After reading more of those books, I found out that most of them were about things I already considered, dreamed of or wanted to do.
“This Gabriel was truly a genius! Argh! Why must he be dead! If I knew, I would’ve asked him to stay a little longer… Why do great people die early?”
Some ideas were not finished while the others had some mistakes in circulation. Most of them had some serious backlashes. For example, this one skill had a lot of mistakes:
[Bestial Power]
[Open the first chakra from under the groins to absorb the mana around. While doing so, send it all in the dantian to transform it in chi. The transformed chi must then be sent inside the heart’s chakra to be circulated through the meridians and blood at the same time. The result is a burst of unimaginable bestial power. Backlashes: The heart is being forced and the veins might rupture. If used for more than 20 seconds, there is a risk of death.]
“… Yep, one nasty backlash, alright. I’ll need to modify this so it won’t be such a big problem later. I don’t want to give this to someone and then see him explode into a pool of blood. Let’s modify it now~.”
First, by absorbing it through the lowest chakra, the chi will become wild and hard to control. Then inserting chi inside the veins is a big mistake, because chi is yang while blood is yin. If one is not careful, he might blow his veins…
I took out a pen and started to write in the empty spaces, leaving the original letters untouched but also adding my parts.
I kept adding information, then resumed my inspection of the surroundings. While looking around, I saw a hidden book behind the stone shelters: Gabriel’s Diary. I opened at a random page and frowned.
“This might be a problem later, ah.”
[Day 1 after my exile:I can’t believe those old fools from the School of Leorio Kingdom! I showed them my creations and ideas, it could send humanity forward on the road of evolution, but all they did was burn all of my books! They exiled me from the capital and then sent assassins to hunt me down, all the while shouting ‘Heresy!’ Sack of bones! You think I’ll fall so fast? You better be prepared to send an army. I, Saint Gabriel, am not so easy to kill.
Day 2 after my exile:
So persistent! This was the fourth group. Moreover, not even two days have passed. Very well, I’ll count down all the bastards who think they can put me down! For now, there are 20 people; every group numbering five members.
Day 3 after my exile:
Another three groups. Good, good! The more they come, the more items I get from them. Come and give me all you have! They started to use more powerful armors and weapons. FOOLS! Do you think that just by using some toys you’ll bring me down? Just because you found an Antique tomb full of riches that does not mean you know how to use them!]
All of this continued for almost a month when Gabriel’s fury finally hit its limit.
[Day 28 after my exile:They played with the wrong person. I will go and kill all of those sack of bones. See how I’ll crack their heads!
Day 29 after my exile:
…they are truly miserable. I wanted to kill them all but… right after I got out of my hideout, another group appeared. They looked much younger than the other ones, but I was blinded by my rage and massacred them without looking. After calming down, I saw their faces… they were just children. Boys and girls with ages between 14 to 16 years… how can they send children to hunt a Saint? I have no more rage for them, but pity for the young and ignorant. They must die for someone else’s negative emotions and I am not innocent either… the blood on my hands is the proof…
Day 30 after my exile:
This time, I’ll finish what I started. I’ll assassinate them in silence, then go in reclusion to repent for my sins.
Day 40 after my exile:
The assassination was a success. I only killed the old fools without touching anyone else. Now, I’ll just focus on creating new forms of magic and wait for a worthy disciple. If the heavens won’t send me one when I’m alive, then I’ll wait even after death.]
The diary then continued, detailing the errors and successes of Gabriel’s experiments.
“Ayaa… what a misfortunate elder. I’ll try as much as possible to create the school you wished for, to honor your death, Saint Gabriel. I’ll learn and upgrade all your discoveries… you may rest in peace now.”
As I flipped through the pages, I saw a familiar name.
“Wait, what.”
I began to read again with more focus this time.
[186 years and 140 days after I stationed myself in this cave.This friendly young man named Shu is extremely wise. He gave me quite the ideas for my researches and he even helped me with testing them! Ah! It saddens me that he wishes to leave to Eihwaz continent. I wish he’ll be back soon.]
“That Old Shu?! Well, he did say something about having a friend here, but how old is he? This Gabriel died around 2000 years ago, right? I thought he was a friend to him when he was a ghost, not when he was alive?!”
My mind shocked. I couldn’t comprehend how Old Shu was able to live for more than 2000 years.
I flipped through some more pages until I finally found something wrong..
“What ridiculous magic is this? This book looks more like a little notebook but has tons of pages. No matter how many I turn, there will still be another page, like it’s appearing from space or something.”
I really wished to learn this magic; I might be able to save space with this.
After flipping through another 2000 or so pages, I found Shu’s name again.
“FINALLY!”
I felt exasperated with how many pages there were inside this notebook.
“This Gabriel wrote on a daily basis!”
[188 years and 50 days after I stationed myself in this cave.I finally got another message from Shu. That rash rascal! He got poisoned by an Imperial Spectral Cobra. Not even saints like myself can get rid of such strong poison. That one is strong enough to corrode the soul itself. If he can live another year, he must be really fortunate.]
“Heh. Shu is living just fine even now. Damn freak.”
Seriously, who or what is this Old Shu?
I then flipped through the pages by simply bending one cover while the pages flipped on their own. After another 10 seconds, I finally found something weird. The pages had only one sentence.
[3 Years, 5 months and 6 days after my death.]“…”
My back ran cold.
‘Can’t you leave aside this habit of writing a diary at least after death?’
[Nothing new happened.3 Years, 5 months and 7 days after my death.
Nothing new happened]
“Nothing new, nothing new, nothing new… Alright, another page-flipping…”
I flipped through the pages for good seconds when I finally found more writing.
“HERE!”
I grabbed that page and started to read.
[1467 years, 7 months and 24 days after my death.Little Shu visited again. This time, he wasn’t ‘little’, but old and with a lot of life-experience on his shoulders. Last time he visited was 1000 years ago. Happy I was after I saw him alive and still strong. This time, he came to leave all the riches he gathered throughout his life-span inside my armory. All the Epic and Legendary weapons inside the armory are his. I was surprised after seeing all of that. He said he will give them to the person that will become my disciple. He also left one interesting book he said he found inside the demonic continent. It was about soul-waves control. I asked him if he could write it at the end of this book. I could not think of a more important place than my diary for such interesting knowledge.]
“Wait wait wait… you mean, all of them? There are 25 legendary weapons with 10 full sets of armors and some hundreds of epic ones! What in the world has he done? This freaky old man!”
[1467 years, 7 months and 25 days after my death.Old Shu wrote the book with the utmost care; not missing even a word. After he finished, he left toward the Eihwaz continent, saying he still had some unfinished business.
1467 years, 7 months and 26 days after my death.
Nothing happened.]
“Alright… I have to let the pages fall again?”
I grabbed more pages together and flipped them when I suddenly found more writing.
“Oh?… At least tell me about it!”
I felt like throwing the diary away.
[1740 Years and 3 months after my death.An unexpected guest invaded my place. An Infernal Gorilla was attracted by the strong aura that emanated from all the unique items inside the cave.
I tried everything but couldn’t make it leave. I guess I got a new partner.
1740 Years, 3 months and 1 day after my death.
I retract everything I said. He almost ate the weapons Little Shu gifted me for building the school. I placed a seal on it, so every time he touches something inside this cave, a ball of water would splash over his head. Being an Infernal Gorilla, he must hate water.
1740 Years, 3 months and 2 days after my death.
Even though I splash water on it all the time, it won’t leave no matter what… I guess the Gorilla won’t eat my items but he won’t leave either… Well, he’ll be a good test of strength for my next disciple.
1740 Years, 3 months and 3 days after my death.
With the exception of the Infernal Gorilla entering deep slumber, nothing new happened.]
“Here we go again…” Seriously, at least tell me about it…
I continued flipping and to my surprise, after another 6 seconds, the last page fell, letting me able to see the other side of the cover.
“Oh, there is actually an end!”
I was truly surprised. I expected for it to be a ridiculous magic with infinite paper.
I flipped the papers this time backward and saw that the last page was sealed. There was a message on the other page.
“It’s from Old Shu…”
[On the patch of magic and martial arts, there are millions of ways to the truth and even more that will bring destruction, pain and death. For you, who are the disciple of my dear friend Old Gabriel, I will bestow you the eyes to see the wrong patch and the senses to feel the destruction that might harm you when you form bonds with other people. This is the long lost knowledge written in the Mythological era, knowledge known only by the Demon King and his most trusted servants. I entrust you with this knowledge, for you are the disciple of Saint Gabriel, the wise and righteous one with the soul of an emperor and the spirit of a lion. To you, who have been chosen by a dragon among men, one who gave his everything in the search for knowledge and ways to help the population of these two continents to take a step forward. I ask of you to accomplish his one and only dream. To make a place for everyone where they can learn the way of a mage or of a martial artist, for both search the same thing which is the Universal Truth and The Right Path.To unseal this page, one first needs to have a pure soul and a strong spirit, a wish to teach the others about the truth, and have in his destiny the role of a Path Finder. To be the light for the others and to have a shine strong enough he or she could guide the misinformed and the mislead back onto the right path.
If you think you are such a person, then insert your chi-strand inside this seal and let it read your soul.]
“W-wow… Isn’t this an incredible information then?”
My forehead was sweating. I was shaking with excitement, curious about what knowledge one could get if he/she was able to open the seal.
“I don’t see myself as a good teacher but at least let me try my luck.”
I placed my hand on the complicated seal. It was a red magic circle with a huge ‘封’ right in the middle.
I don’t know what that word means but I think is « seal », no? I mean, Shu himself said is a goddamn seal, what other word can it be? What surprises me is this word being written in Chinese though. I’m really curious as from where these words came from.
While thinking, I focused my chi into the seal.
– Bzzzzztt –
The seal shone with a dark-red light, looking pretty demonic and making buzzing sounds.
Hm?
I prepared for a fight, just in case that crazy old fart replaced the sealed book with a sealed demon by mistake.
Please tell me this light comes only from the seal itself and not from what’s inside.
The light gave off an eerie aura and made me feel like something bad is coming.
– CREACK Vhowsh~ –
The seal broke like glass and from inside, golden words appeared, flying around in circles over my head and around me.
“Wow…” I was dazed by the view. It looked as if it was straight out from a game.
-Vhosh-
Suddenly, after the last word left the page, they rushed toward my forehead with a speed comparable to that of lightning.
-BZZZT!-
“Argh!”
It felt like lightning was hitting my forehead repeatedly. I could not think straight and the pain almost made me pass out. I couldn’t even raise my hands to at least block the words from rushing inside my head. After 10 seconds, which felt like 10 hours, the last word entered my head and I was finally able to react.
“Gah! Huff, huff, huff…”
I was sweating from all my pores and every part of my body was shaking.
“At least write down the consequences! You old fart!”
I was extremely irritated. Even if I knew about the pain, I would still unseal it, but at least I would have been more prepared.
After I sat down and calmed myself, different kinds of information rushed inside my head, making it hurt.
The Soul’s Energy: Soul-wave. A form of subtle energy that comes from the soul. It is the kind of energy that every living being with rationality uses from the moment they are first aware to the moment they die. It’s also the main element in every magic, martial art skill or our very essence.
Foreign thoughts appeared inside my head, making me sit down and focus on them.
The energy of our thoughts. This energy comes from the soul and can be used to control all and everything for we have access to the creations of the universe. This form of energy has close to infinite uses, from helping with magic to creating new martial skills, from modifying one’s aura to even changing the structure of the body. This form of energy is one of the most primal energies, being older than the universe itself.
Now, I will teach you the most useful way to use it for someone who wishes to become a Path Finder and teach the others about the right way of magic and martial arts.
“Oh~! Sounds promising! It was more than worth that pain from before.”
I was excited about my newfound knowledge.
”But it sounds pretty familiar. I feel like I’ve already read about this before…”
I still couldn’t think straight, so I just left the information flow inside my head then my face froze.
“The… hell…?”
The best way to use this energy as a living being is to raise your own CHARISMA!
I remained with a plain face at that very moment.
As a future teacher and someone who will have a lot of contact with the people around you, you’ll need a strong charisma and a strong aura of attraction. A loved man will always have it easy in life, gaining the trust of others just by entering a normal conversation with them. This is the strongest form in which one could use the soulwaves. I wish you a happy and an easygoing life, young one!
After that, waves of knowledge about how to raise the charisma flooded inside my head.
To raise one’s charisma, one needs to strengthen their own magnetic field.
The living beings have around them a magnetic field, which attracts the mana in the air and transforms it into chi unconsciously.
This magnetic field… the stronger it is, the more energy flows toward that respective person. Because the living is attracted to energy, they will unconsciously gather and feel better around such a person with a strong magnetic field.
To strengthen one’s magnetic field, one needs to focus on the space around themself and feel how the mana round is being absorbed through the pores.
While absorbing, use the energy gathered to strengthen the magnetic field around the body, so it could grow even stronger.
Repeat this till you feel like you’re breathing pure energy or until other people start to gather toward you, especially the ones of opposite sex.
P.S. Don’t play too much with your magnetic field. A true teacher should also take responsibility.
“…”
Even though the knowledge was right inside my head, I wasn’t able to focus properly on it; being simply way too shocked by the new information.
”This damn old fart… what has he done in his glory days?”
I felt extremely annoyed for some reason.
“AH! I remember now! It was a weird book about how the universe first appeared, written by a dude that said he can talk with white spirits or stuff like that… never expected for it to be so true and even less have I expected for someone to find such a usage.”
My temples hurt. I could imagine Shu’s younger self having his fun with women.
”That old geezer!”
In a way, I was pretty jealous but my pride won’t let me do such things.
“Sigh, anyway… Let’s see what’s up with those Energy Stones.”
I gave up about trying to understand what was Shu thinking when he placed so much importance into this usage of one of the prime energies.
I got back to my room and I observed how the room was much more spacious than the other ones. It had a huge stone table with a stone chair opposite to the bed.
He must’ve written all those books here.
I sat at the table and took out one Energy stone.
“I know that in-game it was used in so many professions that it was the best way to make money by searching for them, but mostly it was used for crafting armors and weapons or used as combustible for some weird flying ships. The way they were used was so crude it made me cry.”
The energy inside the stones was of a lower essence than mana, making it unable to be circulated through humans or beast’s meridians. However, it can be infused in metals and other materials while they are used for crafting. Of course, because hardly anyone knows about the circulatory system of metals.
The usage for Energy Stones is ridiculous, wasting around 500 more energy than if it would’ve been circulated through the metal’s circuits. That makes more than 95% of the energy to be wasted because of not knowing this simple thing. After this, some residual energies are still left in the cracks which need to be hammered out or else the cracks would widen and the weapon would disintegrate. In the end, only 1% of the full Energy Stone is actually used while the rest is completely wasted.
“Seriously… just thinking about how many crystals were wasted makes me want to hit my head against a wall or something… Anyway, what nobody truly thought about was: what if we can control this energy with something else than chi and mana? When it was first discovered, the masters of that time tried to either absorb the crude energy, which caused them to feel sick or to insert their chi inside, when a fact that only made the stone a little bit bigger.”
Of course, only a weirdo like me would think of such possibilities and theories.
What not many people considered, was to control this energy stone with the soulwave. The same energy that Old Shu was talking about. This energy is something like the mental wavelengths but they come from the soul under the form of a command, just like how I made the contract with my coat.
“As Shu wrote in that book, this form of energy has close to infinite utilities, making it the base of our very essence.”
These Energy Stones are made from an accumulation of pure power which materialized in such a form.
“How they are created, how it condensed itself like this and how they remain like in this form without dispersing is a mystery.”
I then sent some of my soul wavelengths and wrapped it around the stone with the command « Listen to me ». To be sure I could see any effects, I sent out quite the strong wave. The stone, with initially a blue color started to shine a golden hue then it became brighter and started shaking.
Ugh, something’s not right.
I felt like I’ve poked a dragon just now. The stone jumped in the air and-
-BOOM!-
The explosion was so great. Luckily for me I was with the back at the exit it threw me through both exits and I landed in the middle of the clearing in front of the cave.
