Beyond the Codex of Gods

"Wade, even though your memories are lost, you can still train to awaken your Espher, which will later allow you to become a Ranker." Marcus spoke up, as he put down his glass of wine.

"Professor…is Espher harmful to the body? Even though it is the world's energy, aren't ordinary humans living just fine?" Wade asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"No, they aren't." Marcus shook his head.

"The human body is extremely imperfect, but has evolved enough to sustain living for just a bit over half a century, with some ordinary humans living nearly a century."

"However, even if those exceptional humans live a hundred years, their body will still be marred with gradual decay over time."

"The mortal human body is extremely flawed, it fights disease in a suicidal way. Every time a virus invades it, the body gives up a bit of its flesh in mutual destruction." Marcus explained.

"Do you think this life is fine? Is it sustainable for centuries?"

"No, it is not." Wade answered.

"The ordinary flesh is extremely weak, even fine particles of glass can shred your lungs to pieces as you suffer in agony for months until you eventually succumb to those horrid injuries."

"Your heart stops whenever it has a bit too much load placed on it. When you run a little too fast, long and intensely."

"Your brain diverts the majority of your body's nutrients to itself, as well as to the five major organs, so your blood doesn't turn cold."

"Tell me, do you think ordinary humans can live just fine? When they are one of the physically weakest creatures in this world, when a random animal can end it all?" Marcus asked with brows raised.

Wade shook his head, as he had already accepted this as the truth since his early years.

"When you are frail and so weak, you would want to feel a bit more secure, confident and powerful, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I would want that." Wade agreed.

"By absorbing Espher, you not only grow stronger and healthier, but also speed up your evolution."

"This no longer becomes the type of evolution that would take tens of thousands of years and would have to be passed down from one generation to another to work."

"This is the kind of evolution that takes effect within centuries or even decades…on an individual scale…you can experience the evolution that your descendants, thousands of years later, would."

"Espher grants countless paths for countless creatures - a path to become perfect." Marcus spoke with a complex emotion.

Wade became genuinely curious about the last word.

"Is it possible to become perfect?" he asked, as Marcus choked on his next words again.

'Why are the kids these days so sharp? Any kid who heard my last sentence would begin daydreaming, yet he had enough brains to actually think of it?' Marcus rubbed his brows, as he had to reevaluate what he knew about little aristocratic wastrels.

"I used perfect in a metaphorical sense. I have never heard of anyone actually reaching perfection." Marcus smiled apologetically.

Wade thought of his next question.

"So even someone like you hasn't heard of anyone reaching perfection, aka immortality. Yet, isn't it possible to become immortal if one absorbs Espher all the time?" Wade asked after a while.

"Of course not! Absorbing Espher is like discovering yourself: the further you go, the more you learn about this energy. However, no one can infinitely absorb Espher, as anybody's body and mind would eventually need rest. Thus, making continuous absorption impossible."

"Moreover, even if you find a way to make the body immortal, the soul will not." Marcus said.

"Why is that?" Wade curiously asked.

"We don't know much about the soul of a living being even after humans and other intelligent races researched it for countless eons."

"However, what we have discovered is the concept of soulspan."

"No matter what level of power the Ranker reaches or even if they have managed to attain an undying body, they will all fall under the same soulspan ceiling."

Wade didn't understand the concept of soulspan. Did souls really exist? Were they also composed of Espher or some kind of different energy?

"For now forget about such unreachable things. What you have to do now is to prepare your mind and body for Awakening." Marcus said seriously.

"What is awakening?" Wade asked, once again putting on an act.

"It is a process where you take Espher of the world to make yours. To assimilate the energy into every single cell inside your body. Anyone who is unprepared will die." Marcus said, as the atmosphere of the room became heavy.

"How long should I prepare for?" Wade inquired.

"It depends on the person, but a month should be enough." Marcus explained, as he stood up.

"Now, follow me."

The duo made their way through the hallway, as servants bowed wherever they passed.

Wade felt a bit strange seeing that since nobody ever bowed to him, not even the servants in his Uncle's manor.

Eventually, they descended to the basement of the building, as they stood in front of metal doors.

"This is the new technology of Magic Association - Concentration Rooms. As the title implies, this place will allow you to reach absolute focus by calming your mind. However, its effects will be useless if you don't clear your mind of all distractions."

"It will also slowly infuse Espher into the room, accelerating your muscle growth."

The metal doors slowly opened, only to reveal a dimly lit space.

"Prepare your mind and train your body well." Marcus then pushed Wade into the room, as the doors slowly sealed themselves.