22 First Lesson

A disciple was like a child the master never expected to have… regardless of their age.

Simon took Shane in that time because he wanted a successor, but the rest after that were different.

For some, he was inspired by their heroic traits.

For others, he was thankful towards them.

Adam was different in regards to the fact that he'd truly took him in out of interest for his character.

Somehow feeling a kinship towards the man.

"Ummm… Where are we going?" His Landlord asked while he was being dragged somewhere.

"Wait here." After stopping outside his room, he got the young man to shut up and halt right there.

After entering the bedroom, he got out a suitcase that was recently sent to him by his first disciple.

Along with a letter saying that he'd found Judetta.

In the suitcase was a large packet filled with unopened cigars. They were freshly made by her.

From what he wrote, they were failed medicine type Mystic Tools meant for improving strength.

The compound she'd brought with her had been repurposed into something he could start using.

Simon took one cigar from a packet and smelt it deeply, then recognised the ingredients used for it.

'A high concentration of Beast Stones, a complex formula of Spirit Stones, and… the… the Dark Steel Limit Ascension Compound?' He was inwardly surprised the woman knew how to make the latter.

The drunkard remembered this to be an ancient medicine used in the Earthland Domain to create Beastkin. At least, the side-effects included toxic residue that turned one's children into them.

He knew this 'poison' wasn't meant to hurt him.

The old geezer knew that 'Limit Ascension Compound' only harmed those who could contain Mana or Qi in their bodies. Since he had none of them, he didn't have to worry about this instance.

Toxins and curses couldn't affect his physique…

Next to that was a drinking can. One that came with a label and a list of side-effects it caused.

Even having a note next to it saying:

{Make sure you don't drink too much at once.}

Reading this made the geezer smile awkwardly. It wasn't a gift he'd expected to get from Shane.

After all, creating this precious Mystic Tool required liquefying a Major Moon of his inner Night Inside.

Doing so was a technically difficult task.

That's why he knew his disciple only had a few of these on his person. Since making them was hard.

The slick samurai decided to called them Minor and 'Major Moonslice Limit Ascension Elixirs'…

…but Simon knew what they were REALLY called.

'Thanks for the Red Bull.' The geezer toasted into the air and returned the silver can back to the box.

He could imagine how Shane would react to that.

Regardless, these Mystic Tools were only a side note to what he'd requested for from his disciple.

From a Bag of Holding within it, the drunkard pulled out a white door surrounded by mystical energy.

It was a mysterious power hard for any to sense.

When he walked out of the room with the door hanging by his waist, it cause eyebrows to raise.

The Magician had come back at that point.

"What's that?" Sebastian exclaimed, but the old geezer didn't speak. Dismissively waving at him:

"Why are you here?"

"…Shane asked me to explain something to Adam."

"Then explain it away." Simon didn't interrupt him.

He silently watched the duo talking to each other.

With the door in hand… He thought about what he was hearing. Through hearing the details, he gained a deeper insight onto the personality of Adam Graham. Even understanding his 'familiarity'.

The young and inexperienced Landlord of his was like himself in the past- Well, in terms of feelings.

He was nowhere near as intelligent as his teenage self, but he had that 'emptiness' defining them.

The feeling of boredom that desired adventure.

To experience new and positive emotions…

They were both hypocrites that rejected the misfortunes of life, only wanting the joyful events.

However, that kind of mindset was the most dangerous of all. It was too lacking in introspection.

People like this were bound to become like him…

After steeling himself for what was going to happen next, Simon set the door on a wall a little abruptly.

A suction force clamped the wooden frame onto it.

And when he 'opened' the door after it was fitted on, the other side revealed a black void-like space.

"Get inside." He called out to Adam.

"…Wait, where does that lead?"

"Do I have to explain every little thing?" The old fart was inwardly picky about his disciple's manners.

And he was even going this far to teach him…

It was only because the young man was like a son to him that he was going this far to educate him.

Anyone else could go fall in a ditch for all he cared.

"Me too?" Sebas pointed at himself.

"Yeah. Just don't interrupt me." The old drunkard waved it off while drinking another sip of booze.

They all felt a strange severance from reality while going through. As if they were split from time…

"Why can't I bring up my Status…?!" Adam was confused and scared. As if he lost something.

A crucial part of his existence…

"Don't whine. This space is cut off from the outside world in more ways than one. A premium; unique Mystic Tool that required the Royal Family of Pandorica to create." The master finally clarified.

This made the eyes of both of them widen.

"So time flows faster here?"

"Pretty much. Now… it's time I get serious in training you. Tell me, what's the origin of power?"

These words were spoke to both Sebastian and Adam at the same time. He awaited an answer.

"Mana?" *Slap!* The Magician's shoulder was slapped for giving such an uncreative response.

"Ow! What-"

"It's life, you dunce!"

At first, Sebas looked ready to argue and give some retorts… but then gradually gained insight.

He looked like he was enlightened…

"What's he talking about?" Of course, that didn't mean Adam would be on the same page as them.

The Magician did his best to explain briefly.

What the common point between Qi and Mana (other than both being classed as a form of 'Internal Energy') was the 'Refinement' process to create power. They both required 'Life Energy'.

Whether it be the Life Energy of the world, or the power cultivated with one's own Life Force.

Qi was essentially 'Refined Inner Life Force', and Mana was essentially 'Refined Outer Life Energy'.

This distinction is what varied their effects.

From what he explained, Sebas also started to understand why Gaia's magic system was so…

…'predictable'.

While Earthlings used Life Energy in creative ways to create something out of nothing, Gaia Humans had their abundance of Life Force personally refined by the planet itself. One at a time.

Their life was decided that way from birth.

It gave birth to the question of what would happen if Gaia DIDN'T interfere with the people here.

What would society have become then?

Most likely, it would've been a galactic bloodbath.

Just like the 'Alaya Humans' of Pandorica, who already misused their powers despite having innate goals in life, the celestial beings born without Gaia's intervention might have ruined this world.

Turning it into a place far worse than Hell itself.

Though that wasn't a topic of focus right now. It was far more interesting to know Simon's intent.

Why bring up the topic of 'Life Force'?

"Surely, you're not going to teach him how to manipulate Life Force directly." Sebas joked…

…but his eyes held some serious doubts.

He'd already seen how this drunkard was able to manipulate life when sober. It was a likely outcome.

However, Simon's response didn't affirm that:

"Heck no! Why would I do that?" Sebastian's mouth hung open at this expressionless response.

Especially from how dumb the geezer made it out to be. His eyes looking down on him annoyingly.

Like teaching Adam that was a moronic endeavour.

"But… he's immortal… and you know how to do that." To these logical words, Simon just spat back:

"He has infinite lifespan; not infinite Life Force."

"Aren't those the same?"

"Think of Life Force like a candle. The more durable the wax, the longer the life. The brighter the fire, the stronger your potential. Gaia Humans practically have torches compared to Earthlings."

"Then…"

"Yeah, his immortality is only a durable candle, but if he misuses or overtaxes his Life Force, not even immortality can save him." This made Sebastian shut up, but also increased his questions further.

If using Life Force was so dangerous, why did Simon see no reason to stop using that power?

And what was the point of bringing it up?

"Then answer me something." Sebas frowned at the old drunkard's attitude and glanced at Adam.

"…What?" The geezer expected nonsense. He likely already predicted a retort, but not what he heard:

"Why can't you use anything?"

"Huh?"

"Don't pretend you don't know. Even 'I' can still use Mana, so why aren't you training in anything?"

"I can't…" Simon crossed the suitcase and alcohol bottle behind his back with a look of tranquility.

The mood started to change…

Although he seemed calm on the surface, Simon started turned around to show a malicious gaze.

As if he'd hit on a sore spot…

"You know my body best. How it's constantly on the verge of falling apart. Did you not realise why?"

"That's…" The Magician's annoyance died down. It looked like his feet had been glued to the ground.

He'd realised his question was too thoughtless.

If Simon could cultivate power, wouldn't he?

The old drunkard rolled up his sleeves and dropped the booze in the other hand. It widened their eyes.

The grey-haired geezer hadn't let go of his bottles ever since he came here. They were like his babies.

But now, he let it spill out so easily.

He looked at the different Mystic Tools his most special disciple gifted him and picked out a can.

It didn't look all that special. The silver canister just looked like something made for carbonated drinks.

Simon carefully picked it up while glancing at Adam. The words of that letter arose in his head.

"You know… my cute disciple was injured last night as well." He brought up with a certain air about him.

"…That guy who I met before?" Adam looked at him surprised, unable to see the change behind him.

Sebas was becoming nervous…

Even taking out his wand.

"Yeah… He told me to be extra careful. There's someone who can use an 'immortal killing' slash in a certain family." The Landlord became even more shocked, but this reaction disappointed the man.

It was because there was no fear in his eyes.

"Why aren't you scared?"

"Scared? Why? Oh! You mean about someone trying to kill me again. No worries. Nothing bad should happen now. I got the Royal Family on my side." He puffed out his chest with a proud look.

He didn't notice how Sebastian was reacting to Simon's expressionless face. The one that sighed:

"You're such a normal person."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"My old friend used to be 'normal' like you." His eyes were becoming clearer when in reminisce.

"…Did something happen to him?"

"…Nothing happened."

"Then why do you sound so scary right now?"

"I just remembered how it took a lot before that friend of mine changed. More tragedies than you could imagine. He- No… 'We' became hollow to the point of losing our wills and original personalities."

"…What are you planning?" Even someone dense as wood could tell something was up at this point.

The drunkard showed the drinking can he held.

"Don't look so guarded. This is basically a liquified Enhancement Spell. I can't train you otherwise."

"And those cigarettes too?"

"Same. They're just magic physical enhancers." He opened the drinking can and let the fizz sound out.

But before actually consuming the 'Red Bull', he gaze it to Sebas to hold while he lit up a cigarette.

A normal lighter was used to ignite the end of the Mystic Tool. The effect was activated instantly.

When Simon rolled up his sleeve to see the result of the enhancement, Adam sucked in cold air.

He couldn't believe his eyes…

Each exposed arm of the old geezer looked like a forest of scars. Cuts, burns, stabs, punctures…

It had literally everything!

Though none of those hideous wounds could hide the muscular yet lean structure of those arms.

From a certain perspective, one could even call them malnourished despite how they appeared.

While he was smoking the cig, meridian points started started to darken all over his entire body.

His face also included…

The scene was like black dots grew on his skin.

"Before you uselessly ask, this is just me filling out the 'holes' in my body that leak out my energy."

"How long can it be maintained for?" Sebastian asked while Adam watched his arm in a daze.

"About as long as I'm smoking this."

"Doesn't doing that weaken the enhancement?"

"It does, but it also gives me room for another."

"You must be thinking of smoking two cigarettes."

"Two? …Nah! It sounds way too stupid."

"Sorry for having bad ideas." Sebastian felt hurt by that. It's like the damn bastard had it out for him.

"Don't I already have this?"

"Hmmm… That soda-like physical enhancer…" Just as he was thinking this, Simon chugged it all down.

But not before saying:

"Don't worry. There's just some small side-effects from excessive drinking… like hostility and insanity."

"What?!" "WAIT!!!" Both of them tried to stop him right then, but it was too late for any intervention.

After getting his body parts realigned to the point his life support required less power to work, the second enhancement overlaid onto the first was like an erupting fire. A transformation took place.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The outburst of maniacal laughter frightened the duo witless.

Their eyes wide at the hostile figure emerging…

"If you won't have no sense of urgency, I'll just give you a reason to feel it." Simon talked to them.

A demonic figure exiting the storm of energy. The creature only had one statement for its student:

"You're first lesson is: Survive."