"A more widely accepted definition of Apex Energy is that Apex Energy is pure strength."
"The stronger your Apex Core, Apex Realm, or Apex Domain, the more power you can exert."
"It's all about dominance—if your Apex Energy surpasses another's, you win. Simple as that," Instructor Katherine explained—a definition that not many of the students disagreed with.
Truly, that was the basic reality of this world.
If you possessed powerful Apex Energy, you won the battle. If you didn't, you lost.
It was as simple as that.
"But you must understand that brute strength alone has never won a war."
"Ask the fallen kingdoms of the past or the defeated interdimensional beings who were once a massive threat to us Endearths—beings whose names are now forgotten, while we still exist."
"You all must understand that power without understanding is just chaos waiting to collapse."
"The truest and most apt definition of Apex Energy is that it is a will!"
"A will?" some of the students asked, perplexed.
"Yes. Apex Energy is a will."
"It responds to intent, to emotion, to belief—at least, for those who harness it. And while factors like talent, artifacts, and differences in the grade of cultivation techniques can cause variations in power between individuals—"
"Apex Energy being a will of its own is why two people at the same cultivation level can have completely different strengths."
"It's not just about gathering more energy or making your energy purer with better cultivation techniques—it's about understanding it, bending it to your will."
"So if Apex Energy = Strength + Intent + ...?"
"There has to be a factor that completes this equation. A final, necessary piece of the puzzle."
"Anyone?" she asked, scanning the silent class. Then, a student answered.
"Yes! Control," Instructor Katherine confirmed before shaking her head.
"But then, why is it that someone who possesses immense Apex Energy, absolute intent, and perfect control still loses a battle?"
The student who had answered fell silent, but another voice spoke up.
"They lacked adaptability..."
The one who spoke was the only male Elf among his race, and Instructor Katherine loudly clapped her hands.
"Apex Energy is not just a force. It is alive. It adapts; it evolves—just like you."
"Apex can be said to be a manifestation of a person's inner element, the basic definition, but it isn't just a simple manifestation. Apex itself is a will of its own."
"It has to be nurtured like a youngling, gently cultivated."
"You have to listen to it, to believe in its ability. Only then can you truly harness its power."
"So you don't just spend all day sitting down and cultivating battle techniques, or cultivating endlessly."
"Let half of your focus go into listening to your Apex Energy. Feel it, believe in it. It has its own emotions and thoughts. It has its own attributes."
"Guide it to be on your side, and when you do?" Instructor Katherine said as she slowly closed her eyes and then raised both hands up.
"So much power that you couldn't possibly fathom lies at your fingertips..." she said, as the curious students watched in awe.
A sparkling pink flame appeared in the palm of Instructor Katherine before suddenly, it burst open.
The students all instinctively closed their eyes, expecting a monumental explosion, yet nothing happened.
Instead, before them was no longer the classroom but a different world.
A world of darkness, illuminated by countless pink stars and various constellations dancing in the distance.
"Mind you all..." the voice of Instructor Katherine suddenly rang out, and as they turned their attention forward, they found her far above them in the void, hundreds of tiny purple energy balls swirling around her.
"This isn't a domain, or a skill."
"This is an open void of my own Apex Energy. The world where my Apex Energy resides."
"In here, you are all subjected to its rules, with no exception, and with a simple will of mine, you would become nothing but ashes—without me even needing to move a finger..." she said, as the students widened their eyes.
The colossal star-like constellations above them suddenly began revolving in the sky, gathering above their heads.
They could feel the gravity in the air increasing monumentally, and an illusion of the constellations falling toward them appeared before each of them.
But just before it could worsen, the world around them dispersed, and once more, they found themselves seated in their chairs.
The only remnants of the experience were the barely visible pink flames dancing around Instructor Katherine's shoulders, rolling over her neck like a gentle wave, before finally dispersing into her.
"When you truly learn to master your own Apex Energy—listening to it and being able to communicate with it—"
"Battle techniques and the rest wouldn't be needed. For even battle techniques are like a chant that talks to the Apex Energy, allowing it to take a particular form."
"If you can converse with the Apex Energy, you would need no chant, thereby having no need to sit down practicing a single technique for months."
"Instead, you will be like the incarnation of thousands of battle techniques—every single one of your moves being followed by the will of the Apex Energy, thereby becoming a battle technique of its own."
"And with your Apex Energy being a will of its own, it holds many, many secrets. Many worlds, many abilities, many traits that are beyond your and my knowledge..." she said to them, causing the eyes of the students to light up.
This was something they had no previous idea of.
To think their own Apex Energy was an entity of its own—one that could potentially be conversed with—wasn't something that had ever crossed their minds.
And the same could be said for Ryuk, who silently stared at Instructor Katherine before turning his gaze to his hands, doubt flashing in his eyes.
"This Ice Apex Energy that I possess isn't mine. It's Isha's. Does it really have a will of its own? And can I really find out its limits..." Ryuk mused in his heart as Instructor Katherine soon ended the class, bid them goodbye, while leaving the students in deep thought.