Chapter 21: Eren's Method

Eren and Yu Lin found themselves in an unexpected and compromising position. 

Eren looked at Yu Lin whose face flushed with embarrassment. It was only now that he realized his hand was already on her slim waist. 

Quickly regaining his composure, he gently pushed Yu Lin off him and stood up. 

"Are you alright?" he said, his voice calm and composed. 

Yu Lin, still flustered, nodded and quickly got up as well. "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...fall on you like that."

"It's alright," Eren reassured her with a warm smile. "Accidents happen. Just be more cautious in the future."

"Are you scared of heights?" he asked, changing the topic, noticing the atmosphere was a little awkward. 

The girl nodded lightly. 

"It's good to be careful. But it's not good to let your fear take over. Think of that as my first lesson," Eren stated as his inner teacher took over. 

He had completely forgotten how he was screaming when he had fallen off the cliff last time. 

The only reason he wasn't scared of falling was because the Phoenix could protect him. 

There were thousands of ways for him to die in this world, but accidentally falling to his death wasn't one of them. 

The Phoenix had come to a halt as it reached the Mountain where Eren's house was established. Or rather, it was more appropriate to call it a single room. 

Eren looked before him, realizing a problem that he had forgotten about. 

He only had one room. While other Elders had established a proper ecosystem on their Mountains for teaching their disciples, Elder Ren hadn't done anything. 

He didn't even have a courtyard or an area on the mountain for his Disciples to stay. 

He glanced back at the girl, wondering how he could correct this mistake without destroying all the false dignity he had created for himself. 

Quickly thinking of something, he stated, "It's time for your second lesson."

The girl listened carefully, wondering if Eren was going to teach her some dangerous skills. Or was he going to teach her a sword skill? She looked forward to it. 

"Self reliance," Eren stated. "A man... Cough, in your case, a woman must be self reliant. Hence, that will be your second lesson."

He pointed at a vast mountain before him, that was filled with natural resources. Half the mountain was covered in forest, while the other half was covered in snow. 

"That mountain belongs to me. Since you're my disciple, you'll have to learn how to become self reliant. Only when you have a strong mental fortitude can you be able to move onto the third lesson."

"You need to create your own dwelling," he stated. "And you need to do that before the sunrise tomorrow. And then, you need to show me your resolve. You need to return to the origin, live like a person who can only rely on herself!"

"Once I believe that you are prepared..." 

He didn't finish his sentence, but his implications were clear. He wasn't like other Elders. 

He wasn't going to give them a life of luxury, just because they were the disciple of an Elder. He wanted them to become mentally strong and self reliant. 

Or rather, that was what he wanted the others to believe. In reality, it was simply because he had prepared nothing in advance. 

The girl was literally stronger than him! Why would he work hard? He could turn that into a lesson and have her use her incredible strength while appearing mysterious, instead of a careless elder. 

"I will not disappoint you, Master." The girl nodded,  without the slightest suspicions. Instead, his position had only elevated in her mind. 

She couldn't help but wonder, what kind of life this Elder had, to understand such mysterious concepts of suffering. 

"I will make you acknowledge me!" She clenched her fist, filled with determination. 

"Good. I look forward to it." Eren placed his hand on the girl's head, patting her like a little pet. 

Once he finished, he allowed the Phoenix to send the Girl to the back of the mountain, while his room was on the front, right on the edge of the cliff. 

The girl landed on the snowy fields, watching the beautiful phoenix flying away. 

[Congratulations. You have unlocked a hidden achievement]

"Huh? So you can say more things than just the options?" Eren reacted surprised at the notification. 

He had thought his system was limited to the options and description of the rewards. 

[You have accepted your first Disciple]

[Please choose an Option for the future development]

[Option One: You aren't Elder Ren. You aren't a native of this world and hence, you don't know the knowledge of this World. 

You aren't responsible for Elder Ren's Disciple and you can't teach her properly. Keep fooling the Disciple, without getting exposed.

Reward: Cultivation Realm +10]

[Option Two:  Even though you aren't a native of this world, you are first and foremost a teacher.

You don't want to fool a Disciple for eternity. You want her to become stronger. And for that, you are willing to become stronger as well. 

You have decided to take your fate in your own hands. You will walk the path of a Conqueror and conquer all the Knowledge of this world, so you could properly teach your disciple.

Reward: Memory Fragment (Unknown Tier)]

[Option Three: Escape from the Sect and abandon all the responsibility. Leave the Kingdom and find a safe place, where you can spend the rest of your life like an ordinary person.

Survive until your natural death, without getting discovered.

Reward:  Mask of Disguise (Unique Tier)]

[Option Four: You know that escape is impossible. You will be caught if you try, but you can't fool a disciple for an eternity either. 

You decide that you can only survive if you can find a bigger backing. You know there is only one person who is strong enough for that.

Make the Sect Master of Great Demon Sect fall for you, to the point that she is willing to protect you, even after finding out your reality.

Reward: Starfall City Entrance Key]