Chapter 109: Flippy: "I already have a master!"

Raven Master stared at Flippy, his eyes wide with a mix of astonishment and disbelief.

The child before him had effortlessly comprehended an advanced technique to a degree that surpassed even his most talented disciples.

And now, Flippy was standing there, utterly nonchalant, as if what he had done was nothing extraordinary.

"I must apologize," Raven Master began, his voice tinged with regret. "I underestimated you, Flippy. By the rules of our sect, you have more than earned the right to become my fourth official disciple."

The air grew still as Raven Master awaited Flippy's response. However, Flippy just stood there, hands by his sides, staring blankly ahead.

There was no movement to kneel, no gesture to show gratitude or acknowledgment. He simply… stood there.

Ruchir, sensing the awkwardness of the moment, nudged Flippy and whispered, "Why aren't you kneeling down and performing the Master-apprenticeship ceremony? It's an honor!"

Raven Master, too, felt a pang of embarrassment. This ceremony was a sacred tradition, one that symbolized the deep bond between master and disciple.

The fact that Flippy wasn't even acknowledging it made him question whether the boy understood the significance of what was happening.

But Flippy's face remained a picture of confusion. "Oh, that?" he said, tilting his head to the side. "I don't think I need to do it."

Ruchir blinked in surprise, his mind struggling to comprehend what Flippy had just said. "What do you mean you don't need to? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

Flippy scratched his head, a look of deep thought crossing his face. "Well… I vaguely remember that I already have a master."

The silence that followed was deafening. Raven Master's expression turned from shock to a mix of incredulity and frustration.

How could this child, who had just passed a series of grueling trials, not remember something as important as his master?

Ruchir was equally bewildered. "You… already have a master?" he repeated, trying to make sense of it. "Who is it?"

Flippy frowned as if trying to remember something long buried in the recesses of his mind. "I'm not really sure," he admitted.

"I remember having one, but I can't recall their name or appearance. It feels like… a lot of time has passed since I last saw them."

Raven Master exchanged a bewildered look with Ruchir. This situation was quickly spiraling into the realm of the absurd. "If you already have a master," Raven Master asked, his voice laced with confusion, "then why did you participate in this disciple selection?"

It was the very question Ruchir had been pondering. He watched as Flippy's expression brightened, as though he had been asked something with a very simple answer.

"Oh, that," Flippy said with a smile. "I thought it would be fun, so I joined in."

Ruchir's jaw dropped. His brain felt like it had short-circuited. Fun? He went through all of this for fun? He had poured his heart and soul into this trial, pushing his limits to the breaking point, all for the honor of becoming a disciple. And here was Flippy, who treated the whole thing like a game.

Raven Master, normally calm and composed, was at a complete loss for words. His mind raced to comprehend what was happening.

Flippy's carefree attitude was so foreign to the rigorous, disciplined life of a cultivator that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

If only Garret had been there. Ruchir could vividly imagine the scene:

Garret would be livid, his face contorted in anger, berating Flippy for making a mockery of the trial.

"You... you ignoramus!" Garret would have shouted, his voice full of righteous indignation. "You dare call this 'fun'? "

"Do you have any idea what it means to become a disciple of a master like Raven Master? This isn't some child's play! It's a lifelong commitment, a sacred bond!"

Ruchir could almost see Garret's hands gesturing wildly as he continued his tirade.

"People dedicate their lives to cultivation, enduring pain and suffering, all for the chance to stand where you are! "

"And here you are, treating it like a pastime! If it were up to me, I'd throw you out right now for your sheer disrespect!"

Flippy, in his usual fashion, would probably have shrugged and smiled, completely unaffected by Garret's fury. "Well, it was still fun," he might say, further enraging Garret to the point where steam practically shot out of his ears.

Ruchir couldn't help but chuckle at the imagined scenario, even as he stood in the midst of his own confusion. He shook his head slightly, trying to regain his composure. This is Flippy, after all, he reminded himself.

The guy who doesn't fit into any mold, who defies logic and reason.

Raven Master, finally gathering his wits, let out a long sigh. "Flippy," he began carefully, "whether you remember your master or not, the fact remains that you've achieved something remarkable today.

Raven Master looked at Flippy, his amusement evident in the glint of his eyes beneath the raven mask. The boy was truly one of a kind.

Even after comprehending a profound technique to a staggering degree, Flippy remained unconcerned, as if the entire experience was nothing more than a fleeting game. Raven Master chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Well, Flippy," Raven Master began, his voice tinged with warmth, "whatever your reason might be for joining the selection, it's clear you have no desire to become my disciple. And that's fine. I cannot force you, after all." He paused, considering the child before him.

The path of cultivation is one of many uncertainties, but also many opportunities. I won't force you into anything. But the offer to become my disciple still stands, should you wish to accept it."

Flippy tilted his head, considering the words. "Thanks," he said with a grin, "but I think I'll pass for now. I'll just keep having fun and see where that takes me."

Ruchir shook his head in disbelief. Only Flippy could say something like that with such confidence, he thought.

Raven Master, though still somewhat baffled, nodded in acknowledgment. "Very well, Flippy. The choice is yours."

"But, since you did pass the selection, it would be remiss of me not to reward you in some way—if only for my dignity's sake."

Ruchir looked on curiously as Raven Master slowly raised his right hand, the gesture seemingly simple, yet filled with the weight of centuries of wisdom.

With a deliberate motion, he extended his thumb and lightly pressed it, the nail loosening from his flesh as he extracted it without a hint of pain.

As the nail separated from his thumb, a dense, inky black aura began to swirl around it, pulsating with an ancient and formidable energy.

The nail itself was no ordinary object. It was long and sharp, resembling an obsidian claw forged in the depths of the darkest abyss. Its surface was smooth, yet it seemed to absorb the light around it, as if it were a fragment of the void itself.

Wisps of shadowy tendrils occasionally flickered from its edges, like tongues of flame, but made of pure darkness. The aura it emitted was both mysterious and oppressive, a reminder of the immense power contained within such a small object.

Raven Master held the nail out toward Flippy, who eyed it with a mix of curiosity and excitement. "Take it," Raven Master said, his voice solemn. "It should be helpful to you someday."

Flippy's eyes widened with enthusiasm, his imagination immediately running wild with possibilities. "Is it something I can eat?" he asked, his voice tinged with eager anticipation.

Ruchir nearly choked on his own breath, and Raven Master blinked in surprise, taken aback by the unexpected question.

He stared at Flippy for a moment, struggling to reconcile the child's innocent expression with the inconceivable idea of consuming such a powerful artifact.

Finally, he found his voice, his tone a mix of bafflement and amusement.

"No, Flippy, it's not something you can eat," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Just keep it by your side as a souvenir of this mountain you visited."

Flippy nodded, still grinning as he carefully accepted the nail from Raven Master's hand.

He held it up to the light, marveling at its dark, ethereal beauty, even as his thoughts undoubtedly wandered to some fantastical notion of what it could be used for.

Raven Master watched him for a moment longer, a small smile playing on his lips. There was something undeniably endearing about Flippy's innocent, carefree nature, even if it defied all logic and convention.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of fondness for the boy, despite the chaos he seemed to effortlessly create wherever he went.

With a wave of his sleeve, Raven Master called forth a surge of energy, enveloping both Ruchir and Flippy in a cocoon of power.

The world around them began to blur, the serene peak of the mountain dissolving into a swirl of colors and light. A gentle breeze swept through the air, carrying with it the faint echoes of the trials they had faced, the lessons learned, and the bonds formed.

In the blink of an eye, Ruchir and Flippy found themselves standing at the foot of the mountain once more. The familiar landscape stretched out before them, the towering trees and rugged terrain a stark contrast to the mystical realm they had just left behind.

Ruchir glanced around, his heart still pounding with the intensity of everything that had transpired. He felt a mixture of pride and relief, knowing that he had emerged stronger, both in body and spirit. The journey had been arduous, but it had also been a defining moment in his cultivation path.

Flippy, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed by the sudden change in scenery. He was still clutching the raven nail, twirling it between his fingers with a casual air.

His expression was one of pure contentment, as if he had just enjoyed a pleasant outing rather than a life-altering experience.

Ruchir couldn't help but smile at his companion's boundless energy and optimism.

No matter how confusing or frustrating Flippy could be, there was something undeniably infectious about his unshakable positivity.

And in a world as unpredictable and dangerous as theirs, perhaps that was a gift in itself.