Chapter 17 - You... dirty!

For the next few days, Blue continued to follow Fang around, usually sleeping in class and then accompanying him into the tower. But no matter how hard he tried, Fang emerged happy each time while Blue remained exhausted.

When the morning of the fifth day of the camp arrived, Blue walked out of the room with bloodshot eyes and dark circles under his eyes, making him look like a panda.

Fang was worried. “Blue, are you okay? You look really bad. Can’t you get any sleep at night?”

Upset, Blue only stared at Fang. Puzzling out Fang’s actions was incomprehensible to him, and he spent his nights trying to understand how it was possible. “I’m fine, getting plenty of sleep.”

“But how can you look so bad?” Fang wondered, then tentatively said, “Blue, do you spend your nights doing… it?”

Blue frowned. “What?”

“This!” Fang motioned downward and coughed slightly in embarrassment. “We’re healthy young people, I understand, but doing this kind of thing too much can be unhealthy. It’ll make you physically and mentally weak and will directly affect your energy.”

Blue suddenly understood what Fang was implying and blushed. “You… dirty, dirty, dirty!”

Fang looked confused. “It’s completely normal as we age. Many men face the same problem, and although I don’t do it, there’s no shame if you do. It’s okay.”

Blushing furiously, Blue shouted, “I didn’t do it! Let’s just stop talking about that, okay?!”

Seeing how angry Blue was, Fang accepted it and realized his roommate was just too sensitive.

“No matter what, you can’t go on like this. I’ll skip today’s lesson and take you to see the healer to help fix your problems first.” Fang took Blue’s hand and started to walk out.

“Let go!” Blue broke free from Fang’s grasp.

Fang couldn’t understand Blue at all. “What’s the matter?”

Blue looked odd, biting his lip, body trembling, and his chest heaving.

When I grew up, other than my grandpa and that old man, no guy had ever dared to pull my hand!

Wow, it’s really unbelievable. He knows who I am and deliberately took advantage of me. Inexcusable!

Looking back at him, though, the amount of concern on Fang’s face seemed too genuine; reluctantly, Blue didn’t believe a 16-year-old boy could act so well.

I guess no one sent him?

In the end, he didn’t explode in anger and only firmly stomped the ground. “I’m not going.”

“Okay, let’s not go then.” Fang pondered why his strange roommate would protest so much but noticed that Blue seemed calmer now.

Resting, Blue suddenly felt a bit of regret. He had touched Fang briefly but hadn’t had the opportunity to study his energy level.

So, Blue patted Fang’s shoulder. “Sorry, Fang. My voice was too loud.”

Surprise flickered in Fang’s eyes. Until today, Blue had never been willing to get close to him, always staying at least a meter away. But now, Blue was patting his shoulder.

It seemed his roommate had finally come to terms with his inner demons and became more optimistic, no longer wary of anyone.

Fang returned the gesture and patted Blue’s shoulder. “It’s okay. We’re friends and roommates. You don’t have to worry about it.”

Blue’s body was completely stiff under Fang’s hand, but he resolved himself at the point of no return.

A small probe of energy quietly emitted from his palm into Fang’s body.

He wanted to know one thing: if Fang had been acting until now and was concealing his actual level of energy. This would confirm if Fang had lied all this time or if he was innocent.

But as the light flashed on Fang’s shoulders, Blue quickly drew back.

Instant parry!

Blue couldn’t help but be shocked. Although he also knew how to use instant parry, it wasn’t such a common or easy skill to learn.

Fang didn’t know why his body reacted suddenly, as he couldn’t feel any energy that pierced his body. The elders who developed this technique noted that it was just a culmination of theory and might have some practical issues. He quickly responded, “Sorry, Blue, I didn’t mean to do anything. Are you okay?”

While he spoke, he wanted to look at Blue’s hand, but Blue stepped back. “I’m fine!”

Didn’t he perceive my energy? Fang looked clueless as Blue stared at him again. Even though it was an instant parry, Blue realized the level of energy Fang was at—it was simply a 9th-grade novice.

Yes, he didn’t hide his strength.

However, how did he absorb energy at such a fast rate? Where did he learn instant parry?

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A couple of days passed with Blue continuing to test Fang through conversation, setting up various verbal traps and observing his responses. He reached a conclusion.

This roommate was probably not sent by anyone. At 16 years old, he couldn’t be so smooth, not showing the slightest reaction to the traps Blue had set. Most likely, Fang had been set up with Blue without his knowledge.

Even so, Blue couldn’t help but admit he was interested in Fang. Inspired, he set out to lay intricate patterns of closed nets that energy couldn’t possibly seep through. Yet, in the tower, Fang happily absorbed energy without any issues. There has to be a way, Blue thought, and he spent his days determined to win this cold war of energy control.

In the blink of an eye, ten days had already passed since Fang arrived at the school. It was one of the few rare holidays, with the energy tower closed for maintenance.

It hadn’t been long since Fang and Blue returned from their classes in the evening when the dwarf Durin showed up. “Fang, my friend, let’s go to Minuet City to drink!”

The brilliant city of Minuet lay only 10 kilometers away, and with no monsters nearby, many people took advantage of the holiday to stroll into the city and experience its attractions. However, Durin’s reason for heading into the city was quite simple: to drink.

“Drink?” Fang felt embarrassed; he had never drunk before. “I think I had…”

He was interrupted mid-sentence by Blue, who shouted, “Let’s go, Fang!”

It might have been Blue’s appearance or mannerisms, but Durin hadn’t thought much of Blue. However, seeing his enthusiasm, Durin’s reservations changed.

Fang frowned. “But… but…”

“But?” Blue interrupted him again. “I’ve never been to Minuet City. I’d really like to see what it’s like.”

“The best part about the city is its major pub, where all types of special wines from across the country are gathered in one spot!” Durin added, as he had no interest in sightseeing. Drinking alone wasn’t fun at all, so he added, “You see, even Blue wants to visit. Fang, you can’t just back out like a coward!”

Blue nodded. “Yes, we should balance work and play. We’ve been training so hard at the school for so long; it’s time to relax!”

The two continued to pester and persuade, until finally, Fang could only say, “Okay, I’ll come along.”

Blue and Durin, filled with excitement, got to their feet and started to head out. Fang, deciding that a break would be nice after all, told them he’d look for Mii and be right back, ready to go.

Durin laughed boisterously. “That’s great! Let’s get ready to go!”

A smile crept across Blue’s face as a glorious plan for Minuet City began to take shape in his mind.