"But first, I need to explain what identifies you as an Imperium Wielder, as it is the difference between being a basic human and something…more." Mr. Hurst said with a mysterious smile.
"Something…more? What do you mean?" Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked with hesitation.
"Hm, what indeed, some say when we begin absorbing Imperium, we take our first steps on the path toward Godhood, or Divinity, while others call it the first steps toward evolving into a higher form of our original race."
"In truth, there is no right or wrong answer; it is all about the perspective of the person you ask the question to. Personally, I never saw much reason to attempt to classify ourselves as Gods because no matter how strong we become, death will still come for us all in the end."
"To call yourself a God, or Divine Being, you are labeling yourself as everlasting and immortal, something which in my lifetime I never saw attained by a single person; the reason is simple." Mr. Hurst paused and smiled bitterly, indicating he might have tried to become a god in the past yet failed.
"There is no such thing as immortality, and although Imperium allows our bodies to do wonderous and magical things, there is a finite amount of time it can hold our souls."
"This becomes ever more apparent the more powerful we become, as there will come a time when just breathing will drain your body's ability to contain your soul."
"Regardless, that is all I am allowed to explain about this topic, and it is time for me to move on gifting you the knowledge as a Wielder you are entitled to."
"For starters, what is an Imperium Wielder? It is someone who has evolved to the point where they can absorb and store Imperium in their bodies."
"One of the first parts of your body that adapts the quickest when introduced to Imperium the first time is your brain. Going through the first baptism, which is the name of your body's first interaction with Imperium, the Cerebellum, or the part of your brain which controls things like motor learning, Balance, and fine movement coordination, radically changes and adds another focus, pooling and containing Imperium."
'Ah, like a Mana core, or what was it called in those Chinese novels I read…uh OH, Dantian, that is where Mana or Qi is stored; I guess that has been given over to the human brain, or well, the Cerebellum.' I thought upon hearing the world-shattering information from Mr. Hurst.
"The more Imperium stored in your Cerebellum, the more which can be cycled through the rest of your body, strengthening every fiber of your existence."
"There are innumerable ways to absorb Imperium; techniques or methods are a dime a dozen, some good, and some atrocious or sinister; however, there is one constant factor that is universal across all of them, and that is to get stronger, you must first absorb Imperium into your Cerebellum, as it is the initial point of contact and where the new energy is housed."
"That will change over time, though, because as you climb up the ranks, you will need to focus on strengthening specific points on your body, but it all begins with the Cerebellum." Smiling politely, Mr. Hurst finished his statement and leaned forward before tapping my head at the base of my skull, triggering a warm sensation to course through my head.
"Hm, interesting…" the old sagely man said, causing me to feel panicked instantly.
"Uh…is..everything ok, sir?" I asked with a quiver in my voice, as I didn't want to hear him say something along the lines of, you've become brain-damaged.
"Hm, oh, I apologize for worrying you, young one, there is nothing wrong with your brain, and it has already absorbed a minute amount of Imperium."
"As I was gathering information about your new Ability, which is quite rare, I might add, I was surprised; that's all; you need not be concerned."
Hearing this, I was immediately relieved before getting overly excited that I had not only evolved but also obtained a Superpower, or as Mr. Hurst called it, an Ability.
In less than a second, I envisioned myself flying around like a superhero or punching holes in mountains, hell I even imagined myself shooting energy blasts like an anime character.
Hearing that I had not only obtained an Ability, but a Rare one, I couldn't help but allow my imagination to run wild.
"Alright, I have five pieces of information; the first, I will give directly to you through mental transmission, a technique you will eventually be privy to once you reach a certain level of strength." As he spoke, Mr. Hurst reached forward, extended out the index and middle fingers on his right hand, and lightly tapped my forehead.
With his touch, a flood of new information surged into my brain, making me slightly dizzy, but apart from that, there was no other physical effect on me.
"This…is a bit basic, don't you think?" I muttered under my breath, and although I believed it was too quiet to hear, the chuckling coming from Mr. Husrt told me otherwise.
"Yes, it may be basic, as the technique is of the lowest grade, but that doesn't mean it is useless. Everyone needs a starting point, and the technique I passed onto you is still useful during the early Ranks."
"Origin Breathing Technique…can it really be as simple as breathing deeply in a specific pattern? You'd figure there would be a complex and convoluted manner to draw in Imperium, like saying a mental chant or using my imagination to envision imaginary fluid rushing into my body…." Finishing my statement, I soon realized that I had been thinking aloud and quickly apologized to Mr. Hurst.
"I am sorry; thank you for giving me a technique; I don't mean to come off as ungrateful," I said hastily.
"Don't worry, I wish I could do more, but it is out of my hands; the Will dictates that everyone has the same starting point to keep the Balance." Waving his hand dismissively, Mr. Hurst then straightened his back.
"Now that you have the Origin Breathing Technique, you can begin your journey toward great strength when you wake up. I know you are probably eager to try it out, but I need to explain a few more topics, starting with the Power Scaling everyone will be subjected to."
"And for that, I need to first pass on another technique to you," like before, Mr. Hurst reached forward and poked my forehead a second time, only this time, I got a massive headache and felt the world spin.
It took me a handful of minutes to recover, but when I did, a slew of new information had appeared in my brain, all revolving around a technique named "Scry."
"Unlike the Origin Breathing Technique, this one will become the backbone of your future, and it is only with it that you will know and understand how strong you are and how far you have until you reach the next Rank."
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