Chapter 264

Chapter 251: Accepting an Apprentice

Under the halo of dusk, in the clearing between the woods, Kapak listened to the words of the Old Shaman and couldn’t help but think in his heart. The description of the knowledge toxin by the Old Shaman reminded him of a term mentioned by the “Scholar” during their exchanges: “Poison Recognition.” It was said that on the land where the “Scholar” resided, all forbidden knowledge carried toxicity.

“Now, does the Shaman Lord want to use this knowledge toxin to drive out spirits from me? But there are no evil spirits in my body, which means I will have to directly face the Poison Recognition?”

Thinking of this, Kapak felt somewhat anxious. He wanted to explain to the Old Shaman that he wasn’t possessed by any evil spirits, but he knew the Old Shaman wouldn’t listen. Reluctantly, Kapak could only follow Akka’s words.

“Akka told me to let things happen naturally; there must be a reason for it. All I need to do now is follow along.”

With this thought, Kapak did not resist and stood before the withered tree among the totem poles as instructed by the Old Shaman. At this moment, the Old Shaman picked up a long branch from somewhere.

“You stand there and don’t move. Lift a small part of the curtain above. Pay attention to the writing on it. This might give you a headache, but remember to endure it. Once the evil spirit within you comes out, I will remind you, then make sure to close your eyes.”

The Old Shaman said, then lifted the long branch and pulled back part of the curtain, revealing the spirit inscriptions carved on the tree trunk.

Knowing that the text contained toxins, Kapak narrowed his eyes involuntarily when he saw the carvings. He could only squint to look, but this didn’t stop him from feeling a strange dizziness in his head after reading the text.

“This… is Poison Recognition? This feeling really is… huh?”

After feeling dizzy for a few seconds, Kapak suddenly felt his mind become clear again, and the headache vanished instantly. This surprised him greatly. He opened his eyes wide and looked directly at the revealed spirit inscriptions on the tree trunk without any discomfort.

The Old Shaman, seeing this scene from beside the tree, frowned slightly. Looking at Kapak who seemed fine, he asked:

“Kapak, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

“Uncomfortable… well, Shaman Lord, although I was a bit dizzy at first… now I really don’t feel anything wrong…”

Kapak replied honestly. Hearing his words, the Old Shaman’s frown deepened even more.

“No reaction? That’s impossible. This passage almost made me lose consciousness. How can you have no reaction at all?”

Looking at Kapak as if nothing had happened, the Old Shaman pondered in his heart, desperately seeking an explanation for this unusual phenomenon.

“This kid hasn’t been affected by the toxin of this knowledge… This might mean that the evil spirit inside him controls him more deeply than I imagined, bearing most of the toxins. Otherwise, how could he have no reaction at all?”

The Old Shaman thought, recalling that in his experience, the harm of Poison Recognition could be shared by the inner spirit. The deeper the spirit controlled and eroded its host, the more toxins it would bear. Kapak not being affected by the Poison Recognition could mean that the evil spirit within him had taken on most of the toxins voluntarily, hence why Kapak appeared fine.

“He managed to withstand so much toxin and still remain standing. This evil spirit seems quite capable. Since that’s the case, let’s see how long he can hold on.”

With this thought, the Old Shaman pulled back more of the curtain, revealing more inscriptions. Kapak saw more of the carvings on the withered tree, but just like before, he recovered quickly after a brief dizziness.

“How do you feel now, Kapak?” The Old Shaman asked again, looking at Kapak who continued to answer truthfully.

“I’m still just a bit dizzy at first, but now I don’t feel any discomfort, Shaman Lord.”

Listening to Kapak’s words, the Old Shaman fell silent, his expression becoming heavier. He began to take the possession of the evil spirit on Kapak more seriously.

“Is this not your limit? If so, let’s see how far you can go.”

Thinking this, the Old Shaman continued to pull back more curtains, revealing more inscriptions to Kapak. However, Kapak still only experienced a brief dizziness before returning to normal. The Old Shaman, not believing it, pulled back even more curtains.

In this back-and-forth, the entire curtain covering the withered tree was completely removed, exposing all the inscriptions to Kapak. Yet, Kapak remained standing as if nothing had happened, looking ahead with a bewildered expression, while the Old Shaman stared silently at the young man before him.

“…”

“Shaman Lord, what about me…”

“Don’t speak. Let me think for a moment.”

The Old Shaman interrupted Kapak. Hearing this, Kapak closed his mouth. Although the Old Shaman appeared calm on the surface, his heart was in turmoil. To maintain his composure, the Old Shaman took out his pipe and started smoking heavily.

At this moment, the Old Shaman’s heart was in a tumult. After all, he had spent a year mastering the shamanic knowledge, and now Kapak had seen it all in just a short time. This was hard to accept calmly.

At this moment, the Old Shaman had gained a deeper understanding of the so-called “evil spirit” on Kapak.

“It seems… the evil spirit on this kid isn’t simple. It managed to absorb so much toxin without reacting. Either this spirit is incredibly powerful beyond my imagination, or it already knew the shamanic knowledge before it became an evil spirit. It might be a spirit of a shaman…

“Additionally… given the current situation, this spirit doesn’t seem to fit the definition of an evil spirit… Although it controls Kapak deeply, it doesn’t seem to take over his mind, and it even bears almost all the toxins… Most spirits are malicious, but this one clearly isn’t.”

Facing the spirit on Kapak, the Old Shaman’s attitude had shifted.

“This spirit is very powerful… and intelligent with knowledge… and seems to have no hostility… Perhaps we don’t have to be enemies. If we use the knowledge it teaches Kapak well, it could indeed benefit the tribe.

“But, an unknown entity with unclear intentions must always be watched with caution. I must constantly monitor it and keep it close.”

After pondering for a while, the Old Shaman made a decision. He took a deep drag on his pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke, then looked at Kapak seriously and said:

“Kapak, since you’ve read everything, it proves you have the foundation to become a shaman. From now on, you will be my direct apprentice. I will teach you how to become a shaman.

“You will move in with me tomorrow.”

“Huh?”

Hearing the Old Shaman’s words, Kapak froze on the spot. He never expected that following the Shaman to drive out spirits would turn him into the Shaman’s direct apprentice.

For a moment, Kapak, unable to understand, could only scratch his head. Then, the Old Shaman spoke sternly:

“What’s wrong? Are you unwilling?”

“Unwilling! Unwilling! Being able to learn from Shaman Lord is, of course, my wish!”

Kapak replied excitedly. Being accepted as the Shaman’s direct apprentice was an extremely glorious matter in the tribe. While he was happy, he also recalled Akka’s response earlier.

“Could this be what Akka meant by going with the flow? I did nothing, just went with the flow, and ended up being accepted as an apprentice by Shaman Lord. Could Akka have foreseen all this? Such foresight… is truly admirable…

“Praise Akka!”