58. Blessed With Knowledge

"You may begin."

"Senior," a boy called. "I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say I do not understand what is written on there."

"You aren't meant to understand it. When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you. Your job right now is to notice it staring back."

At Hong Xi's words, they turned to each other, blinking at one another with confusion on their faces.

"I understand," Hiro heard someone mutter. It was a boy with white-gold ombre hair. He was a bit tall, but looked to be seventeen.

The boy sat down, took a deep breath and exhaled softly as he stared at one of the plates.

"Stare at it and it will stare at you. Your job is to notice it staring, that shouldn't be difficult." Hiro says and takes his seat.

"Don't be too confident, it's not as easy as you think," Shin voices and takes a seat beside him. He turned to the silver plate at his left while Hiro turned to the plate on the right.

"Maybe, maybe not," Hiro smiles.

His right eye closes and his left eye remained open. From it a golden light shone bright.

"Hmm, an eye technique? But you are just at the foundation realm. It must be a special pupil then," Hong Xi's voice sounded. Everyone around turned to him because of the light. "Little child, with that special pupil, I suggest you study the dao of array. I have a few jade slips on the dao of arrays that would help you grow."

Hong Xi spoke to Hiro, but got no reply. Hiro remained seated. His body still, his left eye open, his right eye closed and his breathing low. One look would make anyone believe he was dead, for he sat like a statue. Only by his breathing could those around tell he was alive.

"It seems he has comprehended something."

Shin frowns at Hong Xi's words. And he wasn't the only one. Everyone else was dumbfounded by his words. "Was it that easy to comprehend? It was barely a moment, yet he..."

"You all should begin, it seems there's a strong competitor in your midst."

Each and everyone of them took a seat and turned to the silver plates. Intently yet quietly, they stared at them.

...

"This is?" Hiro asked while looking around.

As soon as his left eye shone, his surroundings changed and everyone disappeared. His surroundings had turned dark and almost as it did several red light balls appeared around him. They were more than what he could count with his eyes, and were scattered all over the place. To his surprise he wasn't seated anymore. Rather, it felt like he was floating.

"Is this the abyss senior talked about? Hmm."

Hiro frowned and looked at his body. He could swear he felt a tingling feeling from his blood. It came and went in a flash that he barely noticed it.

He turns to the nearest light ball and like a fish in the water, he swam over. As he did, the tingling feeling came again. This time he noticed it. There was something in him that was happy, he just couldn't tell what it was.

He continued swimming and the closer he got, the more he felt that tingling sensation. In no time, he arrived and reached out for the light ball. As soon as he touched it, the ball shone and Hiro appeared on a bridge.

The bridge was made of light and he wasn't the only on the bridge. Some distance before him, Hiro found a few silhouette. Each of them before the other. They weren't moving, not even a bit.

"This... this is the path of time."

He didn't know how he did, but Hiro knew the bridge beneath him was the bridge of the dao of time. The path of time. A smile appeared on his face. He was beyond happy, yet he didn't know why.

He raised his right leg, intending to move forward. As soon as his leg landed, the smile on his face disappeared.

"Ack!"

There was no reason for him to smile because right now, he felt an extremely terrible pain. He regretted taking this step. It felt like every bit of his body was being chopped off and fixed back instantly only to be chopped again.

"Grr"

He grind his teeth and bit his lower lip. The pain wasn't the only thing he received after taking the step. With the immense pain to his body came an understanding to his mind.

A comprehension of the dao of time. There was benefit to this excruciating pain.

"The pain is nothing Hiro," he says to himself and bit his lower lip hard. With that, Hiro took a second step.

This time his entire body jerked and instantly his body flew back at an unimaginable speed. His eyes closed and when they opened he found himself seated staring at the silver plate.

"Ack!"

Hiro spat blood like a mountain spring spitting out water. The blood gushed out with no intention of stopping. Shin and those around him turned to him.

"Oi, what happened?" Shin asked.

Hiro looked at him, his eyes closed, and his body crashed sideways to the ground. Blood still rushing out of his mouth.

"Haha, good, good. What a talented child. Well, it's probably because of that special pupil but still, his own talent isn't average. I finally got my first disciple."

Hong Xi's voice sounded and a huge hand came down from the sky. It grabbed Hiro and retracted into the sky.

"If his realm wasn't low, he would have comprehended a lot more."

...

~A While Back~

'We are here?' Tanji heard the lead lady say. They had made it out of the forest and were now at the foot of a small hill.

Eun Ji who was beside him didn't understand what she had said. It sounded like gibberish to her ears.

Tanji nods and she stretches her weapon to the wall of the hill. There was a clicking sound and after that, the hill split into two. Creating a path big enough for two wagons to pass at a time.

Eun Ji's eyes widened. She was taken aback by what she saw, as this was the first time she had seen something like this. Tanji on the other hand was unfazed. He held her hand and followed the lead lady quickly.

It didn't take long for them to reach the other side of the path. And what greeted them was rolls and rolls of tent-like buildings. Huts will be the best word to describe them.

Tanji and Eun Ji found several people going about their business. From moving about, to sitting and chatting, to laying back and relaxing, to children playing and more. They all had something in common, each and everyone of them had at least a weapon in their possession. Even the children had weapons with them.

Beside the entrance there was a tall structure, that seemed to serve as a watchtower and a few huts around it. Eun Ji found it strange for a watchtower to be present behind a hill. To her surprise it wasn't only one. She could see a few others.

'Welcome,' a man greets the lead lady. He and a few others stood before the watchtower. Unlike those behind him, he was tall and had a huge build.

'Where's the chief?'

'She's at her place. Who are the guests?'

'Messengers of Gamiga, they were sent ahead of Cha Chaila.'

The lady's words caught the attention of the others, causing them to murmur among themselves. Some smiled as they did, others frowned at Tanji and Eun Ji. Causing Eun Ji to ponder even more on what they were talking about.

'I see, but how can we trust they are truly gamigarians?'

'The chief will be the one to decide that.'

'Hmm, get back to your business everyone,' the huge man said and then whispered. 'I hope you didn't bring us trouble? The signs of the great tide as shown themselves just as the prophecy said. We have a lot to prepare for, we only have a month.'

'Allow me to correct that, you only have fifteen days. It could be lesser, it could be more, but it's no longer a month,' Tanji spoke up.

'You mean?' the man turns to Tanji.

'And after the great hands descends, there shall be thirty rise and fall of the sun before the great tide. That was what the prophecy said. However, the great hands came earlier than expected didn't it?'

The man squints his eyes at Tanji, before widening them. 'If that is the case, we would suffer a great loss. When is Cha Chaila coming?'

'Even I don't know when he will come but I assure you he will come. However, I am here to prepare you all for the great tide. You all need to get stronger as quickly as possible.'

'If you are here to prepare us and make us stronger, does that mean Cha Chaila is not coming?' another man asked.

'He will come...'

'Then why do we need to get stronger? Cha Chaila will take care of the tide just as the prophecy said.'

'You lazy fool, you never liked...'

'Cha Chaila is but one being,' Tanji interrupts the lead lady. 'You expect a single being to take care of a tide of beasts?'

'Cha Chaila is almighty! Second only to Gamiga, what are mere beasts to him?'

At the man's words all eyes turns to Tanji with looks filled with questions. 'He is right,' the lady behind Tanji and Eun Ji said.

'Are you truly a gamigarian?' the huge man asked.

'Tell me, what did the prophecy say about Cha Chaila? Cha Chaila shall descend to help overcome the tide, that is roughly what the prophecy said. It said "help" not take care of the tide,' Tanji said. 'Cha Chaila is but a human raised and trained by Gamiga. Every human will eventually get tired in a long fight, even Cha Chaila. Tell me, what will you do, when Cha Chaila gets tired?'

Everyone kept quiet and those in front of Tanji avoided his gaze. His words had rendered them speechless.

'You said you came to prepare us,' a disembodied voice sounded. Eun Ji frowned and took some steps back. The owner of the voice was standing beside her, yet she didn't know when the person arrived. 'How are you going to do that? You are not even as strong as a guardian priest.'

The owner of the voice was a lady. Her eyes were closed, her hair as dark as coal, and her skin looked as smooth as polished gold. Her nose was small and nicely shaped. Her black hair fell freely on her shoulders and shone under the sun. Her presence alone had changed the atmosphere.

'Chief!' everyone greeted and bowed. Everyone except Tanji and Eun Ji.

'Knowledge is power, don't you agree?' Tanji asked. The chief frowned at him as he continues. 'I know a method that would allow you become a Shaman.'

Her frown grew and she opened her right eye. Her dark red eyeball stared at him for a while. 'You don't seem to be lying,' she says and closes her eye.

'I have no reason to lie, after all Gamiga blessed me with great knowledge.'

'Hmm, how can I become a Shaman? I've been stuck at the peak of the guardian king stage for several years.'

'I know how but before that, my companion needs to rest.'

'Hmm,' the chief turns to Eun Ji.

'Get her a place to rest and gather all the guardians at the Takita.'

'You know about that?'

'I told you, I am blessed with knowledge. Yes, I do not know everything but I know about a lot of things.'