Chapter 154: Ignorance is a bliss, and naked promise with an answer 2/2

It was only fortunate that hand-to-hand combat was not something Zigmund thought of. The ways of Body Whip technique allowed some unordinary deadly strikes, and Allan was getting a hang of them. He could use them with relative ease by now, allowing his hand strikes to be quite powerful. Fortunately or not, Allan could never force himself to use this technique against anyone he knew. Not even Zigmund, let alone Sarey.

This spar continued for a long time, with rounds, and rest in between them. Both of them were unwilling to hurt each other too much, so that left them going for quite a long time, unlike how Zigmund did the spars. Though, there were still some wounds. Sarey had a few self-inflicted bruises from the groundwork and some moves scratched her body against Allan's staff.

It was nothing bloody, so that was good.

Allan ended with a few kicks and punches to his body whenever he left his guard open unless he would want to wound Sarey too much. Thankfully, no sword-inflicted wounds occurred. Sarey would have to care for them, so she hold them back when she had to.

Sun was already away as the night became a time of this day.

Each youth collapsed to the ground, their feet facing each other.

“Hey, did you hold back a lot?” Sarey asked.

“Yes.”

“No lies, I like it.”

“Did you hold back too?” Allan asked back.

“Obviously. Heheheheh..” Sarye burst into a hilarious laugh.

“Damn! You must be much stronger than Zigmund in this case.”

Both laughed at the well-timed jokes within this good day. Both held some regard and hope for the future, and tomorrow was perhaps a day when both could start something that could change their fates. Neither knew what awaits them nor did they know about 36's worries and discoveries.

Both knew nothing more than their hopes. The key to the potential future was at the hands and literal senses of just one person. Allan will have to do the unthinkable, traveling to the jaws of darkness within a place he knew nothing about.

With all of today's work being done, it was time to wash up the tiredness and literal filth from their bodies. Sharing the same warm bath was anything but abnormal for both of them. Each was comfortable with how things moved along.

Although it was not that long ago since they didn't know each other.

Washing each other's backs, Sarey suddenly remembered something she left out with the appearance of her father.

“Allan?” She asked, stopping her hands that moved around Allan's shoulders.

“What?”

“Do you remember the things you asked me regarding my request when my father barged between us?”

“I do. Do you want to continue from where you ended? I think you talked about some ways which could be helpful to you and I wanted you to tell them.”

“No… I mean yes. Yes…” She hesitated. “Those… could not be as helpful as you perhaps think. 36 fed me plenty of interesting stuff in the past few days. While I am unsure how much of everything is true, or plausible, I am 90 percent positive that some path lies in front of me. a path that could be even for me.”

“He wouldn't lie too much to you, I guess. 36 seems to like you from my perspective. He wouldn't talk to you in such a matter when I train. It is a positive thing for you to trust him, with whatever you found out from him. I also trust him, by the way.” Allan reasoned, not showing his face to her.

“Are you not even curious about what we talked about? He explained to me a lot of Immortal stuff… And things…”

“For example?”

Sarey briefly said a few things here and there about auxiliary methods of cultivation as well as things regarding acupoints, cultivation, shortcuts, and a few other things.

Allan showed not much surprise as this was within the scope of some senses that were within the expectations of Immortals.

With acupoints, pills, or talismans being some magical things within immortal hands, it was clear as the sky in the clear waters of the calm lake.

“You want to walk the path of energy uses?” Allan asked, splatting water on his face.

“I do. It sounded like something that could be possible. I am much weaker than you even if I am trying my best.”

“Even though you would swipe the floor with ordinary soldiers and kick the asses of some thugs?”

“I mean, the answer is still the same. 36 promised some things to me that could help me find more about my talent, but I figured I could ask you as well. This trial could lead to something that is otherwise, not taken for granted.”

“I know what you mean, and thank you for talking about it, even in this… place.” Allan awkwardly said, aware that they were both naked in a bathing barrel. “You helped me so much. Figuring out something to help you sound like a fair thing to do, doesn't it?” he turned his face a little, allowing a small creeping smile to enter Sarey's vision.

“Thank you!” Sarey jumped within the barrel, hugging Allan who unexpectedly did not defend himself, nor fought back.

“I… I think this is enough.” He whispered to her ears as her grip was quite tight.

“Take my hug of gratitude like a man, will you?” Sarey argued, not letting herself free.

“You just made this thing up, did you not?”

“I did.” she giggled, letting him go after all. A momentary hug was all she could come up with.

With a simple talk coming to an end, Sarey held her head up with a speck of hope added to her own. Allan agreed while she was unaware of anything that entailed the rewards. Both of them were clueless, and perhaps it was for the better.

She could not imagine that it won't be as simple as choosing or taking a scroll out of the table, or the ground. No. Even that would pose a major problem for Allan, who wouldn't be able to decide what to take, or what would be useful for him or her.

“I am glad that you told me about this. I will surely talk to 36 about the potential of the rewards more tomorrow.”

“Yea. This needs a lot of thought. It is probably quite a valuable chance to get some teaching materials. But…”

“That is true, but what?

“I have no idea what could be useful for me… It's rather awkward, isn't it?” Sarey whispered, leaving a deep sight afterward.

“A little, but hear this.” Allan smiled, coming up with a good idea. “I will still need to give whatever I will get to you, so you will read them to me. In this way, even 36 won't have any issues if I will find something for you. If it's anything that we had so far, it won't be awarded, or suspicions.”

“Oh! That is a great idea!” Sarey smiled, splashing another bucket of water over her head. “Now, stop worrying about it, and let's finish the bath. Here!” Sarey splashed half of a bucket on him.

“Pffff… That surprised me. Take this!” Allan swung his palm, using the Body whip technique to push a great gust of water at her. The loser was obvious in a single exchange, leaving Sarey at the end of the barrel, blown out of her mind.

In a while, outside of the bathroom.

Allan was walking to his room while Sarey remained in the bathroom for some time for herself.

Noticing a clicking sounds in the hall, yet no breathing, he stopped.

“Are you better, mister Zigmund?” Allan asked, turning his head in direction of the clicking noise.

“You knew it was me since there is only me and Sarey here, or is there something more to this?” Zigmund said, standing there in the shadows of a candlelight.

“You like to reduce all the movements to a small portion of sounds. It is like the signature of someone within my ears, but it's not that. What is this sound? It's not steps. I know that.”

“You think of training in almost all circumstances… What sort of life do you think you will lead? THiknig like that is like… obsessiveness that can lead to agony.” Zigmund talked with great meaning behind his words.

“I always wanted to be a blacksmith like my father, yet the world went against my wish. Hell, it even took my father, home, and everything else. I could only go against it since it's all that I want.”

“What do you want then?” Zigmund asked quite an important question, causing Allan to think for a minute.

He could answer that, yet he felt hesitation over what he wanted at the moment. Going back home, wherever it is, can't happen with a flicker of his fingers. It was a long-term goal. A dream, even.

“I want strength, so I won't be helpless ever again. My body… It went through a lot, and so did my mind.” Allan reluctantly answered, remembering everything that happened to him and that he ended up dead.

“So you were conscious through that?” Zigmund said. “Whatever it was, that is. Alright, allow me to pose another question,” he said, a clicking sound still remaining in the room. “What is stopping you from pursuing more forging? Do you think the world is all that nice to us, mortals? A dream may be a reality with the prospect of hard work. It is that simple.”

“My promises and… I am not, not thinking about it. My forging is mine. It won't disappear overnight, even though It will be gone from time to time. So what if I am born a mortal? Is it a wrongful conviction to not think less of myself in the world we live in?”

“Such cheap words. I just hope you will not fall to the despairs when the world will step on your last bit of hope.”

“Those are rather pessimistic points, mister Zigmund,” Allan replied with a completely unbothered and calm voice. He already figured out his own perception of his problems and he didn't need another person to barge to his motivation.

While Zigmund was not wrong in his way of harsh words, it still left some things to think about. That was for both of them.