Chapter 111: The Forgotten Battlefield
The mysterious man turned toward Leo.
"Everything you’ve learned so far has only taught you how to absorb and contain Zen."
He raised one hand.
"But absorbing Zen and using Zen are two completely different things."
Leo’s eyes sharpened.
"So the next step is learning how to use it in combat?"
"Exactly."
The mysterious man turned and began walking toward the edge of the black crystal.
"Come."
Leo fell into step behind him. Gill trailed in their wake, making no sound.
For the first time since entering the dome, their guide led Leo beyond the black crystal. Even after they exited, the endless darkness remained around them. They continued walking for some time until Leo felt himself pass through an invisible barrier, like breaking through the surface of a thin film.
The moment he crossed it, the endless void vanished.
A vast, barren landscape stretched before him. Mountains rose in the distance. The ground bore countless cracks and craters, as though this place had witnessed battles beyond Leo’s imagination.
Leo looked around, taking in the desolation.
"Where are we?"
"A forgotten battlefield."
The mysterious man continued toward the center of the vast plain before coming to a halt.
"Now, watch carefully."
Leo’s expression became serious.
The mysterious man raised his fist.
"Until now, you’ve only learned how to absorb Zen and circulate it within your soul."
Leo nodded.
"You haven’t learned how to channel Zen into your body, much less use it in combat."
He glanced at Leo.
"Watch."
The mysterious man turned toward a nearby mountain. Then, without any warning, he threw a casual punch.
BOOM!
The force of the punch rippled through the air. Dust and loose stones blasted away from the ground.
Leo raised an eyebrow.
The mysterious man dropped his fist with ease.
"That was a normal punch."
Leo blinked.
"So you weren’t using Zen?"
"Not even a trace."
The man shifted into a serious stance.
"Now watch carefully."
At first, nothing seemed different. Then Leo sensed it.
A strange pressure began gathering around the man’s body. The surrounding space seemed to tremble. His breathing changed. His body remained perfectly still, yet the atmosphere around him grew heavy without warning.
Then—
He punched.
BOOOOOOM!!
The instant his fist moved forward, the entire landscape shook. A terrifying shockwave erupted from his arm. The air itself seemed to explode.
The mountain hundreds of meters away trembled violently.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Massive chunks of stone blasted from its surface. A moment later—
BOOOOOOM!!
A huge section of the mountain exploded. Dust and debris filled the sky.
Leo stood frozen. His eyes widened.
He had felt the attack. He had sensed the Zen. But what shocked him most was the destructive force contained within that single punch.
The mysterious man lowered his fist.
"That..."
Leo stared at the ruined mountainside.
"Was Zen?"
The man nodded.
"Yes."
Leo’s expression became serious.
"I’ve spent the past few years learning about Zen..."
He looked down at his hands.
"But I had no idea it could do something like that."
"That’s because you’ve only learned how to absorb it."
The mysterious man turned toward him.
"You haven’t learned how to channel it."
He raised his fist again.
"Zen isn’t merely energy that you absorb."
"It can strengthen your body."
"Enhance your attacks."
"Protect you from incoming attacks."
"And, when properly controlled..."
His eyes sharpened.
"...it can turn even the simplest movement into a devastating weapon."
Leo’s eyes gleamed.
"So the next part of my training is learning all of that?"
The mysterious man nodded.
"From this moment onward, your training changes."
He pointed toward Leo.
"You will learn to direct Zen from your soul into every part of your body."
"Your arms."
"Your legs."
"Your fists."
"Your weapons."
"Everywhere."
"And after that?"
The mysterious man’s expression became a shade colder.
"You’ll learn how to fight with it."
Leo’s expression hardened.
"Attack with Zen."
"Defend with Zen."
"Counterattack with Zen."
"Move with Zen."
The man lowered his hand.
"Eventually, your body will do it instinctively."
Leo looked toward the devastated mountain. The crater left behind by that single punch was still visible through the settling dust.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Alright."
He stepped forward.
"Let’s begin."
The mysterious man smiled.
"Good."
He glanced toward Gill.
"Teach him."
Gill’s crimson eyes flared to life. The raven lifted its shadowy cane.
Leo’s expression froze.
"...Why do I suddenly feel like I’ve made a terrible decision?"
Gill’s cane struck the ground.
Tap.
Leo sighed.
"Right."
He took his stance.
"Let’s begin."
The Arsenal
And so, the next stage of Leo’s training began.
At first, he struggled just to move Zen from his soul into his limbs. He could absorb it. He could circulate it. But the moment he tried forcing it into his arm, the flow became unstable.
His first attempts were disastrous. Sometimes the Zen dissipated before reaching his fist. Other times, too much energy surged into his limbs at once, throwing his movements wide and leaving him off balance.
Gill corrected every mistake with its cane.
Tap.
"Again."
Tap.
"Again."
Leo gritted his teeth.
"Can’t you teach me without hitting me?"
Gill shook its head.
Tap.
"That wasn’t even an answer!"
The training continued. Leo learned to reinforce his body with Zen. Then he learned to release it through his fists. His legs. His elbows. His knees. He learned to strengthen his defenses and withstand attacks that would have shattered his bones in the past.
Then came the next challenge.
Fighting.
The mysterious man sparred with him from time to time to evaluate his progress, but for the most part, Gill became Leo’s opponent.
And Gill was merciless.
The mysterious man also changed the training routines without warning.
"Your body is only one weapon."
One day, he tossed a wooden staff toward Leo. Leo caught it.
"Learn to use everything."
"Everything?"
"Everything."
The training expanded. The staff came first. Leo spent weeks learning how to attack, block, redirect, and counter with it.
Then came the spear. The sword. The polearm. The short blade. The chain. The hammer. The axe.
Weapons of every shape and length passed through his hands. Some were heavy. Some were fast. Some were designed for defense. Others were meant to kill with a single opening.
The mysterious man taught him the fundamentals. Gill taught him how to survive. Most importantly, both taught him how to combine every weapon with Zen.
A staff strike reinforced with Zen could shatter stone. A spear thrust could penetrate defenses stronger than steel. A sword slash infused with Zen could tear through massive rocks. Even his bare fists became deadly weapons.
But mastering them wasn’t easy. Not even close.
Leo was beaten. Again. And again. And again.
Sometimes Gill defeated him in mere seconds. Other times, Leo managed to last several minutes before being sent flying. Whenever the mysterious man stepped in to spar with him, the result was usually worse.
One afternoon, Leo charged forward with a sword. He gathered Zen into his legs. Then his waist. Then his arm.
The sword swept toward Gill’s neck.
Gill simply tilted its head. The blade missed.
The raven’s cane struck Leo’s wrist.
CLANG!
The sword flew from his hand. Before Leo could react, Gill swept his legs out from under him.
THUD!
Leo crashed onto the ground. A shadowy foot pressed against his chest.
Leo stared upward.
"Again?"
Gill nodded.
Leo sighed.
"I was starting to think you enjoyed this."
Gill raised its cane. Leo rolled away just in time.
"Okay! I know that look."
The Breakthrough
The years passed.
One year. Then two. Then three.
Leo’s movements shifted over time. He no longer needed to consciously think about every individual motion. His body responded on its own.
Zen flowed through his muscles like a second nervous system. A sword strike naturally carried Zen. A dodge reinforced his body. A counterattack concentrated Zen at the point of impact.
He could switch weapons without hesitation. Staff. Spear. Sword. Polearm. Fists. Everything became an extension of his body.
Yet Gill still found ways to defeat him.
Five years passed in total. Five years of endless battles. Five years of broken weapons, shattered ground, bruises, exhaustion, and countless defeats.
But Leo was no longer the same person who had entered the training ground.
One day, he stood across from Gill. A sword rested in his hand. Zen flowed silently through his body.
Gill raised its cane.
Leo smiled.
"Come."
The raven vanished.
WHOOSH!
Leo’s eyes sharpened. He stepped forward. His sword met the incoming cane.
CLANG!
Zen exploded from the collision. Instead of retreating, Leo twisted his wrist and redirected the force. He stepped inside Gill’s range. His free hand formed a fist. Zen gathered in a flash.
He struck.
BOOM!
Gill blocked the attack with its wing. The impact sent a shockwave across the battlefield.
For the first time... Leo had landed a hit on Gill.
Leo stared. Gill stared back. Silence filled the battlefield.
Leo’s mouth curled upward.
"I finally hit you."
Gill’s crimson eyes narrowed. Its cane rose.
Leo’s smile disappeared.
"Wait..."
The cane descended.
BOOM!
Leo was sent flying across the battlefield. He crashed into the ground and rolled several meters before coming to a halt.
Silence.
Leo lay motionless. Then he lifted one hand.
"Okay..."
He groaned.
"Still got work to do."
A familiar laugh echoed across the battlefield. The mysterious man stood in the distance, watching the scene.
"Indeed."
His eyes settled on Leo.
"But you’ve finally learned something important."
Leo pushed himself up.
"What?"
The man’s expression became serious.
"Zen isn’t merely a technique."
"It’s a part of you."
Leo looked down at his hands. A faint black glow flickered within his pupils.
After five years of training... He finally understood.
Zen wasn’t something he simply wielded. It had become part of every movement. Every strike. Every breath. Every battle.
And this...
Was only the beginning.