12 12. Lifechanging Encounter

Kiel looked at the old man and shook his head.

The callouses on his hands were proof of his hard work. Kiel would have actually considered teaching this old man if not for the fact that their way of the spear deviated from one another.

If Kiel was to actually offer him any teachings, this old man would only die from a Deviation.

"If we had met at a time when you have not created a [Spear Heart], I would have actually taught you seeing how you have dedicated yourself solely in Mastering the Spear… sadly, you are not fated to receive my teachings — farewell."

Kiel said as he turned his back. However, as he did so, the old man stood up. Kiel showed a pleasant smile, 'It appears this old man is not so weak-willed. He has a good life ahead of him.'

Kiel thought to himself, but then, he heard coughing and splattering. Quickly, Kiel turned around.

He and the old man, who were coughing up litters of blood, locked eyes. The old man cleaned the stains on his mouth as he asked, ��Great Master, please, teach me your Invincible Spear."

Kiel raised both brows, "You destroyed your Spear Heart? Your cultivation will be affected by this, and if anything goes wrong, it will also affect your future endeavors."

"That doesn't matter; I promised someone that I will attain the strongest spear. If this is the price I have to pay to touch it, then I will say that this life had been lived without regret." The old man said with an unwavering will.

Kiel looked at this old man and finally nodded his head, "What is your name?"

The old man quickly cupped his fist as he bowed, "Horus, is mine name, Mazra is my Surname."

"Despite the pain, you are undergoing, you have enough dedication to speak clearly and with pride. My name is Kiel, I have no surname, and truth be told, I am but a child at the age of 7, yet I shall claim that I possess the strongest spear — do you believe me?"

"No one is determined by age, the achievement Great Master showed me was not a lie or trickery, and I would be worst than a blind fool to say anything otherwise. I believe anything the Great Master says." Horus said without shame. He lowered his head even deeper.

He thinks that Kiel is a hidden master who had taken the form of a boy to travel the world and see the Mortal Plane… but even if this was not the fact, and that Kiel was truly some seven-year-old child, it would not matter. His Mastery was not fake, and that's enough for Horus.

Kiel placed his hand on Horus' shoulder and easily forced him down, "Seat cross-legged and steady your breathing. I will draw our every bit of Spear Intent in your bones; there is a chance you can die, but if you survive, this incident will not affect you in any way… you will be the first student I would take, and I will not accept a defective man who cannot even inherit my legacy properly."

Kiel could wait for his body to recuperate, but Horus' state would be irreversible by then. Horus was the first man he took a liking to, outside of his family; he sees this as an opportunity to increase his horizon and fight against his past.

Using the stick in his hand, Kiel drew out every bit of his 4th Level Mastery and then struck Horus' back that directly lined with his heart.

Horus felt like a hole was placed on his body. Blood then gathered at his throat, and as he threw up blood, the ground touched by it now had holes in some places. This was caused by the remnant Spear Heart.

A heavy feeling bore down Horus' body; he felt like he would collapse at any moment, but then, he heard Kiel's words, "Pass out now and I shall leave your side and never appear before you. If you cannot even survive this kind of pain, you will not be able to master my Spear. If you can stand up, then I shall let you call me Master."

Kiel speaks only of the truth.

Horus heard his words and quickly opened his eyes wide. He even resorted to almost tearing up a chunk of flesh in order to stay awake.

Slowly, Horus forced his body to stay awake and then even managed to stand up. He turned to Kiel and saw blood quietly on the side of his lips, "Master… there's blood."

Kiel simply wiped it away, "I do not cultivate Spirit Energy; thus, it places a burden in my body to use this much. I was also just in a fight, and it caused me a lot to kill him. It will hurt for a few years, but I shall live without complications."

'Just to save the future of this old man, he was willing to do such a thing?'

He was already so old, and his future should already be limited, yet Kiel did not spare any effort to help him. They barely even knew each other… such a gesture touched Horus', tempered heart.

"For Master to do such a thing to a lowly student like myself, I shall follow your teachings forever." Horus bowed deeply that he almost fell.

However, Kiel thought otherwise as he could see things Horus couldn't. There was no such thing as a limited improvement because of age. That was merely idiotic words.

"That is enough; give me your spear; my stick is at its last leg, I might miss the time to give you your first lesson."

Horus quickly gave his spear upon Kiel's request. He unwrapped it, and a black spear showed itself.

Kiel held onto the Black Spear's shaft and then threw it in the air. He gathered 1st Level Mastery intent in his stick, and then without so much as any perceptible intent. Kiel used the stick to carve out a single line into the Horus' spear.

The stick turned to dust then disappeared. Kiel then caught the black spear; he turned to Horus and spoke, "I shall now demonstrate you a proper fundamental Spear Maneuvering to train in my way of the Spear, look closely for I will not repeat it again."

Horus paid attention.

Kiel stood straight, and despite looking so comical with a 9-foot-long spear in hand, Horus did not laugh because as his Master using the spear, his jaws slacked from its beauty.

There were only four movements, one swing to left, one swing to the right, a downward smash using the shaft and blade, and then a piercing maneuver… that was enough to enrapture Horus' senses.

Kiel casually threw the spear back to Horus and then demanded a piece of paper. As none of them had any, Kiel ripped some from Horus' robes and used the blood on the ground to write some medication.

Though this is a different Universe, many things were retained, especially the vegetations, the beasts, and other races. It was different yet the same.

He began listing out a recipe for a medicinal bath that Horus would need. The recipe was an altered version of what he actually wanted to make him use. If Kiel was to use what he wanted, then that would only result in nothing done.

Kiel then began explaining as he gave Horus the piece of cloth, "Bath on that every three nights for the next five years, and that should help you in completely erasing your previous mastery. The Spear I gave you have my intent, though it did not contain any will; if you meditate with it and try to remember the maneuvers that I showed you, it will show you a clear view… well, it depends on how much you paid attention anyway. With that, I am leaving… I will return to this spot in fifteen years, and if you have mastered it, I will teach you the second part.

"Do not look for me, and do not gather information about me. Do not share my teachings; I remodeled your body when I helped you expel the Spear Heart; anyone who trains in my method other than you will die." Kiel lied on the last part.

Just as he was about to disappear into the next turn of the alleyways, Horus called out, "Master."

Kiel caught a black medallion while walking away, and as he looked at it, the characters, "Mystic Palace" were etched on its surface.

Horus' words followed, "If Master needs anything and wants to find me, I am at the Mystic Palace of the Golden Phoenix Province."

Kiel had already disappeared with a wave. Horus saw this and decided to leave, but before doing so, he got on his knees and kowtowed three times to his master.

This would be an encounter that would change both their lives.