Gaia Theory

"It's none of your business," Jihan muttered, scratching his head in a gesture of discomfort. "Anyways, let's go to the cafeteria."

"Oh? You buying?" Seonil's eyes lit up with anticipation.

"Sure," Jihan replied, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"You know, this is quite unusual," Seonil remarked, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "Hm~ Weird. Something's wrong."

"Shut up," Jihan retorted playfully, tapping Seonil's head with a light gesture.

They had been good friends since kindergarten, sharing countless memories and experiences. Despite the recent revelation about the Cheon Bu Guild, their bond remained strong. Jihan knew that Seonil was the one person he could rely on in times of need.

"Ok," Seonil said, opening his snack bar with a flourish, "So you really got me some snacks! What's bothering you so much? Tell me, and I'll help you if I can."

Jihan smirked inwardly, thinking, "You'd better finish the snack soon..."

"I have some questions," Jihan began, his tone serious.

"Ok, shoot!" Seonil replied, munching on his snack.

"How can I get out of a Protected Space?" Jihan asked, his voice tinged with urgency.

"That's simple! Concentrate on the thought of wanting to get out and use... Wait." Seonil started to respond, but then his expression shifted abruptly. He grabbed Jihan by the neck with a sudden intensity, choking off his words.

"Gasp," Jihan gasped for air, panic rising within him.

"What did you do to my friend?" Seonil's voice was low and dangerous, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Jihan's mind raced as Seonil's grip tightened. "Wow, I've never seen him this serious!"

"Hey, you," Jihan managed to choke out, desperation evident in his voice. "I, I'm..."

"Your father," Jihan blurted out, poking Seonil's abdomen in a feeble attempt to break free.

Seonil's hold slackened, a puzzled expression crossing his face. "Silly talk... Now, I believe it's you, Jihan."

Jihan rubbed his throbbing neck, gasping for breath. "What the... What did you just do to me?"

"Damn... it hurts," he muttered.

"Still, I didn't know he'd care this much about me... that's nice," Jihan reflected silently, a hint of warmth blooming in his heart. "I don't like the fact he had a secret, but he must have had his reasons..."

"Let me ask. Why would you ask me something like that?" Seonil's voice was tinged with confusion. "I'm so confused. How the hell do you know about that?"

"Oh, yeah?" Jihan retorted, a sense of determination creeping into his tone. "I didn't know any of this until a few days ago. But now I know... And I also know who you are."

"What?" Seonil's eyes widened in disbelief.

"The Successor of Cheon Bu Guild. Seonil Shin. That's who you are, right?" Jihan's gaze was unwavering as he confronted his friend.

After explaining tidbits of what happened.

Seonil composed himself. "So... you see levels and got some skills?"

"Yeah," Jihan affirmed, reaching into his inventory and pulling out the bat with a flourish. "Look."

"Wow. It looks like Four-dimensional. Is it like an inventory in a Game?" Seonil's curiosity was piqued as he examined the bat.

"Yes. But I don't know why I got these weird powers. I could've died in the Protected Space!" Jihan's voice betrayed a hint of frustration.

"GOSH. How come you became..." Seonil trailed off, his expression turning somber as he covered his face with his hand. "You were Chosen."

"What?" Jihan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, urging Seonil to continue with his revelation.

"It's a long story..." Seonil began, his voice tinged with a mixture of reluctance and apprehension. "Go on."

"I'm skipping my class. This is a life or death situation!" Jihan's mind raced with urgency as he made the decision to prioritize unraveling the mysteries surrounding his newfound abilities over his academic obligations.

"Ok, I will explain as simply as I can," Seonil began, his voice steady and focused. "Do you know about the Gaia Theory?"

Jihan's brow furrowed in thought as he pointed upward, a glimmer of recognition dancing in his eyes. Gaia Theory— a term he had encountered before in his explorations of gaming lore.

Gaia Theory, It proposes that the Earth is Alive, And the Earth itself can exert its will. I know it's never been proved Scientifically. So Gaia Theory is often used in fantasy novels or games. Needless to say, It's a stupid Theory.

Seonil nodded in response to Jihan's gesture. "I knew you would know because you love games. What if the Gaia Theory is true?"

The mention of Gaia Theory sent a shiver down Jihan's spine. "Huh?"

"Listen to me," Seonil urged, his tone earnest. "There are supernatural powers. Some people say it's 'Providence,' and others say it's 'Natural Law.' It's been called the 'Principle' or 'Origin.'"

Jihan scoffed in disbelief. "You're talking nonsense."

"Let me finish," Seonil persisted. "So people have different names for it, but generally... they call it 'God.'"

"'God'? Please! Are you serious?" Jihan's incredulity was palpable as he struggled to comprehend Seonil's assertions.

Seonil shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know if there's a God or not, but... I can tell you this. Some supernatural powers really exist on this planet. For example... ghosts do exist."

Jihan was taken aback by Seonil's revelations. "People with supernatural powers exist as well," Seonil continued, his voice steady and resolute. "The most well-known power is Telekinesis, like bending a spoon just by a mere thought."

Telekinesis— the ability to move objects with one's mind. The concept was familiar to Jihan, but hearing Seonil speak of it in such a matter-of-fact manner sent a shiver down his spine.

"There are other powers too," Seonil continued, his words hanging heavy in the air. "Some people can teleport, and some can ignite fires. They're called Innate Fighters. Because they were born with special abilities."

Jihan's mind whirled with the implications of Seonil's words. "A-ha," he murmured, his surprise evident.

"Can we go back to the Gaia Theory?" Seonil asked, redirecting the conversation.

"Ok," Jihan replied, his curiosity piqued.

"We believe that Gaia gave these special abilities to Innate Fighters. It's like God chose them," Seonil explained, his voice tinged with a hint of reverence.

"Huh? God's choice?" Jihan pondered silently, the notion of divine intervention seeming both surreal and intriguing. "Gaia... In other words, the Earth gave me this ability?"

As Seonil elaborated further, Jihan's thoughts raced. "So Gaia gives different abilities to each Innate Fighter, and usually, the abilities they receive are related to what they care about the most," Seonil continued. "For example, if you were nearly drowned when you were young, you'd be able to control water."

"That's amazing," Jihan murmured, his mind buzzing with newfound understanding. Then, a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning. "Wait! That means..."

"That's right... You like playing games too much, you received powers just like in a game," Seonil interjected, his tone laced with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "How many times have I told you? You were almost addicted to games!"

As the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, Jihan's eyes widened with comprehension. "It... It can't be true!" he exclaimed, his mind reeling with the implications of Seonil's revelations.

To sum up, Gaia chooses people seemingly randomly and gives them special abilities. And whatever has affected their lives the most deeply is likely to impact their abilities. So... I became a game character because I liked games... "Is this for real?!" Jihan marveled, the enormity of his newfound understanding washing over him. "I see, I understand what happened to me now."

"So, then what's the Protected Space?" Jihan inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"It's a space for fighting," Seonil replied cryptically.

"What?" Jihan's brow furrowed in confusion.

"It's complicated. Listen to me," Seonil continued, his tone serious. "Gaia gives Innate Fighters not only their abilities but also limitations."

"Limitations?" Jihan echoed, his mind struggling to grasp the concept.

"It's called a Preventative Power. If they overuse their power and seriously impact the real world... Gaia will interfere and shut them down," Seonil explained.

"Huh?" Jihan's surprise was evident in his voice. "Preventative? Shutting down?"

"Hmm, let's say you won the lottery using your power. From that moment, you would be in big trouble. For example, you'd be struck by lightning, or you'd get into a car accident. Eventually, you'd suffer misfortune," Seonil elaborated.

"No way," Jihan exclaimed, his disbelief palpable.

"Hey, I am serious," Seonil affirmed. "The more influence you exert on the world, the more trouble you will get yourself into. It's inevitable. The Earth you are living on will punish you."

"Terrifying..." Jihan's voice trailed off, his thoughts reeling with the implications.

"I know. But you're okay unless you have a great impact on the world," Seonil reassured him. "Let's say you're selling some snacks on the street, and you use your power to sell them out."

"And... that would be fine?!" Jihan interjected, his confusion mounting.

"Yes, because you're not having a great effect on people," Seonil explained patiently. "I think you're confused about the limitations. I'll say it's okay unless people think something is weird."

"It's too vague..." Jihan mused, his frustration evident.

"You'll be fine," Seonil reassured him. "Let's go back a little bit. In Protected Space, you can use your supernatural powers without limitations. So, you can do whatever you want in Protected Space. It's the easiest place for fighters to use their powers."

"How so?" Jihan pressed for clarification.

"Because Gaia helps you to enter the Protected Space!" Seonil exclaimed, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Jihan queried, his curiosity piqued.

"Just watch and learn," Seonil replied as he stood up, his posture confident and assured.

"I can create a Protected Space?" Jihan's mind raced with excitement and disbelief. "Can anyone make a Protected Space that easily?"

"You can learn right now," Seonil replied, his voice brimming with encouragement. "Look."

Jihan watched intently as Seonil raised his hand toward the sky, a faint glow emanating from his palm. Suddenly, everything around them seemed to freeze, enveloped in an eerie silence. They were in the Protected Space.

"You can make a Protected Space by focusing on creating it and releasing the energy through your hand," Seonil explained, his gaze fixed on Jihan. "Getting out is the opposite."

"Getting out?" Jihan echoed, his curiosity piqued.

"Yes, you just focus on leaving the Protected Space. Try it," Seonil encouraged.

Jihan raised his hand, attempting to replicate Seonil's actions. However, nothing seemed to happen. Frustration crept into his voice as he turned to Seonil for guidance, "How do you release energy?"

Seonil sighed, a hint of exasperation in his tone, as he took Jihan's hand in his own. "Stretch your fingers and concentrate on releasing the energy through your hand."

"Okay," Jihan nodded, determination etched on his face.

As he focused his thoughts and energy, a soft glow enveloped his palm. Suddenly, a series of beeps caught his attention, signaling the creation of a new skill.

Beep

{~ A new SKILL is created through a specific action. ~}

Beep

{~ [MANA POWER ATTACK (Active) LV 1 EXP. 0.0%]

 A skill to attack with mana.

 It's linked to INTELLIGENCE

 and it increases Attack Power.

 Range: 10m  ~}

"Wow, a new skill!" Jihan exclaimed, momentarily distracted.

"Stay focused," Seonil reminded him sternly.

"Sorry," Jihan apologized, closing the pop-up screen. "I'll check it later."

With renewed determination, Jihan directed his concentration back to his palm. As the glow intensified, he mentally commanded the Protected Space to dissolve.

A crack appeared in the fabric of space, and the Protected Space began to crumble around them. 

As Jihan concentrated on dissolving the Protected Space, his mind suddenly registered a series of familiar beeps. 

Beep

{~ A new SKILL is created through a specific action. ~}

Beep

{~ [ESCAPE FROM INSTANT DUNGEON] is created.

 It helps you get out of the instant Dungeon,

 which is one of the 'Protected Spaces'. ~}

Beep

{~ [ESCAPE FROM INSTANT DUNGEON (Active) LV 1 EXP: 0.0%]

 A skill to get out of the Instant Dungeon. ~}

"Escape from Instant Dungeon," Jihan murmured to himself as he read the description. "It helps you get out of the instant Dungeon, which is one of the 'Protected Spaces'."