The unlucky monk had explained Josh's identity about an hour ago, yet the monks were still shellshocked!
They'd turn toward him, stare in complete awe for a few minutes and then go back to glancing at the horizon as soon as he looked their way. They were like startled little chicks.
He couldn't help but wonder if he was at the right place. This was supposed to be a serene tranquility monastery right, right?!
Then again, perhaps the fault lay not with the teaching but with the individuals themselves.
As far as Josh had been told, everyone and their mother could join this place, just that not many desired so. Surprisingly, freezing your ass in the snow wasn't that appealing to most.
The only one keeping his cool was the elder. After the reveal, he had sighed in understanding as all tension had left his body. If that guy was so rich, they wouldn't have to fear dying of hunger!
"I can show you the scriptures right now if you want. It's the least I can do after you saved us." The elder gratefully offered.
"Sure."
Josh left the monks in the other's protection. The Orc as protector, Dale as a portable human campfire, and the unlucky monk staying as far as possible.
The two went toward a quiet part of the mountain, the elder grabbing a stick and drawing in the snow as he began a quick lecture.
"What do you think serenity is?"
"To remain unaffected by what happens in the world?" Josh tentatively proposed.
"Not quite. That is just the first step. Otherwise, all of us would quickly become unfeeling monsters. There would be no point as we wouldn't be human anymore."
"What about having control over one's emotions? Serenity comes from control, right?"
"If it was control, then it would be called control. There's a reason this technique is called Serene Tranquility. The two terms are very similar, but they are both there for an excellent reason."
The elder slightly chuckled as he explained. His explanation still felt somewhat cryptic.
Josh's particularity was to always remain true to himself as far as self-control went. But as for being serene? That was quite a leap.
"How about it, do you want me to tell you the steps of the technique?" The man gently offered before resuming his lecture seeing Josh intently listening.
1. Achieve serenity with the silence
2. Achieve serenity with the notes
3. Achieve serenity with the others
4. Achieve serenity with oneself
5. Achieve serenity with the world
"That's it! Not too hard, right?" The elder gave a gentle smile.
"The first step is silence, is it? Is that why this place is located on a deserted mountain?" Josh asked. This would also explain why they were so easily shocked. Were they all stuck on the first steps?!
"Yes, it was carefully chosen as a good training location for most of the steps, as for the last one…."
"Not much of a world to see alone in the wild?" Josh remarked with the elder nodding. "What about the unlucky monk? What stage did he reach?"
"That…..strangely the fourth step."
"Strange? I don't think so, for he's very devoted to training. Is that why you guys sent him to Metropolis-C?"
"What's strange is that he reached the fourth step but never managed to complete the third one. As for why he was sent off the mountain...It was because of his bad luck and the hopes of a fool."
"His old mentor?"
The man slowly nodded, a nostalgic look on his face.
"I still remember the day he accepted a direct disciple. No one could believe it! He was quite the man and also the previous keeper of this place." He sighed.
"Keep as in leader, right? He never told me."
"I don't think he ever told the kid. He lived with him in a reclusive cave in the guise of training, but he just wanted to shield him from the world. Or perhaps he was shielding the world from him?" The elder appeared pensive.
"In any case, he left me here to teach the new generation, and it's the biggest mistake he's ever made." He self-derisively admitted before continuing.
"The scriptures are real, and I know them by heart, but I can't comprehend them. I can teach you, and you can ask that companion of yours if there's anything you don't understand."
"Should you be telling me this so casually?"
"Should I be telling it to you solemnly instead? I'm just telling you, so you don't waste your time. The youngsters need a role model, but I think you can handle the truth." He sighed yet again.
"Shall we start then?" Josh asked.
That's when the man got to work, reproducing the ancestral teachings across the snowy mountain. As he wrote, he would read it and sometimes add details.
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Every time he would go, "I've heard that…." Or "The old historical records show that…" or even, "The legends say that…."
Very soon, Josh's mouth was gaping as much as the clueless monks back then. This was a guy that thought himself incompetent?! Every fucking sentence, he would add insights!
Sure, they were never his, but who cared?! Actually, no, sometimes he would share about his failures. The more he talked about his failed attempts, the more respect Josh developed for the elder.
The man hadn't comprehended what he was teaching, but it wasn't because he hadn't tried! He just didn't have any talent for it, none at all!
It was a miracle, but the man seemed like a born academic. He was akin to a living encyclopedia and could talk about the scriptures for hours and hours on end!
Josh found himself smiling and nodding as he seriously listened to it all, eager to learn more. Heck, this guy could make a topic that should have been boring AF interesting!
He had already determined that man's teaching talents were definitely wasted on such a small mountain! But, for now, he kept diligently listening and absorbing everything akin to a sponge.
At some point, the man suddenly turned silent, and there was a moment of quiet with Josh finally coming back to his senses.
"W-what? Are we taking a break? When are we starting again?" He asked, eager.
"Restart? I've taught you everything! All of it! What am I supposed to teach you?!" The elder softly complained.
It's only then that Josh realized that they had gone, in fact, over five steps…so all of them! He couldn't help but be impressed once more!
Apparently, the feeling was mutual…
"You definitely have a great talent for this. People usually fall asleep after a few minutes, and you've been listening for hours. Honestly, I've never heard of anything like this." He looked solemn.
What?! People sleeping?! Heresy! Josh couldn't believe it, for he found himself hungering for more. Either this guy followed him willingly back to his school, or he was kidnapping him!
"Talent? No, no! This is all because of your teaching ability! With other lecturers, I would have been sleeping in the first seconds!" Josh praised.
"Haha, flattering me won't do anything, but thank you for the kind words."
"Flattery? I'm being serious! I scouted a Climber school for a Draconic mission, and I can assure you, the only reason I didn't sleep was that I wanted to slap the teacher! You're miles better!"
"Wow, that teacher must have been atrocious! In any case, I hope you can master the Serene Tranquility scriptures. Sadly, I won't be able to help you with that. Good luck!"
On that note, the elder simply got up and left. So quick!
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Josh glanced at his back, which was becoming smaller and smaller. He could totally understand why the previous leader of this place had chosen him. This guy was godly!
But Josh could also notice that he seemed to be blaming himself. The other monks had trouble mastering the techniques, and he somehow blamed himself.
The man was a kind teacher, too kind perhaps!
It seemed like his students really had zero talent if they couldn't achieve anything under his tutelage. But even then, he never blamed his students for their sheer incompetence.
This was both praiseworthy and quite silly. He was akin to a man trying to teach rocks to talk and getting angry at himself for failing!
Then again, this was a magical world. Perhaps such a thing was possible.
That's when he suddenly froze. Holy shit! What if?!
Without waiting, Josh sprinted across the mountain. He was heading straight for that elder! He was going so fast that he left a snowy tempest in his wake.
The man was casually walking when he suddenly heard a commotion coming from his back. At this moment, his heart skipped a beat.
"It seems I survived an avalanche only to succumb to another—" but then he finally noticed Josh. "What?!"
He was charging straight at him with eyes so heated as if he wanted to devour him alive. At this moment, the old man couldn't help but feel confused. What was happening? The bigshot arrived right at his side, akin to a tornado.
"Elder, there's something I need to know!" He shouted excitedly.
"I already told you that I can't answer any question about the—"
"That's not it! Did you ever go in the Tower?!" He screamed his question.
"The Tower? Why? I never did, and I don't have any interest in—"
But he suddenly stopped as Josh suddenly began cackling like a madman. What was wrong with the young man?!
He was already planning to throw all the monks in there. One could literally control luck! What kind of OP mystical powers would the others unlock?! He couldn't wait!
Oh, this would be glorious! Still, this was a matter for the future.
"Cool, perfect! Talk later!!"
Josh was already returning to his training, leaving a confused monk who didn't know what awaited him…