Chapter 103: Stages
After an agonizing stretch of time, the trembling in Leo’s shoulders eased.
His eyes remained red, his cheeks damp, yet the violent storm inside his chest had passed. He sat on the ground for several minutes, staring into the pitch-black void.
For the first time in years, his chest felt light.
The pain lingered. The memories remained. Lia and Selena were still gone. But the crushing weight of their deaths no longer felt like chains wrapped around his neck.
He had cried. He had grieved.
And perhaps... that was enough for now.
The mysterious man watched from a distance before closing the gap between them.
"Alright."
Leo lifted his gaze.
"I know you’re not completely settled yet."
The man glanced at the surrounding shadows.
"But we don’t have much time."
He walked past Leo, taking a seat on a chair forged from the darkness itself.
"I have a lot to teach you..."
He paused.
"...and very little time to teach it."
Leo wiped his face bare of tears and stood. He crossed the space, taking the seat opposite the man, his expression hardening.
"Then teach me."
The mysterious man nodded.
"Before I teach you how to become stronger, you need to understand something."
"Power isn’t simply about possessing an ability."
"It has a structure."
Leo gave the man his full attention.
"The beings of your world are divided into several levels of existence."
"At the very bottom is what you call..."
"Normal humans."
"Stage Zero."
Leo offered a brief nod. The man continued.
"At Stage Zero, the body remains within ordinary human limitations."
"Strength, speed, endurance, reaction time... all of them remain bound by the limits of human biology."
He held up one finger.
"Then comes Stage One."
"Superhuman."
Leo narrowed his eyes.
"Superhuman?"
"Yes."
The mysterious man leaned back in his chair.
"Stage One begins when a human awakens supernatural power."
"Unlike ordinary humans, a Superhuman can surpass the natural limits of the human body."
"However, not everyone awakens the same kind of power."
Leo listened intently.
"There are three primary manifestations."
He raised another finger.
"The first is Physical Manifestation."
"The power strengthens or alters the body itself."
"Enhanced eyesight. Sharpened hearing. An extraordinary sense of smell. Superhuman strength. Increased speed. Extreme durability. Regeneration."
"These are all examples of Physical Manifestation."
Leo digested the information with a slow nod.
"The second is Elemental Manifestation."
"The ability to manipulate or generate elemental forces."
"Fire. Water. Wind. Lightning. Ice. Earth..."
"The exact nature of the ability depends on the individual."
The man extended a third finger.
"And the final type is Beast Manifestation."
Leo’s eyebrows lifted.
"Beast?"
"Yes."
"The individual awakens a supernatural beast lineage or power and gains the ability to manifest its characteristics."
"Enhanced physical traits. Claws. Fangs. Scales. Wings. Heightened instincts."
"And as their power develops..."
He squinted.
"...some can eventually transform into a complete beast form or a hybrid form."
Leo sat in silence, turning the thoughts over in his head.
"So everyone at Stage One falls into one of those three categories?"
"Not necessarily."
The mysterious man shook his head.
"They are the three primary types, but abilities can overlap."
"A person with a Physical Manifestation may eventually develop traits resembling a Beast Manifestation."
"An Elemental ability may also enhance the body."
"Power is rarely as simple as putting someone into a single box."
He let the silence hang for a moment.
"But those three categories are enough for you to understand the foundation."
The man raised four fingers.
"And Stage One itself is divided into four phases."
"Manifestation. Resonance. Dominion. Ascendant."
Leo furrowed his brow.
"Explain."
"Manifestation is the beginning."
The mysterious man tapped his finger against the armrest.
"At Manifestation, the supernatural power first awakens."
"The individual gains access to their ability, but their control is crude."
"For a Physical Manifestation, the body may suddenly become stronger or faster."
"For an Elemental Manifestation, they may produce or manipulate a small amount of their element."
"For a Beast Manifestation, they may develop partial traits or enter a limited transformation."
"At this point, the power is still new."
"The body hasn’t fully adapted to it, and using it consumes considerable energy."
Leo nodded.
"Then comes Resonance."
A faint ripple shifted the surrounding darkness.
"At Resonance, the body, mind, and supernatural power begin working together."
"Control becomes sharper."
"Power becomes more efficient."
"The individual begins developing techniques instead of simply releasing their ability."
"For a Beast Manifestation, transformation becomes more stable."
"For an Elemental Manifestation, the individual can manipulate their element with much greater precision."
"For a Physical Manifestation, their enhanced attributes become increasingly integrated with their natural movements."
Leo grew thoughtful.
"And Dominion?"
The mysterious man’s eyes locked onto him.
"That is when your power stops being confined to yourself."
"The influence of your ability begins extending into the world around you."
"The battlefield itself can become an extension of your power."
Leo’s gaze sharpened.
"So that’s a domain?"
"Not exactly."
The man shook his head.
"A domain is merely one possible manifestation of Dominion."
"The important point is that your power has begun influencing the environment rather than merely acting through your body."
"A fire user might turn the surrounding battlefield into a sea of flames."
"A Beast Manifestation might release such overwhelming pressure that weaker creatures instinctively submit."
"A Physical Manifestation might generate destructive force far beyond what their body should physically be capable of producing."
"At Dominion, your power begins affecting the world."
He held up a fourth finger.
"And finally..."
"Ascendant."
The word carried a heavy, distinct weight in the air.
"At Ascendant, your power and your existence become deeply integrated."
"You no longer feel as though you are using an ability."
"The ability becomes a part of what you are."
"Your body, instincts, energy, and power operate as a single entity."
"For some, this results in a perfected transformation."
"For others, it may produce an extraordinary elemental state or an entirely new expression of their physical power."
"Ascendant is the completion of Stage One."
Leo let the words settle. The man lowered his hand.
"Those four phases make up Stage One."
"Manifestation."
"Resonance."
"Dominion."
"Ascendant."
Leo repeated the names to himself. Then he asked,
"And after that?"
The man lost his casual demeanor, his face growing solemn.
"Stage Two."
"Transcendent."
Leo narrowed his eyes again.
"Transcendent?"
"Yes."
The man nodded.
"Stage One allows a human to surpass humanity."
"Stage Two is different."
He extended an open hand. The dark haze around his fingertips twisted, barely visible to the eye.
"At Stage Two, you begin to transcend the limitations of your own existence."
"Your body is no longer merely adapting to supernatural power."
"It evolves."
Leo’s jaw set.
"So a Stage Two isn’t simply a stronger Superhuman."
"Correct."
A small smile touched the man’s lips.
"That distinction is important."
"Power levels are not merely numbers."
"Every major stage represents a qualitative change."
He raised his hand once more.
"Stage Two also has four phases."
"Adaptation. Evolution. Transformation. Transcendence."
Leo waited.
"At Adaptation, the body begins undergoing a deeper transformation."
"The power that once strained the body becomes something it can naturally sustain."
"Your cells, organs, nervous system, and energy pathways begin adapting to a higher level of existence."
"At this point, injuries that would be fatal to a Stage One Superhuman may no longer be as serious."
Leo leaned forward.
"Then Evolution?"
"At Evolution, the changes become permanent."
"The body no longer merely tolerates supernatural power."
"It evolves because of it."
"Strength, durability, regeneration, senses, energy capacity..."
"All of them can undergo fundamental improvements."
"And depending on the individual’s power, entirely new abilities may emerge."
Leo kept his silence.
"Transformation comes next."
The man’s tone dropped, turning grave.
"At Transformation, the individual begins to break away from the biological form they once possessed."
"Their body becomes something fundamentally different."
"Some may develop an immortal or near-immortal physique."
"Others may gain entirely new organs, energy systems, or forms of existence."
"At this point, calling them human becomes increasingly inaccurate."
Leo swallowed hard.
"And the final phase?"
The man met his gaze head-on.
"Transcendence."
"The individual completes their transformation."
"They have crossed the boundary separating a mortal existence from a higher one."
"Their body, energy, consciousness, and supernatural power become unified."
"They are no longer merely humans who possess supernatural abilities."
"They have become Transcendent beings."
Leo locked the information away. The man leaned over the table.
"Remember this."
"Stage One is about mastering power."
"Stage Two is about transcending yourself."
Leo gave a slow nod.
"And Stage Three?"
The man’s faint smile vanished completely.
"Stage Three is called..."
He let the silence stretch.
"Sovereign."
The surrounding shadows went dead still. A heavy, suffocating pressure washed over the space.
"Sovereign..."
"At this level, power reaches an entirely different realm."
The man raised his hand.
"The universe operates according to countless Laws."
"Gravity."
"Space."
"Time."
"Life."
"Death."
"Energy."
"These are not merely abilities."
"They are principles upon which reality itself operates."
Leo’s breath hitched.
"And a Sovereign can control them?"
"Not necessarily control."
The man shook his head.
"Authority."
"A Sovereign begins to possess authority over a Law."
"At lower levels, a person might manipulate fire."
"At the Sovereign level, they can begin touching the Law behind that phenomenon."
Leo remained silent. The man continued.
"That is the difference between manipulating something..."
"...and possessing authority over it."
A heavy quiet fell between them. Leo broke it, asking,
"Then what comes after a Sovereign?"
The man held his gaze unbroken.
"Stage Four."
A cold chill ran down Leo’s spine. The man spoke with measured pauses.
"Archetype."
Leo furrowed his brow.
"Archetype?"
"Stage Four is beyond Sovereignty."
"At this level, a being no longer merely possesses authority over a Law."
"Their existence begins embodying a fundamental principle."
Leo’s chest rose and fell with deeper breaths.
"An embodiment?"
"Imagine someone who has mastered the Law of Fire."
A faint light caught in the man’s eyes.
"A Sovereign could possess authority over fire."
"But an Archetype..."
He paused.
"...could become an existence fundamentally connected to the very concept of Fire."
The color drained from Leo’s face.
"So they become the concept itself?"
"Not quite."
The man shook his head.
"Don’t mistake an Archetype for a simple personification."
"The deeper you ascend, the less meaningful ordinary definitions become."
He shifted back in his chair.
"At Stage Four, existence itself becomes the battlefield."
"An Archetype can influence principles that lower beings can only obey."
Leo just stared. For the first time since the lesson started, his mind struggled to grasp the sheer scale of the words.
The man caught the blank look on his face.
"Don’t worry."
A soft smile returned to his features.
"You don’t need to understand everything right now."
"As for the world you’re currently in... Stage Two is already enough to stand at its summit."
Leo raised his eyebrows.
"How do you know that?"
The man shook his head.
"I told you. I can’t answer many things for you."
"But with time..."
The shadows in his eyes grew darker.
"...you will realize the answers on your own."
"I only need you to remember one thing."
He held up his hand, counting off the stages.
"Stage Zero."
"Human."
"Stage One."
"Superhuman."
"Stage Two."
"Transcendent."
"Stage Three."
"Sovereign."
His final finger rose.
"Stage Four."
"Archetype."
The titles echoed against the empty black. Leo dropped his gaze.
"So..."
"What is this place?"
The man studied him for a long moment before offering a grin.
"This place is known as the Void Dimension."
Leo narrowed his eyes.
"Void Dimension?"
"Yes."
"But before that..."
The man leaned in closer.
"...you need to understand how to use your power."
A spark of anticipation flared to life, replacing the hollow sadness in Leo’s chest. The lesson had begun.