Chapter 5 Is this even "Possible"

This sense of achievement always keeps haunting me. Maybe it's because I never achieved anything in my previous life, nor did the person before me. But I want to change that this time. "Hey, are you listening to me, Soymin? This bastard doesn't have a place to sleep but has money to drink," Stan said, talking to Soymin. "Well, whatever, it's wasteful to expect anything out of a lost case. I've been there," he sighed, "let's focus on what's required," he said to himself as he walked to close the door and then towards his bag to take the books out.

Stan takes each book out, reads the title one by one, and keeps them down: "The Fundamentals of Energy," "A Guide to Flow of Energies," "Physical Body and its Miracles," and "Unfound Relics and Clues to their Location." "What is this one? It's the one Ronald gave me. Is he playing with me, giving me a child's book? Everyone knows relics are just myths, even people in this orthodox world don't believe in such things," he thought, tossing the book aside onto his bed. "Well, let's get to studying the Fundamentals of Energy," he said, starting to read under the lamplight.

"Energy is the basis of everything. It can neither be created nor destroyed, but can only be transformed from one form to another. Wielding energy can be used to perform many tasks. One can survive by just absorbing energy in the air or the earth once proficient enough. ANYONE CAN LEARN TO WIELD ENERGY. But one has to give in order to get, physical exhaustion and depletion of stamina are few of those," Stan read.

At this point, Stan picks up the other books. "Or if those relics truly exist," Soymin interrupts, looking straight at Stan while still laying down. This stuns Stan, making him jump from his seat a little, and he turns around, looking at Soymin in bewilderment and shouts, "Wow, dude, what the fuck? You were drunk AF, so how come?"

"Calm down, I know about you," Soymin says, clenching his pencil. Hesitantly, Stan asks, "What do you know?" "Searching for energy methods, aren't you?" Soymin replies.

"Oh, that, yes, exactly. Do you know anything about it?" Stan asks.

"Know anything? Everything there is to know. Ask away," Soymin says.

"Okay, let me ask you a question. Can you kindly help me?" Stan requests.

"Hmm, go ahead, ask. I don't trust you, but what's the harm from someone like you," Soymin replies.

"What can one do to make their body fit so that I can hold and wield energy freely?" Stan asks.

"It's simpler than what people might expect, just some daily exercise, herbs, and meditation," Soymin answers.

"The fuck, you're joking with me. I knew it. I never should have believed a drunkard," Stan says angrily.

Soymin gets angry too, "Hey, who do you think you're pointing a finger at? You don't know shit about me. Just because I sleep here doesn't mean you can put me their category?"

"Okay, okay, calm down, sorry, dude," Stan apologizes.

"So, how did you end up here if you're so knowledgeable? If you know so much, you must be well off, or how could you know about such things? The books come expensive," Stan questions honestly.

"Well, I messed... Let's just say that for now," Soymin replies.

"Okay, I'll take that. But," Stan says, dragging his chair towards Soymin's bed.

"What?" Soymin backs off, speaking cautiously, "I'm can't you anything else..."

"Can you show me some... like... a little bit, please?" Stan requests.

"Are you, crazy? You want me to wield energy while I am drunk? Hell, no!" Soymin exclaims.

"Shh, calm down. You wanna get us killed? The walls are paper-thin, you know that," Stan says, covering Soymin's mouth.

Removing Stan's hand, Soymin replies sternly, "Well, I'm not even gonna think about it."

"Come on," Stan says.

"Leave that. What are you gonna do? I heard what they did to you to turn you into a cripple," Soymin changed the topic.

"Well, I'm not answering to that unless you show me some of your power. Say what?" Stan proposes.

"Aren't you a little cocky? Well, I like that. Here, back off," Soymin agrees.

"Back off? What?," Stan warns.

Suddenly, a swish of wind cuts off the hair on Stan's forehead, and it falls off. "What the hell? How is this possible? Aren't you drunk, how can you weild energy?!" Stan exclaims, but then adds, "That's so cool."

"I could even cut your head off just like that, swish, one stroke, and done," Soymin says.

"Woah, all I was looking from a demonstration after you sobbered up..." a look of excitement along with horror creeps onto Stan's face.

"Wait a sec, if you can truly chop my head off as you say, then how come you ended up here?" Stan asks a genuine question.

"You think it's that easy, huh? I mean, cutting your head off isn't, but do you not realize I might not be the only person capable of doing so? There are far more skilled people out there, everywhere," Soymin answers.

"Hmm, leave your misery out. Can you teach me that, please, please?" Stan pleads.

"What? Shocked! The hell you talking about? You forget about the people keeping an eye on you?" Soymin reminds him.

"Don't worry, I'll deal with it...So, can you teach me, please, sir?" Stan pleads with puppy eyes.

"So eager? You seriously think revenge is what you want, and that you can successfully take it, just like that? Lad, it's a long process," Soymin replies.

"I don't necessarily want to do it for revenge. It's one factor, but not the whole. I'm just tired of being a loser. I also want live a good life!" Stan explains.

"Good life? Heh, but you have point, though your life will never be peaceful." Soymin says, nodding his head.

"Okay, give me some time to contemplate, would you?" Soymin says.

"Yeah, of course, but don't take too long. I don't wanna waste my youth," Stan replies.

"Youth? You look forty. Which youth are you talking about?" Soymin questions.

"What? Forty? I'm only twenty-six!" Stan exclaims.

"Shocked! What? You're so young! Then, what's with this half foot into grave look? Well, these things can't be helped with all that you've suffered through," Soymin replies, nodding his head as if coming to a realization.

"Well, let me warn you, if you're getting yourselves into this. The higher you get, the more rigorous the practice needs to be," Soymin says.

"But you said it's easy, just some exercise and meditation," Stan mumbles.

"Yeah, it is, if you wanna stay at the beginner level. I don't think that's where you wanna be stuck at, or do you?" Soymin asks.

Sighing, Stan turns back to look at the books, then at Soymin, "There's no going back for me. Where can I even go, other than this?"

"It's true, how much further can a person fall after they're being here," Soymin mumbles.

As Stan turns back to the study table, he says to himself, "There was no place for me to begin with."