"What the hell is wrong with this guy?!"
After skimming through the archives left by the legendary master, I concluded: 'This guy is nuts!'
After almost two hours of reading and the only thing that I had learned from all the things he wrote was: 'Learn the basics until you are half dead! Surpass your limits by repeating the basics! Don't give up even if you don't feel any progress, as long as you stick to the basics, you'll be able to advance into a new realm of existence!'
"Cristal, I think we've got the wrong person!"
"Don't give up yet, master. He didn't say anything wrong."
"But I don't even know from what kind of basics should I start with!"
I didn't want to come to this place for nothing, because if the legendary technique was to stick to the basics then I could have done that at home.
"Master, I found something interesting in this one."
"Let me see."
I read the book that Cristal handed to me and it seemed like it was more detailed than the others.
"Mmmm… All of the things described here are the basics method of training."
I examined the books and when I was about to lose interest, I found an interesting note.
[This is my last book. I spent many years searching for ways to pass down my technique to future generations, but most of them failed. I have concluded that even among the giftless person, only those who had talents and determination could learn this technique. I have also found out that this technique was incomplete and there are serious drawbacks. It seems like I have failed. I don't have much time left…]
As I read the note, I kind of understood why everything he wrote focused on the basics. It was because everything else failed… And it was not because the methods were ineffective, it was because only a few people could learn the actual technique.
[ Last year, someone managed to learn my technique, but at that time, I didn't discover the drawbacks yet… I regret it now… Did I waste my life?]
'It seems like I won't find anything that could help me here… The only one who can help me is Ma?ra. But for some reason, she seems to hold a grudge against her master. Is it because of the drawbacks of the technique?'
I had to talk with Ma?ra again because she was probably the only one who knows about the best way to learn this technique.
*****
"I am sorry Miss Liu, I completely lost track of time. Why don't you come back to the inn for now, and talk to the others if you want to move here or not? Cristal will accompany you. I still need to talk with Miss Ma?ra."
I was so engrossed in my search and lost track of time, and before I knew it, Liu waited for almost two hours. 'I hope she isn't angry...This is a really bad habit of mine… I think I still need to be considerate of other people.'
"Okay."
Liu nodded a bit and immediately walked away; Cristal followed her closely.
'Is she angry? I think she is angry… What should I do now? I don't have a single idea… I think that apology is not enough at times like this… But I have already apologized and she was the one who wanted to come with me, and I was just being considerate… But somehow I feel like I am at fault… I need a book that explains how to communicate with quiet girls.'
I watched Liu walking away with all of these thoughts inside my head. Maybe it was just my impression but I felt like the relationship between Liu and me was a little bit complicated.
'I somehow lose my ability to think rationally when she looks at me with these eyes… I automatically wear a poker face and a smile appear on my face for some reason. Is this behavior normal?'
Well, I was probably overthinking things like usual. 'I should just ask her… But what should I ask her? For example, should I approach her and ask: Hey Liu, what do you think of me?'
She would probably look at me with cold eyes that could freeze me to death. But I read, probably somewhere on the internet, that some girls tended to take a cold approach when it came to the boys they liked. 'Maybe she was just giving the cold shoulder treatment, right? Ha-ha-ha… Man, that was close, don't give me that hope… Why the hell am I even thinking about that now?'
I shook my head in disbelief as walked around the area in search of Ma?ra's room.
The place was not small at all and someone could get lost inside.
'How much effort that guy did put into making this place? He was really serious about creating a kind of dojo… I kinda feel bad for him. I guess things don't always go the way we want them to.'
Scratch! Scratch! Scratch!
I heard grinding sounds coming from somewhere and I deduced that it must be Ma?ra's doing. I followed the sound until I arrived in form of a half-closed door.
I wanted to knock but curiosity got the better of me, so I took a peek from the gap.
And when I did, I was bewildered by what I saw. 'I didn't expect her to do this kind of work…'
Tok! Tok!
"Miss Ma?ra, I need to talk with you for a bit. Can I come in?"
"Hm? What do you need?"
"I didn't expect you to be knowledgeable about herbs Miss Ma?ra."
"Hm? Well, I need to make money in some way or another."
I was looking at what Ma?ra was doing and I noticed that she was making some kind of potion.
"I noticed that most of these herbs are growing right outside. Are you cultivating them?"
"Yeah, more or less. That old man planted them there."
Ma?ra continued her work without stopping while talking to me, and she was very good at what she was doing.
"Ah yes, concerning your master, I didn't find anything useful at all. But I found this…"
"I told you to not expect anything from that old man…"
I handed the book where the master's final note was written.
"You should probably read it if you haven't yet."
From the look of it, it seemed like Ma?ra didn't even want to step inside of that room after her master passed away.
Ma?ra hesitated a little bit before taking the book that I had already opened on the page where the note was written.
"Hahaha… So stupid…" Ma?ra was laughing as she read the note but it sounded a little bit forced.
"Miss Ma?ra, please tell me, what is the drawback that he is talking about?"
I knew that Miss Ma?ra didn't want to discuss topics related to her master but I needed to know.
Ma?ra looked me in the eyes.
I didn't flinch and kept my composure, showing that I was extremely serious about this.
"It shortens your lifespan… It burns your life force because that's the only thing that a giftless person can give in exchange for more power."
Ma?ra looked a little bit sad and lonely as she said these words.
Still, I couldn't give up…
"Miss Ma?ra, please teach this technique to me…"
"What? Didn't you hear what I said?"
"No, I heard you but I have a solution… But first, will you listen to my story?"
I activated my power and talked in a low voice. This was necessary to prevent any kind of supernatural form of spying to record what I said.
I also made sure that no one followed me. That was why I walked around the area before looking for Ma?ra. According to Cristal, no one followed us, but I did that just in case.
After I was sure that no one listened, I decided to tell Miss Ma?ra my story. My reincarnation, my power, and everything. I needed to learn this technique, so I told her what I she needed to know. 'This is a test...'
For some reason, it felt like a heavy height was lifted from my chest, and felt a little bit relieved.
Unless Miss Ma?ra trusted me, she would never teach me that technique because she knew its drawback and she would indirectly kill someone if she did.
I needed her to know that my power could nullify this drawback. I wasn't sure if that was the case, but I would die sooner or later anyway if I didn't make any progress. 'I wish all of this would be less complicated…'
"Are you alright in the head?" Miss Ma?ra asked as she looked at me with eyes full of pity.
"I am perfectly sane, Miss Ma?ra. And everything that I told you earlier was true."
"It's more concerning when you reply like that. They should have specialist that deals with this kind of illness in the capital, right? Why don't you begin with that? Don't worry, from what I can see, there is still some hope for you."
"Miss Ma?ra, I wish that all of this was just a joke, nothing more than a dream. Unfortunately, it isn't and I must live with it. I wish I could just enjoy my life without going through all of this… But, I couldn't let the people that I care about die. I don't want to remain a coward, so I decided to face this world head-on."
I talked in a serious tone and I was not angry at Ma?ra's words.
When Ma?ra saw that I was dead serious, she sighed and stopped working.
"The old man spent all of his life perfecting this technique, but it's incomplete… Do you know why?"
"Because not everyone can learn it?"
"That was one reason, but also, because he couldn't understand his technique."
"But you did, right?"
It seemed like even after her master died, Miss Ma?ra never stopped searching for a way to perfect his technique.
She didn't hate him, she was angry at her master because he chose to perfect his technique over his own life.
I looked at Miss Ma?ra and asked this important question. The first key to my success.
"I never expected that I would meet someone as stubborn and weird as you. Let's begin tomorrow."
"Begin what? Are you going to help me?"
"More or less… But let's discuss the tuition fees first."
This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶