Chapter Forty-Eight: Swimming

When Jeros returned, the scene that greeted him was Zhao Tianhe rolling around on the beach like a fool, contorting himself into strange postures as he tried to dodge Pixie's enchanted flaming iron skewers.

What else could he do? Try closing your eyes, covering your ears, and relying solely on your sixth sense to evade—under such circumstances, even your sense of balance becomes hazy, making it impossible to perform any standard evasive maneuvers. All you can do is roll and leap around instinctively.

"Heroes really have it tough..." Jeros’s companion, a striking elf woman with flaming red hair, stared in astonishment and offered her opinion.

"No, this is just a special training method unique to these otherworldly spirits," Jeros replied, maintaining his gentle and gentlemanly smile, though inwardly he was cursing.

He’d brought this girl along because she was curious about the Hero Apartment and the so-called spirits from another world, eager to see what they were like. But it was clear this visit was not going as hoped...

Suddenly, Pixie’s phone alarm went off behind her.

"Time’s up, playtime’s over," Pixie announced. Dozens of iron skewers floated up behind her, converging and striking toward Zhao Tianhe.

Sensing the change, Zhao Tianhe immediately regained awareness, leaping nimbly aside to dodge the final assault—this was the signal he and Pixie had agreed upon to end the training.

"A bit embarrassing, but since we’re going for a swim in a bit, I might as well treat this as a bath," Zhao Tianhe said, shaking the sand from his hair and greeting Jeros.

"What happened inside?" Jeros asked, frowning as he pointed to Kasqi, who was directing workers repairing the house.

"For details, please ask Mr. Zhao Tianhe," Kasqi replied with a smile, nodding toward Zhao Tianhe.

At that moment, Zhao Tianhe was busy chatting on his phone. The next instant, Elé appeared, already dressed in her swimsuit.

It was the same luxurious yet understated swimsuit as before, her signature regal ponytail unchanged, though this time her hair ornament was a golden circlet, fashioned to resemble a spinal column coiled into a closed ring.

"Who is that..." Both Kasqi and Jeros’s companion couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise at Elé’s appearance.

Her beauty, figure, and bearing were simply breathtaking—it only took a glance for them to feel hopelessly overshadowed.

Her looks and physique spoke for themselves, but her aura was something far more subtle. Such presence is cultivated over years of habit, revealed in every nuance of movement.

For example, the same expensive clothing, when worn by the scion of an old aristocratic house, would seem almost inconsequential to him; he’d move with complete ease, as if wearing some bargain-bin attire. He wouldn’t hesitate to visit a bustling noodle shop with friends, unfazed by the risk of food stains. At most, he’d think, "Ugh, hard to wash, too lazy to send to the cleaners, my girlfriend will scold me," and little else.

So, those who make a fuss over their clothes being dirtied for compensation... well, best not to comment. Still, it’s quite reasonable to charge a normal cleaning fee.

Just as a professional model can use their posture to further highlight the strengths of their outfit, so too is true bearing built from countless small habits, manifesting as a confidence that seems to eclipse everything around.

Take Elé now—her swimsuit and jewelry were obviously of the highest quality, yet she moved with effortless grace, completely unconcerned with any of it. She herself outshone her attire. Of course, that made sense; though she cared about her appearance, what truly mattered to her was not the clothes themselves, but the way those she cared about saw her.

As for the value of these things—Elé was a goddess. There was little in this world that could genuinely capture her attention.

"You’re so dirty, haha," Elé laughed as she dusted off Zhao Tianhe’s clothes.

"It’s fine—we agreed to swim today, didn’t we?" Zhao Tianhe grinned. "Come on, we’ll get cleaned up along the way."

"Wow, to be so casual with someone who looks like that, covered in dirt, and yet act so naturally with such a beauty... Spirits from another world really are something else!" Jeros’s companion was clearly stunned by the sight of Zhao Tianhe, looking like a muddy monkey, and Elé, who was laughing as she patted his back.

Jeros, of course, knew the truth. As a summoned being, Elé wouldn’t care what state Zhao Tianhe was in. But he also knew that Zhao Tianhe’s summons were anything but ordinary—they were powerful entities with their own will. The equality between Zhao Tianhe and both Elé and Artoria was plain to see.

Still... "She really is beautiful..." Even a man as experienced as Jeros couldn’t help but award full marks to the looks of both Elé and Artoria. "By the way, it’s so noisy inside, why don’t we go swimming too?"

"Sure! But I didn’t bring a swimsuit..."

"Don’t worry, I just stocked the wardrobe on the second floor."

"You see? It’s simple—just relax, let your body float, and move your arms and legs like this... keep your balance..." Zhao Tianhe was demonstrating his expert dog paddle to Elé with a serious expression.

"Oh, it does look simple," Elé nodded, tossing her shoes aside and loosening her hair so it fell down her back, tied only at the very end.

As the goddess of the underworld, where there were neither seas nor rivers, Elé naturally had no swimming skills.

Yet Elé underestimated the sea. Standing in shallow water was fine, but as soon as she waded fully in, entering the ocean for the first time in her divine life, she was seized by a sudden panic.

She made a beginner’s mistake—flailing wildly.

The inevitable result: she went under.

"I knew this would happen," Zhao Tianhe chuckled, swimming over to grab her hand and pull her up as he treaded water. "Calm down, try to find your balance—with your strength, you should pick it up quickly."

Elé nodded, composing herself and focusing intently.

"Wow, that lady can’t swim... she’s adorable..." From a distance, Jeros’s companion looked at Elé and felt an unexpected surge of maternal affection.

It’s worth mentioning that elves, blessed with long lives and ageless beauty, can look eternally young even after becoming mothers. This elegant elf woman, for all her youthful charm, was in fact a mother of three.

Jeros’s choice of companion, among all his admirers, spoke volumes of his unique tastes.

"Yes, indeed," Jeros agreed, equally surprised that a powerhouse capable of defeating nearly every monster in a C-class dungeon—except for the boss—could not swim.

But Elé’s capacity for learning was extraordinary. Before long, she’d mastered Zhao Tianhe’s dog paddle, and before she knew it, she’d switched effortlessly to the butterfly stroke, claiming it was less strenuous.

Happy moments always pass too quickly. After half an hour, Elé left, and Zhao Tianhe returned indoors to prepare the evening meal.

With so many ingredients at hand, Jeros and his companion joined in for dinner, both marveling at his culinary skill.