( Day 45 )


    Day 45 was the halfway point for Rocky''s journey within the ancestral chamber and he had already gone through the worst.


    On day 40, once he realized that he could never control certain aspects of his life, the delusion washed away and rity returned to his mind.


    Instead of obsessing over why he had lost the right to holding a sword or why he was going through this, he began focusing on why he needed toplete this challenge and what awaited him afterwards.


    By the time he would get out of this chamber, he would be apletely new version of himself.


    A new race, a new mindset, a different mana capacity-


    He would hit the ground running and could build on-top of these advantages at the academy to clinch the top spot.


    As the top graduate, not only could he receive a decent amount of rewards from the university, but he could also secure his spot in the inter-university tournament, where iparable treasures and opportunities would be ced on the line against the pride of institutions.


    Securing those treasures and opportunities would catalyze his growth, propelling him to reach the 40th level of the tower in potentially less than two years time if everything went his way.


    With his mind idle, Rocky nned every aspect of his future.


    What books did he need to read at the academy library?


    What doubts he needed to clear with the help of faculties?


    What skills were a must learn for him?


    What were the aspects that he was stillcking on and could improve with hard work?


    As questions like these swirled through Rocky''s mind, he found himself feeling more grounded and focused than ever, achieving a state of true indifference towards the things beyond his control—a stark departure from his earlier pretense of detachment that was fake.


    With day 45 drawing to a close, Nubi, responsible for his bi-monthly assessment, arrived to transport Rocky from his quarters to the evaluation hall.


    As they made their way to the hall, Nubi couldn''t help but notice the remarkable transformation Rocky had undergone.


    Unlike many candidates who tended to be more difficult to manage after each session, Rocky exhibited an exceptional calmness this time around, as his aura did not seem to be agitated at all.


    He walked patiently, replied mirthfully and seemed to be faring well overall.


    After just three evaluations, he had managed to find a serene state of mind that not only set him apart from his peers but also indicated significant personal growth.


    The funny part was that he was moreposed this time around aspared to even his first evaluation as it was almost like he was ready to take on his fourth penalty with a mindset stronger than when he was taking his first.


    ***********


    "Your next biggest w is yourck of belief in the divine. The Gemini Gods are your biggest allies, yet you have no idea on how to leverage off their divinity.


    You consider yourself to be a pawn dancing to their tunes and hold suspicion towards their intentions.


    ?-гоц?н%т*-@?#?*-@у?υ%-&в-у#-@


    In this cruel universe, you must learn to differentiate between friend and foe and learn the importance of trusting your back to your friends and protecting your back from your foes.


    If you agree to sacrifice your mobility for the next 45 days, I will grant you a skill that will help you identify friend from foe and what they feel towards you as long as the power difference between you two is not toorge.


    So what will it be?" The deity of the ancestral hall presented Rocky with yet another trade, which, instead of eliciting immediate disdain, prompted Rocky to thoughtfully consider its advantages this time.


    Having a skill that could help him distinguish friend from foe was an incredibly useful ability.


    If he had such a skill under his belt, he would no longer need to be suspicious of people or their intentions and would not need to second guess their every move.


    What happened with him mistrusting Sophia, would not be repeated, while he would also have more information to judge an individual and the prospect of allying with them in the future.


    It was undeniably a very useful ability and to get it, he just needed to sacrifice his mobility for 45 days.


    "Without mobility, how would I even take part in the activities for the day? Would I not be constantly thrust into the torture chamber without it?" Rocky asked, just to cover his bases as the hall god replied in Rocky''s very own voice.


    "You will no longer be required to take part in daily tasks and will be fed meals by Nubi from time to time.


    So what will it be?"


    " I ept-" Rocky said, as he took on a fourth penalty, losing his ability to move.


    "Great choice climber, I wish you the best" the hall god said, as Rocky was surprised to see it notugh this time around.


    While Rocky did not understand the nuances of this hall, it really wasn''t as nefarious as he thought it to be.


    When Rocky himself had an unstable mind, the hall god mirrored his internal state. However, now that Rocky had stabilized, so had the hall god''s attitude towards him.


    Nheless, his surprise at the hall god''s attitude did not save him from the humiliation of being carried like a sack of potatoes on Nubi''s back, as after losing his mobility, Rocky became reliant on Nubi to transport him from ce to ce.


    "So, I''ve be your nanny for 45 days huh? This is a first….." Nubi said, as she had never heard of the hall gods give out such a penalty before.


    She was incharge of cleaning him and feeding him for the 45 days that Rocky had turned into a vegetable.


    He could not longer feel his arms or legs anyways, so having lost his sense of movement he truly became like a paralysis patient having lost all senses from the neck down, alongside his vision.


    He was literally existing in darkness now, yet despite his grim life, Rocky was happy for what he would gain out of this instead of being sad for what he was suffering at the moment.


    For him this penalty was more of a boon than a curse as not only did it mean that he would not be dragged into the torture chamber anymore, but it also meant that Nubi woulde and check on him twice or thrice a day.


    Rocky preferred talking to Nubi, the gentle and kind snake-womanpared to all the other crazies within the hall as to him this situation was an unexpected gain.


    Sure, he had lost his ability to move, however, to him there was not much purpose behind moving anyways.


    Although he was slightly embarrassed at having Nubi handle him, seeing him at his unmanly worst, he did not have any schemes of wooing her or fighting for her love, so it was okay.


    Trying his best to crack jokes and be funny whenever she was around, Rocky tried his best to lively up her day alongside his own, as he epted this new penalty with grace and joy, unlike all his previous ones.