Chapter 81 : Ultimate Essence of Power (1)
Chapter 81: Ultimate Essence of Power (1)
“The power I spoke of means transmission.”
Indra said it with a cheerful smile.
“All of our actions contain waste. And the greater that waste, the more drastically the efficiency of our power drops. What you must do from now on is simple. Release every ounce of your strength without even an inch of wasted movement.”
“I don't quite understand.”
“You'll understand once you see it for yourself.”
Indra deliberately assumed his stance slowly.
It was consideration for Leon.
He was telling him to watch carefully.
Woooooong-!!
A terrifying force that no ordinary human could ever endure gathered around Indra's fist.
It was a force that called an enormous mountain to mind.
Yet the energy gathered in his fist showed no sign of stopping.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
As time passed, the immense force within his fist continued to grow.
Shock filled Leon's face.
What in the world was this power?
It felt as though his fist contained the universe itself.
It was truly a fist capable of reaching the heavens.
Were there really Warriors this powerful?
Just as Leon focused intently on Indra—
Doom-!!
A sound like a great drum echoed in every direction.
Only then did Leon realize that Indra's punch had already been thrown.
The strike had been so unbelievably fast that Leon's eyesight couldn't even follow it.
Indra's fist rested precisely against the brick.
It was a terrifying punch capable of shaking the entire area.
Yet the brick remained completely unharmed without even a scratch.
'So it really can absorb every impact. That wasn't an exaggeration.'
Then he felt vibrations traveling through the ground.
They were identical to the vibrations Leon had sensed earlier.
“Now, you try it.”
Stepping aside, Indra gestured toward the brick.
The smile on his face almost seemed to be looking down on Leon.
Like an uncle wanting to watch his nephew put on a little show.
'Though he's practically my uncle anyway...'
Still...
Being looked at like that wounded Leon's pride.
Leon clenched his fist tightly.
His strength couldn't compare to Indra's.
But he still wanted to prove that it wasn't something to be dismissed.
Leon slowly assumed his stance.
After gathering power into his fist, he swung with everything he had.
Paaang-!!
His fist cut through the air with an explosive whistle before striking the brick.
Kwaaaang-!!
At the same moment, a deafening explosion erupted from the brick.
Leon widened his eyes in surprise.
The sound was completely different from when Indra had struck it.
Had it broken?
He had heard that the brick absorbed all impacts.
Fortunately, the brick remained intact.
The noise had been tremendous, but the brick itself seemed completely unharmed.
Leon smiled in satisfaction.
It wasn't on Indra's level, but it possessed more than enough power.
Surely even Indra would be impressed.
“Hm... This is rather serious.”
Contrary to Leon's expectations, Indra sounded utterly unimpressed.
Rather, he looked troubled.
“You're nowhere near Adam or Elsa. Are you really Zeke's son?”
“...What do you mean by that?”
A sharp voice escaped Leon's throat before he realized it.
“Ah, don't misunderstand. I'm just surprised because it was so terrible.”
“Terrible? What exactly was terrible about that?”
“You watched it yourself and still don't know? Hah... This is troublesome. I don't even know where to begin teaching you.”
Indra spoke with a conflicted expression.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“First, the sound. Your punch contains far too much waste. That's why it makes noise when you throw it.”
“The sound?”
“When power is transmitted properly, your punch won't make any sound. Because there's no wasted movement. Think back to the punch I showed you. Did my punch make a loud noise like yours?”
“...”
No.
Indra's punch had been completely silent.
Even the instant it struck the brick had been different.
Leon had produced nothing but a deafening roar.
Indra's punch, however, carried a weight so immense that it made one's entire body feel heavy.
“Please explain it in detail.”
Leon asked.
The sharpness in his attitude had disappeared long ago.
All that remained in his eyes was the desire to improve.
“...That part really does make you Zeke's son. Fine. I'll teach you everything I know.”
As expected of a Warrior who devoted himself to researching the Ultimate Essence of Power.
Indra's knowledge was invaluable.
To be honest, even if Leon spent his entire lifetime researching it, he probably wouldn't uncover even a single one of Indra's discoveries.
That was how extraordinary Indra's understanding was.
Which was why Leon couldn't help asking,
“Is it really alright to teach me all of this so freely?”
Indra answered indifferently.
“Even if I teach it, those who can't do it still won't be able to. The Ultimate Essence of Power requires talent to support it. That's why I only teach those Zeke brings here. They can at least understand my concepts to some extent.”
Leon immediately understood.
It had been the same in his previous life.
How many people had failed to master martial arts because they lacked talent?
It was something Leon himself worried about.
His own talent was merely ordinary.
Nothing compared to those who were truly gifted.
Still...
Compared to those who never even received an opportunity, he was fortunate.
So Leon gratefully accepted the stroke of luck that had come his way.
Then he immediately immersed himself in training.
Leon repeatedly pondered Indra's words.
Even the force that created sound had to remain contained within the punch.
Only then could there be not even the slightest waste.
If Leon's punch was a surface,
Indra's punch was a point.
A punch focused upon a single point.
The power had to be compressed until it was no larger than the tip of a needle.
Naturally, it wasn't easy.
A day passed.
Then a week.
Then an entire month.
Yet he still couldn't grasp it.
Furthermore, Leon wasn't alone here.
Kwaaang-! Kwaaang-!!
Thunderous explosions assaulted his eardrums without end.
At the same time, the overwhelming aura of absolute beings raged around him.
Reinhardt and Indra sparred right beside Leon.
Even without looking, their presence alone made his flesh tremble.
Every exchange made every hair on his body stand on end.
Simply enduring their pressure steadily drained his mental strength.
At this rate, he'd collapse from exhaustion before he even threw a punch.
Even so, Leon never complained.
Everything in this world happened for a reason.
Especially when it involved someone like Indra.
There had to be a purpose behind creating an environment where concentration was nearly impossible.
Three months passed.
Thud-! Thud-!!
Leon could feel the power behind his fists gradually becoming stronger.
More accurately, the power within them was being used with less waste.
'The sound when I throw my punches has become slightly quieter. It's so subtle that no one would notice unless they concentrated... but that doesn't matter.'
It still meant he was improving.
That alone was enough.
Then half a year passed.
Leon grew frustrated.
His progress had recently stagnated.
He had run into a wall.
If only there were one tiny breakthrough...
One insignificant trigger...
He felt certain he could break through.
So Leon sought advice from Indra.
“Indra.”
“What is it? Have you come to give up?”
“I came because there's something I'd like to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
Indra answered while lying down.
“You probably won't understand even if I explain it. You don't have the talent.”
The words pierced straight into Leon's heart.
Yet he remained unfazed.
“How can I perform a silent fist technique?”
“...Come to think of it, I only showed you the direction without explaining the method. Adam and Elsa figured it out on their own, so I forgot to explain.”
“My talent isn't nearly as exceptional as my brother's or my sister's. Please give me some advice.”
“Mmm...”
Indra fell into deep thought.
After narrowing his eyes for a long moment, he finally spoke.
“How long does it take you to throw a punch?”
“...? I've never measured it.”
“One minute? No... For you, it'd probably take ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes? What do you mean?”
Leon looked completely bewildered.
Ten minutes just to throw a single punch?
Until now, throwing and retracting a punch hadn't even taken three seconds.
Yet ten minutes?
It sounded like a bolt from the blue.
“What? Have you just been mindlessly throwing punches this whole time?”
Indra clicked his tongue.
“You fool. How can you try to become like me right from the start? Haven't you ever heard that a sparrow tears its legs trying to imitate a stork? Build yourself up step by step, starting with the fundamentals.”
Indra clenched his fist.
“My fist contains decades of time. Far more years than you've lived. Did you really think you could catch up to me after thinking about it for only a few seconds? Arrogance has its limits. At that point, you're practically looking down on me.”
Hearing those words, Leon gasped.
Suddenly, he remembered confronting the Demon Race in Bulgarutu.
The moment he exchanged a single decisive strike with Reculrus.
'At that time... I drew out every ounce of my strength.'
His muscles.
His mind.
His Inner Force.
He did everything he could to draw every last bit of strength from his entire body.
He concentrated for nearly ten minutes.
As a result...
Leon had successfully unleashed a silent sword strike.
'So that's what it was.'
He had already known how to eliminate wasted power.
He simply hadn't fully mastered it.
He had found the thread of enlightenment.
Leon immediately sat cross-legged and entered meditation.
He had received guidance that he never could have attained on his own.
To absorb that teaching completely, he needed to organize his enlightenment before it slipped away.
Watching him, Indra thought,
'Now that I look at him, he's actually fun to raise. Adam and Elsa always figured everything out themselves, so it wasn't interesting.'
Having so much to teach actually made it enjoyable.
'I've been bored lately anyway. This works out well. For a while, I'll have to think about how to teach him.'
This should make for a rather enjoyable time.
Another month passed.
During that time, Leon achieved remarkable progress.
First of all, he could now perform a silent punch.
Though it still required about five minutes of preparation.
After all...
Who could master something perfectly from the very beginning?
Simply succeeding filled Leon with joy as he continued training.
Another month passed.
Now he could unleash a silent punch once every three minutes.
He had shortened the preparation by two full minutes.
That meant he had grown tremendously.
It also meant he could throw more silent punches in the same amount of time.
Time continued to pass.
Then the one-year promise Leon had made with Zeke came to an end.
Wooooooong-!!
A terrifying force blossomed within Leon's fist.
It was like the fist of a giant.
But it didn't end there.
A crimson aura enveloped his fist.
He had activated the Warrior's Mana.
During the past year, Leon's growth hadn't been limited to learning how to control power.
His overall senses had sharpened dramatically.
Even his attainments in martial arts had deepened beyond comparison.
Because of that, Leon thought,
'Perhaps... this punch can break the brick before me.'
At that moment—
His fist shot forward without making a sound.
Doom-!!
A drum-like sound echoed as a faint vibration shook the trees.
Contrary to his hopes, the brick remained completely intact.
Then again...
Even Indra, who was stronger than Leon, couldn't destroy it.
How could someone who had only just taken a single step forward possibly succeed?
“Phew...”
White breath escaped Leon's mouth.
Slowly withdrawing his fist, he said,
“Not bad.”
“The result exceeded my expectations.”
At that moment, Indra approached with a satisfied smile.
“Not bad at all. At first, I didn't think you'd even reach this level. You're still lacking compared to your siblings, but you've achieved excellent results.”
Leon bowed deeply.
His gesture was filled with gratitude.
Over the past year, Leon hadn't asked just one question.
He had asked dozens.
Perhaps even over a hundred.
And Indra had answered every single one with sincere care.
Anyone else who witnessed it would have been shocked.
There were countless masters who didn't even allow their own disciples to ask questions.
To say he favored Leon simply because he was his friend's son...
That alone couldn't explain it.
It was affection that went far beyond ordinary kindness.
Knowing that only made Leon lower his head even further.
He had received a kindness far greater than he deserved.
It was a debt worthy of gratitude not only in this life but in the next as well.
If he could, he wanted to perform the deepest possible bow in thanks.
Seeing Leon's sincere attitude, Indra laughed awkwardly.
“You don't have to be that grateful. Halfway through, I started enjoying it myself. How should I put it? It felt like raising a small animal. One that only functions properly after you spoon-feed it everything from one to ten.”
“...”
For a moment, Leon couldn't tell whether that was an insult or a compliment.
But what did it matter?
The fact remained that he had become stronger because of it.
Leon simply expressed his sincere gratitude.
“By the way, didn't you say you'd only stay here for one year? That's a shame. If you stayed another three years or so, I feel like I'd gain another enlightenment myself.”
Indra said while glancing toward Reinhardt.
For the entire year, Reinhardt and Indra had sparred every single day without missing one.
Moreover, neither of them held back.
A single mistake could cost either of them their lives.
Their daily matches were no different from life-and-death duels.
As a result, both Reinhardt and Indra had achieved tremendous growth as well.
Leon couldn't comprehend the level they had reached.
But he knew one thing.
Compared to a year ago, they had become incomparably stronger.
Just as Leon was about to say that another opportunity would surely come—
“It's been a long time, Indra.”
A voice descended from the sky.
It was quiet, yet at the same time magnificent and imposing.
Leon looked up.
A familiar face appeared.
Wild crimson hair flowing like a lion's mane.
A scar running across his face.
A man whose very presence rivaled that of a divine being.
As Zeke descended from the heavens, he spoke.
“It's been a while. There's somewhere I need you to come with me.”