Chapter 23: Fate

Their reflexes kicked in, and they got into battle positions.

Sienna's eyes stopped glowing, and she said, "I apologize for that. I had to check something. That was a good reaction, though. At least they're doing something right at that Academy."

The boys calmed down, but their backs were covered in cold sweat.

Sienna continued, "I was right. I can see mana stuck in your bodies. The good thing is that it's evenly spread and not clumped in certain parts. And I kinda understand why nobody at the Academy said anything about it.

"The mana isn't gonna hurt you because it's so evenly spread throughout your bodies. It will even speed up your cultivation in the early stages after you awaken. So, you have two options right now.

"You can either choose to utilize the mana now for a stronger body and give up the boost that you will receive when you awaken, or you can choose not to utilize the mana and save it for later. You'll still train with me, but your training will be a bit different. Both options have their pros and cons."

The boys huddled together and started thinking. On one hand, they all dreamt of chiseled bodies, but on the other hand, faster cultivation speed was tempting. It was a tough choice.

Lucas said, "I think we should go with the first option. There are plenty of resources in the Bloom Store that could help us achieve the same results as the second option."

Derek nodded and said, "I agree."

Noah, on the other hand, disagreed with them and said, "Guys, I'm not as talented as you. And I don't have that much BP. I'm not sure if I should go with the first option."

Sienna was pleased to see the boys weighing the pros and cons of both options instead of just blindly making a decision. But Noah's words hit a bit too close. She remembered being in a similar situation.

Although her family was somewhat wealthy and she was talented, many of her peers had better backgrounds and greater talent. If it wasn't for a fortunate encounter, she would never have reached where she was today.

She thought, *Maybe it is fate. The little guy reminds me of myself. I guess it's my turn to become someone else's fortunate encounter. And it would be too much of a waste if he chose to save the mana in exchange for a stronger body.*

Berserkers needed extremely strong physiques because once they came out of their rage-filled trance, they would undergo a period of extreme weakness. If their bodies couldn't bear the burden, they would simply break down.

Sienna said, "Noah, is that the only reason you're thinking of choosing the second option? Tell me the truth."

Noah looked hesitant but replied, "Yes, Auntie Sienna."

Sienna said, "Then you don't have to worry. If you don't give up halfway during this training, I'll sponsor you. I'll provide you with resources, techniques—whatever it is that you need. I'll ensure that a lack of resources never becomes an obstacle for you."

Noah became flustered as he struggled to speak, "A-Auntie Sienna, it's too much. I couldn't—"

Sienna interrupted him and said, "Of course, you can. You're a hardworking and talented kid. And it's not like we're strangers."

Lucas decided to convince his best friend even further, "Mom is right. And think about it. There must be a reason she's insisting that you choose the first option."

Sienna gave Lucas a secret thumbs-up for the timely assist. Derek also decided to make the final push.

He said, "And from the way Auntie Sienna's talking about it, I can tell that this training is gonna be tough. What kind of friend would you be if you let us suffer alone? Hell, what kind of friends would we be if we didn't lowkey force you to join us?"

Everyone gave Derek a strange look. Sienna bonked him on the head.

She said, "Language. And you would be bad friends if you did that."

Derek felt a momentary sting and held his head.

Sienna said, "Although Derek phrased it poorly, he is right."

Derek looked at her, confused. He thought, *If I was right, then why did you hit me?*

Sienna seemed to see through his thoughts and glared at him. Derek backed up almost immediately. Sienna's bonks were deadly. They didn't hurt him, but they somehow seemed to sting anyway.

Lucas signaled Noah with his eyes, but Noah couldn't understand what he meant. He signaled back, expressing his confusion. Lucas rolled his eyes and signaled him again. This time, Noah seemed to have an idea of what Lucas meant, but it was somewhat embarrassing. He signaled his refusal. Lucas signaled back. A few minutes passed, and finally, Noah conceded and agreed.

While their 'conversation' was taking place, Derek asked Sienna, "What are they doing? Are they sick?"

Sienna said, "No, they're talking."

Derek asked, "Don't you need to, I don't know, speak if you want to talk to someone?"

Sienna said, "They don't need words to communicate. Eight years of friendship does that to you. I'm sure that even you and Lucas can easily coordinate with each other. I saw the games when you played together."

Derek asked, "How did you see those matches? They weren't broadcasted."

Sienna chuckled mysteriously and said, "I have my ways."

Suddenly, Noah did something that shocked both of them.

He knelt in front of Sienna and said, "Master, please accept this disciple's bow."

Everyone was silent for a moment before Derek couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into laughter. Lucas soon joined him. Noah's face was bright red from shame, but since the ship had already sailed, he thought he might as well go all the way.

Sienna also had a subtle smile leak on her face from the laughter she was holding in.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down and said, "Noah, get up. Where did you learn this?"

Noah was too embarrassed to say anything, so Lucas answered for him, "It's something we saw in a trending genre of video games that we've been playing."

Sienna asked, "What video game is this?"

Lucas said, "It's a whole series, but the latest one's name is *I Shall Overcome the Heavens*. This is what players do when they want someone strong to be their master."

Sienna said with a look of horror on her face, "You guys are playing games based on slavery?"