Death Frost | Deathsworn #2

Chapter 53 ❆ First Day

"This will be your lodging during your stay," said a fellow disciple. She motioned for the small courtyard. Although the home did not look big, it was more than spacious enough for one person. Also quite generous too.

"Will there be anyone else here?" I asked.

"This place is yours," she replied. "Disciples don't commonly share rooms. Lodgings are shared among the common monks—those who worship but don't train in the ways of martial arts. This is especially the case for disciples of the Abbot, who are a bit too few in between."

When I was admitted to the temple, I expected to be room sharing, but this did not seem to be the case. I felt more at ease knowing I would have the place to myself. Some of the tension eased from my shoulders and I let out a sigh.

"So, it's like that," I whispered.

"This area belongs to the Abbot," the person continued. "If you walk up to this direction, his residence is over there," she told me, then led my gaze to a much bigger courtyard up ahead. It wasn't the luxurious kind, but there seemed to be a practice area with a variety of training instruments. In fact, it upgraded only in space and necessities. Otherwise, it maintained that air of humility and simplicity.

"These will be your clothes." She handed me a bundle of orange clothes plus a bunch of other things on top. "Your belt is white since you're newly minted. Whenever you reach a milestone, your master will award you a different one. Progress is not the same for everyone, so you or your peers may achieve the next level faster than the others. If not, the opposite."

"Which colors are they?" I asked.

"From lowest to highest it is white, yellow, orange, green, purple, blue, striped blue, brown, striped brown, red, red-half-black, and black."

I tilted my head to the side contemplatively, finding similarities with belt rankings from my previous world.

"I understand. Thank you so much," I said. "Do I need to take note of anything else? What time should I get up tomorrow?"

"Haha!" she scratched her head. "I don't need to tell you. You'll hear it well."

If it was possible, several question marks would have floated above my head.

"My name is Ina, by the way," she told me. "If you have any questions and you see me around, don't hesitate to come forward and ask." She jutted her hip forward proudly, as though calling my attention on that purple belt. This person was quite advanced if she had that color.

She looked reliable enough, so I put a pin on that in my mind just in case.

Bowing briefly to Ina, I made my way into my courtyard with a spring in my step. It had been a while since I had a room to myself. I couldn't lie about the excitement I was feeling. It was not strange for me to be in this type of situation, but I could not resist recalling my previous life when I just stepped onto my college days. It was the first time I felt liberated, more in control of my life. Of course, compared to now, I had three other people to share space with, but the familiarity bade a smile to my lips.

The inside of the room was clean and orderly. Clearly it had been prepared for the arrival of a new owner.

There was a cushioned mat on the floor and a small lamp overhead. On another corner was a low table and a padded seat cushion. It was bare, a bit cold. However, that should change soon once I moved some things around and brought some things in.

The bathroom wasn't big. There was no shower or a bathtub which I wasn't a stranger to, but there was a pail and a water ladle. I looked around and found there was no piping around the place, only drainage. Presumably, I would have to go and retrieve water from a source somewhere else...a well, probably.