After a few minutes, the pain in Cetas' head dissipated. He let go of his hands and stood up carefully, trying to maintain his balance. Tilting his head upwards, he noticed the old-man with round glasses, "The Historian?"
Finally letting out his voice, the old man grinned in return.
"Yes, child?"
"What have you done to me?", Cetas who thought that he was speaking in his mother tongue, was perplexed by a sudden gust of thoughts that weren't familiar to him.
In his mind, the concept of Heliosian language seems natural but he wasn't used to it just yet.
"I gave you a tap in the head?", the old man slowly spoke as if mocking Cetas.
"A tap-"
"Do not mind the small details. What matters now is that you are awake and are fully conscious of your language. You've probably noticed by now that you can fully comprehend a surface-dweller's words. This language is what we call Heliosian - the common language spoken by many in the continent of Helios. Not only that, but this language is universally used in various continents and countries. Typically, Verdigian, and Sylis are the only ones that don't adopt the Heliosian language."
Cetas stared at the old man with a puzzled expression. All of the information imparted to him was confusing to absorb, especially with his exposure to the entire arsenal of the Jeliosian language. At some point, his head started spinning but after a few seconds he felt a chilling rejuvenation.
Before he could even talk, the old man opened his lips, "Come, sit down. I shall explain to you the general information about the surface."
Suddenly, Cetas' vision changed. Before, he was standing in front of an antique door but now.. he was sitting beside the Historian at a long-wooden table.
"There, more comfortable..", the old man stretched his muscles and relaxed. Then, in a casual manner, he rested his chin upon his hand and spoke somberly, "Hmm.. Let's see. Whereupon should I start?"
"It should be easier to give you a tap on the forehead but I think I should give you this information personally. Alright."
The Historian leaned back on his chair.
"You are probably aware of the mysterious energy surrounding every cell and atom of the world. You've seen Jones, Skadi, and the other crew members use peculiar powers right?
Cetas nodded in response, "Yes.."
"Good, that should make it easier for you to comprehend then. Simply put, everything and everywhere is made up of an energy called Zeal - a concept that encapsulates life, soul, and death."
"Zeal is the unique composition that makes us walk, wake up in the morning, eat, produce bodily fluids, and much much more. An example could be right now, I am talking and you are listening. That is Zeal."
"Every individual in the world possesses an energy of Zeal, although faint. Normal human beings- or rather.. Humanoid creatures have an internalized Zeal within them, not noticing the incorporeal energy that is their main driving force. From emotions, to thoughts, to neurons, and even down to the smallest of atoms, all of it comes from what we call Zeal. See this table right here?," The Historian tapped the wooden table with his pointer finger, "You may not see it, but it has Zeal even though it is small. Once you've reached an expertise on the level of mine, you can sense faint traces of Zeal everywhere."
"In the context of us, though, our individuality has the opportunity to harness Zeal. People that do so are called as Zealots."
"I, Skadi, Jones, Galkan, Reid, Elishia, and a few others are Zealots already as you may have noticed.
Cetas nodded. That explains the mysterious energy that they emanated. Will I be able to harness Zeal in the future? And to what extent? Will I be able to utilize Zeal like Skadi?
"However, it is not only us that can harness the energy of Zeal. As you have already encountered, Dreadspawns are errors that surpass the limits of Zeal. Creatures born from Dread - a being far above our normal comprehension - and individuals that have been taken over by Zeal itself are examples of this. That creature that you've sensed, what was the name of it again?", The Historian scratched his silver beard, "Right! Poseidon.. that is a being born from Dread."
"Now you may be wondering, how does a normal human harness Zeal and become a Zealot?"
Cetas nodded with a blank expression.
The Historian smiled and clasped his fingers, "Truth is.. you can't. A normal human, err- humanoid creature cannot harness Zeal and control it. It is just impossible."
Cetas was taken aback, he was getting prepared to absorb information related to this as it was interesting!
Suddenly, the old man laughed warmly, enveloping the whole room with his voice. After 6 seconds, he rubbed his right eye and reassured the boy.
"Worry not, child! Don't misunderstand my words, I am saying that it is impossible for a normal humanoid creature to harness Zeal, but it is not impossible to unlock it! Remember? Every individual has a hue of Zeal inside of them! Therefore, you must learn how to reach inside of you and access the very Zeal already existing inside of you."
That's reassuring. Cetas breathed a sigh of relief.
The old man continued:
"In the world of Zeal, you will be determined by three starting origins. Physique Zeal - focusing on augmenting the Zeal inside the body, Elemental Zeal - harnessing the Zeal outside the body, and controlling elements such as wind and earth. Lastly, Metaphysical Zeal - utilizing the Zeal on an incorporeal level and absorbing the very essence of Zeal itself."
"Among the crewmembers, Skadi is a master of elemental Zeal as you've already figured. She is a master of wind and storm, focusing on swift strikes and deadly lightning. Contrary to her, Galkan, the bulky red-haired man, is unique to Physique Zeal. He can topple boulders and exert the strength on his body. Lastly, Reid, the white-haired man, although young, has already shown great potential for the Metaphysical aspect of Zeal. His unique prowess can let him directly reap the Soul of enemies, as long as it is below his level."
"Now you may ask, what are the levels of Zeal and how do we determine them? Simply put, there are 8 known levels of Zeal which belong to 4 specific Stratas. In order, the levels are: (1) Spark, (2) Seeker (3) Bringer, (4) Spire, (5) Sage, (6) Paragon. (7) Empyrean, (8) God-King. As for the Stratas: (1) Unblemished, (2) Acumen, (3) Pathfinder, (4) Exalted."
"Respectively, they listed from lowest to highest. Regarding Stratas, though, the levels of Zeal can be categorized into particular groups or Stratas. Under the Unblemished Strata, the Zeal Level spark is classified. For the Acumen, it is divided into three rankings; an Acumen of the low-level, mid-level, and high-level. In order, Seeker, Bringer, and Spire belong to this strata, reflecting the rankings. Skadi, as of right now, is a high-leveled Acumen. Ahem."
The Historian's mouth dried up so he cleared his throat efficiently. Then, he continued:
"Pathfinder is also divided but in contrast to Acumen, it can be designated to two levels: low-level and high-level. The former, is under the Sage Zeal Level, and the latter, is a Paragon. In theory, a mid-level Pathfinder can be described but that would have to be determined by the individual's Flourish. I'll get to Flourishes later.", the old man brushed his hands off and spoke once more:
"Lastly, Exalted exists in a much higher comprehension than the aforementioned. It is in this Strata that one undergoes qualitative change and their understanding of the world shifts. There are no rankings in the Strata of Exalted, only their rate of mastery. As such, an Empyrean is detailed to be an entrant in terms of their mastery of the Zeal. Of course, there are specific requirements for one to become an Empyrean, such as the existence of concepts. I shall also delve into that later. As for the Zeal Level, God-King, they have gained mastered control of a concept, and have reached the peak of humanity, ascending near to that of a status of a 'God'.."
He emphasized the word "God" as if it is addressed with proper nuance.
It was heavy to understand but Cetas ultimately focused his mind and listened carefully, thinking that this information would be useful in the future. Since he wanted to become a Zealot, Cetas would need to comprehend the terms fully.
In a calm but shrill voice, Cetas proposed and inquiry, "How does one ascend the levels or strata?"
The Historian glared at him and jeered, "I was getting to that, disrespectful child!"
Cetas immediately shut his mouth and any intentions to speak.
"Anyhow, for one to ascend, you must first learn about the concept of Flourish. For us Zealots who are climbing above the levels, Flourish is akin to that of a sub-level. For example, once you've unlocked your Zeal and became a Spark. You would realize that your internal Zeal has a total of 3 Flourishes, that's right, 3.."
He added:
"Why 3? That, I do not know. It is the standard, or the usualness of Zeal that even the holder of Information cannot fathom. To continue, once you've reached a Flourish in your level, you would gain the opportunity to subvert your Zeal onto one of three Origin Zeal's that I've mentioned. At first, once you have become a Spark, you will start with a single Flourish, choosing an Origin to divert your Zeal onto. Just like I said, it is akin to that of a sub-level where one would take note of the different Flourishes in their body to form a complex system of power of their own. Thus, making every individual, every Zealot, unique."
Then, Cetas contemplated, raising his dark-blue eyebrows, gesturing to ask the question of how.
"It is simple! Flourish will arrive naturally, when you have unlocked your Zeal, you will know. Some describe it as a feeling of passion, some may say that it is cold, and some may notice particular changes in their body. It differs from one person to another, child."
So, every Zealot in the world has a different and unique Zeal that they can utilize? The possibilities of the concept, Flourish, seems to be endless too! Cetas thought.
"Another thing, choosing an origin separately can prove effective, however! As a Spark, you must not, absolutely not, focus on anything other than your first Origin Zeal. If you chose Physique then you must Flourish your Zeal onto Physique until you've ascended to a Seeker."
Baffled, Cetas tilted his head to the side. Acknowledging this simple body gesture, the Historian answered his potential question.
"Because you will simply lose control on the spot. The moment you've deviated from your original path, you will succumb to Dread and turn into His spawns."