Hey everyone, it's time for another chapter.
I hope you enjoy it, these last 3 chapters took quite the effort to make...
If you have any ideas or suggestions, I'll make sure to read them!
Adios, and I hope you enjoy today's chapter
.
.
.
-------------------
"Before we proceed to what an Enlightenment is, let's talk about your own body for a moment, since I think that deserves some attention."
"My body? Is there something wrong with it?" Dale asked with a frown
"No, your body is fine... For the most part. But it definitely needs some light as you definitely don't understand most of what's happening with it."
"..."
'You talk as if I'm sick...'
"First things first… I think it's clear to the both of us that you've attained Body Reformation, right?"
Dale nodded, but he still asked:
"What is Body Reformation in the first place?"
David frowned.
"... I'm growing more concerned about your mental condition Dale…"
"Just answer me…"
"I mean, how could you achieve something so… Particular and yet don't know anything about it?"
Dale shrugged.
"Life."
"..."
David became silent, before letting out a sigh and saying:
"Body reformation isn't so different in nature as to what the Heart Gate is, however, it differs from it as it's considered a more preliminary step in the path of a Warrior as compared to the latter."
"Body reformation is the term given when a certain percentage of your body goes beyond its previous state... Like when you temper a sword to make it harder."
"It's normally achieved by Warriors who trained their entire lives and received good resources that accumulated over the scope of a decade or two, and eventually, their bodies became something else, their skin tougher, their bones harder, their senses sharper."
"There are many degrees of Body reformation, from a weak transformation to an extreme transformation, your case is clearly an Extreme transformation as your Physical capabilities far surpass those of a 19-year-old boy, even when you barely knew how to handle Mana."
"Hm..."
Dale became pensive.
'If we take his explanation word for word, then what happened to me was exactly that.'
'I trained for a year until my body stopped growing entirely, and it was only when I absorbed the Aspect of Might that my body changed.'
'My body then changed again after the event in the Church yesterday after the Blessing of Mana left my body.'
"Dale, Your physical body on itself was stronger than some wild beasts…"
"Let me give you an example... Your digestive system perfectly managed to consume and process an Iron Apple… Clear indicators of a strengthened body."
"..."
'What would've happened to me if my body wasn't changed?...'
"With that in mind, it can be seen why Body reformation comes first and prior to opening the Heart Gate."
"With a stronger body comes lesser risks of something going wrong in the process, with a stronger body your Vessel increases and with it, your total Mana Capacity becomes larger."
"Since the Heart Gate can only be opened once, it's better if you have more space, right?"
"If you put it that way... Yes." Dale replied
"Well… The problem is, that in your case, your Vessel was so massive, the amount of Mana in your body was so considerable, that even your body was unable of handling the pressure of your own Mana… Don't you think it's funny?"
"I don't." He replied with a poker face
"In any case, this is rather common, as Having more Mana than what your body can handle is actually a sign of Talent rather than a weakness, as fixing something like a weak body is much easier than increasing your Vessel's size…"
"Of course, most die in this process, even if they're talented, it means nothing if you're dead."
"..."
"Those that survive through will see themselves with massive Vessels that contain more Mana than they could ever use."
"Such is your case… And if it wasn't for me and several other factors, your heart would've blown into bits due to your own actions… A classic case of eating more than you can chew."
Dale remained silent, thinking…
"Thankfully I'm alive…"
'And stronger than before... At least when I start learning how to control this energy within me.'
David rolled his eyes and continued:
"What do you think enlightenment is?" David asked profoundly
"Enlightenment?... That's a vast question, people can get enlightened about many things in a variety of ways and intensities…"
"Precisely, enlightenment isn't something that can merely be put into words just like that, but his transformation can be explained." David said with a smile
"Most believe that enlightenment is merely Mental, however, that is far from right."
"Sometimes, emotions, sensations, and even a cramp in the leg, all of it can cause enlightenment if given the right circumstances."
"Sometimes you don't even realize you achieved it..."
"Reaching enlightenment often taps into the Mystical, and hence, cannot be explained in simple terms and words."
"But if we ignore that portion, Enlightenment is a state of conscience reached through outside stimuli... You got that?"
"The gist of it yeah." Dale replied with a nod
"But what happens when you enter that state?" He asked
"Hm... That is dependent on the person…"
"Enlightenment cannot be explained as simply figuring something out, like suddenly connecting the dots of something and realizing what was missing or wrong."
"If it was that simple, then many would reach it instead of despairing."
"That's when the Mystical aspect comes in… Enlightenment is when your Mind tunes in with your body, an idea, the environment, or something… Anything…"
"It can be your will to walk, a word, a smell… It's the stimuli I mentioned before."
"When your mind achieves this strange state, that is when an Enlightenment happens."
"However, before we take into account why his body changed, we need to figure out what type of enlightenment he had, as that can also be interpreted in many ways."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"It's because when we deal with an Enlightenment, something that can be very personal, it becomes hard to properly pinpoint what was the cause."
"Testros himself lived for a promise, and trained his entire life for it, to a point it doesn't even make sense… How can you dedicate your entire life to something that was as good as gone before you became 20?... For over 80 years?"
"He trained every day in the ways taught to him when he was young, and finally, he came in contact with the missing piece, the very techniques all of his training was building up towards."
"When that happened, the influx of ideas overwhelmed his brain, the hidden truths, and the relief made him enter a new state… Or so is my interpretation."
"The change of his body happened because the Mind and the Body are deeply connected, and Testros himself seemed to have reached enlightenment regarding… Everything in his life to be honest."
"Because this was what his entire life was about, his routine. To wake up and train from morning to dawn…"
"As such, we could even say he was trapped due to his own actions. Trapped in a never-ending cycle whose only end was his death to old age."
"There was no escape, even if he sharpened his understanding of combat, his body was only getting older, even if he tried to venture out, his connections to the people in the Village prevented him from risking his life and leaving them behind…"
"And when did all of this change? It was when you came in…"
"Me? What do I have to do with all of this?"
"A young person filled with possibilities and dreams, perhaps he saw himself in you, or perhaps it was a desire to pass the torch onto someone else."
"I don't think I'm like that though..."
"That doesn't matter Dale, what you believe yourself to be is probably not what everyone else sees you as."
"The Old man's change started all the way when you recovered me and that massive sword down on the first floor of this Inn…"
"I'm sure that the shock of seeing a Legendary Item only described in legends was extremely high for him, even if he didn't show it very much in his expressions."
"Then it was the training, the invasion of the Bandits, and now, he finally learned what happened to his companions and recovered their Legacy…"
"Suddenly in the scope of a few days everything he ever desired came to him, can you even imagine the satisfaction he felt? For everything, he fought for to have been accomplished after 80 years?"
"It wouldn't have been surprising if the next day we woke up to see him dead, passing away in his sleep peacefully…"
"Don't say such ominous things..."
"His purpose, his way, his future, his past, and the techniques and code he lived for, he finally had it in his hands…"
"But something changed him, or perhaps, reawakened who he truly was… You."
"Reaching Enlightenment rejuvenates the Mind and considering how massive of an Impact these past events were to him, his change is expected."
"Enlightenment is not always guaranteed to change something, nor is it guaranteed to have an effect, it's just that in his case, he became younger, perhaps as a way of his body to keep up with his now rejuvenated Mind."
Dale massaged his temples as he contemplated all of this silently…
"If that is the case, is it possible to live forever with constant enlightenment?"
David cringed as he heard those words...
He had to stop for a while to relax and think, such was the absurdity of what Dale had asked him.
"I would normally frown and even call you stupid for saying that, but since it's you we're talking about I won't say anything…" David said mockingly
"Sorry for being stupid then…" Dale said as he rolled his eyes
'Guess it's not possible...'
"Think Dale, if you were capable of consistently reaching Enlightenment, and solely through that, you managed to prolong your life, then mid-way through that, what do you think would happen?"
"They would become super strong? Or understand some sort of principle?"
David shook his head.
"Both and not at the same time... Someone that reached dozens of enlightenments… Such a person would eventually just Ascend on their own."
"Ascend?" Dale asked with a frown
"What ascend means varies from culture and religion, but it's simply reaching a Higher state of being, someone who can do that… Would quickly become something Inhuman in no time…"
"But in any case, we're strafing down from our conversation a little, let's go back to the Old man's transformation."
"Since he has now become enlightened, you should also expect some changes in regards to his temperament and even personality."
"But for now, that's all. Is there any other question?"
Dale, got up from his bed to stretch a little.
"I don't have any more questions, but that doesn't mean I won't have one..."
He took the copied book from his inventory and said:
"Let me read this first and we'll talk more later..."
'I want to see what each of these Classes are about...'
Dale sat down on a chair near his bed and started reading, while David closed his eyes, most likely to rest.
It had been a rough day for both of them...
...
.
.
.
Notes