Shang only snorted.
"That doesn't make a lot of sense," Shang said.
"Oh? How come it doesn't make a lot of sense?" Fleros asked with an interested smile.
"I am not repressing anything deep inside myself," Shang said calmly. "I have my goal, and I am striving to achieve my goal with my entire being. If I suppressed something, I wouldn't be able to follow through with my plans and training."
Fleros raised an eyebrow. "So, you're saying that you're not repressing anything and that we don't know how our own training methods work?"
"That seems to be the only explanation," Shang answered evenly.
This took Fleros by surprise.
"I know myself, and I know that my entire being is united in achieving one single goal. I know that I am not suppressing anything. Therefore, something else must be the reason why the Inner Heart Melody sounds so aggravating in my ears."
"Maybe it only works on Mages? Have you tested it on warriors?"
"What if the special circumstance of my body interferes with the Inner Heart Melody? My body is constantly at 70% life energy, and I feel anxiety, danger, and nervousness all the time. It wouldn't surprise me if this Inner Heart Melody didn't work on me due to that."
"Don't immediately assume that there is something wrong with me as soon as we meet," Shang explained coldly.
Fleros' smile vanished, and it was replaced by a bit of confused concern. "Do you honestly not realize it yourself?"
"There's no point in talking about this," Shang answered. "I know myself."
"Do you?" Fleros asked with concern.
"Yes, I do," Shang answered with a slightly more aggressive voice.
Fleros only looked at Shang with pity.
Then, he took a deep breath and slowly shook his head.
"Don't ever go into the Outer Heart Forest," Fleros said. "I fear that you will die if you enter."
"I wasn't planning on going," Shang answered. "All this stuff about tranquility and inner peace might be something useful for you Mages, but to me, it's nothing but a waste of time. Every moment I sit around, doing nothing, is a moment wasted."
Fleros wasn't surprised that Shang was talking about warriors since he had already heard from Lucin that their newest member wasn't a Mage.
"Maybe you're right," Fleros said, but his voice didn't sound convinced. "Who knows? You're different from everyone else. Maybe there really is something else."
Naturally, Fleros didn't believe any of that.
Fleros had seen many Clouds, and he knew a lot about people.
He couldn't completely see through someone's personality, but he could get a feel for it when he felt someone's Aura.
And when he felt Shang's Aura, only one word came to mind.
Chaos.
Everything about him was in chaos.
This warrior was like someone that blindly ran in a random direction with all of their power. They had no idea where they should go, but they knew that they had to run with everything they had.
Someone like that very likely wasn't at peace with themselves.
Yet, Fleros had decided to take a step back and leave Shang a way out.
Fleros knew that he couldn't possibly change someone like that.
Not on his own.
Not in a short time.
Not right now.
"Is there anything you need or want to ask?" Fleros asked after burying the topic.
"I need to know how much I can tell you," Shang said.
"Anything you tell me stays with Lucin and me," Fleros said. "Nothing that you tell me will reach any other Cloud or Bolt unless you plan on betraying the Lightning Manor, of course. Lucin has already informed me about your Spirit Sense, and he also roughly explained to me how you reached your current level."
Shang nodded. "Are there any mandatory events I have to take part in?"
"Mandatory? No," Fleros answered, "but every one hundred years, we're holding a wilderness hunt."
"What's that?" Shang asked.
"We're creating a simulated wilderness with plenty of beasts, hidden caves, trials, secrets, and treasures. It's very dangerous, but you get a shot at gaining incredible rewards. The riskier and more dangerous something is, the better the reward will be. There is even a shot at becoming a Mage King's temporary student."
"Temporary?" Shang asked.
Shang would have expected that some Mage Kings would have already accepted some students, but they didn't. Even more, the most talented person from the Hibye could only become a temporary student?
"Being a temporary student is better than being a permanent student," Fleros said.
"How so?" Shang asked.
"You see, when you're a permanent student, your teacher has to make you fit into their everyday life. Mage Kings are very busy, and you might only get a shot at talking to them for maybe two weeks a year or something like that."
"But, in our case of being a temporary student, the Mage King stops doing their job for a while and hands it over to a different Mage King for about a century, and in that century, they are fully focused on training you."
"That's why it's better."
Shang nodded. "Makes sense. So, there are no mandatory events, right?"
"Right."
"Good," Shang said. "Then, I need a way to comprehend a special form of Void Casting."
"Oh? Tell me more," Fleros said with interest.
Shang explained what he was trying to achieve, and Fleros listened intently.
"Fascinating," he said with interest. "Are you sure this is even possible?"
"The Custodian confirmed it," Shang answered, "and he even said that there were multiple ways to achieve what I want."
Fleros' eyes shot open with shock. "The Custodian?!"
Shang nodded. "I met him due to my status as a warrior and my Spirit Sense. I presume Lucin didn't tell you about that detail."
Fleros sighed. "No, he didn't. Wow, the Custodian. That really woke me up."
"So, is there a way?" Shang asked.
Fleros rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, our normal method of teaching Void Casting doesn't seem to work for you."
