2 hours passed from when Arslan had been sweeping the Library's outside floor with a rudimental bamboo-made broom. He tried not to listen to all the whispers there were around him, between the disciples who came out of the Academy, but, as his cultivation level increased, he couldn't avoid hearing them clearly,
'They are all talking about me... I have always found it useful to have Darkness increase my senses, but for once it is really annoying... I can't even turn it off.' Arslan said as he became harsher on the broom, moving it faster and with more strength. He was getting nervous, by not being used to being looked at by so many people for so long.
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After some more time, Arslan finished his job,
"Ahh... I can finally go to train now." He said as he stretched his back, which was hurting due to being bent all the time to sweep, 'And I can stop hearing all these people talking about me all the time.' He thought as he looked at a group of disciples who stopped at some meters from him and watched him, 'Do they think I can't understand what they are talking about?' He continued,
'Well... whatever, let's go.' He thought as he leaned the broom against the wall and headed towards the little forest where he went the day before.
During the walk, he could notice weak disciples being bullied everywhere.
"Please! I swear I gave you already all the bronze pills I had!" The disciple with his back against the wall of the Reception Hall said. His possible escape routes were blocked by three guys.
"You dare to lie to the Young Master of the Flower Great family?! We know you always keep some pills for yourself!! The Young Master has better use for them, so hand them over!" The most toned guy said with an angry look on his face while holding out his hand at the weak boy.
The disciple at the center of the three threatening ones was looking at the weak boy with a smile of satisfaction on his face, feeling the power in his hands.
'They do it in daylight without even hiding and no elder intervenes...' Arslan thought as he looked at them with disdain and looked away soon after.
As he arrived at the little forest and gradually entered it, he felt more and more at ease, as if his anxiousness, doubts, and all of his problems were blocked out of it,
"This place is so relaxing... there is so much life here, that makes me feel as if I were in a different world... it allows me to focus more efficiently." He said as he smiled while looking at the rabbits running wild between the tall trees.
Arslan practiced his moves as he did the day before and as time passed, he became more and more experienced in how to use them,
'I should have grasped the most important parts of Steps Of Silence. I'm already close to perfection. If it weren't for the book of the Power of Darkness, this would have been impossible for even a Grand Master... but it was absolutely possible for me... Father... I swear that I won't let you down!' Arslan said as confidence filled his heart, making his will become as strong as steel. Nothing would have stopped him from achieving his goals.
"So, you were really here."
At that moment, while he was sitting on the ground, Arslan turned his head fast to his left with his eyes open wide as if shocked by what he was witnessing,
'It is the second time he gets close to me without me noticing... It is impossible... if it happened twice, it can only mean he is using a stealth skill of high level...' Arslan thought as he looked at John, whose back was leaning against the tree next to Arslan's.
"Hey, did you see a ghost? You look like you have seen one." John said as he bitted the sandwich he brought with him.
"Why are you using a stealth skill? Are you spying on me?" Arslan asked with diffidence.
"What? No!" John answered confused as he raised his right eyebrow, "You were training so hard... I didn't want to disturb you."
"..."
"Could you try to be a bit more trustful towards me? I didn't do anything to you."
"We just met yesterday and you didn't even help me when I almost got to fight against Jacob, Cindy, and Troy. After that, you came to my training place with a stealth skill activated and you want me to trust you? You'll have to try harder than that." Arslan said glaring at him with a piercing glare that made John a bit startled.
"Oh, come on, I came here to offer you a lunch exactly for that reason... I wanted to show you my sincerity and tell you that I'm sorry for not helping you. Regarding the skill, I already told you the reason... This sandwich is also my way to thank you..." John said as he took another sandwich out of his bag.
"To thank me for what?"
"For showing me that being a coward isn't the only way to live in this sick world."
The straightforward way John used to say those words, surprised Arslan, whose diffident attitude started to disappear, as he felt aligned with his thinking,
'Sick world? Ah... we are more similar than what I thought.' Arslan thought as his nerves relaxed a bit.
"But I can't oblige you to eat with me if you don't want to... just pretend you never saw me."
John walked 3 steps away from Arslan.
"Stop...! That food... I accept it." Arslan said, curious to know more about that person whose view of the world was so similar to his.
John stopped and turned around rapidly,
"Really?? I swear you won't regret it! These are the best sandwiches of the whole Academy, you know?!" John said with a huge smile on his face as he sat near to Arslan and gave him the sandwich he was keeping in his left hand.
"If you say so... What is the orange thing inside them?" Arslan asked with sincere curiosity. He wasn't used to eating high-level food, so he wanted to try it for once.
"Salmon! They are my favorites! I eat them every time the Academy has them... but why do you look like it is the first time you see one?" John said as he looked at Arslan, whose eyes were exploring the inside of the sandwich as if he found a treasure of unknown origins.
"Because it is my first time." Arslan answered without thinking twice.
"What?? What kind of food have you been eating till now?" John said as he got startled by such a statement.