《Chapter#7: The Success》

  I slowly opened my eyes and seen the old man sitting on the bed. I was kinda confused at first then remembered what happened. There was a soaring pain all over my body. When I inspected my body, I came to realise that I was bleeding from my nose and ears. There was blood lines that can be seen in My eyes. It felt like all of my veins in my body has bulked up. Blood pressure has also risen.

  I was kind of scared seeing myself bleeding.

  Seeing myself in this stat the old man said,

  "Don't worry. It won't harm you. Clean it with fresh water you will be as new as before".

  (...)

  I walked over to the nearby river body. The carcass of that disaster has been cleaned by the old man and the river water has also got cleaner from being bloody over time.

  The water was reflecting me. I noticed myself.

  (Was my skin that smooth before? My body feels kind of different too)

  It was as if the view was clearer. I felt like I could hear better than before. I felt more energised.

  (Is it the result of my going through Retsseg?)

  I was not as fanatic as Bota but at that point I also felt like being a superhuman won't be a bad thing.

  (Bad thing? Nah it would be amazing if I get some powers. Will I have amazing abilities like Rasengan, Bankai or something like stand or something like dreamer aspect or it can be like amazing beyonder abilities. How great it will be if I really got some abilities like beyonders?)

  I didn't like to show but I was also quite a fan of novels, manhwas and animes. But I was not a otaku like Bota. I even catched Stan reading novels but he would never accept that he likes novels. Such a freak.

  (...)

  After around 2 hours Stan also passed the Retsseg and few hours later Bota did it as well. They were as confused as me

  They looked different. Stans eyes were not moving for a while when he opened them. The familiar joly Bota was silent.

  At first I thought of asking about what happend to them at Retsseg but when I rethought about that I decided not to.

  (Everyone has their privacy. May be we are best friends but there is always some story that are better unknown)

  I also didn't want to talk about my experience either. So no one talked about what happend. I helped them to get out of the dazed state.

  (...)

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Old man prepared some food for us.

  "HOAAA!!! What are this foods. I have never seen something like this. Are we eating real meats or other types of foods rather that eating those delicious fruits?", Bota exclaimed.

  "Now that you have passed Retsseg you can eat atleast this. You won't die now". Old man laughed.

  There were some wooden plates on the table. In one of them there was light????. The thing looked like a scoop of light.

  (I think that's what I can explain it as)

  In the other plate there was a scoop of darkness. There was some glasses and on them there was strange type of liquid. The were not fully transparent but more like the liquid was camouflaging itself as water but can't do that fully.

  "They are light substances that you can eat or drink. It's like feeding baby's who can't eat complex food. You hamsters are really vulnerable" The old man said with a smile.

  Stan said,

  " So we are just baby's in logic to this worlds monsters"

  He slowly touched his silver rimmed spectacles.

  Today it felt like Stans tone is especially stiff. He was pretty serious. Stan was almost always serious but today his seriousness was different. As if the seriousness wanted to tell something but simply couldn't.

  "Yes you guys are. O by the way they are pretty delicious. They are spiritual miasma of this regions special creatures", The old man said.

  We sat on the table. I tried to scoop the thing with a spoon. It was not liquid nor solid. Some may define it as jelly but it was similar and different from jelly at the same time. I first tried the light thing. When it entered it my mouth I tasted or I should probably say I felt like I was in a fresh weather where the sun was up. Giving the hope of life. Utterly refreshing. But when I took the second bite it was like my body got warmer. When I took the third bite I felt like I was starting to sweat. But at the fourth bite I felt it. I realised like sun eating it is good, refreshing warm but nothing too much is good for oneself. It felt like i will start to feel burning if i take one more bit. So I didn't dare.

  Others also had the same feeling as me.

  Then I tried the dark one. Imidiatly the heat that was rising in me got deafened. It was more overpowering that the light one. Probably because this one resonates with the nature of this parts land. We felt the serenity. Our mind become so peaceful. The anxiety from Retsseg dicressed. It was like a healing medicine to our harmed inner energy.

  "Boys don't eat the dark one too much. You won't be able to handle it", The old man stated with a smile.

  We tried the drink then. Immediately our body got normal. The clashing effect of those 2 dishes disappeared.

  (It was a hangover drink I guessed)

  I chuckled.

  There was a question in my mind. I didn't hesitate and directly asked the old man.

  "Old man, I know the Retsseg experience was maybe not easy but it felt like we pretty easily evoked our existence. Is it that easy to be evoked?"

  Hearing me the old man chuckled. I can feel it. There is pain in his voice.

  "It's because you guys passed the Retsseg. Not everyone experience the same kind of phenomenon. Some experience their happy memories while some experience their sad memories. Some can experience the things that he fears. Some can get lured by their desires. It depends on which one is more deeply interconnected with his very existence. If someone want to live with in his desires and happiness they will simply loose tie with reality and fail the Retsseg and be like a never waking coma patient. On the other hand who faces their hard memories and fears they can get defeated by it and it will lead to destruction of his body and mind , simply they will die. But dying in Retsseg is a curse. A normal soul who dies normally or so, his existential consciousness will go in a slumber like dreaming state where in that dream he will get peace and rest for eternity. But dying in Retsseg can cause the destruction of his mind and body and can curse his soul which can suffer hereafter"

  (It was that dangerous!!! Why old man didn't tell us before all of that)

  Than I remembered that if he had explained more. We wouldn't have been able to pass Retsseg.

  "I didn't tell you before because your consciousness would get affected by it and it wouldn't have thinked in its natural way. Even those who have gained knowledge before will meditate for weeks and months and take medicines to make their consciousness flow in natural state. You guys are extremely lucky that you all passed Retsseg. So many people who have tried had failed. So you guys are special in a way. Congratulations", The old man said with a big smile.

  His smile was genuine as if it was his succes that we passed.

  "So what will happened to us. Do we have some kind of super powers now?"

  The old man chuckled.

  "Indeed you will be able to use super natural powers. But you didn't gain them. They were always with in you. You just evoked them"

  Bota was so excited.

  "So how do we use it? I want to be so powerful too."

  The old man laughed.

  "I love you guys spirit. I will teach you about that tomorrow. You guys had a rough day today. Go and have proper rest"

  We agreed with him. We got onto our beds.

  (...)

  The room was serene. Suddenly Stan said,

  "It's been months we are away from right?"

  I simply replied,"Yeah"

  There was a pause than I added,

  "Sometimes it feels like I dragged you guys into this mess"

  Stan said with an angry tone,

  "Did the foolishness of Bota finally affected you? You are talking like that idiot"

  I fall silent.

  Stan continued,

  "Everyone has their own journeys. You can't disrespect them with your idiotic non existent guilt. We are on our own journeys. Don't ever say something like that. That fool is asleep but I am infinitely sure that he will also say the same thing"

  I said with a sigh,

  "Fine! I won't be saying stupid staff again. Good night."

  Our conversation ended. Our mind and body was fatigued. We needed some good rest. My eyes slowly closed and I fall asleep.