Jack turned in every direction, but the two powerful beings that had just manhandled him were nowhere to be found.

"Uh. What the hell was that?" he asked out loud, seemingly to no one. Zachias projected himself into the space in front of Jack. They could have mental conversations in Jack's mind, but both of them seemed to prefer to speak like this. There was no more point to hiding Zachias' presence. He had been discovered.

"How should I know?" Zachias responded brusquely. It seemed like he was in an even worse mood than usual. If Jack had to guess, he would say that Zachias didn't like that he had gotten a glimpse at the alien’s deeper emotions. He had felt beyond the firewall of rage that Zachias maintained to the cavernous, echoing loneliness beneath.

However, Zachias wasn't bringing it up, and he could certainly respect that. Jack didn't want to talk about his feelings either.

"Take a guess" Jack demanded. "Why would they disappear like that? Those two could have taken whatever they wanted from me."

"Fine" Zachias didn't need much time to think of the answer, as if he already knew it. "They were afraid."

Jack almost laughed at that. "Why would they be afraid of either of us?"

"Because you have my Inheritance." Zachias stopped talking and Jack looked at him expectantly until he sighed and continued. "To even leave behind a sentient Inheritance, you have to be much more powerful than those two. And the fact that I am not the one in charge of this body would leave them to believe that my Inheritance was given to you by whatever being was strong enough to kill me."

Jack considered this for a moment before he replied. "Why wouldn't they just assume that Zeus gave it to me? Or someone else from his faction?"

Zachias flinched. "You should refrain from saying that name while we are on this world."

"Zeus? Why?" Jack asked and Zachias flinched again before quickly responding.

"Because, if he is currently on this planet, then he can hear you."

Jack's eyes were wide-open as he processed this information. The idea that someone could hear him talking from anywhere on this world was slightly mind-blowing.

Zachias saw Jack's fear. "I would not worry excessively about being overheard. Zeus' faction is bordered by the beastkin's. They have to spend most of their time protecting their territory in case the Monkey King makes a move."

He nodded his understanding, still reluctant to speak again and Zachias continued.

"But to answer your question, they would know that it was not Zeus that gave you my Inheritance because it is not within his power."

Jack looked at him skeptically. He was still reticent to talk out loud, but Zachias understood.

"To kill a being like me, you have to either take them by surprise and strike with overwhelming force, or be powerful enough to contain them while you wear them down. It would take many members of Zeus' pantheon to restrain me for long enough to destroy me. And even if they succeeded, it would take even more effort for them to force me to leave a complete Inheritance. Only the truly dominant factions of the Universe can afford such effort for their young elite disciples.

"So if I had to guess, I would say that the druid and the beastkin were afraid of your assumed benefactor that killed me and gave you my Inheritance. They would never imagine that you just stumbled onto the scene of my death by accident and then miraculously defeated me in a battle of wills."

Jack decided to converse with Zachias telepathically for a moment. "So that’s why you pushed her out of my mind when you did" he mentally projected. "You revealed yourself and threw her out so that she would make that assumption and fear us."

Zachias shook his head and shrugged before replying. "Actually, I just did not want her to see my shame."

Jack tilted his head to the side questioningly and Zachias reluctantly elaborated. "That was the day that I died and was defeated by a mostly hairless ape" he said gesturing to Jack. "If anyone found out about that, it would be absolutely humiliating."

Jack wanted to address that insult, but he had more pressing concerns to deal with. He looked down at the bright green tattoo splayed across his left side and rubbed it with his hand. "What is this thing?"

Zachias nodded and actually seemed eager to discuss this. "I cannot see the mark on the back of your neck anymore than you can, so I can only guess about that, but the one the female druid gave you is clearly a wood fractal."

Jack studied the mark. It was a complicated fractal pattern that vaguely resembled the veins on a leaf. "What the tree hugging fuck is a wood fractal?"

"You already know that fractals can be used to direct qi. That one directs it to become wood" he said as he gestured to the tattoo on Jack’s side.

It took a moment for the significance of that to sink in. Jack's eyebrows shot up as he confirmed. "So you mean..."

"Any qi that you run through that tattoo will manifest as wood" he finished for Jack.

A smile came to Jack's face and he lifted his fists to the sky in celebration. "I can use wood style." He chuckled. "Take that Hashirama."

"She was right to call it a blessing. Qi fractals can only be granted by those with True Willpower and a deep understanding of their element. You almost never see them except on sect prodigies and the very well connected. Not only will it give you the chance to use another aspect, but it will also grow alongside you and alter itself based on the way that you use it."

Jack was burning with anticipation as Zachias described what it could do. He was about to make his first attempt at manifesting wood when Zachias stopped him.

"You should refrain from activating that until you are ready" he suggested and Jack stopped. "Like I said, it will change to reflect your use. You should have a comprehensive idea of how you would like to incorporate the wood into your style before you begin manifesting it."

Jack's disappointment was palpable as he let his qi settle and turned his focus to the back of his neck. "You said that you have a guess about the one the beast man gave to me."

The big blue warrior turned his head thoughtfully. "I have a good idea of what it might be. Have you noticed that the light seems brighter even though the sun is setting? Or that you can smell the grass and dirt more clearly?"

Now that he mentioned it, Jack could see what Zachias was talking about. He had assumed that his senses just felt more acute as an aftereffect of torture. But now that he was paying more attention, he realized that something had changed.

He turned and looked to the two tree men that were making their way across the field toward him. They were still more than half a mile away, but Jack could make out some individual features that he felt like he shouldn't be able to see.

Beyond that, he could smell the earthy tones of the ground and the grass in a way that he hadn't been able to before.

Jack grabbed the back of his neck at the top of his spine and tried to imagine whatever mark the man had left there.

"I believe that his blessing provides a passive enhancement to your nervous system. This would do more than just make your senses more powerful. It would also improve your reaction time and give you more accurate control over your body."

He looked down at his body and tried to see if he could feel the improvement. "Wow. I'm surprised to say this, but that might actually have been worth the torturous pain."

"There is more" Zachias interrupted his musing. "It is likely that there is an active effect as well. You should try channeling qi to it."

Jack immediately started focusing on letting his energy flow to the space just below the base of his skull where the beast man had branded him. He thought that it would be difficult since he couldn't even see the shape of the mark, but it was remarkably easy.

As soon as he sent his qi to the top of his neck, it was automatically absorbed into the tattoo and Jack's world changed instantly.

Time seemed to slow down as the world came into focus in a way that Jack had never imagined that it could.

The waning light was suddenly more than sufficient for him to make out far away details that should have been not only out of range, but also shrouded in darkness. He could see all the way across the field and deep into the shadowed forest beyond.

When he inhaled sharply out of surprise, Jack was shocked at the details that he could taste and smell in the air. He could even make out the scents that the two powerful beings had left behind. The woman smelled like pine needles and sap and the man like fur and blood.

Jack could feel every hair on his body and read the slightest change in the air currents. He could hear the footsteps of the two druids who were still making their way across the field.

All of Jack's physical senses became so acute so quickly, he was almost immediately overloaded with sensory information. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to reign in his perception.

Luckily, as soon as he stopped funneling qi to the top of his spine, the extraordinary boost to his senses dissipated.

As his faculties reverted to manageable, but still slightly boosted levels, Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

That was intense. He would clearly need time and practice to learn control of this new ability.

Still, he could easily see how powerful it would be when he did master it. For a moment before he was overwhelmed, Jack could sense not only the world around him with perfect clarity, but also his own body.

When he got this under control, he would be able to perform athletic feats that would have been far beyond him before.

Jack smirked as he processed this turn of events. He could not believe that he had escaped with his life, let alone with these amazing benefits.

And it had been nothing but dumb luck and Zachias' foolish pride that had saved him.

He laughed out loud. "Suckers" he said and then remembered something that had bothered him. "How did they understand me? I mean, it's not like they know English right?"

Zachias looked at him sideways. "How did you think we communicated at first? Did you think that I magically knew your language when we first met?"

Jack looked at Zachias blankly until the giant warrior continued.

"Telepathic communication doesn't require translation. They were reading your mind not your lips."

"So anyone can just read my mind anytime they want?" Jack did not like the sound of that. People might find out how crazy he is.

"There is a big difference between breaking into somebody's mind and reading their private thoughts, and understanding what they are actively trying to communicate."

He was relieved to hear that until Zachias burst his bubble a moment later.

"However, you would do well to remember that there are some beings with so much psychic prowess, they can alter your memories, perceptions, even your personality."

"Well that is nice and terrifying."

The sobering topic brought down Jack's mood until he looked back down to the tattoo on his side. He was so tempted to start running qi through it immediately.

His train of thought must have been obvious, because Zachias stopped him again with a stern look.

"Why can't I just use it one time?" Jack hedged.

"You have yet to even learn your first technique" Zachias explained firmly. "You must know how you will incorporate it into your style first."

"How am I supposed to combine wood and lightning?" he asked skeptically. "How does that make anything but a burned and smoking tree?"

"For one thing, you will still be able to use the lightning and wood separately, but I do think you should also try and use them together."

Zachias held his hands behind his back. He often did this when he was teaching. "What would you get if you used fire and earth together? A scorched and smoking patch of ground? Or would you make lava? It is all about how you combine them."

This made a certain amount of sense to Jack, but he still didn't see how lightning and wood were compatible elements. Zachias saw that he was still not convinced.

"Do you know what the greatest weakness of lightning is?" he asked.

"Jack considered for a few seconds. "It's definitely not speed." Zachias nodded his agreement and Jack took a guess. "Strength?"

"No. Lightning hits fast and it hits hard. Did you know that a regular bolt of lightning is several times hotter than the surface of your sun?"

That seemed impossible to Jack, but he wasn't about to argue. It's not like he was an expert on the subject.

"Think about it" Zachias ordered. "If it is so powerful, then how do people survive being struck by lightning?"

The answer came to Jack quickly this time. "Because it happens in an instant. The current passes through them so quickly, it doesn't do much damage. Although, I'm sure it scares the shit out of them. Talk about a jump scare."

"Exactly" Zachias confirmed. "The great weakness of lightning is that it has no endurance. Despite their extremely potent finishing moves, lightning artists generally have problems in protracted battles.

"However, the practitioners who find a way to overcome this weakness, they are often some of the deadliest warriors. Take Zeus for example."

He let that sink in for a moment before moving on with the lesson.

"Now, what do you think is the greatest strength of wood?" Zachias questioned.

"I assume it is endurance" Jack responded blandly. Zachias ignored Jack's tone and pressed on.

"Correct. Wood is nothing if not enduring. In fact, it only grows stronger over time. Its greatest weakness, on the other hand, is that it is slow."

He took a few steps back from Jack and brought his hands out from behind his back. "If you could combine these elements in a way that brought out all of their strengths, you would truly become a force to be reckoned with." Zachias brought his hands together slowly as he said this to illustrate his point.

Even though Jack could follow the logic, he still didn't see how exactly he could do that. He decided to take some time to think on it. There was something that had come up in the conversation that he wanted to come back to.

"What did you mean when you said that I haven't learned my first technique yet?" Jack asked. "I thought that you have been teaching me techniques since the beginning."

The big blue warrior shook his head slowly, but without impatience. "I do not mean the proper way to execute a strike in a fight. When I say a technique, I am referring to a weave of qi that has a specific function. Up till now, you have just been clumsily moving your qi around and occasionally throwing it at your opponents."

Zachias turned to the side, put a hand out, and cast a bolt of bright blue lightning at the ground in front of Jack. Although he was just a mental projection and could not actually hurt him, Jack still flinched when the lightning flashed towards him.

"That was just a simple expulsion of qi" Zachias clarified. "A technique would look more like this." He held his arm out again and arcs of bright blue lightning sprang from his body just like it did when Jack manifested his qi.

However, instead of a chaotic mess like Jack's, Zachias' lightning came together and swirled around his entire body in one cohesive pattern. It twisted around his outstretched arm and culminated in a point just in front of his palm.

The point quickly became a ball as he channeled more energy into it. When the last bit of qi completed the circuit around his body and into the ball, Zachias closed his fist and the ball of qi extended and struck at Jack's chest with all the speed of a bolt of lightning.

Jack couldn't help but put his arms out in front of him to block. In the instant before the simulated technique crashed into him, Jack's mind registered that the ball had become a head with two angry eyes as well as an open, fang-filled snout with long whiskers protruding from it.

The serpentine dragon made of lightning flew through Jack who crossed his arms in front of his face and leaned into it like it was about to bowl him over. He watched as it went right through his arms and chest like a ghostly apparition.

The technique continued to fly through him for several seconds. Jack could now see what Zachias had meant. Compared to a simple bolt of lightning, this attack would be much more devastating. It was a sustained blast of compressed qi that would do many times the damage of one of Jack's projected attacks.

He didn't understand why it needed to be shaped like a dragon, but maybe that was just his style. Jack still hadn't even learned what Zachias' aspect was. Every time he had asked, Zachias had just ignored him.

He wasn't exactly the most open person. Despite spending every single moment together for months, Jack knew virtually nothing about the warrior in his head.

“Techniques can be used to accomplish many things. Movement, for example.” Lightning swirled around Zachias in a different pattern than before. It wrapped around his torso and limbs in spirals as if he was wrapped in ropes of bright blue lightning.

It took Jack a few seconds to realize that Zachias was already demonstrating the technique. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed something odd. Jack looked to the left and Zachias was standing ten feet to his side.

When he turned back, Zachias was still standing in front of him. He turned to the right and there was another Zachias standing casually to that side as well.

He couldn’t tell what was the real Zachias and what was an afterimage. Either way, he was moving so fast that Jack couldn’t see it even with his enhanced perception.

Zachias stopped in front of him and the simulated technique faded. Jack was more than excited to start learning these abilities, but there was something bothering him.

"Why haven't you ever said anything about this before?" It was hard to keep the accusation out of his tone. He was tired of Zachias withholding information until he felt like sharing.

"You were not ready" he replied unashamedly. "There was so much to learn and I did not want you to try and jump ahead before we had established your foundation."

He didn't want to admit it, but Jack thought that Zachias was probably right. If he had known about techniques before, he would have been trying to create or learn them since the beginning.

With his slightly enhanced perception, Jack noticed that the two druids were walking up behind him now. He didn't want them to know about Zachias so he stopped talking to him, but the heavenly warrior continued speaking to Jack as the tree beings approached him.

"You will also need greater qi reserves to begin using techniques. Which brings me to my next point. It is getting time for you to break through to the Spirit Realm."