Chapter Twenty-Eight ---One Strike
Adam said to Unknown that he wanted to open the book.
Unknown looked into Adam's eyes and said:
"Are you sure?"
Adam nodded enthusiastically.
Then... Adam opened the book.
There was nothing.
The book was full of blank white pages, without any words.
Adam felt disappointed,
but Unknown's words brought hope back to him:
"They said that if one of us reaches the stage of path exploration, we must open the two books at the same time, right?"
Adam nodded.
"Then... let's wait until one of us reaches that stage, and then open the two books. Why rush things? We have plenty of time."
After hearing that, Adam nodded in understanding, though he still felt curious, especially about these strange matters.
But he thought: Since we'll know in the end... why the hurry?
After Unknown saw Adam's reaction, he said with a smile:
"Let's guess now, what do you think this book represents?"
Adam and Unknown spent the rest of their time trying to guess.
But there was no one to tell them whether their guesses were right or wrong.
---
At sunset – near Ibrahim's house
"Goodbye Unknown, see you later."
Adam said goodbye to Unknown and went to his house.
Unknown entered the house and found Ibrahim sitting on a chair waiting for him.
When he saw him, he pointed to a chair in front of him and said:
"Come, sit here."
After Unknown sat down,
Ibrahim said to him:
"Now, we must organize what we have to do."
When Unknown heard that, his facial expression became serious, and he said to Ibrahim:
"Go on."
Ibrahim smiled and said:
"Actually... that man told me some interesting information about you and me, when you were asleep.
But I can't tell you now."
When Unknown heard that, he tilted his head in confusion, then said:
"Why can't you tell me?"
Ibrahim smiled and said:
"It has to do with what I am, and what you will become.
If I told you now, I would ruin many things in the future."
Then Ibrahim's tone turned serious and he said:
"Unknown, do you trust me?"
Unknown replied in a serious voice:
"Yes."
Ibrahim said:
"If you trust me, then you must begin training.
It will be simple and won't take time... because it will happen in your dream."
Unknown was surprised by that, but he nodded.
So Ibrahim said:
"I know you don't know how you'll do that... but it's very simple. You'll get used to it quickly."
"Now, I want you to watch this video... and I want you to develop your own technique from it."
Ibrahim took out his phone and went to the videos.
A video appeared of a man holding a sword in his hand, and the man simply began to perform a horizontal slash, from top to bottom.
Unknown watched the video, then—unconsciously—began trying to master and develop a new technique, better than the one the man showed.
---
Suddenly...
The world around Unknown changed, and he moved to a place filled with random colors and chaos.
The man who was holding the sword appeared in front of Unknown, and in Unknown's hand was a wooden sword.
The man began to take the stance needed to perform the horizontal strike,
while Unknown seemed to hold the wooden sword in a strange way:
He placed his left hand in the middle of the sword, and his right on the handle, and took a comfortable stance.
After both had taken their positions...
It was a one-strike duel.
They knew that.
Victory or defeat... would be decided in a single blow.
Then the moment came.
Both Unknown and that man struck each other at the same time.
The result?
One of them had become two halves in opposite directions, connected by a single torso,
and the other was unharmed… but 15 meters away beside him, there was a wooden sword,
and on it... seemed to be severed fingers.