Chapter 104: the origin of Zen
The origin of Zen
The mysterious man continued.
"Now that you know about the different stages..."
He leaned back into his seat.
"...let’s talk about the fundamental energy that Superhumans use to develop their powers."
"It is called Aether."
Leo hung on every word.
"There are various ways to utilize Aether."
"As soon as a human—or any other creature—advances to the Superhuman level, their genes will instinctively impart the basic knowledge required to absorb and utilize Aether."
"In other words, they don’t need someone to teach them how to use it."
"Their bodies simply know."
Leo gave a measured nod.
"But advanced civilizations have existed for far longer than humanity has possessed supernatural power."
"Over countless years, they have developed countless techniques for absorbing, refining, storing, and utilizing Aether."
The mysterious man paused.
"You, however, are still human."
"So you don’t possess an innate understanding of how to properly manipulate Aether."
Leo frowned.
"Then you’re going to teach me?"
"No."
The mysterious man shook his head.
"The reason you are here isn’t for me to teach you how to use Aether."
A shift in Leo’s posture revealed his confusion.
"Then what are you going to teach me?"
The mysterious man narrowed his eyes.
"Zen."
Leo arched an eyebrow. He recognized the word. He had heard the term during the silver-haired man’s fight with the alien.
"What is Zen?"
The mysterious man nodded, acting as though he had expected the question all along.
"If Aether is the fundamental energy utilized by Superhumans..."
He let the sentence hang in the air.
"...then Zen can be considered a higher and more primordial form of energy."
Leo narrowed his eyes, trying to grasp the concept.
"More primordial?"
"Yes."
"Let me show you."
The mysterious man raised his hand. A golden card materialized between his fingers.
Leo stared, captivated by the object.
The man pinched the card. It shattered, bursting into a swarm of golden light particles. They refused to scatter. Instead, the flecks flowed toward Leo like a stream of fireflies, rushing straight for his eyes.
Leo flinched, bracing himself, but the particles phased right into his pupils.
For a moment, darkness swallowed his vision.
Then—
Leo opened his eyes.
His pupils now glowed a brilliant gold. The room before him had transformed. The darkness remained. The shadow-forged chairs remained. The mysterious man sat in the exact same spot.
But now, the air itself seemed alive.
A cosmic dust cloud of colorful specks drifted through the dark space. Some glowed red, some blue, some green. Others shone in white, yellow, violet, and shades Leo lacked the names to describe.
He stared, lost in the vibrant display.
The mysterious man spoke.
"This ability is called Star Spirit Eyes."
"I’ve temporarily imparted the technique to you."
"Now, observe carefully."
"Do you see those colorful particles?"
Leo nodded.
"Those particles are Aether."
Leo widened his eyes.
"So that’s Aether..."
"Yes."
The mysterious man pointed at the glowing dust.
"Although Aether is a single fundamental energy, it exists in different attributes."
"Every Superhuman has an affinity toward certain types of Aether."
"For example, a Fire Elemental will naturally resonate with red Aether."
"A Physical Manifestation will generally have a stronger affinity toward white Aether."
"Beast Manifestations also tend to favor white Aether, although their specific affinity can vary depending on their lineage."
Leo watched the shifting colors.
"So when a Superhuman trains, they absorb these particles?"
"Correct."
"They absorb Aether from their surroundings, regardless of its color."
"But the Aether their body has the greatest affinity for will be absorbed and refined more efficiently."
The mysterious man raised a hand. A translucent image projected into the air, depicting a jagged, crystal-like structure.
Leo leaned closer.
"Nucleus Crystal!"
The mysterious man nodded.
"You may call it that."
"But advanced civilizations generally refer to it as an Aether Core."
"The Aether Core is formed when a creature advances to the Superhuman level."
"It acts as the primary reservoir and refining center for Aether."
Leo studied the floating crystal.
"Where is it located?"
"For humans, the Aether Core is primarily formed within the heart."
"The heart?"
"Yes."
"The heart pumps blood throughout the body. Since Aether particles enter the bloodstream, the heart naturally becomes the most suitable location for the formation of the core."
The mysterious man let his hand drop.
"Although that isn’t universal."
"The location of an Aether Core can vary depending on the species and biological structure of the creature."
A memory surfaced in Leo’s mind.
"What about zombies?"
A shadow passed over the mysterious man’s face.
"Zombies?"
"Their cores are located in their brains."
The man raised an eyebrow, resting a hand beneath his chin as he drifted into deep thought.
"So that’s what was happening..."
His voice dropped to a near whisper.
"Those guys were trying to revive him."
Leo frowned, waiting for an explanation. The mysterious man brought his focus back to the present.
"The creatures you’re referring to aren’t ordinary zombies."
"They are beings infected by what is known as Corpse Clan Poison."
"Once a person is infected, their biological systems shut down."
"They die."
Leo’s expression hardened.
"Then how do they move?"
"Their brains."
"The corpse’s brain remains capable of issuing the most basic commands that were imprinted into it."
"Move."
"Attack."
"Feed."
"Anything that doesn’t belong to their species is recognized as a threat and attacked."
The mysterious man paused, letting the information settle.
"They aren’t true Superhumans."
"Although their bodies may become stronger and more resilient, those enhancements don’t come from their own awakened abilities."
"They are simply the result of the Corpse Clan’s influence."
"And because their biological structure is different, their Aether Core forms inside the brain rather than the heart."
Leo gave a slow nod of understanding.
The mysterious man waved a hand, dismissing the projection.
"Anyway, back to the point."
"The primary method of absorbing Aether is through breathing techniques."
"When you inhale, oxygen enters your lungs."
"But oxygen isn’t the only thing being absorbed."
"Aether particles enter the bloodstream alongside it."
"As the blood passes through the heart, the Aether Core draws in the particles it can resonate with."
"The core then refines and stores that Aether."
"And as the core continues accumulating and refining energy..."
"It gradually grows stronger."
Leo’s eyes shone. The system made perfect sense.
Breathe.
Absorb.
Refine.
Store.
Grow.
The mysterious man nodded.
"Now you understand the fundamentals of Aether."
Leo agreed.
"I think I do."
"Good."
The mysterious man pointed into the empty space around them.
"Now..."
"Do you see those thin, chaotic black lines moving through the air?"
Leo shifted his golden gaze. Only then did the darker threads come into focus. Unlike the colorful Aether, these black lines looked harsh and jagged. They were thin. Irregular. Chaotic. They twisted and tangled without any clear pattern.
"What are those?"
A faint smile touched the mysterious man’s lips.
"That..."
"...is Zen."
Leo stared at the shifting black threads. The mysterious man reached out, pinching one between two fingers. The moment skin met the line, the thread thrashed and snapped.
The fragments did not fade away. Instead, they transformed.
The black fragments exploded into a burst of familiar colors.
Red.
Blue.
White.
Green.
Violet.
Aether.
Leo’s pupils shrank. The man released the fresh Aether into the air.
"Now you see."
"Zen is a manifestation of Chaos."
Leo set his jaw.
"Chaos?"
"Yes."
"The relationship between them is simple, but its implications are not."
He held up one finger.
"Chaos is the origin."
"From Chaos, Zen is born."
"Zen exists in a state of instability."
"And when Zen breaks down..."
He pointed at the vibrant dust floating through the room.
"...it becomes Aether."
Leo watched the drifting colors.
"So Aether comes from Zen?"
"More accurately, Aether is what remains when Zen undergoes a process of stabilization."
"Chaos gives birth to Zen."
"Zen breaks down into Aether."
"Aether then becomes the energy that countless living beings use to sustain and evolve themselves."
Silence stretched between them for several seconds.
"Then why doesn’t everyone use Zen?"
The mysterious man smiled.
"Because Aether is stable."
"Zen is not."
"Aether can be absorbed, refined, stored, and controlled by living organisms."
"Zen is fundamentally chaotic."
"Trying to force it directly into your body without the proper method would be like trying to contain a storm inside your veins."
Leo grew serious.
"And that’s what you’re going to teach me?"
"Exactly."
The mysterious man leaned forward.
"Your world has countless abilities."
"Some abilities naturally counter others."
"Fire may be countered by water."
"Physical power may be countered by certain forms of restraint."
"An ability based on darkness may be countered by light."
"Every power has weaknesses."
"But Zen is different."
"Because Zen is not simply another attribute."
"It exists before those attributes."
The man’s gaze sharpened, cutting through the shadows.
"Someone who understands how to wield Zen can interfere with the very energy that forms those abilities."
Leo’s breathing slowed as the weight of the words hit him.
"So even if someone’s ability naturally counters mine..."
"That advantage becomes far less meaningful."
"Correct."
The mysterious man smiled.
"A person who relies solely on Aether fights according to the rules established by their ability."
"But someone who can wield Zen..."
He paused.
"...can challenge the rules themselves."
Leo stared at the black threads drifting through the room. For the first time, the reason for this meeting made sense.
Aether could make him stronger.
But Zen...
Zen could allow him to fight beings whose powers should have been impossible to overcome.
The mysterious man stood from his chair.
"Now..."
He extended a hand toward Leo.
"Let’s begin the training."