203 Su Ming’s Mark! (1/2)
The old man sitting in the sky outside Su Ming’s cave abode was looking at the ground with bright eyes. His expression became more solemn until eventually a hint of shock appeared on his face.
”Snow Mark… Si Ma Xin’s Berserker Mark was also the Snow Mark. The mark of freezing snow once shocked the entire Freezing Sky, and he proved himself to be incredibly suitable for training the Arts in Freezing Sky Clan!
”I didn’t expect I’d see the same Snow Mark as Si Ma Xin’s once again!”
The old man took in a deep breath and the glint in his eyes became brighter.
”As expected of a Berserker who Awakened after attaining full completion of the Blood Solidification Realm, he managed to sense two completely different types of Berserker Marks. You gave up on the fire moon, but now the mark of freezing snow… should suit your tastes.
”But from what I can tell from Si Ma Xin, the mark of freezing snow causes the person to be incredibly cold. He will freeze his emotions and his desires. It is a merciless chill… Will this child choose this..?” the old man mumbled and looked at the ground with a grave expression.
His gaze seemed to penetrate through everything, allowing him to see… the sad person sitting in the cave covered by frost.
”If he gives up on this Mark again… unless he can sense the third Mark, then he will have to choose a Mark that doesn’t suit him. If he doesn’t choose, then his power will forever be stuck here and he won’t improve…”
A hint of worry appeared on the old man’s face. He had deep knowledge about Berserker Marks. There were some Awakened Berserkers who never had any Berserker Mark in the history of the Berserker Tribe. However, these people all could not further increase their power and would forever be stuck.
Without a Berserker Mark, a Berserker cannot be considered a true member of the Berserker Tribe!
”He shouldn’t give this up now…” the old man mumbled to himself, then his expression suddenly changed.
As Su Ming sat in the cave in the mountains, a phrase echoed within the world in his heart.
”Place your emotions in the mirror. When you turn around, do not take them away…”Su Ming mumbled. He looked at the ice mirror and the snow flower within it, along with the man in white behind the snow flower.
”Can I put all these in the mirror and not take them away with me..?”
Anguish appeared on Su Ming’s face and he sighed once again.
”I broke my promise once…
”I can’t give up on my memories and the love I felt when I was a teenager… If I do that, even if I obtain the mark of freezing snow, would I still be me..?” Su Ming closed his eyes.
”I see. I didn’t expect a Awakened Berserker Mark to appear like this when I’m in a trance. The moon in the lake and the flower in the mirror…
”They’re all mere illusions. They aren’t real! All of these aren’t real. Even so, the flower in the mirror and the moon in the lake are not my choices!”
Su Ming opened his eyes.
”I want neither… the flower in the mirror nor the moon in the lake!”
The moment Su Ming spoke, a large amount of cracks instantly appeared on the ice mirror before him. As cracking sounds rang out, it shattered into an innumerable amount of shards. The ice flower and the person in white in the mirror also seemed to have duplicated themselves to exist within every single shard that scattered before Su Ming.
”Fool!”
When the old man in the sky saw this scene, he slowly spoke. However, he did not try to stop Su Ming as he initially wanted to do when he gave up on his first Berserker Mark. He chose to observe what Su Ming would do next instead.
‘But he’s bold! His personality makes him worthy of becoming my disciple. If you can really bring out the third Berserker Mark in your trance, then even if you can’t become my disciple and can’t pass my test, I’ll still help you into Freezing Sky Clan!’
The old man watched the land silently, waiting for the third Berserker Mark that even he was not certain would appear!
Time trickled by, and very soon, it was night. However, the night sky was filled with blue and blood-red light. A strange night sky filled with blue and red light was formed.
The frost on Su Ming’s body had disappeared in the cave on the ground. There was no longer any hint of ice or cold air on the walls of the cave. The entire mountain range returned to normal.
”So he can no longer do it..?”
After waiting for a long while, the old man in the sky sighed.
However, he did not leave. He remained in the sky and continued waiting. Gradually, the night went by. Even when the sky gradually brightened up, Su Ming remained seated and unmoving within the cave. No other signs of Berserker Marks appeared. It was as if they had fallen asleep.
”He gave up on the fire moon, which meant that the tribe he grew up in does not train the ways of fire. Because it’s different and he did not want to give up on it, that’s why he didn’t choose it. From this, it can be seen that the child values family ties.
”He gave up on the Snow Mark because he did not want to be merciless and cold, which means he’s someone who values his relationships…
”But people like these aren’t suitable to train in my practice and learn my inheritance. He can’t be a vice… he can’t… overturn anything. There’s no need for any tests any longer.”
After three days, the old man let out a long sigh. He cast a profound look at the ground and did not continue waiting. He knew that while the time for the process of Awakening differs for each Berserker, but the moment they wake up from their trance, then it means that the process had ended.
At that moment, he sensed that Su Ming had opened his eyes within the cave.
”If you choose to enter Freezing Sky Clan, then I will speak a word for you,” the old man mumbled to himself.
He left with regret and lamentation, walking into the distance. Loneliness could be seen on his back. As he left, the blue and blood-red light gradually faded away, and eventually, they disappeared along with the stone statue within that never once opened its eyes.
”I failed…”
Su Ming opened his eyes within the cave and looked at the walls before him as he mumbled softly. It was dark all around him. Amidst this silence, he lifted his head.
His expression was calm. There was no hint of regret or any sign of other emotions. Instead, in the midst of the darkness, he sat in silence as if he was asking himself whether it was worth it to give up on two powerful Berserker Marks.