Chapter 50
Couple of weeks went by and my training with the puppets improved . I was now able to control one puppet . It was nowhere near the skills that Nick possessed but it was a start . I also told Nick about the plan I had and he agreed to get the herbs for me . I insisted that I shall try and make that poison as well as antidote . I told him to just in case have working antidote, so that I wouldn"t kill myself if the antidote that I were to create wouldn"t work .
My training in the art of stealth hit the wall . I needed some kind of inspiration or idea on how to achieve "Avoid the light" part of the art . Although I adapted new skill that I learned through the fishes I watched in the river, it was not the real part of the art of stealth . It was just an additional skill I came up with while watching the fishes in the water .
My medical knowledge was getting better by the day . I already remembered about 42 recipes . The ones that were left, were hard to remember due to complicated processes of preparation and production as well as handling . It took me more time to remember these types of recipes and I only managed to remember so much because I chose the easier ones to remember first .
In my estimates, I would be able to remember the whole book in about 3-4 months . I promised Nick that I would destroy this book after I"ve remembered it fully . That way the book would not get discovered by other people but that also meant, I had to remember every detail perfectly .
There was also one more thing left in my possession that could quite helpful . The manual that I found on Rand"s disciple"s body . It could be useful for me to study this manual but I wanted the real thing . It must be kept somewhere in the Rand"s mansion or maybe even a more secure location . My guess was that it was at Rand"s mansion with the probability of 80% while only 20% was left for the other location .
There was also one more thing left in my possession that could quite helpful . The manual that I found on Rand"s disciple"s body . It could be useful for me to study this manual but I wanted the real thing . It must be kept somewhere in the Rand"s mansion or maybe even a more secure location . My guess was that it was at Rand"s mansion with the probability of 80% while only 20% was left for the other location .
If during my plan I"m able to find the real book, that would be great . Otherwise I still had the copy and so that would still be something . During the morning, I concentrated on ingots . It was almost a month since I"ve returned to the village and Rand"s suspicions should be non existent by now . I still didn"t want to go and collect the manual from the forest as I could do it after I"m done in this village .
Instead, I worked on my dagger skills and my control skills . When Nick came over that day and saw me move one puppet around as if it was alive, he said "You can now control one puppet very well . I shall impart the last step in the art of hidden weapons to you now . It is like with the art of stealth, the last goal you have to reach is the hardest and will take you the longest" . I asked Nick "What type of training do I have to do then?" To which Nick responded "It"s simple boy . Become a hidden weapon" .
I was baffled "First I get the "avoid the light" thing, now "become a hidden weapon" thing . What is wrong with the people teaching stuff like this!" . Nick saw my bafflement on my face and said "This time, I will actually tell you more . Remember you are learning hidden weapons from me as well as developing your own art . What this sentence means is quite simple . It means for you to be the hidden weapons, in other words all of you is a hidden weapon" .
I was baffled "First I get the "avoid the light" thing, now "become a hidden weapon" thing . What is wrong with the people teaching stuff like this!" . Nick saw my bafflement on my face and said "This time, I will actually tell you more . Remember you are learning hidden weapons from me as well as developing your own art . What this sentence means is quite simple . It means for you to be the hidden weapons, in other words all of you is a hidden weapon" .
Nick then continued "How you interpret what I said is up to you . I will not help you any further and I can"t really . I didn"t master this step . I have some insights in it but I never mastered it and who know what is beyond mastering this step" . After Nick said that, he bid me farewell and said he will come back to check on my progress in a week .
I was left thinking about these words . "I am supposed to become hidden weapon but how? Am I supposed to have weapons all over my body? So that every inch of my body is a weapon? Or something else?" . I didn"t know what else to think . All I could do was train what I could and slowly uncover what Nick meant with time . Maybe I would be able to master it in the future using different path . I had my own ideas that would give birth to new or improved skills .
I trained with the puppet most of the time now and took breaks to eat with Sh.e.l.ly . I also had the work at the workshop and I practised my dagger skills a bit in the late afternoon . Sh.e.l.ly was actually bigger now . When I found Sh.e.l.ly, it was about 40 centimetres big but now it was actually 50 . It grew 10 centimetres . I didn"t notice that at first because I used to spend a lot of time with Sh.e.l.ly . Lately I was consumed in my training and only noticed now that Sh.e.l.ly got bigger . "It may be because the amount of food that Sh.e.l.ly ate while we travelled and then after we returned was many time larger than normally?" I thought to myself . Sh.e.l.ly still ate more now because when it smelled the cooked meat, the drool would come out by itself from its mouth .
I was left thinking about these words . "I am supposed to become hidden weapon but how? Am I supposed to have weapons all over my body? So that every inch of my body is a weapon? Or something else?" . I didn"t know what else to think . All I could do was train what I could and slowly uncover what Nick meant with time . Maybe I would be able to master it in the future using different path . I had my own ideas that would give birth to new or improved skills .
I trained with the puppet most of the time now and took breaks to eat with Sh.e.l.ly . I also had the work at the workshop and I practised my dagger skills a bit in the late afternoon . Sh.e.l.ly was actually bigger now . When I found Sh.e.l.ly, it was about 40 centimetres big but now it was actually 50 . It grew 10 centimetres . I didn"t notice that at first because I used to spend a lot of time with Sh.e.l.ly . Lately I was consumed in my training and only noticed now that Sh.e.l.ly got bigger . "It may be because the amount of food that Sh.e.l.ly ate while we travelled and then after we returned was many time larger than normally?" I thought to myself . Sh.e.l.ly still ate more now because when it smelled the cooked meat, the drool would come out by itself from its mouth .
I was a bit worried as well "What if it"s too big to fit anywhere . For now it will fit through the door but what about later?" I thought . What if it grows to 1 metre or 2 metres big? With that in mind I said to Sh.e.l.ly that was sleeping not far away "How big are you going to grow?" . I didn"t expect an answer as it was rather a rhetorical question . To me it wouldn"t matter how big Sh.e.l.ly grew, It was now part of the family . Sh.e.l.ly on the other hand hearing that question woke up and stared at me with watery eyes . "Sh.e.l.ly probably thinks now that I"m saying it eats too much" . I said in clarification "Don"t worry, I was just wondering how big you can grow . You can eat as much as you like" . Sh.e.l.ly seemed to become happy about that and went back to sleep .
Sh.e.l.ly acted rather like a dog, if there was food it would be around you all the time and beg for some . It didn"t have the same eyes as a dog but it still could use some expressions to beg for more food . It also laid around for whole day and when it woke up it would want to play, just like a dog but the thing was . It was a turtle .
I didn"t pay any more attention to Sh.e.l.ly and focused on my training instead . The time for my plan was coming closer and closer . I had to have the best skills possible in the art of stealth as well as the art of hidden weapons . I needed to train like a maniac to be able to better control the puppets and make my fingers more flexible but also make sure my stealth skills are properly mastered .Couple of weeks went by and my training with the puppets improved . I was now able to control one puppet . It was nowhere near the skills that Nick possessed but it was a start . I also told Nick about the plan I had and he agreed to get the herbs for me . I insisted that I shall try and make that poison as well as antidote . I told him to just in case have working antidote, so that I wouldnt kill myself if the antidote that I were to create wouldnt work . My training in the art of stealth hit the wall . I needed some kind of inspiration or idea on how to achieve Avoid the light part of the art . Although I adapted new skill that I learned through the fishes I watched in the river, it was not the real part of the art of stealth . It was just an additional skill I came up with while watching the fishes in the water . My medical knowledge was getting better by the day . I already remembered about 42 recipes . The ones that were left, were hard to remember due to complicated processes of preparation and production as well as handling . It took me more time to remember these types of recipes and I only managed to remember so much because I chose the easier ones to remember first . In my estimates, I would be able to remember the whole book in about 3-4 months . I promised Nick that I would destroy this book after Ive remembered it fully . That way the book would not get discovered by other people but that also meant, I had to remember every detail perfectly . There was also one more thing left in my possession that could quite helpful . The manual that I found on Rands disciples body . It could be useful for me to study this manual but I wanted the real thing . It must be kept somewhere in the Rands mansion or maybe even a more secure location . My guess was that it was at Rands mansion with the probability of 80% while only 20% was left for the other location . If during my plan Im able to find the real book, that would be great . Otherwise I still had the copy and so that would still be something . During the morning, I concentrated on ingots . It was almost a month since Ive returned to the village and Rands suspicions should be non existent by now . I still didnt want to go and collect the manual from the forest as I could do it after Im done in this village . Instead, I worked on my dagger skills and my control skills . When Nick came over that day and saw me move one puppet around as if it was alive, he said You can now control one puppet very well . I shall impart the last step in the art of hidden weapons to you now . It is like with the art of stealth, the last goal you have to reach is the hardest and will take you the longest . I asked Nick What type of training do I have to do then? To which Nick responded Its simple boy . Become a hidden weapon . I was baffled First I get the avoid the light thing, now become a hidden weapon thing . What is wrong with the people teaching stuff like this! . Nick saw my bafflement on my face and said This time, I will actually tell you more . Remember you are learning hidden weapons from me as well as developing your own art . What this sentence means is quite simple . It means for you to be the hidden weapons, in other words all of you is a hidden weapon . Nick then continued How you interpret what I said is up to you . I will not help you any further and I cant really . I didnt master this step . I have some insights in it but I never mastered it and who know what is beyond mastering this step . After Nick said that, he bid me farewell and said he will come back to check on my progress in a week . I was left thinking about these words . I am supposed to become hidden weapon but how? Am I supposed to have weapons all over my body? So that every inch of my body is a weapon? Or something else? . I didnt know what else to think . All I could do was train what I could and slowly uncover what Nick meant with time . Maybe I would be able to master it in the future using different path . I had my own ideas that would give birth to new or improved skills . I trained with the puppet most of the time now and took breaks to eat with Sh.e.l.ly . I also had the work at the workshop and I practised my dagger skills a bit in the late afternoon . Sh.e.l.ly was actually bigger now . When I found Sh.e.l.ly, it was about 40 centimetres big but now it was actually 50 . It grew 10 centimetres . I didnt notice that at first because I used to spend a lot of time with Sh.e.l.ly . Lately I was consumed in my training and only noticed now that Sh.e.l.ly got bigger . It may be because the amount of food that Sh.e.l.ly ate while we travelled and then after we returned was many time larger than normally? I thought to myself . Sh.e.l.ly still ate more now because when it smelled the cooked meat, the drool would come out by itself from its mouth . I was a bit worried as well What if its too big to fit anywhere . For now it will fit through the door but what about later? I thought . What if it grows to 1 metre or 2 metres big? With that in mind I said to Sh.e.l.ly that was sleeping not far away How big are you going to grow? . I didnt expect an answer as it was rather a rhetorical question . To me it wouldnt matter how big Sh.e.l.ly grew, It was now part of the family . Sh.e.l.ly on the other hand hearing that question woke up and stared at me with watery eyes . Sh.e.l.ly probably thinks now that Im saying it eats too much . I said in clarification Dont worry, I was just wondering how big you can grow . You can eat as much as you like . Sh.e.l.ly seemed to become happy about that and went back to sleep . Sh.e.l.ly acted rather like a dog, if there was food it would be around you all the time and beg for some . It didnt have the same eyes as a dog but it still could use some expressions to beg for more food . It also laid around for whole day and when it woke up it would want to play, just like a dog but the thing was . It was a turtle . I didnt pay any more attention to Sh.e.l.ly and focused on my training instead . The time for my plan was coming closer and closer . I had to have the best skills possible in the art of stealth as well as the art of hidden weapons . I needed to train like a maniac to be able to better control the puppets and make my fingers more flexible but also make sure my stealth skills are properly mastered .