"We'll welcome every student to partake in the reshuffling test next month!"
Everyone's attention was drawn to the instructor, and Sam noticed that the instructor was much older but had a refined aura. He could only guess that the old man must have his own stories—his hands showed deep burns and cut scars which had aged with time.
'Maybe, I was too focused on myself.'
"Keep focusing on striving toward your goals and making your body more bearable to beatings. As I always say—and again I say—no matter which battle you fight, if your body can't take a beating, then someday you'll regret it and wish: If only I had been brutally beaten by the instructor, Sir!"
Haahha!
Everyone chuckled and soon the training time passed in the blink of an eye.
...
Washing himself, Sam threw himself on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.
'What should I do?'
Since every task of today was well spent, he had nothing left to do now, so his mind drifted back to the dream and his panel resurfaced before his sight.
Strength: 15
Agility: 12
Physique: 20
Spirit: 50
Endurance: 25/25 [Physique + 10% Spirit]
Rune Energy: 50/50 [Spirit]
Rune Abilities:
Special Abilities: Merge [Merge point: 0]
Inherent Abilities: Origin Fire [G-]
His eyes began to scan from the top, nodding with a faint smile as if he was in his own dream. Suddenly, his body jolted and he sat up on the bed.
"Inherent abilities? When did I..."
His eyes widened as self-realization dawned on him.
'I missed that time.'
Murmuring under his breath, his gaze returned back to the panel, eyes staring greedily as if trying to gaze at all the hidden properties. His face soon withered.
'But its grade is too low!'
Shaking his head, he gave a deprecating smile.
Brushing off the panel, his eyes stared at the ceiling, and with the passing time, he went to slumber.
...
Knock!
Knock!
"Who is it at this time!"
Groaning, Sam covered his ears.
Knock!
"Sam!"
The time was passing second by second and the voice was growing louder.
"Who!"
Irritated, Sam sat up on the bed and shouted.
"Rahul! Dinner time!"
His eyes regained clarity and his eyes unconsciously went to the ticking clock.
'8 p.m. I've slept for 2 hours!'
Rubbing his eyes, he got up from the table, took the key from below the pillow, and exited the room after locking the door.
"Wait for me."
Without waiting for Rahul to even speak, Sam moved to the basin to wash his face.
Thuk!
A handful of water was splashed on his face and his hazy eyes regained clarity.
'I thought it was morning!'
Wiping off his face with the cloth he was wearing, he moved toward Rahul while lowering his head.
"Where is your mind?"
"Nothing. Just some thoughts."
Descending the stairs, their conversation continued with only the voice confirming his thought.
'Maybe Rahul was his only friend!'
...
"What should I do..."
"Read... Refine rune pill... Focus on controlling rune energy..."
Not having proper ideas, he decided to go with controlling his rune energy.
Clearing all the litter from his bed, he sat down in meditation with his eyes closed.
Time continued to pass while showing no progress, as the rune energy failed to encapsulate his fist.
Frustrated, his eyes snapped open.
"Where am I wrong?"
Having no idea where he was going wrong, though he applied all the knowledge he knew, Sam's fist hit the wall.
Thud!
"Ouch!"
He winced in pain and blew air on the bruised knuckle.
Phew!
'I shouldn't have hit that!'
As the pain hit his mind, it became clearer where he should seek guidance.
'That's why pain is the ultimate guide to clear any rotting mind.'
Chuckling at his own thought, he brushed it off and exited the room with a faint smile.
Knock!
"Who?"
"Sam."
Clink!
"I thought you forgot the path to my room," Rahul joked.
"I had work to do."
"It's okay."
Entering the room, without asking, Sam took the tablet which lay beside the row of books neatly arranged on the study table.
"Which subject were you reading?"
"Don't you know me better than anyone else?"
Having no idea what he should reply, he just nodded his head since he had a faint idea but wasn't too sure.
His eyes unconsciously drifted to the topic which was neatly written—like the topic 'Delegate'.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Doubt about delegate?"
Sam asked while his hands were busy typing on the tablet.
Rahul, calmly sitting on the bed, nodded his head.
"Hmm. My brain is overheating after trying to understand delegate, event, singleton pattern concepts, and so on... but I still haven't got clear clarity about these topics."
His hand stopped mid-air and his eyes turned to Rahul.
"Why not let me help you?"
Rahul forgot to even blink before a loud laugh reverberated in the room.
"Ahaha! You sure know how to joke! Do you even understand what function, variable, and header files are called...?"
"Don't take it as offense, Sam. But it's not that I'm underestimating you, have you ever handled a laptop or computer?"
Without hesitation, Rahul openly addressed all the concerns.
With a faint smile, Sam chuckled.
"Delegate is mainly a variable that stores a function, where the function works to prevent repetition by defining some definition according to user input."
All the laughter abruptly stopped in the room and Rahul, stupefied, stared at Sam with his eyes wide open.
"How? Weren't you the one who never even touched a keyboard? How?"
Sam didn't reply and calmly spread his hands in the air with a faint smile blossoming on his face.
"How about it? Want to become my disciple?"
Shamelessly, Rahul kneeled at Sam's feet.
"Teacher, please accept your disciple!"
This time it was Sam's turn to be flabbergasted, since he had just discovered a new side of his friend.
"Don't be so shameless. I'll teach you."
Hurriedly, Sam backed off while his face turned beet-red like a potato from embarrassment. Regrettably, no one else was there, or they would have found it quite adorable.