A day has passed according to the time of the cosmic technocrats. Rowan steps out of his room, intending to take a walk around the technocratic city that still remains a mystery to him. Just as he steps out, he is immediately greeted by Professor Miguel, who says, "Good morning, are you hungry?" Rowan replies calmly, "No, professor." Miguel then says, "If you want to walk outside, it's not a problem, but there may be threats because they know you're here."
At the same time, Rowan is puzzled by what Professor Miguel said, so he asks, "They? Who do you mean?" Miguel exhales with a slightly disappointed or stressed expression and answers, "They are those who have followed the wrong path. They could be considered traitors or hypocrites because they are trying to summon what 'should not be disturbed.' They are the Thal'Zek sect."
"Thal'Zek Sect?" Rowan said with furrowed brows, confused. Professor Miguel then slowly picked up a newspaper from his office desk, handed it to Rowan, and urged him to read what it had to say. As Rowan looked at the content of the newspaper, it reported an incident from several decades ago—a brutal event where the weak were massacred, sacrificed, and slaughtered like animals for the rituals of a ruthless sect known as the Zal'Thufar Sect.
Not long after, Rowan's eyes widened as he read a phrase that was both mysterious and deeply sinister in nature. It described a war between sects, where killings happened everywhere, and the land was soaked with blood as if red paint had been spilled. All of this was caused by relentless sorcery. At that time, the cosmic technocrat authorities decided to implement a containment system in a secret location, one that surpasses all possible magical powers not linked to the technological system.
One of the sects involved and recorded was Zal'Thufar. A few months after that horrific event, another branch sect emerged called Thal'Zek, which is said to be an extension of the Zal'Thufar sect formed within a few months after the incident. It was established with the intent to carry out attacks or data theft against the authorities. Several cases have already been documented in a news report, indicating that they are highly active in criminal activities within the cosmic technocrat city.
Professor Miguel uttered, "Do you understand what has happened here?" Rowan nodded his head. "But," he continued, "who are you referring to when you mention something that should not be awakened?" Professor Miguel then revealed the secret behind the sect's true purpose: the summoning of Rythmar, the Lord of Great Chaos. Miguel explained to Rowan, "Their vile actions only show the treacherous and hypocritical nature of those who have betrayed their kind. Their ultimate goal is the same—to awaken Rythmar."
"Rythmar? What is that?" Rowan asked. Professor Miguel, with a serious tone and a slightly grim expression, responded, "Rythmar, the Lord of Great Chaos, is something that rules the dark world of sorcery according to the beliefs of the Zal'Thufar sect followers. But none of this has been confirmed, as no technology here can harness magical power unless the containment is deactivated." Rowan then made another statement: "But we are not allowed to do that in any way, for reasons that remain mysterious to us," Professor Miguel said after a few moments. Rowan asked, "Who forbids it?" Professor Miguel replied, "Of course, the authorities."
Rowan remained silent, and as the professor was about to leave, Rowan made one last request, "I want to step out for a moment," with a slightly somber expression and a muted demeanor. Professor Miguel didn't respond with words; instead, he simply raised his hand, waved, and nodded. Rowan then took a step forward with his right foot toward the office door, feeling a weight gradually lift from his chest as he approached the exit. The door opened, and Rowan stepped outside. The first thing he saw was a city and towering structures of remarkable civilization, where even concept-level magical forces could be contained.
Step by step, Rowan walked through the advanced city. None of the computer technology resembled what he had seen on Earth before he embarked on the hidden fate within himself. As he walked calmly, Rowan noticed an empty field, a flat and uninhabited area. In the middle of the barren plain stood a massive boulder. The ground there resembled the soil on the moon, with a third-dimensional or normative structure, indicating that this was still within Zentarix Zetta or a variation of that world.
Rowan stared intently at the massive boulder, wanting to destroy it, but then he thought to himself, "Remember, magic doesn't work here, Rowan!" Despite this inner warning, he challenged his own thoughts and decided to try using the spear he carried to shatter the boulder. Without relying on any magic, the boulder was crushed by a single strike from Rowan's spear.
At that moment, Rowan realized that his physical strength alone was powerful enough to destroy a massive boulder. However, he still doubted whether it was truly his strength or the power of the spear that made it possible. To test this, Rowan searched for another boulder in the barren field. Not far from the first boulder, he found an even larger one. This time, relying purely on his physical strength, he struck the boulder with his bare fist.
Without expending excessive effort, cracks appeared all over the surface of the boulder, and a golden light began to emanate from within. The boulder eventually shattered, releasing a radiant golden light that illuminated the surrounding area and raised the temperature slightly. All of this happened in an instant, leaving Rowan both astonished and amazed by the unexpected display.
Soon after, Rowan was astonished by his physical strength, especially since it had occurred without any supernatural power. But how did it happen? As he analyzed the situation, he realized that when he struck the boulder, which was 239 m³ in size and weighed 1240 kg, it cracked to 4/6 of its original size. The smaller fragments remained tightly packed together for a few milliseconds, possibly even less than 1 millisecond, before dispersing.
The small fragments from the cracked boulder were propelled at a speed of 620 meters per second. The final calculation estimated that the force from Rowan's light punch reached 239 megapascals, creating an explosion with a radius of 8 to 10 meters. The surrounding temperature surged to 250 to 260 degrees Celsius within moments due to the resulting explosion. This was indeed extraordinary. Now, eager to further test his physical strength, Rowan continued to search for something more challenging. Step by step, he traversed the barren field, which now appeared steep and...
Rowan then spotted a hill, approximately 25 meters high, 67 meters wide, and 60 meters long. Taking a deep breath, he struck the hill with a single punch. The hill experienced a similar reaction as the boulder, but with a larger explosion radius, causing cracks to spread everywhere. The destruction was significant, but it occurred at a safe distance from the city to maintain stability. The hill was shattered by the explosion, producing extremely high temperatures. Despite the intense heat, Rowan's physical strength was sufficient to endure it without sustaining any burns.
Finally, Rowan decided to return to the cosmic technocrat city after thoroughly testing his physical strength, which was far greater than he had anticipated. Despite all this, Rowan sensed the presence of a force that was neither magical nor purely physical. Instead, it seemed to be a blend of physical power mixed with an understanding of magic, yet not magic itself. It was intertwined with conventional science, unconventional science, and something beyond ordinary science.