Chapter 105: Price
The mysterious man produced four golden cards between his fingers. With a flick of his wrist, he sent them flying outward.
The cards halted in midair, hovering equidistant from one another. Golden light bled from their surfaces. A heartbeat later, four translucent walls of light connected the cards, forging a massive square dome around Leo and the mysterious man.
The moment the dome sealed shut—
RUMBLE!
The ground beneath Leo’s feet heaved.
"What—?"
Leo staggered as the entire space trembled. Cracks of darkness fractured the floor beneath him.
Then—
BOOOOM!
A gigantic black crystal erupted from the earth.
Leo sprang backward. The crystal kept rising, pushing upward like an enormous black mountain. Its surface was smooth and flawless, yet countless faint patterns of light moved beneath it like stars trapped inside solid darkness. The towering structure soon settled into place.
Leo stared at the enormous structure. The mysterious man calmly gestured toward it.
"For the next ten years, you will train on top of that crystal."
Leo’s eyes widened.
"Ten years?!"
Before he could utter another word, the mysterious man raised a hand.
"Don’t worry."
"Time flows differently inside the Void Dimension."
He pointed toward the surrounding darkness.
"Ten years here will amount to roughly one or two minutes in your world."
Leo paused, looking at the crystal again.
"Then why only ten years?"
"If time flows that differently, shouldn’t I train for a hundred years?"
The mysterious man shook his head.
"No."
His tone shifted, growing serious.
"You need to remember something."
"Right now, you are here in your soul form."
"You could also call it your spirit form."
The levity left Leo’s face.
"A living body cannot enter the Void Dimension."
"The moment a physical body enters this dimension, its laws will begin disintegrating it."
"Flesh, blood, organs..."
"Everything would be stripped away."
"What remains..."
"...is only the soul."
A chill traced its way down Leo’s spine.
"So you’re saying..."
He looked at the mysterious man.
"I’m only here because my body is still outside?"
"Correct."
Leo’s eyes narrowed.
"Then that means you’re also a soul?"
For the first time, a strange look crossed the mysterious man’s face.
"It’s complicated."
He waved the question away.
"You don’t need to concern yourself with that."
"Let’s get back to the important matter."
Leo frowned but let the topic drop.
"If your soul remains separated from your body for too long..."
The mysterious man’s voice took on a solemn weight.
"...the connection between the two will gradually weaken."
"And if that connection is completely severed?"
"Your body will stop functioning."
"And eventually..."
"...you will die."
Leo’s face tightened.
"You’ve probably heard religious teachings claiming that when a person’s soul leaves their body, they die."
Leo gave a brisk nod.
"Then won’t I die after ten years?"
The mysterious man stared at him for several seconds.
"Are you listening to anything I’ve been saying?"
"Ten years here equals roughly one or two minutes outside."
"Your soul will only be separated from your body for a few minutes."
"You’ll be fine."
Leo swallowed hard.
"You’re sure?"
The mysterious man sighed.
"You worry too much."
A strange smile crept onto his face.
"Besides..."
"You should understand the principle of equivalent exchange."
Leo’s eyes narrowed.
"Equivalent exchange?"
"Nothing is truly free."
"To gain something, you must give something in return."
He folded his arms.
"Do you honestly think I’m helping you for free?"
Guarding his expression, Leo watched the man.
"So there is a price."
"Of course."
"What is it?"
The mysterious man’s smile deepened.
"You’ll find out when the time comes."
Leo stared back.
"And what happens if I refuse to pay?"
The mysterious man showed no hint of anger. Instead, his smile took on an eerie quality.
"Nothing."
Leo blinked in surprise.
"Nothing?"
"It will be entirely up to you whether you pay the price or not."
The man paused.
"When the time comes..."
"...we’ll see what choice you make."
Those calm words sparked a deeper unease in Leo than any direct threat ever could.
The mysterious man waved a hand, dismissing the topic.
"Enough."
"Let’s get this over with."
A golden card materialized between his fingers. Driven by a mere thought, the card shifted, reshaping into an ancient scroll covered in strange symbols. The parchment floated toward Leo. Before he could raise a hand, it brushed gently against his forehead.
FWOOSH!
The scroll dissolved into countless streams of golden light, pouring straight into Leo’s mind.
Leo’s body went rigid.
An unfamiliar breathing rhythm.
A series of precise movements.
Methods of circulating energy.
Ways to sense the chaotic energy surrounding him.
Countless pieces of information flooded his consciousness. Shutting his eyes tight, Leo made no attempt to resist. He simply focused on organizing the deluge of knowledge settling into his brain.
One minute passed. Then another.
Nearly five minutes later, Leo opened his eyes. A faint golden glint passed through his pupils.
The mysterious man nodded.
"This is the Star Soul Breathing Technique."
Leo mouthed the words to himself.
"Star Soul Breathing Technique..."
"It is a Zen technique."
Leo grew alert. The mysterious man continued.
"But before you begin..."
"There is something you need to understand."
"Your abilities may have already surpassed the limits of ordinary humans."
"But your existence hasn’t."
Leo’s brows furrowed.
"You are still at Stage Zero."
Leo stiffened.
"Stage Zero..."
"Human."
"Exactly."
"Your may have gained extraordinary abilities or skills through the system."
"But that doesn’t mean you’ve naturally evolved into a Superhuman."
The mysterious man pointed at Leo’s chest.
"Your physical foundation is still fundamentally human."
"And Zen is not something a superhuman much less a normal human body can safely contain."
His voice carried a heavy warning.
"Remember this."
"Not everyone can absorb Zen."
"Without the proper preparation, attempting to force Zen into an unprepared body is no different from injecting poison directly into your bloodstream."
A grim look settled over Leo’s features.
"Then why do you think I can do it?"
The mysterious man’s eyes narrowed.
"Because the system has been preparing your body using zen since the moment you arrived in this world."
Leo’s breath hitched.
"Preparing me?"
"Yes."
"It has been gradually adjusting your body."
"Strengthening your foundation."
"Improving your ability to withstand energy."
"And most importantly..."
"...preparing your body to eventually contain Zen."
Leo looked down at his palms.
"The system’s adjustments have made your body suitable enough for this training."
He let the words hang in the air.
"But don’t misunderstand."
"Suitable doesn’t mean safe."
"For someone else, attempting to absorb Zen at your current stage or even at superhuman stage would almost certainly result in their body beginning to decay."
"And eventually..."
"...they would die."
Leo gave a solemn nod. The mysterious man stepped back.
"Now."
"Everything you need to know has been explained."
"Learn the technique."
"Then try to absorb Zen."
Leo glanced around the enclosed space.
"And you?"
"I’ll be away for a while."
Leo raised an eyebrow.
"Where are you going?"
The mysterious man smiled.
"Gill will teach you."
Leo turned his head. The black raven remained perched upon the man’s shoulder. Leo stared at the bird, then looked back at its owner.
"This bird?"
The mysterious man’s smile widened.
"Gill."
He stroked the raven’s glossy feathers.
"It seems you’ve been underestimated."
The raven’s crimson eyes locked onto Leo. A sharp, undeniable intelligence flared within those tiny pupils.
The mysterious man chuckled.
"Don’t go easy on him."
"Caw."
Gill let out a low, rough cry.
Without warning, black shadows erupted from the raven’s body. The darkness wrapped around its feathers like a living cloak. Its small frame began to expand. Bones cracked and popped. The silhouette of the bird stretched, morphing into something entirely different.
In a matter of seconds, the raven took the shape of a tall humanoid figure. Pitch-black shadows cloaked its entire body. It had no skin. No facial features. Nothing existed in the void of its face except two crimson eyes glowing beneath the darkness.
Leo froze.
The shadowy figure stepped forward. Without uttering a single sound, it walked toward the crystal and sat down opposite Leo. A dark cane materialized in its grasp.
Tap.
The tip of the cane struck the crystal.
Leo stared at the towering entity. A primal instinct screamed in the back of his mind.
Don’t offend this bird.
For some reason... that feeling felt entirely reliable.
The mysterious man watched Leo’s pale expression and couldn’t hide his amusement.
"Good luck."
Leo’s face twitched.
"Wait."
The man ignored the plea. His body dissolved into the surrounding shadows, vanishing from the dome without a trace.
Leo stared at the empty space. Slowly, he turned his attention back to Gill.
Gill’s crimson eyes bored into him.
Silence stretched across the dome.
Leo swallowed the lump in his throat.
The humanoid raven raised its shadowy cane.
Tap.
A faint, terrible smile formed beneath the darkness covering its face.
And for the first time since entering the Void Dimension, Leo got a sinking feeling about his upcoming training.