Over the next day, the thought of that psycho haunted . I shifted my focus. I wasnt strong enough and didnt have what I needed to protect myself or the people I cared about. What would I do if he went after my family? The thought alone hurt worse than him stabbing a knife into my gut.
For the first ti in my life, I sat down and made a list of things to accomplish.
First, I handed Ma over half of what I made from the alchemist job. Kayson paid us all very wellpartly because he felt terrible about how it went down and, I think, because he realized I was struggling for money. With Tristan, the jobs provided a small yet steady inco stream, but this was the first ti since the switch that Kayson paid out, thanks to the trouble I kept finding myself in.
Kayson was a better leader than that psycho fuck ever could bescheduling etings once a month to check-in one on one, promising to treat to my favorite restaurant. Trying to make more included with the squad. The attention made uncomfortable, but it was just his style.
So it was with a heavy heart I told him that the next two weeks were mine. Only for training. All of the risks, all of the fighting with Roo, all of the working my ass off. My Soul Seeds roots had spread wide. I still didnt know what my Dao was. It wasnt gambling, but I didnt think it was risk either. Regardless, I felt it thrum with more intense power than ever before. Almost painfully swollen. Immortals know I needed to put myself on even footing with that psycho sooner rather than later.
Kayson understood, wished well, and cut back any assignnts from the squad. When he spoke of cultivation, there was sothing in his eyes I couldnt place. Almost wistful, even with the war, he let pursue my path.
The squad was a little more reluctant to let be. Eve complained that I was being irresponsible, that they could use to soak up more punches. Bruno promised to check in every couple of days at my house. And Suzaki ekly wished well, telling not to break any bones. I was getting the feeling that twerp didnt expect to walk out of my house without a serious injury.
With that squared away, I made my way to Roos apartnt; for the first ti, I arrived at the fancy place in the middle of the day. The people operating the desk made a call, and an attendant escorted up.
Roo sat on his couch, reclined in a simple white buttoned shirt. He tilted his head. You should be at school, no? Yet why is it I see you here, passerotto?
Ill cut to the chase. I need to get stronger.
Ah, so this is why youve arrived. I wondered how long it would take before this conversation. Your blood has called to you.
Ive got two weeks. Can ya help break past into the next stage? Is it even possible?
Roo leaned back, tipping his head and considering . A cool sensation ran across my skinit seed like he was looking past and directly at my Soul Seed. He began to nod his head.
It will be hard, and you may fail. But your Soul Seed has grown strong. It is a matter of if you can understand it in ti and have the willpower to push past everything. Did you bring the jade bottle with you?
I shivered, dropping the bag in my hand. Full of clothes and the few possessions Id need. Ma didnt know it yet, but I didnt intend to co back until I broke through the bottleneck. She wasnt a cultivator and wouldnt understand. But he did. I stared at my Uncle, bringing out the jade bottle hed given when he walked back into my life; Roo gave a simple smile.
Very good. We shall begin, yes?.
He gave a room, empty except for a simple guest bed to stash my things. He was on the phone when I returnedhe waved off and told to begin in the gym. I ran through so basic exercises, lifting weights, and pushing myself lightly.
Eventually, he arrived, wearing gym clothes and a wide smile on his face. I have two rules, you will follow them, yes?
Iyea, of course. I paused, dropping a dumbbell.
You do what I say when I say. This is rule one. I nodded along, unsure of where he was headed. Even if it is painful. We are to lt you down, everything you are. Then we will reforge you; this is what it ans to break past the bottleneckat least for a Cavicchi to do anything less is to hamstring your growth.
And rule two?
One day, your blood will call upon you for service. You shall honor and agree, simple, no?
A favor? From ? Well, hell, hed already done so much for , and I just barged in and asked him to put his life on hold to help get stronger. I agreed without a second thought.
The next week was hell.
Roo drove like a madman; each day pushed further than before. For the first night there, he had spar him for an hourrun laps, lift weights, and only then was I afforded a five-minute break. Co two in the morning, I damn near passed out on my feet and drenched in sweat.
And that was just the first night. He drilled further, waking only four hours later. Constant abuse of my strength as he chipped each bit of away into further exhaustion. He didnt care if he broke . The combat training led to him correcting countless mistakes in my fighting form, from foot positioning to showing how to roll with a punch to minimize damage. Important lessons, but it was like he didnt care about consciously retaining the information. No. Roo forced my body to learn to adapt and respond on instinct.
By the fifth night, I was a shell of myself. I no longer bothered to check my phone at the end of the night, as my entire day was nothing but endless exercise. But, each day slid further down the rabbit hole. Each lesson beca strangerfrom conventional weight lifting to driving out into the swamp to force to run through the muck with stones filling a backpack on my back. Collapsing only rewarded more pain.
The entire ti, he had a smile on his face. Youre doing well! Hed say, a beacon of brightness even as he broke .
And then the lessons started. Roo drilled on his insights of cultivation, that choosing the right mont to break through at this stageset what Id be capable of later.
We make ourselves now to join the Immortals later, passerotto, never settle for less. He kept repeating. Every mont I felt like my body would shudder and collapse, and he said the sa mantra. Never settle for less. Along with so other mystic mumbo-jumbo-bullshit, Your Soul Seed will bloom and bring honor to your ancestors at so point, it all blended together. Indoctrination and physical pain beca one singular and brutal existence.
As the first week ca to a close, he abruptly halted the training, directing to shower and et him at his lounge. After a week of nothing except training, sitting on his sofa felt strange.
His keen gaze focused on . Roo leaned forward as I shifted on the fancy sofa. My mind was still numb as the exhaustion gripped my heart.
Do you know it yet? Roo asked.
Whwhat are you talking about? My head bobbed on the couch. I fought a war against the urge to lay down and close my eyes. Itd be so easy, to just find a bit of rest. Id earned it, hadnt I?
You have not. This is fine. This next weekwe shall balance your traininghalf of it as pure sparring. I will not hold back on you either, especially since you will be ditating for the rest."
Excuse ? I ca here to get stronger, not sit around.
This is vital; to ascend past the bottleneck you must understand your dao. Seek enlightennt. To push you past this stage without understanding the most basic aspect of your animawhy, I could not live with myself passerotto. Nowsit still, and listen well.
I sat back, and he told for the fifth ti how to ditate correctly. Detailed directions on how to inhalecirculate the energy through my Soul Seed, then follow that energy along its path as it flooded through my Soul Roots. Painfully boring. If I fell asleep, he knew. He'd wake back up with a swift slap to the face. It was hard not to fall asleep with the physical exhaustion from the training and vague directions like: Feel and consider the Soul Seed. Why was it given to you? As if I fucking knew. Or could know.
So, the schedule was an hour of pure ditation. Then an hour of pain. By the end of each hour, I desperately wanted the other, only to discover that it just got worse each ti in a cycle of awfulness.
I was able to map out the way the Soul Roots ran through and damn, I knew Id been approaching my bottleneck, but they spread like weeds, practically choking one another out. Wound, tangled, and everywhere in . A maze that I had plenty of ti to explore with the forced hours of ditation.
Even with the ditation, I didnt feel closer to understanding the purpose of my Soul Seed. It seed like a aningless pursuit. Yet Roo insisted and I promised to follow each of his instructions. Despite my failures, Roo didnt have the capacity for annoyance. Ti would reveal all, he said. But, as the week ca close to an end, I began to get antsy; if I failed to understand my Dao, Roo wouldnt allow to breakthrough.
As the desperation sank in, it beca harder to focus during those monts of ditation. A cycle that spiraled further until I beca sure Id fail. Roo would ship back ho to Ma, and then in two weeks, whatever evil shit Tristan had up his sleeves would co to pass.
As the ti ran up, Roo ordered into the car. I was an anxious ss, sure that I would head ho a failure and without a backup plan.
Instead of heading to Southside, we went to the Rust Dockslanding near a dock where Roo walked us out to a pearl white boat. Roo gestured to it, unusually chipper. When we return to this land, you shall be a man.
I shot him blank eyes. Thrown off guard, Id been sure Id failed him completely. Id expected a ride to my house with so disappointed speech towards . Not a boat ride.
Co, get on. No point in explaining. This may take a couple more days, but I feel it. Youre close passerotto; you need a little push to shove you off that edge, no?
He gave a wicked grin that I didnt quite trust. But, Id tied my lifeline to him, and Id go with whatever he had up his sleeve; if it ant Id be stronger, Id do damn near anything. I looked at Roomy Uncle, whod taken himself away for two weeks to see through on the first step of my path. He was blood, and I could trust him. I Id spent too long trying to get stronger by myself. Without others to help . But what had that self-imposed isolation gotten ?
Now? When I finally started to lean on other people? They kept pulling through for ; they helped move forward in a way I never thought possible. If I failed today, the next day, or even the day after. I had people in my corner rooting on.
Id pull through for them. No matter how hard it was, even if it tore apart to do it. With a slow nod, I hopped into the boat. Roo joined , starting the engine and driving far off the shore. The sun felt warm on this cloudless day. The last ti Id been on a boat was back when Pops was still alive. Funny, I never realized how much Id missed it.
Reviews
All reviews (0)