As Niata stared, Liosa produced a minute black device, no larger than her thumb. She pressed a single red button in its center, and with a soft hum, the device projected a transparent, holographic screen into the air between them, about the size of a sheet of A5 paper.
"Before the Origin Stone procedure, we had to run some tests," Liosa said, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the glowing data. Her usual booming tone was gone, replaced by something more focused. "Your physicals were... bizarre, to say the least."
Her gaze shifted from the screen to the young man standing before her, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. "The results show a significant abnormality. For the strength test, you lifted nearly nineteen tons before giving in. Nineteen."
Niata's eyes darted around the vast room, unable to meet her intense stare. He looked down, scratching the back of his neck, his palm suddenly slick with sweat. "I've... always been a little different, I guess," he mumbled, though his words were clear in the cavernous silence.
"Is that so?" Liosa slowly raised the hand holding the device, rotating the holographic screen to face Niata. "Because there's also this."
For the first time, Liosa's boisterous expression vanished, replaced by a look of stunned disbelief. The screen revealed a list of measured physical characteristics:
[Manual Measured Physical Capabilities: Niata SanchezAge: 17Measured Lifting Capability: 19.078 tons (19,078 kg) Measured Running Capability: 2,531.75 km/h (Mach 2.05)...]
The numbers swam before Niata's eyes. Mach 2.05. The world seemed to tilt on its axis. He knew he was fast—Toro had clocked him at Mach 1.6 just five months ago—but this was different. A jump like that... it didn't make sense. A wave of vertigo washed over him as he tried to process the impossible leap in power. It felt less like natural growth and more like something had fundamentally changed within him.
"I... I don't know," he said, his voice barely a whisper. He looked from the impossible figures back to Liosa, his expression one of genuine, profound confusion. "This... can't be right."
A moment of silence passed. Then, Liosa cracked a loud, echoing laugh that filled the entire chamber, shattering the tension. It was the laugh of a woman who had just been presented with a delightful, world-breaking absurdity.
"No need to be so nervous around me, kid," she said, her good humor restored. She gave his shoulder a light, comforting tap. "Your medical statements have always said you have a unique biology. Stronger, faster. This just puts a number on it."
"Yeah..." Niata managed a nervous chuckle, his mind still reeling. "It's just... the last time Toro measured me, I was at Mach 1.6. Gaining this much speed in just five months..." He trailed off, shaking his head.
"Hello? Over here," Liosa waved a hand in front of his face, recalling his attention.
"Oh, sorry," Niata jumped slightly, his eyes wide. "Just thinking." A thought was solidifying in his mind, another piece of the puzzle clicking into place. This suit... it feels like the Tyroni combat skin from the lore vids.
"I now understand why your admission was delayed," Liosa continued, oblivious to his internal discovery. "You're an exception. Even without tapping into your Essence, your strength is already in a class of its own, well beyond peak human potential." She looked him up and down, a new respect in her eyes, then let out another thunderous laugh. "I cannot believe I doubted Tiamoth's judgment... Alright, kid. With a base like this, you're going to become a powerful Guardian."
"Thank you, ma'am," Niata said, his mind still racing. He raised his right hand, looking at the strange, dark fabric covering it, and then sniffed his armpit reflexively. The suit was so efficient he couldn't even smell himself. "Uh... ma'am? I didn't get a chance to bathe this morning."
Liosa just grinned, her laughter booming once more. "Kid, after a night like you've had? Haven't we all?"
Did she not bathe either? Niata thought. Nah, she must be joking. I can't smell anything from her, not even a metallic scent from her armor. She's weird... though not as weird as Aunty.
"So... I can't go bathe?" Niata asked, tilting his head with a look of pure confusion on his face.
"No need to worry about that now," Liosa said, pocketing the holographic device. "First, I need to teach you how to utilize your Essence." She raised her left arm, cupping her hand as if holding a ball. A swirling, stone-gray sphere of energy suddenly formed in her palm, pulsing with a soft, internal light.
Niata's eyes widened, the gray light of the orb reflecting in his own gray irises. His mouth fell slightly open. "That is so cool," he let out, an unconscious, childlike shout of wonder. "An energy orb!"
"You're a smart one, aren't you?" Liosa let out a light chuckle as the energy orb dissipated into mist. "And you're right—it's an energy orb. This is the first stage of harnessing Essence from your outer-soul. It does nothing offensively or defensively."
"Really?" A note of disappointment crept into Niata's voice. "I read Liku's books on how to use Essence. I could have sworn energy orbs could be used to fight."
"You are correct," Liosa said, her expression turning serious. "Though it is incredibly dangerous for a novice." She turned and walked a few steps away from him, facing the empty space.
"WALL!"
Liosa let out a thunderous shout. Niata flinched at the sudden command. A sterile white wall erupted from the floor in front of her, growing with a silent, impossible speed. It stopped extending as abruptly as it began, and a sleek, dark screen seamlessly materialized on its surface, facing Liosa.
This building is as bizarre as it gets, Niata thought, a small chuckle escaping him as he stared into the middle distance. I read it was the most advanced infrastructure in the world, but spawning walls on command? This is interesting... but still nothing compared to the stuff Toro builds.
"Hello? Niata?!" Liosa was waving her hands in front of his face again, her brow furrowed with mild exasperation. "You should stop zoning out. It's learning time. Now, let's begin."
"Apologies," Niata said, his voice hoarse as if he had a sore throat.
The screen on the wall pulsed with a bright, bluish light, displaying several lines of text. "I know you're a smart one and you've read Liku's Essence Mastery," Liosa said, her tone losing its joking manner entirely, "but I still need to educate you as part of the process."
Essence: a metaphysical force that breaks the very laws of physics, a force that all inner-souls and outer-souls are made of. Niata read the words on the screen, but his main focus was drawn to a staggering value displayed below the definition.
"That value..." Niata asked, his voice a mix of awe and disbelief as he pointed. "Is that really accurate?"
[H2.9L — Baseline Guardian rank; approximately 10^22 to 10^28× beyond peak human limits in speed and power.]
"Yes," Liosa let out an echoing chuckle, tapping the screen directly on the value. "Terrifying, isn't it?" she said, staring at the screen. "The power to destroy worlds. We, as Guardians, are able to harness this power. We are meant to protect and help our people with it. Through it, we 'Set our souls ablaze'. Many see this as too much power for anyone to hold."
A smirk spread across Niata's face, his eyes alight with excitement. "With this power, the impossible becomes possible."
"I can't argue with that," Liosa said with a light chuckle. Her body began to glow with a stone-gray aura, a soft, harmless-looking light like dying embers. "You're not far off. This power is great. Even the lowest rank is capable of destroying worlds and..." She trailed off, swiping her finger up the screen to reveal new information.
[...Calculated Max Velocity: 2.11 x 10^17 km/s...]
Niata froze, his mind struggling to comprehend the number. I can't even explain how stupid these values are. Every time I see the ranks table... Ridiculous speed. The thought dug deep into his consciousness. It wasn't just fast; it was a number that treated the speed of light as a rounding error.
"Yeah, we can do that," Liosa said softly. She then struck an exaggerated pose, pointing dramatically at Niata. "And after this lesson, you will have the power to destroy worlds!"
"That quickly?" Niata's voice was loud with shock. I thought this required days to master, at least to understand it. I already know I'm a wind attribute type, judging from the symbol on my chest, but still... He scratched his chin, his eyebrows raised in confusion.
"Yes, that quickly," Liosa confirmed, swiping down on the screen again. "It's particularly easy to learn the basics. Increasing your physical capabilities and firing an energy beam is all you need to face the Derivatives."
She raised her arm again, forming another gray energy orb in her palm. But this time, she clenched her fist. The orb didn't dissipate; it collapsed inward, forming a point of light in her hand that glowed brighter than the aura surrounding her body. She aimed, extending her index and middle fingers.
A beam of pure energy erupted from her fingertips. It rushed past Niata with a sound like tearing air and slammed into the far wall of the dome. The explosion was violent and sudden, a blinding flash of light and a deafening roar that shook the entire room.
Niata hadn't been fast enough to see it—he only heard the violent roar from behind him as the floor vibrated from the impact. "Oh my god," he let out, a chuckle of pure excitement escaping him as the vibrations slowly subsided.
"I need to get you ready as quick as I can," Liosa said, her stone-gray aura fading as she returned to normal. "Now, it's your turn." She slowly sat down on the floor, crossing her legs and arms expectantly.
"My turn?" Niata's voice was a loud squeak of shock.
"Try imagining it," Liosa instructed calmly. "Imagine a seamless energy flowing all around your body, like a waterfall." She raised her hand, cupping it again. "Then, imagine that water flowing from around your body and into your hand." A faint, stone-gray energy orb formed in her palm, much lighter than the previous ones. "First step is to imagine the energy flowing around you. Second step is to imagine that flow gathering in your hand. Third step is to imagine that water forming a ball. Easy, right?" The orb dissipated, and she gave Niata a thumbs-up from her seated position.
"O-okay..." Niata let out a light, nervous voice, his body tense and uncomfortable. He paused for a few seconds, staring into nothing.
His mind began to spiral. I don't get it. Is any of this real? Is this me? I don't know this woman, but I followed her to this floor, accepted everything without question. She's a stranger... maybe I'm still dreaming. This seems too easy, like it's all predetermined.
He felt a chasm open up inside him. She's a real Guardian. I should believe her. But... maybe this is the dream. Maybe this is my desperate mind, hungry for knowledge and power, just making it all up. Should I just leave? Find Toro? What am I even fighting for? For my parents?
The thought hit him like a physical blow. I don't remember them. My memories are gone. I can't remember my own parents.
Niata was completely lost, his body frozen as he stared into the abyss of his own thoughts, caught in a loop of doubt he couldn't escape.
"NIATA!"
The voice startled him, waking him from his daydream. He blinked, the vast, empty room coming back into focus.
"I have been shouting your name nonstop," Liosa said. She was still on the floor, but her playful demeanor was gone. She was staring at him with a look of profound pity and sorrow. "Are you okay?"