Reincarnated as an Energy with a System

Chapter 402: Forgotten Knowledge

Ning walked through the door and saw the inside. Somehow, he felt that the house Reever and Lisa owned was… very rundown. It didnʼt seem like a house that was owned by someone that had their own business or made a couple of Gols every few weeks.

ʼWhatʼs going on? Are houses just that expensive?ʼ Ning wondered. His hotel room was much better than their home.

”Do you own the place or just rent it?” Ning asked as he looked around the dimly lit room with just a single table at the center and a bed at the other side.

Ning couldnʼt see any other furniture in the room at all.

”We rent it. Weʼve been renting here for the past 3 years,” Reever said.

Ning didnʼt know how to ask them why they didnʼt find another place. He didnʼt feel it right to tell other people that he didnʼt like their home at all. Maybe they liked it themselves.

”Iʼll go start cooking,” Lisa said and walked away from the room to the other room, which Ning assumed was a kitchen.

Reever brought out cloth seats from under the bed and placed them around the small table. ”Come sit, brother Ning. Itʼs not much, but itʼs what we have,” Reever said.

Ning sat down cross-legged and nodded. The two started talking once more. Ning tried his best to keep his information to himself, but he still have to let some information out to keep himself from looking like a fraud.

”Oh right, I saw someone from the Aether Tower today. There were people gathered and one child even got chosen,” Ning said as he remembered what had happened earlier today.

”Aether Tower folks? Ah right, today was the day huh? That kid must be lucky,” Reever said with a sad sigh. He seemed to still not be over his rejection.

”You said you tried to go there at 18 years of age right? Why were they here for such young children then?” Ning asked.

”They try to nurture young geniuses from an early age. That way, by the time they are an adult, those kids will be a great asset to the Aether tower,” Reever said.

”And you werenʼt chosen back then, so you tried once more?” Ning asked.

”Oh, no. The folks from Aether Tower never visited my village when I was a child. So, I stupidly believed that I had what it took to enter the tower. However, when I got there, I finally realized what true talent was.”

”You wouldnʼt believe me brother Ning, but I saw an 18-year-old kid at the time that was already Aether Master and on his way to becoming an Aether Grandmaster. That shocked poor old Aether Student like me,” Reever said.

Ning nodded his head as he heard that. He then thought of something and asked, ”I saw the man from Aether Tower use that crystal ball to choose a kid to take. Can you explain why?”

Reever looked very confused at the question. ”Uhh… What do you mean ʼwhyʼ, brother Ning? What am I supposed to say?” he asked.

”I was just wondering why they used the crystal ball,” Ning said.

”You know what it does right?” Reever asked.

”Yes. It checks how much a person can passively take in Aether, right?” Ning asked.

”Yes. So, thatʼs your answer right there,” Reever said.

”But why focus on only those who can passively take in Aether? That is something that can be easily given to someone,” Ning said. ”Just hand them a simple absorption technique. Those work way better than passively taking in Aether.”

Reever cocked his head to the side in confusion as he asked, ”Absorption technique? Whatʼs that?” he asked.

”What? You donʼt know what absorption techniques are?” Ning asked.

”No. This is the first time Iʼm hearing this,” Reever said. ”Is this something you guys use down in the south?”

Ning got confused. ʼHow could he not know about absorption technique?ʼ he wondered. ʼDoes no one in this world know about absorption techniques?ʼ

”How would you say one can increase their Aether rank? Without having to wait years passively collecting Aether, that is,” Ning asked.

”Oh, thatʼs pretty simple. You use the Aether ores. You can buy some and use them to improve yourself,” Reever said.

”No other way? No wonder you were rejected from the tower despite having a quite amazing talent for it all,” Ning said.

ʼSystem, are absorption techniques gone from this world?ʼ he asked.

ʼI see,ʼ Ning thought. ʼIt might not be a good idea to give him one then. If he improves and people get suspicious, he will get into trouble when Iʼm not around.ʼ

”Brother Ning?” Reever called after seeing him fall into a daze.

”Sorry, I was thinking about something. Letʼs change topics. Is there anything else you want to talk about?” Ning asked.

”Something else? Not really, I suppose,” Reever said. ”Ah, right. There is one thing. I heard that a young mistress from a noble family is here in the town. The bakery took their chance with ruining our name in hope that they could piggyback upon the young mistressʼ anger towards us to ruin us.”

”Fortunately, this so-called young mistress never spoke up at all, or we would have been screwed,” Reever said.

”A young mistress?” Ning asked. Those words reminded him of the bratty girl that he had now seen twice in the hotel.

”I might have actually seen this girl. Thereʼs one in my hotel that always walks around with a butler of sorts. Maybe thatʼs her?” Ning said.

”Woah, youʼve seen her, brother Ning? Is she noble-looking?” Reever asked.

”I would say so,” Ning said.

”And pretty too?” Reever asked.

Ning was about to answer when Lisa stuck her head out from the doorway to the kitchen and said, ”Hey! Why are you suddenly talking about girls when Iʼm away? You better not be having any other thoughts.. Just sit tight, the dinner will be ready any minute now.”