Reader Mage 6-Be Clear Of Mind And Spirit, Merlin Tyrrell

“Are you a Mage?” rlin asked the important question as Nora received their receipt from Janeth, who now had a brow raised. “Oh, it’s just that this place is listed as a Mage gym, so I wondered if you were one, since you work out here and all.”

Which would normally be the case, but she’d said her situation was different, and she was working out here for free.

Mages still used the sa workout equipnt as the rest of the world, it was not like their physiques had suddenly changed to a considerable degree. The only difference about gyms designated to them was the sparring area, which, of course, increased the mbership fee. It was for this reason that normal people just went to gyms of theirs, and Mages went to gyms of theirs.

Again, Janeth’s case was different. Since she was paying no fee, and no one even used the place to begin with, she could be a normal person and work out here without any problems. So rlin did not think his question had been foolish. And, perhaps, Nora didn’t either. Because if she did, she would have shot him a glare by now.

“Ah.” Janeth nodded. “You’re right, I’m not a Mage. I’m just a girl infatuated with muscles.” She smiled. “At least to Sunny.”

If rlin’s reason for exercising had not been enough before, he now had one more. And on that note.

“Then…”

He bit his lower lip, knowing that he was probably getting ahead of himself with what he was about to say. Janeth blinked, waiting for him to speak up, and Nora had a look that said: “Please don’t”, seemingly having an idea of what his intentions were. He ignored her and proceeded on. What was there to lose? And he was of the mind that one missed a hundred percent of the chances they didn’t take.

“Do you mind taking…uhm…a pupil?”

He said it. He really said it.

Nora facepald. Janeth, on the other hand, wasn’t so quick on the uptake.

“A pupil?” she asked, head tilted, eyes narrowed.

rlin scratched the back of his neck. “You see, I’m trying to fix this body of mine—too lanky, for my liking—but I don’t really know much about gyming or exercising.” Janeth blinked, now understanding where he was headed. rlin continued regardless of his heart pounding intensely. “So, what I’m saying is… I was wondering if you could help with that.”

There was a pause. And then she laughed. Any other person would have assud that they were being mocked, but rlin was more than happy to listen to the lady laugh.

Yeah. Sothing was definitely wrong with him.

“I’m sorry,” apologized Janeth as she wheezed herself to a stop. “It’s just that… This is the first ti I’ve had a guy ask to help them with building their body. They always act like they know better.”

rlin didn’t. In fact, he didn’t know anything at all.

“But, I’m sorry,” continued Janeth, forcing rlin’s heart to still for a bit. “I have my own things to attend to. I’m not sure I’ll have the ti to help you with your workout.”

He had been expecting that. It was rash of him to even ask that of soone he had just t. It was just that trying to bolster his physicality on his own would prove to be rather daunting, he could feel it.

Sure, he could just source for videos on the internet, that would help a bit, but he’d prefer to use that ti to read novels and comics, and watch videos on Mages and what was occurring with Dungeons and its distant brother, Towers. Spending his morning gyming, and then spending his breaks watching gym videos, would just turn him into a fanatic of the act. He was not looking for that. He was just trying to obtain free Attribute Points.

“That’s fine,” said rlin with a feigned smile. “I’m sure I’ll be able to find a way around it.”

Nora sighed audibly at that mont. rlin had almost forgotten that she was there. She would give him an earful for asking a stranger for such a request now. He sheepishly glanced at her as he readied his ears for her bickering, but, surprisingly, she wasn’t even looking at him.

“This may seem rude, considering you’ve already given him your answer. But, what if we co early everyday? You know, while you workout? You don’t have to help him, like help him. Just so pointers will do. He’s serious, you see. I think to the point that he may one day be obsessed with it.”

No. He definitely wouldn’t. But rlin was so surprised that he blinked owlishly instead of upbraiding Nora.

She’s not angry?

Nora didn’t really enjoy asking others for help. Most especially strangers. Unlike rlin, she really loathed disappointnt. And hoping on others to stretch out a helping hand was basically a recipe for that. Yet, she had gone out of her way to do that for him now. Was she going to overwork him in return? Maybe he would both cook and wash the dishes for the next month or sothing?

Janeth, on the other hand, seed to consider Nora’s request more than she had done rlin’s. After a second of staring at the ceiling, she sighed and smiled.

“Well, if you put it that way, then I guess there’s no harm in giving out pointers,” she said, and rlin felt his heart almost leap out of his chest, excited. Surely, his progress with strengthening his body would boost exponentially if he was tutored by soone who knew what they were doing.

“Thank you,” said Nora. “We really appreciate it.”

rlin was still dazed that he forgot to thank Janeth as well. The lady didn’t seem to mind, though. She just bent down and brought a handbag onto the counter.

“You don’t want to workout yourself?” asked Janeth, her question for Nora, as she folded her face towel and put it into her handbag, bringing out a hoodie in return. rlin had an inkling that she was preparing to leave. Surely, she wasn’t planning on leaving them alone in the gym right? Then was she planning on sending them out?

“I’m fine with just my early morning jogs,” replied Nora. “It keeps fit enough.”

She had said that like she had been having these jogs for a while now. Had she? rlin wondered how he had missed it.

“I guess that’s good enough,” said janeth as she put on her hoodie.

“What are you doing?” Nora asked before rlin could.

“Leaving, of course,” answered Janeth, almost too casually. It was almost like Nora had asked her a weird question that she should have already known the answer to.

“Why?” rlin asked, and she looked at him like that was another question they should have the answer to.

“I have college to go to,” she said with a shrug. “You’re not expecting to keep you company, are you?”

No. They were not expecting that. They were expecting her to not just leave the whole gym in their care. What were they to do once they were done, or if another custor ca (unlikely)?

“It’s just kind of weird that you would just up and leave when custors are around,” said Nora.

“It’s honestly not,” replied Jane, throwing the strap of her bag over her shoulder, not even making an effort to change her mind. “But, I get it. Your worries aren’t misplaced. It’s fine, though. All you have to do is shut the door on your way out.”

“We don’t have to lock it or anything?” rlin asked, genuinely curious.

Janeth pointed at a chain and padlock placed just beside the entrance. “You’ll use that.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Nora was not having it. “Are you telling we just paid more than a hundred dollars for a gym with no security? What’s the use of the mbership fee when a crowbar can rip the lock open and grant access to anyone?”

Janeth chuckled. “This is a Mage gym, Miss Nora. Because it’s a ss doesn’t make it any less of that. Even if it’s not functioning as much as it used to, for it to have been in business ans it was inspected and approved by the Consortium Guild. What I’m trying to say is that there are caras installed in this gym—besides the showerroom, of course—and it’s registered in the Consortium Guild’s system. It’ll take at most a day for any trespasser to be found.”

rlin pursed his lips. That sounded reassuring, and made it a lot more sensible as to why she wasn’t bothered about just leaving them in the gym.

“Still…” Nora didn’t like this. There were a lot of things she hated, and hassles were one of them. rlin was sure a lot of scenarios that could pop up from leaving them in the gym were running through her head.

“You know what?” Janeth started as she pulled out her phone. “Let have your numbers—both of you. A few minutes before you leave just let know. That should be fine, yeah? Because I really can’t stay here. I’m already…uhm…behind on my classes. And, well, Sunny has given up on the gym entirely, so I doubt he’ll co running.”

The rest of her words were lost to rlin’s ears. He had stopped listening as soon as she’d ntioned receiving their numbers.

He honestly couldn’t keep getting distracted. How would he focus on building up his physique this way? Perhaps he had made the wrong decision asking her to help him out with that. Because, it was beginning to seem like he wouldn’t be able to concentrate.

“I guess that’s fine,” Nora said with a sigh after a brief mont in her thoughts. She put her number in Janeth’s phone, and rlin did the sa. A second later, they both received a ssage from her, a simple ‘hi’. rlin promptly saved her number.

“That’s goodbye for now, then.” Janeth waved at them and left the gym.

“Well, that went in a different way than I expected,” said Nora as she turned around and proceeded towards the sparring room. “We’ve wasted enough ti, rlin. Let’s start. Oh, and before I forget. You owe .”

Well, he’d known that was coming. Nora hardly did anything for him for free, that sly fox. But his mind and sight were so preoccupied with sothing else that he was unable to reply to her. Before his view hovered a certain blue interface, bearing, at the sa ti, familiar and unfamiliar words.

[Blue Quest received: Be clear of mind and spirit, rlin Tyrrell.]

[If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow. ditation is key. A better mind and soul makes a better Mage.]

[Progress to leveling up Strength: 0%/100%]

[Progress to leveling up Agility: 3%/100%]

[Progress to leveling up Intelligence: 1%/100%]

[Progress to leveling up Perception: 0%/100%]

[Progress to leveling up Resilience: 3%/100%]

[Free Attribute Points received: 0]