"Maybe the hugest difference from me and others is that my family was exceptionally pious. I wasn't as pious as them, or maybe not at all. I didn't like the way people treated me just because I was more G.o.d-conscious. So, I started to avoid my ident.i.ty as a Muslim. I didn't even like myself as who I was then before."

"What do you think about that life now?"

"I would like to say that life on Earth was pleasant now. But back then, I thought my life was full of hustle and bustle. There were annoying home works, I needed to wake up every day for school. I did not like it. But now that look back at it, it feels like that was the best life ever. I even miss my traditional Muslim life."

"Basically, you think if you can get back to the life you hated you would be as happy as a clam?"

"How do you know if clams are happy?"

"I don't know. People say that. So, when you lived that life you hated, what life did you seek?"

But such a simple question fl.u.s.tered Zohaifa. "What sort of life did I seek?" Zohaifa knew for sure that there is something under his nose. "I can't remember."

Gradually, the rain stopped. The nature woke up. The light s.h.i.+ned bright and it feels like someone clicked the refresh b.u.t.ton on nature.

"Let us go now and continue training."

As they reached the hill, they noticed that the ants were missing. They must've escaped to survive the rain. Good for them. At last, they finished training and finally headed home.

"That was fast!" said Lazuli to the two of them.

"What training comes next?" asked Zohaifa

"The yellow splash"

"Finally!" equivocally exclaimed Zohaifa and Marium

Thus, they were taught the ins and outs of the technique of yellow splash. But after all those training from before, it only took one day. Things keep getting better and better.

The next day, Lazuli told Zohaifa, "The training is over. We still have three weeks before the tournament. Zohaifa, you can come back after two weeks. I will teach you the basics."

Zohaifa asked in shock and confusion, "What? You will not strengthen our Yellow Splash? Where am I supposed to go? And wait. Basics? I am supposed to learn the basics after so long."

"You can strengthen it. But that's not needed. Trust me. And about where you need to go. I don't really care. But the logical approach would be to go to the forest. You won't find food in the city without money. You should remain in the forest. The monsters in this forest are easily beatable. The berries are also harmless."

"OK."

But both of them knew that Zohaifa won't be staying in the forest. Zohaifa forgetting how Lazuli kicked him out became excited to explore the forest.