Training Commences I

Obed was lucky he just got home. Now he would spend all day in the toilet. If Luke had done this at night, he would've stayed at home and missed his shift. He was grateful for that but it didn't change the fact that Luke had messed with his food again. He would deal with him fairly well. He could deal with him, right?

Luke had now awakened. If a real fight occurred, he wouldn't only lose, he would be beaten like a thief.

"We'll talk when I come out." Obed rephrased his sentence.

"You won't stay in there for long. You've gone through it before. After about five times, you'll be free to leave there." Luke said, ignoring Obed's words that were directed at him.

Like magic, after the fifth showdown, Obed came out and charged at Luke.

"Hey, calm down. Those pills were precious medicines. You've taken six so you should be grateful to me. I'm a hundred percent sure those pills made me this way, and they'll make you better with time." Luke explained why he had forced Obed to take the pills this time.

Obed, who remembered the aftereffects of the previous time, didn't push the matter any further. Now, he was anticipating the changes his body would go through.

Luke was half right. The pill had only cleansed his mana veins and stimulated them. The other half reason he became like this was because of those weird dreams he kept having.

"Unfortunately, I won't be around to bear witness to those changes you'll go through." Luke continued reluctantly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Obed asked in a confused tone. "Are you dying?" Obed asked again.

"Unfortunately yes. For a while, it'll seem like I'm dead. Damn you bas***d. Why would death be the first thing that comes out of your mouth just because I said I won't be around to see you grow?" Luke flared up.

"You sounded like someone going to die so I asked to confirm the situation, but it seems I was wrong." Obed scratched the back of his head.

Looking at his friend, Luke spoke out. "You're not entirely wrong though. I'm leaving for a while, to a place where I might not return from."

"The afterlife?" Obed asked jokingly.

"Are you crazy?" Luke asked.

"No." He replied immediately.

"Then talk like someone who's not." Luke tried to keep his voice low but yelled at Obed.

"But, I'm normal." Obed replied.

"Yes, yes. You're normal and I'm the crazy one." Luke nodded his head. "Anyway, I'll be going through continuous training for a while. As you said, if I train more, I can go higher, so I'm taking that suggestion of yours." Luke told Obed of his plans.

Obed nodded. "I see. When will you be leaving?"

"Tonight, I'll leave once you leave for work." Luke answered his question.

"That's fast!" Obed was caught off guard by Luke's answer.

"What can I do? I need to get stronger quickly. A year from now, that sicko will be released and he'll be paying us a visit no matter what others try to do to keep him away. Should we just eat meat and wait till he pays a visit?" Luke reminded Obed.

"I see your point. Then I have nothing against you. Stay safe you lucky bas***d." Obed replied.

"This won't do." Luke shook his head.

"What won't?" Obed was confused, so Luke answered him. "At least make a farewell speech with some food. Let me eat your food one last time before I go to the afterlife."

"Now you're the crazy one." Obed laughed as he walked into his room. He changed his clothes and returned from the room.

"Oh great ascender, what would you like to have before your ascension?" Obed asked like a chef serving a master.

"Your head! On a wooden tray." Luke replied in an uncouth manner like a spoilt prince.

"F**k you. I'm trying my best here and there you are, asking for my head. It seems you'll have to cook for yourself tonight." Obed's voice covered the entire room.

"Sorry man. I just went with the flow. Just forget what I said and go on with the cooking. I'll have anything and everything you choose to cook." Luke apologized.

"Scratch that. I'll just cook everything I can make before night then. But first, I need a lot of sleep." Obed was already lying on the couch and closing his eyes.

"Sounds good." Luke also walked away to his room which barely had anything in it except the bed and wardrobe. He needed sleep too.

***

Different aromas woke Luke up from his sleep. He was drooling and his stomach was rumbling. He walked to the sitting room and found Obed setting the table. Most of it was already occupied with different delicacies from appetizers to desserts.

"I just finished and was about to call you but there's no need since you've been woken by these." Obed pointed at the food.

"We'll talk while we eat. I can't reply any more words." Luke was already sitting and getting ready to dig into the food.

"I see. Seems you woke up with a very empty stomach." Obed said but Luke seemed deaf at the moment.

Spoon after spoon went into his mouth. The only time he stopped was to drink water because the food was stuck in his throat.

When Obed saw that Luke had eaten a lot, he asked. "When will you come back?"

"If all goes well, in a month or two. If things get worse, in about six months to a year, and if things get flipped up, I'll wait for you in the afterlife. It's all good I guess." Luke answered.

"That's a very vague explanation of your training duration." Obed seemed discouraged to allow Luke to go.

"You'll know which is which when I'm back." Luke answered, his mouth filled with pork meat.

"Just be safe for heaven's sake." Obed said abruptly.

"Sure, I will." Luke nodded his head.

"The Luke I know always finds a way to get into trouble even in the most peaceful situations. Your words give me no sense of trust." Obed sneered.

"What can I do if they come at me? It's not like I can speak to them when they attack with an axe. Can I? Ah, I can though, assuming you don't wish for me to return in one piece." Obed shrugged.

"Just shut the hell up and eat. It's almost nine. I'll be leaving since I'm full." Obed put on a different set of clothes.

"I guess I'll see you in less than three months. Once again, stay safe and out of trouble." Obed shook his best friend's hand and hugged him before he left the apartment.

"I'll do my best." Luke returned to the table to continue his royal dinner and when he was done, he took the plates to the kitchen to get them all cleaned up.

He washed in the bathroom before changing clothes. Then he placed some clothes into his backpack and his card went into his pocket. He had to have money at hand if he was going to hunt beasts. After he confirmed he had not forgotten anything, he locked the apartment and descended the stairs.

He arrived at a small shop, withdrew fifty gold coins, and kept the card with the bank. After he exited the shop, he opened his backpack and separated the coins into smaller groups, and placed them inside the folded clothes in his backpack. He kept four gold coins with him in the pocket of his trouser and began to walk in a certain direction. It was a place filled with different mana signatures.

Like fingerprints, the mana of each person was different from the others. Mana signature was the general term used to describe the difference since it was unique to each Chosen.

'This will definitely be fun.' Luke thought to himself as he headed in the direction non-stop.

"Stop there." Someone shouted from far behind him.

'Shit!.' He cussed inside as he turned to see who it was.