Even without looking anyone in the eye, he felt he made multiple eye contacts simultaneously.
The burning sensation in his mind made him uncomfortable. But they did not linger on him for long and went their way.
A woman leading the group spoke something but he did not hear her voice. After she spoke, the group sped away.
Zack closed his eyes as soon as they turned around. After rubbing his eyes for a bit he took out his water container.
He sprinkled some water on his eyes and drank some too to lessen the uncomfortable feeling.
he thought of running back when he saw them looking at him but then he understood. His speed was not faster than them.
And judging from the looks of things they were running without any effort at that speed.
After resting behind the tree he looked around and noticed the slightly injured spirits seem to flicker. He felt that they were angry for being treated like that. But just like him, they were also incapable of doing anything to that group of people.
He picked up his speed and went deeper into the forest to collect the plants.
This time he went around the 15 kilometres mark deep into the forest.
As he collected the plants, he could not help but think about those people he saw before. Their attire was mixed, some wore simple clothing just like his townsmen but others had undoubtedly clean and high-quality clothes.
The only exception was the woman and a young boy around his age. They wore a green coloured robe with a symbol etched onto their right side.
He could not see the symbol nor remember how it was shaped.
After quickly collecting the plants he made his way to the exit. Along the way, he found many animals but they were mostly big.
Even though he was now a spirit walker, he was not strong enough to carry the large animals for this long journey.
Nobody in the town would just run 30 kilometres in a single day. Even if it was 5kilometres deep, they would make preparations to spend at least 2 to 4 days.
Because the forest was full of the small spirits who were known for their mischievousness normal people would often forget their way.
Zack also brought camping and other necessities at the beginning of his long journies. But after he took a step in the spirit walker path, he was strong and capable enough to ignore most of the common steps.
He hunted a small deer he came across. There were some small species of deers, if it was a bigger one he would simply ignore it.
Cleaning the deer took some time and came home in the evening just when his parents were about to come home.
His wife Lia helped him prepare the meat. After keeping the meat they needed, the rest was stored for the next few days as well as for his in-laws.
He helped them from time to time as Lia was the only child they had.
His parents came shortly after. After Zack got married his mother had time to relax a bit. Lia and his mother cooked the food while Jaiden busied himself with the leather that was left of the deer.
Zack read his book after preparing the meat because his time was spent on other tasks nowadays. The time he had for reading books became less and less, so he read whenever he had some free time.
...
The next morning Zack sat in front t of his master explaining the incident of coming across the group of people in the forest.
"They should be recruits of some school or sect. Don't think too much of them. You will come across them more times in the future."
"Because not everyone has proper guidance, oftentimes spirit walkers cannot control their emotions and spiritual energies."
"You will get used to it after some time."
Zack nodded in understanding, he asked his master why he felt uncomfortable when he felt their gazes previously.
"And for that symbol, you naturally cannot see what you do not qualify or in simple terms, you are not powerful enough to see it."
"Majority of the schools and organisations would not want their identities to be known by common people. And by common it means the people who are not qualified to know them."
"It's only because you have been influenced by me that you could even know the existence of that symbol otherwise you would not have noticed it."
"When you step outside this town you will come across them on a daily basis."
Elder grey patiently explains, "Now enough of that, today you are here for the mental meditation."
"This is something most of the spirit masters worry about later in life but not you. As I've mentioned many times your path is different from others."
Zack sat straight as his master started about the training again.
"The first time, spirit masters train in is the physical aspect and only after that do they train their minds. It is also somewhat more stable way, at least from what is known."
"There are different ways to train the physical body and depending on the methods the results are also different."
"The records show that this was not common in the early era, the enlightenment was sought through mind and body at the same time at that time. At the same time, mind came as a priority."
"Through trial and error, the modern ways focus on physical training first because that is the foundation."
"The body meditation you have been doing is nothing but a basic meditation to have a stable body."
"You have stepped on the spirit walker path with only body meditation and now you will meditate mentally as well."
"When you reach the threshold for spirit master, that will be your real start of the training."
Zack listened quietly, for this day he even took a leave from the school.
After closing his eyes similarly when he did during the body meditation he felt different. In the past, he would feel prickle sensations on his body whenever he started.
But this time he could not meditate at all. His thoughts were swimming through his mind non-stop.
Different thoughts and ideas came and went in his mind. Memories from his childhood till now started flooding his mind.
He frowned and tried very hard to suppress and keep his mind stable. It was fruitless no matter what he did and he spent most of his morning struggling to keep his mind straight.
He opened his eyes after a long time finding his master looking at him while sipping on his tea.
"Hmm. It is a start at least. Before it was me who suppressed those thoughts to make it easier for you to meditate."
"Now without any disturbance, you will find out just how much of a maze your mind is."
"You could also feel lucky that you are living in this tiny town. Those who experience more life would find it more difficult than you."
Zack did not understand much of it but he also knew somewhat what his master was saying.
"Master is my goal is to suppress and forget these memories and thoughts? Would I only progress after I discard all these distractions?"
Elder Grey did not speak and only continued to drink his tea.
"That is for you to decide, I will not influence or help in any way."
"If you want my advice, I would say relax and live your life comfortable in this tiny town for now."
Zack nodded his head and did not ask anything, After not getting anywhere he spent his day asking his master about all the questions he had throughout the week of reading.