Helping Allan up, Sarey started the cleaning process, which ended up being quite a pain. The many parts of the forge were no longer usable. Although the furnace is safe and sound, the many surrounding tools were melted into chunks of metals. Hammer was gone, and special blacksmithing thongs were gone as well. Who knew what sort of things happened to ores?

They were stored not so far away from the occasion that Allan had chosen, so that could mean quite a bit of damage.

Lots of tools were destroyed and unusable, but at least the building itself was fine. According to Sarey's guess, at least. The wooden was manageable as well, since the brunt of the heat was only a residual surface that could be scratched off. No direct flames entered the surroundings after all. They either went to Sarey or floated around the soul-fire.

The proximity of heat was around Allan, who was in the middle of his workspace. While he was also the only place the soul-fire stepped on.

“It's only tools, they can be replaced. Materials are fine since they were in good enough boxes, which protected them.” Sarey to her surprise found the most expensive materials intact. Although the boxes were in terrible shape, they can get replaced, while the metals were painful to buy again.

Allan stood in the middle of this mess. Feeling a little better after experiencing something strange from her words. He never stopped his hand from touching his chest, as he couldn't get the weird feeling from his mind. This problem never once stopped and dug deep into his head. It was normal to assume Allan wanted to have his own soul-fire, yet it was perhaps more complicated than he wanted. From what he knew, they were incredible things for blacksmiths.

Finishing the bare minimum of what could be cleaned, the pair remained seated in the room. Getting over the root of the problem for Allan's issue.

“Do you get it? It is better to forget it for the time being. It is much better than worrying over something which is impossible to solve at the moment.” Sarey argued as she laid her hands on his shoulders.

“I know. It's only... something that is bothering me.”

“Enough for now. Don't you think it is time for the reason we have for today?” Sarey forced him to get back into reality. She could see that he was very curious about what had happened here. After all, she could guess the approximate importance of the soul-fire by how disappointed Allan looked when he found only the black whetstone. He wanted something else, and Sarey knew it.

It was obvious to her that he was looking for something more special. Even seeing the effects of the black whetstone shocked Sarey to her core, so she could only imagine what a soul-fire could do.

In truth, the sigh she had seen mesmerized her to no end. That small being, which acted in fright, yet at the end seemed like a being bathed in a new flame. It left a certain impression on her for sure.

She also liked what she saw. The world the soul-fire must see, piqued her curiosity as well.

“You are right. I shouldn't worry about it yet. Focusing on the task ahead of me is better. Is that right?” Allan said in a sliver of meaning and impatience.

“It is not like we should disregard what happened today at all, but consider it with 36 instead. It is still within you, and the cause for what happened is clear.”

“Clear? You know something that I don't?” Allan asked in surprise.

“No, you performed your breathing in a way which forced the heat of that being out. Does it not make sense? I bet I am right.” she argued.

“You are telling me I should be more careful about what I do? I guess being careful is not a bad idea. I don't know about breathing, but I will be careful in the future. Whatever this means, I will want to know what it... even is.” Allan decided to forget about this problem for now. He had much more to consider for today. That was his path.

“That's right. Let's get ready. We are about to go on a little journey.” Sarey said at last and was done with whatever problem there was.

The pair, with their calmer minds, walked outside into the wilderness. With Sarey that had a bag with the important stuff, and Allan that had a new change of clothes, with a staff in hand. He did not forget the bandages around his eyes.

About 2 kilometers away from their home. Sarey was, of course, in the lead, as her hand never left Allan's. This wasn't the case for running circles in the forest any longer. She was going to show him a new place of training according to 36 instructions and her careful consideration.

On the outskirts of the mountains. Sarey led Allan to sit beside a tree in an environment that resembles a mountain forest. With a more rocky pattern than anything else, it was quite a harsh environment. The wind flew by in unique sounds. It was a new sensation for Allan, but he felt like he could get used to it quite fast.

At the moment, he was doing a light breathing exercise to see if there could be some issues. He felt nothing strange as time went on behind Sarey's back, who went to do something else than worry about him.

Not so far away, she was completing her work from the scroll in her hands. Only when she felt like there was nothing more to understand, did she walk by a side of sitting Allan.

“Let's first have a discussion about this scroll called The Unmoving. The first part of what is so-called Body forging is the one 36 tasked you with.”

“I know that.” Allan retracted the breathing, as he answered without her noticing.

“There are some things you don't know yet. I will tell you right now the general theme of the first stages of this scroll. First was the firm body, which needed to be polished by the acupoint treatment from within. It is a long process that is continued for a longer period. Exercises you did were part of this.”

“Second is destroying and rebuilding the power. It is the translation I did not understand at first, but it made sense afterward more research. The muscles and respective knuckles are at the center of this stage. It has a lot of descriptions and a whole body could be used this way.”

“Is it the one I will be doing from now on?” Allan interrupted her.

“Yes. Have you thought of the way you wanted to do this? I guess 36 and even my father asked you about it before.”

“Which parts of the human body?” Allan wondered for a few minutes. Going over the things he thought were important to him.

“I guess there is nothing much to say. My hands, as well as my feet, are all very important.”

“Then nothing much changes. Shall we get started?” Sarey slapped his shoulder and smiled in return for his readiness.

Allan expected more than this. Could it be that Sarey hid more from him once again? He wondered.

“There are certain sets and exercises which you will follow. The first is hitting a stone wall with bare hands and kicks. Be it the blood or pain, nothing can stop the motions until the stone is cracked.”

“Second is boulder climbing with weights.”

“Third is the stationary position in a river of water. Any water or condition, be it flood or rock in the way, the body shall remain unmoving.”

“Fourth is combat readiness. Spar against the wielder of any kind of weapon with your bare hands or weapon. This one goes well with my father, so I guess the 4th is fine to skip here. That's about everything you will need to know for now. 36 so far included nothing about that energy he talked about, so this will be a beginning of this so-called Immortal training.”

“Alright. Even immortals have to start somewhere. Any greater details are there? It all sounds so straightforward that I doubt it even came from 36's hands.” Allan asked while stretching his arms and hips.

“Heheh. Believe it or not, he did not write this. Remember, this technique is just something he copied.” Sarey chuckles as he told him.

“Right. I almost forgot. Shall I go then?” Allan got up and tried to find some stone wall to try his chances.

Sarey smiled in silence at his choice of the target but did not tell him anything

According to his own power, this was something he never tried before. He heard of some people, masters of the martial arts of mankind's kingdoms, who performed strange techniques and ways to train. It jolted his mind as he recollected these stories.

After a little while, he found some walls of stone. He assumed these must be mountains, according to the stench of stone, as well as air that is much sharper around such places. He wasn't sure about the material of this rock, but the stone is stone, so it did not matter to him. Patting it with his hands, he could feel the mountain of weight right through his hand. He could only imagine what kind of wall was in front of him.

“Hmmm. When I think about it, it sounds quite unbelievable for this monumental mountain to get any kind of damage.” Allan felt unsure about himself. He could remember the spectacular way of the experience with Skoll who was fighting an unknown elder who was tossing around small mountains and boulders. This small memory resurfaced in his mind, but only for a moment, as the present was important more than the past.

Allan couldn't help but sight upon imagining it. There was a future for him to get similar power to that figure.

He clenched his fist.

“No! For father and Skoll, I will find even better power. One which could go against common sense!” He cheered himself in silence and struck the wall with his fist.

Bang!

“Ahh...”

A wound appeared across his knuckles. Blood dripped from the parted skin as this attack couldn't be more terrible.

“I knew it.” Sarey's voice sounded behind his back.

“W-what do you mean?” Allan asked amidst the pain.

“What do you think you are attacking?”

“Stone.”

“Mountain. I don't even dare to imagine how heavy this is.”

“And? You mean this is not what am I supposed to do?”

“You are strong. That power of your fist went back at you. Dealing damage to your hand instead. Your body is going against the vast mountain. Isn't it that simple?”

“Than, what is it about?” Allan asked in frustration as he grabbed his fist with another hand. He thought this was something simple, yet the reason was even dumber with a clear answer.

Sarey did leave something out.

“Let's go around a corner over there. You will understand soon enough for the reason we are all the way here from my home.”

Much to his dismay, Sarey led Allan for a few moments around the mountain. A small path that led to a valley hidden from everything. There were multiple destroyed stones. Corrosion, and nature itself made it this way. Chunks of rocks fell from above and ended in this place.

An utter and massive cliff was beyond the sky. Protruding hundreds of meters above was a mountainous cliff. This cliff left the stones falling from it. Be it from the weather corrosion or wriggling parts of the old stone that fell down from time to time. Every chunk of it ended up below the rather even ground below it.

It was dangerous to be here, but it was the perfect place for this part of Allan's training.

“Oh, I understand now.” Allan figured out the reason behind this place.

Open space of quite a distance spread under the mountain with hundreds of all kinds of rocks. There were some caves and trees scattered around this region. He could feel the smaller pebbles move under his shoes, as well as the smell of earth, rock, and dust in the air.

“I am meant to destroy the smaller ones first, and move towards the bigger ones, am I right?” Allan crouched down and lifted a piece of rock with his hand.

“Exactly, but you were not that wrong to assume that mountain to be your target. I believe it could be destroyed with a touch of a powerful figure. It is at least written in the scroll.” Sarey said with great meaning, by pretending her little prank on him was only a joke. Though, it was a later stage of the training. One which was far away from the current Allan.

Allan pressed his hand, which had some residual blood that stopped flowing. It was just a scratch, so there was no way he would lose against some measly little rocks. Crouching sounds sounded underneath his palm as it crushed the stone under his grip.

“Can you at least tell me where are the rocks I am meant to strike? If you want to waste time, I am not good at finding them.”

“A-alright.” Sarey agreed with little fuss. She saw he was a bit upset with her joke by not telling him what should be said.

She already knew the right rocks on the ground. A small general plan in her head was long formed there with a way to get this training done with her expertise.

“This one. I guess it is about 100 kilograms. You will move the rocks according to their potential weight.”

Allan told nothing as he walked by Sarey's voice. Patting the small rock with his fist, he could feel it wasn't all that big, yet it was already 100 kilograms. He had to crouch down to punch it with his best try.

“Here we go!” Allan first strikes the rock in one swing as the power generated from the impact move through his hand. It went through the rock, his core, and his body. He hit nothing like this with such strength before. It felt... kind of good.

There was no pain this time, apart from the already existing wound which he cared little about. Rock cracked a little, but that did not satisfy Allan that much.

“See? It was your bad idea to come across the mountain.” Sarey added to ease the mood.

“I will move through the mountain if I have to,” Allan said as another swing was underway.

Bang!

He hit again.

And again.