Chapter 241 - Endurance is a Skill, Patience a Virtue (3) (1/2)
Mitchnew and Ruth weren't too surprised to find that both master and student returned soaked to the bone. The dark elf prepared dry clothes while Ruth prepared dinner.
Hua Tuo made a mental note that for quicker progress, he should set up camp in that cave that Zero made. Submerging oneself into the training experience is always a good thing. Many masters achieved breakthroughs quicker when they go into seclusion to train. He took a look at the vampire and dark elf and made up his mind.
At dinner, Zero was pleasantly surprised when Hua Tuo told the dark elf and vampire to return to Half Moon Village for a month.
”Zero and I will be training in seclusion. If he doesn't succeed trials within a month, we are calling it off. I still have yet to teach him about surgery.”
Pressurised by the sudden deadline, Zero quickly polished away the food and declared that he was going to pack even though there really wasn't anything much he should bring. Everything he needed was in his inventory.
Ruth and Mitchnew were surprised but didn't question it. After all, the Sage God will be there with Zero. A month would fly by very quickly and they wished Zero all the best before cleaning up for the night. They would depart the next morning.
Zero was uncharacteristically quiet that evening as he reflected in the contrasting types of voids he'd experienced earlier. One was warm and full of things that Zero always wanted while the other was like a horrible nightmare come true. How could the same space be so vastly different at the same time? The brunet couldn't understand it. In fact, his memory about the time spent in that void was becoming hazy. The illusions and sensations he experienced were messing around with his mind so badly that the doctor-in-training wondered if there was a right answer to the question.
Hua Tuo packed some bedsheets to lay on the stone floor for them to sleep on and a set of dry clothing. he wasn't repeating that mistake again. Zero didn't really have anything to bring apart from some mana recovery pills that he made a few months back. It was for faster recovery and special training that Hua Tuo briefed him about in the second stage. Still, the teen wondered when he would be able to overcome the first stage.
Hua Tuo turned in early and let Zero decide if he wanted to do some night training. The brunet contemplated going back to the Aggression Falls after his earlier failures to conquer it but decided against it. Hua Tuo let Zero teleport away into the lamp to sleep for the night. Knowing Zero, he would be in it tossing and turning for a few hours with thoughts crowding in his head before he fell asleep.
Sadly, he was wrong. Zero didn't really sleep in the lamp. He was doing intensive research on the reading device.
”Zero, your training begins early tomorrow,” Bob tried to encourage his master to get some rest but the teenager was stubborn.
”I'll take some pills to recover tomorrow and throw on some buff magic if I'm tired. This is important.”
The Eternal Dragon groaned. Zero was definitely not going to let this end until he found something. Mii was busy with her work because Coux contacted her earlier so Bob decided to take on the role of a guardian in her stead.
”What are you researching?”
Zero sighed. ”I need to find out about the origin of all three waterfalls. Where did they come from? Why is this spring isolated from the rest of the water sources and why is Endow Hill so special even on Earth? Sleepy Cave's existence should be no coincidence either.
Bob blinked. He actually knew the answers to some of Zero's questions because he was the guardian of Sleepy Cave and in extension, Endow Hill. However, he didn't know if it was a good idea to let his nosy master know too much.
”What are you going to do after you find out?”
Zero smiled. ”Device a new method for training. I only have a month to conquer all three waterfalls and that isn't enough time at all. Truen once said that preparation is often more important than the execution. I'm cheating a little now by using the time difference in the lamp to do my research before morning comes. Time really isn't enough no matter what I do... wonder if that's the reason why so many people yearn for immortality.”
The dragon grinned wryly. He highly doubted people wanted to become immortal because of the long to-do list. Maybe in Merlin's case and Buddha's case or Steve Job's case because they were the academic type. On the other hand, Hua Tuo probably wished to return to the cycle of life and forget about his painful history. Most people who weren't' immortals wanted immortality simply because they feared death. It wasn't anything noble like what Zero thought it would be but he wouldn't correct the young doctor.
”The cliffs were formed around the same time Sleepy Cave was born if not earlier.”
Zero looked up from his reading device. ”Really? how do you know?”
Bob rolled his eyes. ”I was Sleepy Cave's guardian. Surely I would know a few secrets.”
Zero tossed the reading device aside and turned his expectant eyes towards the dragon. Bob swallowed and wondered if he should have kept his mouth shut.
”On second thoughts... it's probably not accurate information since it's now outdated for several centuries...” Bob tried to squirm away but Zero was faster and caught onto one of Bob's hind claws before the mini dragon could fly away.