Chapter 550: Complicated Feeling
While Sam and Valentine married in confusion, Luke and Nora entered their marriage with entirely different feelings.
Nora married Luke for the sake of a marriage alliance, treating herself as a sacrifice, a transaction for the betterment of the Fritz Family.
Meanwhile, Luke unknowingly developed feelings for Nora.
Unfortunately, his love was unrequited. To Nora, everything was merely a transaction.
Although she was respectful and willing to do everything a wife should, Luke could see in Nora\'s eyes that she felt nothing for him.
The very rationality in her gaze, the trait that had initially captivated him, now stood as a barrier between them.
Seeing those same rational eyes turned against him, Luke was devastated.
Delaying his training, Luke began devoting himself to wooing his wife, hoping to make her fall in love with him.
Unfortunately, even after hundreds of years, Nora remained indifferent.
"Husband, stop this. Listen to Father. I am forever yours. No matter what you want, I would gladly offer it to you, even my life," Nora said, holding Luke\'s hands.
"But—" Luke looked into Nora\'s eyes, still as distant as ever.
What he wanted was true love, the kind shared by his father and brothers.
Although Nora called him "husband" and would do everything he asked—even to the extent of giving up her life—Luke knew she only acted out of duty and sacrifice, not love.
If that was the case, what was the difference between Nora and the mechanical robots he had created?
Because of this, Luke had even begun to loathe the machines he once loved.
Why couldn\'t Nora be more disobedient, shout, and fight with him like Valentine did? Why couldn\'t she disagree with him if she truly didn\'t want something?
Feeling the weight in his heart, Luke sank into a state of confusion.
"Luke—" his father\'s voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.
"As your father, I\'m here to tell you this: if things aren\'t as you wish, then change them. If you can\'t do it now, do it later. With our endless time and life, don\'t be too impatient."
"At a time like this, you should prioritize your strength over everything. Relationships can be cultivated later. Right now, there are far more important things to focus on."
If this were a time of peace, Maximus wouldn\'t have minded if Luke wasted even billions of years, let alone thousands.
But knowing the coming upheaval about to descend upon the Aeon Plane, there simply wasn\'t time to waste.
Looking at Nora, who still obediently clung to Luke, trying to coax him out of his despair, Maximus couldn\'t help but sigh.
Nora was perfect in so many ways, like the epitome of a gentle wife.
Yet she was too rational and emotionless, making one feel everything was a dream.
In her eyes, everything followed a logical path, like a machine following its program.
Maximus could only wonder what kind of childhood Nora had endured to cultivate such a rational mind.
Meanwhile, hearing his father\'s advice, Luke finally emerged from his confusion.
Indeed, he had been too impatient.
He had only been with Nora for a thousand years—how could he expect to have the same deep connection his father and brothers had cultivated over tens of thousands of years?
"We\'ll take our leave, Father. It\'s indeed time to focus on our strength," Luke muttered with determination, taking his wife\'s hand.
"We\'ll go too, Father!" Sam shouted, dragging Valentine along as she continued punching him.
Watching the children finally start to set themselves on the right path, Maximus heaved a sigh of relief.
Turning to the others as they tested their strength, the smile on Maximus\'s face returned.
"How is your strength now?"
"It\'s so strong!"
They felt as though they could punch their past selves to death with sheer power.
However, when they looked at Etheria, who turned her stream into a river of Law, they were still dissatisfied.
Due to the feedback from the Etherium Realm, Etheria\'s progress far outpaced their own.
"Still unsatisfied? If you want, I still have strands of causality," Maximus offered.
"Strands of causality? Aren\'t you running short of them, husband?" Hazel asked.
Although they all wanted to grow stronger, they understood their limits and didn\'t want to add burden.
"That was in the past. Now, I have as many as you need."
Maximus still had an extra quota of 30 million strands of causality that he couldn\'t use himself.
That amount was more than enough to help his family nourish their streams of knowledge.
Hearing that they could have as many strands of causality as they wanted, smiles blossomed on their lips.
Knowing a disaster was about to descend upon the Aeon Plane, they felt a heightened sense of urgency.
Furthermore, the stronger they became, the more they could harvest in the Virtual Trial, giving them a critical edge in the future.
"Don\'t you want to rest for a few years?" Maximus asked.
"No, we\'ve only been in seclusion for a thousand years. We\'ll have plenty of time to rest once we\'re strong enough."
The experience they had gained in the Source of Knowledge paled in comparison to what they had just done.
"Then continue your training. But at least take a few days off," Maximus suggested, pulling his wives into a warm embrace.
Having not seen them for a thousand years, Maximus misses them dearly.
Smiling, his wives nodded, looking at him affectionately.
Even his children decided to take a few days off, rushing out to enjoy themselves.
---
Soon, a few days turned into months, then years.
A few days were not nearly enough to make up for the thousand years they had been apart.
Training and cultivation could wait.
Furthermore, Maximus manipulated his system to nourish their streams of law during this time.
Although it was slightly slower than active cultivation, it was far better than exhausting themselves.
After enjoying themselves to their hearts\' content, his wives and children eventually returned to seclusion. Meanwhile, Etheria began weaving her River of Law into the Etherium Realm.
Maximus, on the other hand, teleported to the Source of Knowledge to inform the old scholars that he no longer needed Ether Refiners.
With his Origin Coins not keeping up with consumption, it was time to create an Ether forge to replenish them.