Infinite Realm: Monsters & Legends - Chapter 378: Zach

Chapter 378: Zach

Responsibility

“There are many different ways of learning,” Zach paused. “I am told, at least. Some practice their craft to perfection, making their bodies instruments through which they can channel their knowledge. Other work on mastering their powers, the ways that they can use their abilities, their techniques, or their perks, to a devastating effect. Others still focus on the experience of life, pushing in order to gain better perks.”

Hiro looked up at him with great concentration on his face. The young man eager to learn, more than eager really. He had spent years training, practicing with the Wardens, people far more adept at teaching than Zach was. At least more adept at teaching the things that Hiro needed to know and that Zach did not know how to teach. Hiro had… done good, despite Zach’s assumption to the contrary. He didn’t think that the boy would endure. Just another thing that Zach was wrong about.

Hiro probably knew this already. Okim and the others had trained him well, taught him how to fight, how to use his abilities, perks, and skills. The minotaur had told him that Hiro had a bright future ahead of him, that he was good enough to go all the way. Yet the boy had wanted more.

“I cannot teach you any of these things,” Zach said slowly, raising his sword up and looking at it, feeling the sentiment of approval from the soul inside. Ra’vallim had taught Zach much, but they were both very aware of their limits. “I am a good swordsman, not the best, but I can handle a blade. I practice a style that is ever changing, so much so that it can scantly be called a style at all. A true master would see right through me if we met blades.”

Zach turned his eyes back at Hiro, sitting before him in the small grove. “What I can teach, is the mastery of Essence. Do you know what that is?”

Hiro, to his credit, didn’t respond immediately. “Mastery of Essence is being able to utilize the Essence type of your powers to their full extent.”

Zach chuckled. It was an answer that he had expected. He had been taught by the wardens, and they while good at what they did, favored tangible power over anything else. Zach did not begrudge them that, they didn’t have the advantages that some of them had.

“No,” Zach shook his head. “Utilization of Essence can be achieved without its mastery. What I am talking about is a step beyond, a full understanding of Essence as the force of our world. Tell me, what is Essence?”

Hiro blinked. “Essences are elements that give quality to a person’s power,” he said uncertainly.

“Did the other wardens teach you that?” Zach asked.

“We did not spend much time on it,” Hiro said.

“And what did Naha say?”

“She… uh, she doesn’t teach with words, she is more practical in her instructions,” Hiro answered.

Zach nodded, of course she was.

“Everything is Essence,” Zach said. “And when I say everything, I mean that in the truest sense of the word everything. The world we live in is Essence, we are Essence, our power is Essence, our thoughts are Essence.”

Hiro nodded hesitantly, and Zach continued.

“Now, Essences are divided into Aspects. And an Aspect can be either a combination of several Essences, or a singular one. They are divided into several categories: Elemental, the one you are probably the most familiar with and which you assumed was all there is. Concepts, the Aspects that encompass ideas, and Laws, which are immutable. Some are a combination of several, others are strange and difficult to categorize, which is why I would not even try,” Zach lectured. “To master an Essence, or an Aspect, is to understand it in its entirety.”

Zach started explaining all that he knew about Aspects and how they worked, what they meant for a person and their power. He could tell that Hiro wasn’t quite sure about what Zach was talking about, and that was fine. They had some time to go slowly. For the Aspect Mastery part at least. It wasn’t like he would master his Aspects tomorrow; it was a task that would last him years, lifetimes perhaps.

“What is your Class now? What Evolution are you on?” Asked after he finished his lesson.

“Legacy Shadow Blade, fourth tier, master,” Hiro answered.

Zach nodded; he had known that he had to have reached it for him to come to him. It was what they had decided on. Naha had taught him how to survive, how to hide in the shadows. The Warden’s had taught him how to fight with all manner of bladed weapons. Now it was Zach’s turn. Hiro didn’t know what they were preparing him for, what kind of Class they intended for him, and neither did the Wardens, though Zach believed that Bera suspected. Survival, Shadow, Blade, three Aspects, a mix of concepts and elements. Though, Hiro himself probably didn’t realize it yet. Now it was Zach’s turn to add one to Hiro’s repertoire, the one that he would practice and learn over his next Evolution. Zach had spent a lot of time thinking about it. He had truly mastered three Aspects so far: Time, Mind, and Ethereal, do not all to the same degree. It was, as he very well knew, a steep curve to reach the top. Still, he was proficient in others, enough that he could teach Hiro enough to flavor his next Evolution. Space, Soul, Wind, all were great choices.

Hiro’s path had been decided by Zach and Naha a long time ago, based on what Hiro himself wanted and who he was. A survivor, someone who should be able to adapt and come out of any situation. They’ve tailored his education for it from the start. First survival, then shadows to reinforce it, let him hide, then blades to teach him how to fight, and now… What now?

Zach hadn’t really made his final decision, yet. Each of the three that he could teach him was unique, and would add a lot to Hiro, but it wasn’t all about power. It was about what fit him as a person, and what would allow him to reach higher.

Zach looked at the boy and tried to make a decision. Time was… difficult to grasp, especially when you were young, when you still didn’t feel the weight of it. Mind was… easier, it required discipline that the boy had demonstrated. Ten years of training, listening to others and not questioning why they taught him what they did. The Ethereal… it was a good addition to any set of powers, in Zach’s opinion. It opened up a lot of opportunities and avenues of maneuverability.

He was curious if Hiro at least had any idea what they were preparing him for. “Tell me boy, do you know what path we are guiding you down? What do you think about it so far?”

Hiro blinked, then looked away. “You want me to be like master Nahamassa, to be able to hide in the shadows and strike unseen. Except that you want me to get there through Class.”

The way that the boy said hide told Zach a lot about the way that he thought about himself. He was half right though. They had decided that Hiro’s path would be Class. He had come a long way, but he was not made for skills. He had enough willpower that he could make use of them, but he lacked the self-belief and the drive that would let him push them beyond what was imaginable. Despite so many years passing, Hiro still believed himself to be the boy who hid and survived while others died. Perhaps in the future he would be able to put that behind him, but for now… it impacted his view on the world and his belief in himself, and that was the most important thing for skills.

That meant Class, with Cultivation for his second. Hiro or the wardens didn’t know about that, of course, only Zach and Naha. It was a hard decision, but they cared enough for the boy that they wanted to give him the best chance he had in this world. Which was why they had decided to push him toward Lord of Aspects Class.

So, Zach had two years to teach him enough about another Aspect, get him a fifth tier Class and push him to Immortal Class. They knew the requirements, and already had a plan in place to have him accomplish all of them. And then, they had to get him to the sects for his training in Cultivation, provided of course that he had any talent for it. Though Zach didn’t think that he would have issues. Hiro might not understand all the theory behind Aspects, but Zach had seen him handle Aspects in his power with great ease. Regardless, they’ve already made the deal.

“No, that is not what we are training you to be. Though you could, if you want to?”

Hiro blinked, then frowned. “I… whatever you think is best.”

Zach sighed, another issue that Hiro had was his blind faith in them. Still, the Lord of Aspects was a way to combat it. It gave him options to focus on, mastering several different styles.

“If you had to pick, what kind of Class Evolution would you want to get?” Zach asked.

“Direct combat one,” Hiro said immediately.

Zach smiled. “You are thinking about this the wrong way,” Zach told him.

The boy tilted his head. “How?”

“You think that what you’ve been learning until now does not let you be in direct combat? That Naha does not fight in direct combat? Being able to hide effectively, to survive, does not mean that you cannot apply your powers directly.”

“I… I guess that I never thought about it that way.”

“We are simply giving you tools, you are the one, ultimately that will decide how to use them.”

Hiro seemed contemplative, so Zach made a decision. “Well, you’ve done as we’ve asked, and now you’ve come to learn from me. Your first lesson is going to be to decide on an Aspect that you wish to study, and eventually master. Think about it carefully, try to see what it would mean for you in the future, and what all it can do. You don’t need to do it on your own, of course. Talk with others, talk with Naha, come and talk with me again.”

Hiro nodded slowly, then stood up and walked away. The boy had a lot to think about.

Zach turned around as a person that had been waiting there out of sight walked out.

“Can we talk?” Bera asked.

Zach gave her a long look, already suspecting what she was here to talk about, then nodded.