The King is Dead

I remember the movie Dr Strange, and while looking at my body and studying what is going on with it, I realized that there is some truth to what it says. My recent breakthrough, made me consider the possibility of at least some of it being real. From my checks, I just broke the barrier to my upper tantien, a system that governs my mental energy.

'If that really is the case, then who were these people who came up with such a detailed and systematic diagram. I am to just chuck it off to simple over-reliance on mysticism?' I thought to myself as getting increasingly confused.

There is a saying,

Anything fairy tale or mystical revelation must come from a certain amount of truth.

'Okay, this is just going to hurt my brain if I keep thinking of this, I have a long life ahead of me to ponder on this topic.'

Proceeding to continue with my training. I will sometimes run down the mountain and back up again to warm up my body. Sometimes I will carve some sculptures, when I am in the mood, I would also try to practice my writing, sometimes in English and in other cases, in my native language, and others that I have learned before coming here.

I continue like this for 3 years. I spent all the rest of the energy I had for growth when I broke the barrier to my upper tantien. Since then, growth was slower but my gains are not small. If I were to estimate my current weight, I would put it at about 500kg! I know shocking right!

I didn't get any bigger, I still look like I could be a men's boarded shorts competitor. It is just that my muscles and bones are denser, and my ability to think is greatly increased. I am still not at the level of a genius, but I think I have the intelligence to become a very good doctor.

I got tired of the isolation, so I decided to head to the next location I planned for, Epirus. The journey is long, walking all the way there would seem too long. What I have found out is that humans limit their ability to carry out tasks with their own doubts.

Getting in tune with the ground beneath my feet as I continue to try and get in tune with nature. I am trying to get to the state of mind where I can commune with my ancestors, or at least try and test out the theory from my tribe in my past.

Getting to Epirus, I find myself in what I would call a machine factory. Not in the way of its products, but in the way by which it is run. The king has a very strong grip on his people. There is never a person with nothing to do, I almost feel like I am back in Sparta.

Although I have not learned all I wanted to like, the gods, poetry, politics, and military command, I can finally cross blacksmithing off my list in this city. Since I have money now, I simply pay one of the more renowned blacksmiths to be his apprentice.

"Come in boy, you can learn for what you have paid … haha." Hephaestus laughed as he welcomed me in.

Not very sure of his skill because he is behaving like a merchant that has seen an easy trade to make, despite being recommended by the manager at the inn I am staying at.

"You have my thanks, I would like to learn all that you know if possible."

"Oh no my boy, with what you have paid only the basics can be learned from me, if you want to know more … hehe." He said smiling at me.

'Boy this, boy that. Do you think you qualify to give birth to someone like me?' of course I said this to myself growing every more agitated by him calling me boy.

"Sure we can talk about that once the basics are completed," I said.

"Tchee," I hear him say under his breath, but I don't have time for his madness.

Taking off my gear, and unwrapping my glaive to put in the corner of the smithy.

"Boy, what do you have here?" he said as he drew closer to my glaive.

"Such exquisite workmanship, where did you get it? And such a unique design. What is the point of having a blade at the top when the handle is so long?" he bombarded me with questions.

I am beginning to see the blacksmith in him, this is the only time I am seeing him have this look of genuine interest.

"What is it to you old man, it is mine and have had it for over 6 years now"

"Oh, travelling I see, where have you been to, what is the best weapon made in those areas? Have you apprenticed yourself to any craftsmen there? Hurry, show me the skill you have learned from them." He started again with the questions.

I am having a rough time understanding this man, can he not pause when he is asking so many questions at once? I say to him "I learned to kill, do you want me to show you how?"

"Calm down boy," he said again, making me move towards my weapon. If he says that again I might have to threaten him a bit to stop him from repeating that. "I am just asking to know more." He says

'Why am I getting more irritable these days, from Athens where I almost killed the gay couple, then at Melos with the captain, even at Lesbos with the tutor … sigh … I need more reflection'

"Alright let us get to work you need to get to know the basics and we will start now," he said bringing me back to reality.

He taught me over the course of 5 months the basics. Material understanding, fire control, hammering technique, tempering technique, sharpening and polishing, and finally fixtures. This really put me through the wringer, pushing my control and mental capacity to the limit. I now understand 10,000 hammers to produce a nugget of steel.

This led to a lot of waste of materials, but he made me pay for every piece of iron and steel I used, getting me from the haves to the haves not. I learned a lot in my time with him until a month later when I created a katana.

"Very interesting design, you seem to prefer cutting with a weapon rather than stabbing, or is that just me?" he asked while examining the sword.

"I just wanted to see what I could make, not always following tradition."

"Hmm … nice work but, it is weak, for a cutting weapon the spine is too rigid and will cause the weapon to break faster than others. I think you had best stick to tradition for now … do you not?" he said clearly mocking me.

I just left without responding, if not I will be drawn into a conversation I don't want to have, especially with the old goat that is skilled at word manipulation. Going to the bar at the inn, I order some food and drink to relax.

"Once again the Spartans are at war, I do not understand those war-minded fellows," said a person seated on a table on the other side of the room to his friends.

"What is there to understand, they just like fighting, it is in their nature." Replied his friend

"First Athens, now Olympia, where will they stop, maybe they will make their way here." Said the first person

"Maybe they have decided to expand their lands because this is the first time they have attacked." He continued.

"Huh" I snorted at them, stood up and left before my food arrived.

'It is time to go back home.'