Beyond the Apocalypse

Vlad’s eyes sharpened instantly upon hearing Marshal Maximo’s words. Though a surge of curiosity filled him, he maintained unwavering focus, engraving every single word deeply into his memory. Recognizing Vlad’s intense concentration, the Marshal paused briefly, giving the young man ample time to internalize the profound guidance before continuing.

"One potential way to influence the type of Sage Ability you’ll awaken lies in affecting the factors that birth it," Marshal Maximo elaborated calmly. "Your racial traits and Gifts are inherently immutable, but you possess the capability to alter your bloodline. As for the willpower and desire aspect, these can indeed be consciously influenced. By visualizing your desired abilities, you can shape their manifestation—but beware, this approach is a double-edged sword."

At this juncture, Marshal Maximo’s expression hardened significantly, and a powerful, invisible pressure emanated from him. Vlad immediately sensed that the forthcoming information was exceptionally critical.

"If your determination and desires are powerful enough," Marshal Maximo continued solemnly, "you can indeed materialize them into reality, directly impacting the nature of your Sage Abilities. However, this influence could severely limit their full potential, drastically narrowing their scope and versatility."

To illustrate clearly, Marshal Maximo waved his hand gently, conjuring a vivid, lifelike humanoid figure composed entirely of energy. This figure displayed an intense golden glow saturating only the arms, labeled prominently with the number "100," whereas a pale blue aura covered the rest of its body, labeled "0."

"Consider this example: a cultivator who passionately desired the strongest fists in existence. Through sheer determination and willpower, he awakened a Sage Ability that drastically enhanced only his fists’ endurance and destructive capacity. They became so powerful that he could pierce straight through the chest of a Legendary cultivator. Nevertheless, despite this immense advantage, the rest of his body remained ordinary and vulnerable. Consequently, even with fists capable of overwhelming destruction, any Legend would defeat this cultivator effortlessly in a genuine battle scenario."

Listening intently, Vlad nodded slowly in understanding. He vividly imagined the futility of attempting a surprise attack against a Legendary cultivator as a Sage. No matter how destructive the fists might be, the speed and reflexes of a Legend would render any focused attack ineffective, swiftly turning the assailant into a target rather than a threat.

Marshal Maximo’s hand moved once again, dispelling the first figure and crafting a new energy construct in its place. Unlike the previous model, this humanoid displayed a golden radiance evenly distributed across its entire body. The intensity was lower, indicated by a label of "60," yet the brilliance enveloped the figure completely.

"Now consider the same individual but without restrictive influence over his awakening. This cultivator acquires a Sage Ability that uniformly enhances his body’s capabilities by roughly 60%. Although this improvement may seem inferior to the initial scenario in terms of raw destructive force, its practical benefits vastly outweigh the narrow focus of the first approach. Though weaker individually, the enhancements comprehensively cover every aspect of his physical being. Consequently, his fighting prowess multiplies exponentially. Any shortcomings in brute force can be compensated for through skillful application of martial techniques or by wielding the profound power of the Laws themselves."