Chapter 114
114 The Red King’s memories
Zarak slowly opened his eyes, and the wrath on his face vanished. Slowly his willpower returned to his mind, and the illusion of that mighty river faded away.
“That drop of water that evolved into a mighty thriving river full of life before becoming a force of nature that could drown thousands was how I visualized my personality. It is my avatar, or more accurately, my Alter-Ego, the way I see myself.
Thanks to its existence, my body can disperse the kinetic force that lands on me, along with an incredibly potent healing power. Without my Alter-Ego, the Abyssal Demon I fought against to save you would have killed me.”
At that point, Zarak stared at Cain with an extremely severe expression, making the focus on the cadet reach its peak.
“You should never try to imitate the Alter-Ego of another person, no matter how incredible the abilities it can grant. That would twist your ego, cripple your potential, and sever your Ego Cultivation’s path.
The only reason I have shown you my Alter-Ego is that you have already reached the First Realm, and your willpower is strong enough not to be deviated by someone else.”
Zarak only continued speaking once he saw that Cain understood the severity of his warning.
“Do not get me wrong. You can take inspiration from others and guide your Visualization Technique, granting your Alter-Ego a powerful path, but you should never try to change its core essence to adjust to someone else.
a.n.a.lyze it as two masters of martial arts discussing the principles behind their schools. Each of them had their own path and would not change it for the other but would internalize what they learned, a.s.similating what is useful for them.
.....
We, Ego Cultivators, tend to hold discussions without pers from time to time and sometimes even with our enemies. All in the hopes of achieving enlightenment, improving our Visualization Techniques, and increasing the potential and abilities of our Alter-Ego.
That last point is why I say that your a.s.sumption that I want a genius like you by my side because it would benefit me is somewhat flawed. You will also benefit significantly from our discussions.”
Cain’s face showed his absolute focus, and he made sure to engrave every single word in his mind. This knowledge would be essential in his path to power.
He knew Zarak was correct about not showing him that Alter-Ego before, and he would have been so engrossed by its might that he might unconsciously try to mimic it.
At this point, Cain remembered that he was not alone in the room. As he turned to Abin, he saw that the woman was perfectly fine and was not affected by Zarak’s Alter-Ego.
Abin looked back at Cain and softly nodded. Although he could not accurately measure her strength, he knew she was at least as strong as Major Luma.
“Normally, to start with your Visualization Technique and give form to your Alter-Ego, you would need to reach a secluded location where you could spend your days in peace, not bothered by mundane matters. However, with your permission, I could use my power to hypnotize you and put your mind in a state of lucid dreaming.
That will allow your mind and imagination to free themselves from all bindings and reach their maximum potential. You won’t need to force anything as it will naturally come out on its own.”
Zarak spoke calmly and did not rush Cain to make a decision, patiently waiting for this one.
Cain could not hide the interest in his eyes when he heard the part about hypnosis. From the moment Zarak put him in a state of Embryonic Breathing, he had been fascinated by that power.
He knew that hypnosis in Aether was unlike anything that happened in the Old World. They were not just some trick to put someone at ease and relax their minds.
Zarak could use his hypnosis to grant supernatural abilities to the bodies of Cain and Levi, controlling their brain chemistry. It had incredible potential for good, but you could also use it to stop your enemy from breathing, suffocating them with nothing but your words.
It was not hard for Zarak to notice the light in Cain’s eyes and figure out why. He just laughed a little as he found it somewhat amusing.
“Hahaha, it is weird, but sometimes you behave as a brat should. After this, I can help teach you hypnosis if that is what you want. Oh, by the way, after forming your Alter-Ego, your willpower would have gained enough order to unlock all sorts of standard abilities. One of them being Embryonic Breathing.”
“Really? That would be awesome.” Cain was truly excited by the idea, as hypnosis would greatly a.s.sist in battle and daily life.
“Ok, let’s stay focused. Do I have your permission to put you under my hypnosis?” Zarak asked one more time.
He did not really need Cain’s permission, but putting someone under your hypnosis without was considered a great offense. After all, you controlled their bodies and could force them to follow your desires.
Cain took a deep breath and nodded. The next second, Zarak handed him two pills.
“They will sustain your body’s need for food and water while you are unconscious.”
Cain swallowed the two pills, and then he saw Zarak’s eyes glowing with a powerful blue light before falling unconscious.
“Master, is it alright if I wait with you?” Abin’s face was still calm, but her voice showed evident excitement. The creation of a Visualization Technique and the inception of a new Alter-Ego would be when this one showed its most extraordinary might and purest nature.
She was curious about what type of Alter-Ego a once-in-a-generation genius like Cain would form.
Zarak stared at Abin for a moment before nodding. Although the characteristics of your Alter-Ego were not something you should not show carelessly, he trusted the woman. He knew that she would not reveal any information about Cain to anyone.
The duo closed their eyes and began to cultivate. None of them knew how long it would take for Cain to devise his Visualization Technique and form his Alter-Ego. It could be minutes, days, or even weeks.
—
Cain’s mind was foggy and full of confusion as he opened his eyes again, and the first thing he saw was a ma.s.sacre. He was on top of a mountain and could see an army of men in blue attire marching into a city and killing a group of people, all of whom had white hair and red eyes.
He was inside the body of a little boy but could not move or speak. Saying that Cain was a mere observer would be wrong, as he felt everything the boy did.
He felt the wind on his face and the sun’s warmth, but things did not end there as he could even discern the emotions inside the little boy’s heart.
‘How could he feel something like that!?’ Cain could not understand it. He felt the emotions inside the child’s heart as if they were his own, but as this one saw that carnage, the only thing that appeared was boredom.
A sudden noise drew his attention, and he noticed a group of soldiers approaching. Some showed expressions full of bloodl.u.s.t, while others had immense guilt and remorse.
A fight began between the group of soldiers. Some shouted for the child to run, while others wanted nothing more than to put a bullet in his head.
Those soldiers that ma.s.sacred his people were now fighting for what to do with him, but he showed nothing. They could not even annoy him, as they were so inferior that he barely recognized their existence.
Eventually, the child waved his hand, making spikes rise from the ground and kill all the soldiers, not differentiating between the ones that wanted to help him and those who sought to end his life.
Cain felt everything the child did, and he also discerned how this one could move the energy that permeated the world using nothing but his mind. It was similar to how Essence Cultivator fired long-range spells, but this one was much faster and more silent.
While the child’s behavior perplexed Cain, the abilities this one displayed surprised him. He focused his mind on the feeling as he was sure he would add a powerful weapon to his a.r.s.enal if he learned how to do it.
“Had I dominated this power sooner, I could have saved them.”
Cain heard the child’s words, but he knew this one felt not even a wisp of sadness. The death of the people with crimson eyes and white hair meant nothing to the little boy.
After saying those words, the child took the blood out of the soldier and made a robe with it. Other than being red, Cain could not discern anything, but as things carried on, a thought appeared in his head.
‘Are these the memories of my old life?’ That thought frightened Cain as there was no other way to describe this little boy than a monster.