Zayne looked at his young master in confusion, his spatula clattering to the floor. He blinked a few times, then walked over to the double-door refrigerator and tapped the touchscreen. A soft ding sounded, and the door slid open to reveal a chilled bottle of water floating toward him on a motorized plate. Zayne grabbed it, took a long swig, and walked back to the counter as the fridge closed automatically. He sank onto a stool, staring at Nox while Meimei trotted over to be picked up.
Nox continued eating his pancakes as if he hadn't said a word. Finishing quickly, he stacked his dishes in the sink and headed back to his room with Meimei at his heels. Zayne remained frozen on the stool, the silence stretching until the reality finally dawned on him.
"...Wait... You were serious?!" He bolted upright and dashed to Nox's room, nearly taking the door off its hinges.
Nox was sitting on his bed with his arms crossed. "Took you long enough," he muttered.
Still unable to believe it, Zayne reached out to press a hand against Nox's forehead to check for a fever. Nox nipped at his finger with a scowl.
"What's the big deal? I just want to train with the spear again. It's been too long."
Upon hearing those words, Zayne tried to hold back tears... then failed miserably. He began bawling like there was no tomorrow.
"Ugh... you have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear those words!" he sobbed, tears and snot flowing freely.
Nox looked disgusted. Meimei crawled out from under the bed, meowing in bewilderment. 'Master, why is the butler crying?' Nox's lip twitched, but he suppressed the urge to laugh, maintaining a detached, nonchalant expression.
After a solid minute of weeping, Zayne wiped his puffy cheeks and sat cross-legged on the plush white fur carpet.
"For the Young Master to wield a spear again, you must rebuild your foundation."
Nox clicked his tongue. Zayne continued, "Fortunately, we live in an advanced era. You won't need a physical instructor; all the techniques can be uploaded via a simulation pod to build muscle memory. As for your physical strength, you'll be using the gym equipment I bought."
Zayne smirked. Nox wasn't thrilled, but he committed anyway. After all, what could possibly go wrong?
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Two hours later, Nox knew exactly what could go wrong.
He was drenched in sweat, slumped on a bench while trying to curl two five-kilogram dumbbells. Meimei slept soundly in the corner of the home gym, while Zayne watched Nox's struggle with glee. Nox looked like he was trying to "power up" just to move the weights, but after a few more minutes of straining, he groaned and gave up. He let the dumbbells clatter to the floor as he gasped for breath. Zayne's cheshire cat smile widened.
"Young Master, will you listen to me now?"
"...Yes..."
Nox wheezed. He thought back to how he walked in with confidence thinking he could lift the weights like it was magic. Well, reality proved him wrong.
"Good! You cannot simply jump into heavy lifting. You need a schedule and a strict diet. You have avoided exercise for so long that you'd rather use a hoverboard to get water from the fridge than walk ten feet."
Nox's face turned a darker shade of red as he looked away guiltily.
"For the next month, we are starting with a health routine before I start 'killing' you with actual training," Zayne declared. "That means clean eating—no high-calorie meals—lots of water, plenty of rest, and frequent walks. By frequent, I mean every single day."
Nox felt his life force draining away. He instinctively glanced toward the door, but Zayne planted a heavy hand on his shoulder, a menacing glint in his eyes.
Nox gulped, sweat beading down his forehead.
"Let's work hard this month, Young Master~!"
Zayne's voice, which Nox usually found annoying, sounded eerie. Nox closed his eyes and accepted his fate. Meimei meowed contentedly, seemingly enjoying the sight of her master's suffering. She stretched, glanced at the scene then closed her eyes and slept contentedly.