Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

With Emperor Hector leading the way, the three of them arrived at a large training chamber.

It was large, likely built with advanced materials and equipped with a variety of modern functions. Weapon racks lined the far walls, holding everything from practice blades to heavy polearms, while durable training dummies and protective barrier generators were stationed along the perimeter.

’Is this where Sister Zoe trained?’ Soren thought, taking in his surroundings.

”Alright,” Emperor Hector spoke up, breaking the silence. ”Show me what you can do.”

Soren nodded. He carefully positioned the wheelchair so Ethea could watch comfortably. He then walked over to the center of the hall, took a deep breath, and summoned his spear into his hand.

”Hmm...”

After thinking for a moment, he decided to start with the basics.

Every thrust, guard, and low sweep was clean and precise. He focused entirely on his footwork and weight distribution, letting his body warm up as simple lunges flowed into smooth horizontal slashes. The metal cut through the air with a steady, controlled rhythm.

Once his form was dialed in, he shifted seamlessly into the Glacial Edge Spear Arts.

The air around him chilled instantly. His movements accelerated, the basic thrusts evolving into advanced combinations. Frost traced the path of his spearhead, leaving icy arcs suspended in the air behind every strike as he drove forward with deadly precision.

”...”

From the side, Ethea and Emperor Hector watched silently as Soren moved across the hall.

Ethea quickly became immersed in the display. Before this, she had only watched him practice his basic routines and had never seen him handle a weapon with genuine intent. Watching him handle the spear with such natural mastery was a completely new sight to her.

As the cold energy flared around him, she realized just how far ahead he was. Soren was strong, stronger than she had been when she was at his rank. His talent was undeniable, evident in the fluid adjustments of his footwork and the calculated efficiency behind every movement, where not a single ounce of stamina or motion was wasted.

Yet, she knew it wasn’t just raw talent guiding those strikes.

She knew the sheer effort he poured into his training every single day, and the life-or-death struggles he had survived to reach this state.

’Hehe~’

A strange sense of pride surged within her, bringing a smile to her face as she kept her eyes glued to him.

”...”

From the corner of his eye, Hector caught her expression.

’She isn’t even trying to hide it anymore, huh?’ he thought, a fleeting amusement passing through him before he turned his attention back to Soren, who was transitioning into the final form of the technique.

’Still, the boy really is good,’ Hector admitted to himself. ’He actually mastered the Glacial Edge Spear Arts in just a month. Even little Zoe took two and a half months to reach this level back then...’

He then shook his head inwardly, a faint shadow passing across his thoughts.

’Alas, such a promising talent. If not for the situation they were in, I would have loved to take him as my disciple...’

Still, circumstances didn’t change what he could offer now. He had already decided to help both of them as much as he possibly could while they were under his roof.

Swoosh!

A sharp burst of freezing energy cut through the air as Soren leaped high into the hall, spinning his spear downward into the execution of Glacial Descent. The blade crashed toward the ground, leaving a trail of sharp frost suspended behind it before landing cleanly.

Watching the flawless execution, Hector let out another small sigh of regret. The sheer potential in front of him was staggering.

”Huff... huff...”

Soren stood upright and exhaled sharply, catching his breath as the cold aura around him slowly dispersed. Lowering his spear, he slowly walked back toward where Hector and Ethea were waiting.

”I have finished.”

He looked at the Emperor, standing tall as he waited for his evaluation.

Hector stared at him in silence for a few seconds before turning and stepping toward the open center of the hall. Soren blinked, but followed a few paces behind as a quick guess began forming in his mind.

’Sorry, Ethea. It seems I won’t be able to keep my promise to go easy,’ Hector thought, a brief wave of resolve settling over him.

With a subtle flick of the Emperor’s wrist, a plain wooden spear snapped out of a weapon rack along the wall, soaring across the room and landing firmly in his grip. Without turning around, Hector spun the shaft in his hand and leveled the blunt tip directly at Soren.

”Come.”

’I knew it,’ Soren thought. ’He’s really her master.’

”Hmm...”

Settling into a low combat stance, Soren blinked once, clearing away all ambient noise and distracting thoughts. His vision locked onto the Emperor, and he exploded forward.

The distance vanished in an instant. Soren drove his spear straight toward Hector’s chest, the strike carrying the full weight of his momentum. Hector leaned back just enough for the cold blade to graze past his tunic, then tapped the side of the steel shaft with his wooden weapon, deflecting the thrust off course.

Using that diverted energy, Soren spun smoothly on his heel, letting the momentum carry his spear into a low, sweeping arc aimed at Hector’s legs. Instead of retreating, Hector simply lifted his front foot, letting the blade glide beneath him, before stepping down firmly to lock Soren’s angle of recovery.

Soren yanked the weapon free without breaking stride, immediately converting the recoil into a series of blistering lunges.

Clang-!

Clang-!

Swoosh-!

From the outside, it looked like Soren was driving the Emperor into a corner. He pressed forward relentlessly, chaining sharp thrusts into rapid horizontal slashes that left faint trails of frost in the air. The chamber rang with the rhythmic crack of wood striking steel.

Yet, as the exchange dragged on, the real balance of the fight became clear.

Hector hadn’t taken a single true step backward. He moved within a tight circle, brushing aside Soren’s complex combinations with short shifts of his wrists. Every defensive move from the Emperor was completely effortless, leaving no room for Soren to find a genuine opening.

When Soren extended slightly too far on a broad slash, Hector took advantage of the exposed gap. His wooden shaft darted forward like a striking viper, slipping right past Soren’s guard and striking him dead center on his left shoulder.

Pain flared through Soren’s arm, but his lips merely curled into a fierce grin. Rather than pulling back, he absorbed the force of the blow, using the impact to twist his torso and drive a quick, sharp jab toward Hector’s blind spot beneath his ribs.

Hector didn’t even look. He casually shifted his weight to the side, letting the jab pass over his shoulder, and brought the butt of his wooden spear crashing into the exposed side of Soren’s ribs.

The strike knocked the breath right out of Soren, forcing him to skid back two paces. But instead of wavering, the fire in his eyes only burned brighter. He reset his footing instantly, taking in the dull ache in his side. Every blocked strike and painful counterattack made it crystal clear where his guard was weak and where his timing lagged. This was the best opportunity he could ask for — a live demonstration of his flaws handed to him by a true master.

’Nice!’

Soren lunged forward once more, his smile widening as he threw himself right back into the fray.

’Let’s keep going!’