Becoming God Of A Dystopian World
chapter-17

The old man had already covered the origin of Heaven's Tomb and also the 'adventures' he had to go through to get it. The book was already a thing that belonged to Zhao Luo. As for the questions that Zhao Luo had so far, held no meaning. As he had already started his journey to Godhood so one day maybe even he would have a heaven's tomb of his own. It was just a timely thing that he will reach one day if he is to continue on the path he was on.

"Do you understand the value of this book?"

Asked the old man with a smirk on his face.

'Hah'

Zhao Luo just had a simple reaction as he knew that the old man was showing how important his gift was and wanted some admiration from his student. The only thing was that even if the old man didn't ask this question, Zhao Luo understood the importance of this book. Though this understanding barely touched the boundary of this book's worth.

As for admiring the old man, Zhao Luo already had a deep respect for his master. So just this once he decided to show it properly.

Zhao Luo stood in front of his master and raised his right arm and brought it down to his waist while bending his back to give a half bow to his master and in that position Zhao Luo said,

"Oh my godly master, thank you for bestowing me, an unworthy guy with such a gift."

As Zhao Luo praised the old man, the old man was flabbergasted with this action of Zhao Luo. The hair on his hands stood up as a result of goosebumps. The old man thought the praise by his student was too much for him to handle.

Even though he had goosebumps, he felt nice. Having a disciple gave him a comfortable feeling. While the old man was thinking about his disciple, the disciple shouted.

"Master, did I do too much?"

Zhao Luo asked with a serious expression.

"No, 'sniff' you can continue."

The old man said while sniffing like a little child.

But Zhao Luo was still looking at the old man with a weird stare. He felt a little scared.

The old man's body was fading. But not just fading gradually instead his body was like a light bulb on a bad connection as it kept on disappearing and appearing. Even though it was happening to the old man's body, he still hadn't realized it. Every time the old man reappeared his body would lose its luster. The shining majestic aura that he had a little while ago was dissipating.

"Master why is your silhouette losing its shine?" Zhao Luo was freaking out as he asked his master about the reason behind the old man's flicking body.

The old man looked at his body and realized that his time was running out. He wasn't shocked at the least and looked proudly at Zhao Luo.

Zhao Luo was looking at the old man who was looking at Zhao Luo. They kept on looking at each other. Both were as silent as a rock. The old man's body was still flicking on and off. It would disappear in the dark space inside the mind of Zhao Luo and then appear again.

Zhao Luo didn't know if he should laugh or cry. As the old man still hadn't replied to his question. So Zhao Luo asked again in a different way according to what he was feeling while watching the flicking body of his master.

"Are you going to leave this place?"

Zhao Luo asked his master. The place he was referring to was his mind space.

"Yes."

The old man replied to Zhao Luo.

The heavy yet short answer gave Zhao Luo a weird feeling that he had never felt before.

A feeling that one feels when they lose a loved one. The old man was his master and Zhao Luo already considered him like a family that he never had before.

Even though he didn't cry here but tears were coming out of his physical body which was still in a paralyzed state lying in the capsule.

"You are my first disciple. The only person that I have ever taught. I intend to make you my last disciple too. This may be a short farewell till we meet again one day in the real world."

The old man pointed upwards while saying the last line.

Then he paused and used his remaining energy to stay in the mind space without disappearing again and again.

This may have shortened his time by three times but it was enough for a master-disciple to say goodbyes to each other.

"You will learn everything that you need to know and everything that you are supposed to do as my disciple and a person who is on the path of becoming a God, once you flip to the second page of the book."

The old man relayed his words to Zhao Luo assuring him that he will be able to advance in his journey.

"Farewell, my disciple. I hope you will be a great person when we meet again."

The old man looked sad while bidding his farewell.

But could his sadness be compared to what his disciple, Zhao Luo was going through?

The answer was no.

Zhao Luo had so many things that he wanted to tell the old man but he realized that he didn't have to leisure to chat with his master.

Zhao Luo controlled his emotions and opened his mouth just to say these words.

"Farewell, master".

The moment these words came out of his mouth, the old man vanished. This time he disappeared for good. Zhao Luo could feel the emptiness in his mind space. He knew the old man wasn't with him anymore.

Zhao Luo sat down in a lotus position and closed his eyes.

He went over the time with his master and thought about the guidance of the old man.

If the old man never appeared then Zhao Luo and his apparitions would still be playing tag.

They would have been fighting each other like animals and Zhao Luo would still be thinking about how to use them so they could be worth all the time he spent on summoning them. Yet the old man appeared in the time of his need. First, he taught him. Then he showed him the way, the answer to his first problem. After that, he guided him to the next stage. This continued for all the time the old man was with him. Till the end when he gave him one of his treasured belonging.

'What an amazing guy.'

Zhao Luo finished at this thought. This was how he perceived the time spent with the old man.

Zhao Luo opened his eyes and looked at the blank space. As he stared at the dark space, the only thing he felt was emptiness.

This was the moment when he realized that he was left alone. But Zhao Luo wanted to deny this feeling of loneliness.

"Summon"

Zhao Luo issued a command in a rough tone.

As the command echoed in his mind, nine apparitions were summoned in an instant.

"Swoosh"

Zhao Luo looked at them and they were all looking at Zhao Luo.

All of them were crying as the thought of the old man's disappearance was so strong that all the apparitions were materialized with that sad part as a component.

They all followed the same action of wiping their eyes.

"Are you ready?"

Zhao Luo looked at them as he was clenching his fist.

'Gulp'

The sound of water going down the throat of his apparition was heard in the silent space as they noticed the action of their master.

Zhao Luo went over to his apparitions and as he passed them one by one in such a way that when he stopped he was standing in the middle of his apparition while they were circling him.

"Come at me at once."

Zhao Luo commanded his apparitions again.

They all rushed at him like a lightning bolt.

These apparitions were better and stronger than the last ones.

All of them had the reaction timing of a beast and the strength of a bull.

While Zhao Luo stood some levels above his apparitions in case of strength but he didn't know any fighting skills except the ones he had seen in movies that he used to watch.

While Zhao Luo was thinking about what move to use on his apparitions that were coming at him, a punch landed on his face.

Followed by a kick at his abdomen. And thus the thrashing began.

Zhao Luo was thrown and his apparition slammed an attack of their own on him again and again without leaving him a chance to fight back.

'Slam dunk'

'Chest spank'

'Best head drive'

'Usual kick on an unusual face.'

The name of the attack kept on getting weirder and weirder.

After leaving Zhao Luo black and blue, all of the apparitions were feeling pretty satisfied.

Yet the beating continued till Zhao Luo shouted in anger.

"Enough"

All of the apparitions disappeared.

Zhao Luo couldn't be recognized. All of his main features were swollen.

This scene lasted for a few seconds as his face returned to its original features. The same goes for his body.

Zhao Luo needed this beating to return to his senses. Though he didn't expect it to turn out this badly.

"Finally I am alone once again."

Zhao Luo finally accepted the truth.