Chapter 243 - Experimental Breakthrough & Enlightenment (1/2)
Hua Tuo didn't stop his disciple from trying new ways to find an answer after his hint. In fact, his job as a mentor was done. The rest was up to Zero to find his answer and learn by trial and error.
Bob and Mii didn't interfere with how Zero's wanted to test out but they did inform Hua Tuo when the teenager had gone too far. The lungfish experiment robbed Zero of his hope when he found out that paying with insurance didn't work with the Aggression Falls. It was as if the waterfall didn't give a handicap to even marine life. Even as a fish with the ability to breathe in both air and water, Zero stood no chance. He still felt as if the water was trying to drown him in an awful manner that made his brain confused. The teenager spent the next hour recuperating and learning how to breathe correctly before he challenged the waterfall again.
In the end, Zero would often give up on his zany ideas and go back to the usual meditative stance until his brilliant mind supplied him with yet another alternative.
Hua Tuo only sighed when Zero looked like he'd gotten inspiration then run off to prepare something and repeat the process all over again. While he didn't discourage learning and trying new methods, Zero didn't seem to want to accept the idea of simply surrendering control and letting the water take him where it wanted. It was rather sad watching his student struggle in quagmire thinking that it was the right way to get out of it when in reality, he was only sinking deeper into it.
Bob and Mii had given up, they were too tired of worrying for Zero and had gotten used to the routine of calling Hua Tuo in when Zero lost control of himself during an experiment.
The young doctor was also feeling a dreadful sense of hopelessness creeping up on him with every failed experiment with no sign of success in sight. It felt like every step he moved forward was sending him ten steps backwards but Zero still couldn't comprehend why.
Why was it so difficult to win against water? It's not as if that thing was alive. It had literally no power over Zero and the young doctor was contemplating about walking away from the stupid trial. he didn't need to show the water who was boss. Zero was way better than the water who could only frighten the people it came into contact with. Why was Zero struggling so much with an opponent that wasn't even alive?
He simply couldn't see what he was doing wrong. Why was it so important to Hua Tuo that Zero conquered the Aggression Falls? It would be a lot easier to move to the Progression Falls because Zero already had a cultivation base. He brought it up to his teacher once but Hua Tuo denied his request and told Zero that if he didn't conquer the Aggression Falls, he wasn't going to teach the brunet anything more. Zero got angry and stormed away that night, taking to the skies and away from Trigression Falls to reflect. Hua Tuo didn't stop his student who was showing signs of teenage rebellion thanks to the constant influence of the waterfall. Perhaps it was a good ting Zero stayed away from the spring for a while to get it all out of his system and look at the problem with a blank slate of mind.
Zero walked around aimlessly in the forest and even tried to explore some caves to kill time while his mind worked overtime trying to understand the reason for his unhappiness. He was an individual who always stepped up when there was a challenge. Why was it so different this time? Zero didn't like the idea of running away from a problem. However, no matter what he did, the problem couldn't be overcome.
Utterly exhausted emotionally, Zero sat down in the darkness of one of the caves and dialled his best friend.
Truen who was calculating a complicated formula paused and picked up the call when he saw that it was Zero who was interrupting his studies instead of Merlin. The brunet rarely texted him anymore due to his busy training schedule but for him to find time to call the wood elf must mean that Zero was troubled.
”Hello, Zero.”
Zero sobbed when he heard his guardian's voice and spilt his story without pause. Truen could only pick out keywords from the babbling. Zero clearly hadn't changed much even after becoming a teenager. he was still very much the inexperienced child and kind soul that the wood elf met at the Mega Gourmet competition.
From what the wood elf could understand, Zero was feeling extremely conflicted at the moment and frustrated with his failures. While Truen didn't know how to help Zero overcome the trial, he was sure that what Zero lacked now was the confidence in himself and the courage to move forward with the risk of losing everything. Zero had gained a lot since his travels to the abyss and held all the precious things tightly to his heart. Truen knew that in order for Zero to surpass himself, he would have to let go of all these precious things and transcend what he was even though he'd come so far. That thought simply frightened the young doctor and Truen had to think of the best way to explain it to his friend.
”Think of it this way,” he told Zero in a calming voice. ”This is the chance for you to prove to yourself that all the struggles you've gone through are good enough for you to pull through the test. Let the fruits of your past labour carry you through this round, it is not your battle.”
Truen's words only made Zero more confused. ”Not my battle? But this trial is for me...”
The wood elf chuckled at the adorable tone. A confused Zero was still an adorable one.
”Yes, it is. However, some trials are not a test of personal abilities but for the strength of relationships that the individual has built. Do you know that in some battles, the leaders do not fight? They leave it all to their underlings to win the battle for them even if they are the strongest warrior of their tribe.”
Zero was shocked. ”Don't fight? I know Zenobia isn't the strongest warrior but even she joins in the battle. Wouldn't the army lose if the leader who is the strongest warrior doesn't join the battle?”
Truen laughed at that. Zero was still rather naive to think that a leader should always lead by example. In the military, having a figurehead to serve as the army's morale was more important than having that talented warrior put to action.
”Have you ever seen Baal go down to belles and begonia to serve the customers?” the wood elf asked. he wasn't very well acquainted with the demon lord but he knew a thing or two from Coux's report. they worked closely after all.
Zero thought about it. It would be weird if Baal actually worked in the cafe. Sure, Baal was a very powerful demon lord but that didn't mean it was a good decision to make him work in the shop even if he wasn't feeling lazy. The customers would be scared of him.
Truen raised a brow at Zero's analysis. Maybe using Baal as an example was a bad move. He tried to think of another example and decided to use a story instead.
”Back in my old world, we had a very powerful general who was leading one of the largest armies. In a one-on-one fight, that general had never lost to anyone. He was also hailed the strongest man in the empire. However, this general was seldom seen participating in the actual wars himself.”