Stella, who was left alone with Jin, got up after checking his pulse and left the room, closing the door behind her. She saw the two fought and a sudden burst of motivation was coursing through her, wanting to become stronger. She headed towards the library and began reading books about how to unlock the first stage of Ki.
She spent the entire night reading different books related to the first stage. After an entire night, she had debated with herself about what to do with this knowledge and saw Abel standing over something in the yard and went outside to him.
"Master, may I request something?" She asked and bowed to Abel.
"What is it that you need?" Abel asked curiously, "I wish to head to the mountains for three months."
Abel's eyes widened but a smile creeped across his face slightly while looking away from her. "The mountains, huh? How come, do you not have everything you want here?" He asked awaiting an answer.
"I… I want to become stronger. I can't do that when I'm here and nobody lets me train, and instead takes the equipment away from me when I try to." Stella said to her master of the past 4 years.
Abel sighed deeply before replying. "Child, it is not that I wish for you not to become stronger, but, It is your talent for it which makes me nervous. The potential and talent within your body increases even that of my own and that of Jin's. You need to learn the world from different angles before applying to one direct route. You might not understand what I'm talking about, and that's fine. One day you will understand if you wish to choose this route."
Abel turned around to face Stella, "If you wish to become stronger, and to go down such a route in life… I have no reason to stop you. I'll give you the necessary items for the next three months of training gear. If you return home before the three months are over, you will no longer be allowed to practice. Do we have a deal?"
Stella looked for any lies within his words about not being able to return home but couldn't detect a single lie about it. Stella replied after a few moments of thinking, "Yes, we have a deal. I'll make sure to become stronger and return after three months are over and no less."
Abel left the yard, going to the library to grab the supplies needed for his disciple. While in the library, he saw Jin reading. "I assume you've overheard everything or at least have an idea, otherwise you wouldn't be here and instead out there grabbing your tanto."
Jin quietly laid his book down onto the table. "There was a saying my master had. "A snake's instinct can be what gets it killed, or it can become the greatest enemy to face against, if trained right." Foolish actions won't be tolerated when the world depends on power. After feeling your strength within your blade, I know you know that law better than anyone around here."
Before Abel could reply, Jin spoke up again. "I want to go with her if she leaves here. I think it'll be a good change of scenery."
Abel laughed silently at how Jin is about people. "I thought you weren't the type to care for others, judging by the way I've seen you be with certain actions while you've been here. Yet, it seems you've surprised me again. If you wish to leave, then be my guest and go ahead."
Abel started to grab pills, a few wooden swords, spears, daggers, and long-swords. He put them all into different bags. He then opens another bag and dumps in 3 small boxes full of "Red Lilly Ki containers" each one containing a random amount of ki to use and circulate through one's body.
Abel walked out of the house with all the bags and set them at the front gate and called for Stella. Stella shortly arrived at the front gate, seeing all the bags behind Abel. "This soon?" She asked, surprised it only took thirty minutes to get bags full of items. "Yes, this soon. Now leave and do not return until three months are over."
Jin got up from the ground and picked up his tanto, and walked towards the front gate. "Stella, I'll be coming with you… I'm tired of seeing the same thing every day, even though I've only been here for a short period of time." Stella smiled slightly at Jin's words and picked up a few bags and began walking.
"Thank you for allowing me to stay with you, even if it was for a short period. I thank you for the wonderful food you have served as well." Jin bowed to Abel before picking up the other bag that was left behind by Stella and following her out.
Abel closed the gates behind them and walked towards the house, Gray had quietly kept his mouth shut in the background, watching. "So was it time? Already?"
"It appears so. It was only a matter of time until she left, though… especially after he came here." Gray sighed deeply before undoing a transformation technique. "I thought we were clear on the details not to let her leave." "I know, but, what was I supposed to do? It's either we let her go or she would've been gone during the night, and we'll be countless hours behind her trail."
Gray frowned upon hearing this but couldn't help but agree. "Very well then. Do we have information on where she's going, at least?" "Not at all. With that man as well, it'll be difficult to keep track. He had a good sixth sense. He was able to keep up with my movements, even if it was for just a bit."
"I see, then what's the next best action? We can't just report that she left unless we both have suicide on the list tonight."
"That, I'm not sure about. Whatever the course we take… let's just hope we continue with a right side for the sake of us both."
Gray and Abel quietly entered the house and sat down in the library, questioning what to do next.
Meanwhile
Jin and Stella continued west before deciding to settle down inside the forest they've been walking in for the previous five hours. "Let's stop here for the night before we continue any further for the day." Jin said while setting down his bag next to a tree. Stella agreed, setting her bags onto the same tree. "So, what should we do first?" She asked.
"It'll be ideal to find a cave for a move natural living space for now… but it doesn't seem like we'll get that luxury, so we'll just build our own little camp for the next few days." Jin said while pulling out his tanto and got into a stance.
"Forbidden Azure: Condensed Redemption" he said while slashing in front of him with the tanto. Slashing cleanly through 30 trees. "I couldn't use this while sparing with Abel due to the destructive force of it. It would've destroyed the house behind him due to the size of it." He said to Stella and turned around to look at her. "H-how the hell? No, wait, what the hell was that?" She said surprised and shocked. "It wasn't a lot. It was just a technique my master taught me… well, maybe I stole it from his library when I was younger."
Stella just decided to accept it without anymore questions, but was curious about something. "So, how old even are you? I've never asked you, and I don't think the others have either." Jin turned around and began walking off to collect all the logs to build the house but replied, "I turned 20 this year." He said before walking off, collecting the logs.
"He's a year older but can already do things like this? Damn, just how big is the gap between us? I know it takes years to train and all of that but still." Stella thought to herself before sitting down quietly and just waited for Jin to come back.
An hour had passed by and Jin came back to get the bags and to get Stella. "It's done." Was all he said, Stella confused asked, "What's done? I don't see any of the logs…" Stella was confused by this, but just picked up the bags she brought with her and followed him. 13 minutes of walking into the forest, she finds her eyes widen by surprise as she saw the small cabin Jin had built within a single hour. "H-how the hell did build such a thing within only an hour?" Stella looked over at Jin, who was smiling at his own work. "Just practice" He said and laughed slightly before walking inside the cabin and laid the bags out.
Jin opened the bags and found one containing different types of blades.
"Hm, this seems useful as hell." He thought to himself and pulled them all out. Stella walked in and put down her one bag she carried and saw it, the Red Lily Ki pills.
Stella and Jin then sat down on the floor of the cabin and Jin sighed before looking outside the door he built as the clouds covered the sky above making it darker
"Hm that's weird… I didn't feel anything different with the area of a rainstorm today" He thought to himself. But, he quickly got over it and decided to lay backwards, closing his eyes.
Stella looked at him, "So what exactly should we do to get started with training?"
"… The first thing you do is rest your body, which is undoubtedly what I'm doing. You should follow my examples as well… it'll work amazingly." He said completely serious.
"I just don't want to do anything right now, I'm way too tired." He thought to himself afterward.
Stella laid down on the floor next to Jin and looked up at the ceiling, still impressed by how he managed this within an hour but closes her eyes and ended up falling asleep.
Jin after a few minutes thought to himself again, "How long have I even been awake for? I think the last time I fell asleep without being unconscious due to a fight or training was before the war I think… though I've forgotten. But, those bastards, I'll get revenge and kill them all." After a short period of time the got up and closed the door to the cabin and sealed it, so bugs wouldn't get inside. Jin, headed back to the same spot he was in and laid down, falling asleep almost instantly.