mix of sorrow and determination that had long been buried within her.

Lein continued to listen, not wanting to interrupt this moment. For him, this wasn't just about Nita's promise to change but a precious step he had never imagined he would witness.

Finally, Lein took a slow breath and then spoke gently, "That's enough, Nita. I understand."

He stood up, walked over to her, and then sat beside her on the sofa. Gently, he put his arms around her, pulling her into a warm embrace, while softly stroking her head.

"It's enough… stop, or you'll make me look like I'm burdened or something," Lein said with a slight laugh. For him, protecting Nita was the easiest thing in the world; there was no doubt that the person most precious to him was his one and only sister, Nita.

Nita fell silent in Lein's embrace, trying to wipe away her tears that still kept flowing. In her silence, she felt the tenderness and strength in each of Lein's strokes, reminding her of her childhood.

But this time, there was a different feeling—a realization that she was no longer a child who completely depended on her older brother.

A bit of embarrassment began to creep into her thoughts. She allowed Lein to stroke her head, though she knew, deep down, she wanted to appear more mature. But for now, she let herself feel that comfort, admitting that maybe she still needed time.

Lein continued to stroke Nita's head from the side, waiting for her sadness to subside and for her to stop crying again. Honestly, deep down, he was very pleased with the changes happening in Nita.

"In every disaster, there's a hidden benefit," Lein thought to himself, recalling an old saying from his village.

The war disaster brought on by the foreign creatures had brought a positive shift in Nita's mentality and emotions, and Lein was grateful for that.