When they knelt, all of them had various thoughts running through their minds. Would he wash his hands off them? They may not have seen the need for someone like him in the guild before he joined them, but he was definitely an asset. He had skill, knowledge and experience in ways that young folks like them could only dream of.Out of the blue, he replied, “You should get up now. It is all past. All we have left is the future.” He said this with an even tone, almost devoid of the anger they had sensed in him earlier. It was as though he had actually dealt with the anger before they came to beg him, but he needed to let them discover the enormity of their offense.Grover did not know what to think. ‘Had he forgiven us? Or is he just trying to rope us in to punish us?’ He kept thinking while Shambala spoke. Well, no one would have blamed him for speaking that way, it was how he grew up.They all got up and took their places beside him on the mat on the floor in the middle of the room, for

The guild remained on the floor in May, talking like a pack of excited children, listening to Shambala and internalizing what he was saying.The steward did not return himself but sent his assistants, two of whom had been tasked with picking up the plates after the group had eaten. They returned with cleaning equipment, which they realized was not needed. They just took the dishes and left. As they did, the last of them whispered something in Shambala’s ear, and he nodded in agreement.Grover was curious about that, but since he had determined to begin learning how to reign in his curiosity, he kept quiet while Shambala returned to what he was saying.“Where was I?” He asked, clearing his throat.You said what spells out the difference between welding an artifact and unlocking the full power of an artifact is practice and mastery.” Krystal said confidently. He had internalized this lesson fully.He could not remember ever being interested in any class as much as he had been in this exp

The group of men on the mat had gone through a series of emotions all at once. The guild was definitely surprised when Shambala told them that in recent times, very few people could be counted who have been able to unlock up to fifty percent of their artifact powers.All others simply settled for mediocrity in announcing their artifacts and their grade, or by being very quick to announce the number of artifacts they control. They never even see the need for mastery.“You know what makes this whole situation worse than it even is?” Shambala said it direly.When they shook their heads, not knowing what he meant, he continued, “It’s the fact that this trend began about twenty-five years ago. It has persisted for so long that this new generation—your generation—has begun to think that this is the norm. This has cut down on half the already slim chances that every generation has to produce great men!Grover’s head hung in despondency, thinking about all these details. Krystal seemed to be

After they had concluded this portion of the discussion, Krystal then sought to ask Shamabala a question, and he was permitted. His question was about the members of the organization that had opposed them in the crypt. There were myths he had heard about them, and he wanted to use that opportunity to clarify them. This was because, as much as Shambala had explained to them why they were beaten by the men earlier, he did not explain what made the men seem so invincible.After clearing his throat, he asked, “About the two men in the crypt and even the other members of their organization. I have heard things about them in the past that I would like to clarify.”“Sure. Go ahead.” Shambala asked gently.Encouraged, he continued, “I want to know how many percent of their powers the members of the organization have unlocked so far.”"Hmnn," Shambala said slowly as he stroked his beard.He looked at them from his perch on the bed and began talking. Instead of him telling them directly about

Back at the village, the atmosphere was really tense. Since Krystal, Grover, and Vladimir had followed Shambala, things could no longer go back to the way they were before Shambala. There was a deeper sense of purpose that his presence had brought, and up until now, the idea persisted in the minds of those left behind.This is the town where Krystal and the others came from before beginning their journey and training with Shambala, and their peers who had been left behind were all busy on the training ground with the manual Shambala gave them. This manual was so detailed that they could already sense a difference in their training sessions. They were much better than they previously were. And of course, it was tough.There were a few busted lips and sore muscles. but they persisted as they thought of the three who accompanied Shambala. In addition, the training was not just about their bodies but about their minds and souls as well. Of course, they all would have preferred to go wit