CHAPTER 87: SHOULD I QUIT?

Chapter 87: Should I Quit?

"And then... only then can you move to the third phase." The elder spoke again, and all those whose thoughts were starting to run amok gained back their concentration almost unnaturally.

"Simulation." He raised his third finger, and Ken smiled.

This man was going in circles. First introducing the four sections by name and giving a slight description, then explaining them and giving examples, and then finally moving on to a fully detailed explanation of each of the four phases.

An interesting method of teaching.

"There’s a reason why I call this the most important phase..." The elder smiled enough to show his canine, and that very expression made the disciples’ hair stand on end.

"It is because you forget yourself!"

"You are now one with your enemy, and then, you start to think of the actual plan. Here, you start shaping your approach, and with your complete understanding of your enemy, you can know how they will react, when they will react, and why they will react."

"You can know when to attack, how to attack, and where to attack..."

"Their every reaction, their every counter, their every thought... it’s in your own hands."

"While simulating, you counter your own plan in your own head, and then counter the counter, and then move on to the next phase and counter your own plan and counter the counter, and then go all the way back..." The elder stopped here.

Go all the way back? Why would you? Haven’t you already countered all the counters? Shouldn’t it be sure-kill by now? If someone did this to me, I’d be dead a thousand times!!

"What if your enemy is already aware of you? What if he read everything about you too? What if he knew you the same way you knew him? What if? What if? WHAT IF?!" With the elder’s last shout, some disciples whose minds couldn’t handle the constant what-ifs fainted!

What if I was dreaming? What if I’m still back in my mother’s room and it’s all a what-if? What if- YOUR BALD HEAD!

It went far beyond what most could handle with their limited minds. The extreme way of thinking would surely give you an absolute edge over your enemies, but it could make you lose your mind as easily.

"Use all the doubts in your head and find a solution to them... And that is why you go back... to counter all your counter counters." The elder stopped once again, and with a single flick, some of the disciples within Ken’s own batch, a small minority, couldn’t handle it all and were thrown out...

Unconscious.

This wasn’t just their case, but aside from those who were able to barely handle it all thanks to Ken’s lecture... those who were outside had a larger number of fainted disciples, and without exception they were taken out of the Entertainment Core until the elder’s lecture finished.

Indeed, some methods and philosophies weren’t for all, and some elders’ mindsets didn’t work for everybody.

Extremes over extremes... for those destined to stay simple their entire life, this was their nemesis.

Nothing complex? My what if Ahh! If these aren’t even slightly complex fundamentals, then what were the complex ideas he was teaching his direct disciples?

Throwing his deduction of the disciple mindset from his mind, Ken thought back to the blonde disciple of this perverted elder who was giving him the looks for many hours straight.

To have to live with her after becoming an inner disciple for even a single day would probably cause him much trouble.

"After taking care of the simulation, you act upon your plan... but what if something unexpected happens?"

What if again? Didn’t we get rid of it before?

"Your enemy’s friend comes for tea, his girlfriend comes for a session, his master comes to visit... you can’t possibly leave your fate in the hands of the unexpected now, can you?"

"And that is why you have to go all the way back to observation... if you haven’t done so since the beginning, you need to have it taken care of." Going all the way back to finger one.

The elder didn’t even need to speak for disciples to want to put their hands over their heads in despair.

We have to go back? Oh hell no!

"Observe their relatives, their friends, their girlfriends, moms, fathers, disciples, masters, their neighbor, their dog, their cat, their rat, the cockroach in the tiny hole in their room, and the mosquito on the table."

Once these words were heard, another round of disciples fainted, some from Lu’s batch, including one staff member from Ken’s batch, just to be thrown away by the elder with another flick of his raised finger.

Should I Quit?

Ken almost broke out smiling when he heard these words.

Indeed, not everybody was made for this way of thinking.

Some people barely thought of their next move, so for them to discover the world of overthinkers and its extremes...

Indeed, it was shocking.

But this was the elder slightly exaggerating. Sure, it was possible to go to such lengths, but he wanted to take out the disciples who couldn’t even handle that reality.

If they can’t handle thinking of that possibility, there’s no need to speak of showing their worth; even if they did, there would be no potential.

Simply speaking, he was weeding out those not fit for his method.

"And then after another round of analyzing and simulating, you circle to the last phase." Finally, the fourth finger was held up.

"Escaping." he said.

"If your mission is successful... it doesn’t mean you’re victorious, not until all risks are taken care of and your safety is guaranteed, not until you’re back in the sect." He continued.

"What if your enemy can resurrect? What if he reincarnates? What if he wasn’t even living in the first place?"

Oh hell no, I’m out!

Disciples started getting up and leaving, and another round of those who couldn’t take it anymore fainted.

"You cannot take any chances...however..." The elder’s eyes gazed at the disciples who were leaving with shame on their faces.

"There’s no escaping until your mission is complete!"

-----End-----