"Who are you?" Kayden maintained his composure, showing no fear. The old man raised an eyebrow at Kayden— not even Atlas had ever demonstrated such confidence when speaking to him.
"I am Netero Hayashida, the First Demigod." Netero released his full aura against Kayden, a pressure eerily similar to what a god could unleash. Yet Kayden calmly continued the conversation.
"If you sought me out, you already know who I am. What do you want?" His neutral, emotionless tone prompted Netero to withdraw his aura. This was no ordinary person, nor someone who would be intimidated by power. On the contrary, Netero could see clearly in Kayden’s eyes that it would be a battle to the death if he started a fight.
Kayden valued his life immensely, but if escape were impossible, he would fight to the very end. It was like the famous adage: What do you do when you see something stronger than you? Run. And if it’s bigger than you? Run. But what if it’s bigger, faster, and stronger? Die with honor.
"I believe we could exchange some insights. Your path and the way you built your strength intrigue me greatly," Netero said, piquing Kayden’s curiosity. For the first time, Kayden raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected such a proposal.
"What do you know about the law of balance?" It was the only thing Kayden wanted at that moment. What he didn’t expect was that Netero actually knew something.
"I know some of the 100 laws that compose it." When Kayden heard the number 100, his eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. It was an absurdly high number. This wouldn’t be a project spanning mere millennia—it would take tens or even hundreds of millions of years.
"We can make this exchange. What do you want to know?" Kayden was willing to offer everything he knew in exchange for more knowledge. His entire life was built on that principle.
"What can you tell me? How many secrets?" Netero was an avid hoarder of knowledge and had lost count of how many times he had asked this same question. Most mages tried to hide things from him or refused to share their deepest secrets.
"Everything," Kayden replied simply. Netero tried to discern the catch, the trap Kayden was preparing. But there was none—no word games, just one clear word with a straightforward meaning.
Netero took a few more seconds, waiting for Kayden to finish his sentence. When he realized there was nothing else, he saw that Kayden was being truthful. His mana was completely stable, with not a hint of deceit.
"Everything?" Netero repeated.
"Yes," Kayden answered without hesitation. Netero smiled, thinking it was a joke, and began asking Kayden about the core aspects of his techniques. But...
"I want a vow before the heavens first. In exchange for all my knowledge, I want everything you know and can teach me about the law of balance." At that moment, Netero finally believed Kayden was serious.
"I swear before the heavens to answer all of Kayden’s questions to the best of my ability. In return, he must do the same for me," Netero declared, and the heavens responded instantly with a thunderbolt, confirming his vow.
"I swear before the heavens to answer all of Netero’s questions to the best of my ability. In return, he must do the same for me," Kayden followed suit, and the heavens again responded with a thunderbolt. Although it was the same vow, Kayden didn’t actually need to fulfill his side of the promise.
"What is your path?" Netero asked the first question.
"The Monarch of One’s Self." This was the first time Netero had heard of such a path. He had encountered dozens of monarchs in his life, but most were simply rulers with titles, lacking anything beyond that.
"What are the laws that make up the law of balance?" Kayden asked. He began to receive the names of laws, some of which he had never even heard of before.
"The law of mana conservation, the law of exhaustion, the law of weights, the law of convergence, the law of flow, the law of harmony, the law of dynamic balance, the law of rupture, the law of compression, and the law of return..." Netero listed ten in a single breath. "These are the ones I know. The rest are..." The old man proceeded to rattle off 90 more laws as if they were nothing.
Kayden fell deep into thought. This would be a project spanning billions of years. But in return, his strength would ascend to an unimaginable level. He couldn’t even comprehend how powerful he would become, as mana would essentially become infinite for him at that point. There would be no limits on when everything could be returned to balance.
The problem was that it was all a gamble. Kayden might have spent an unfathomable amount of time learning this law, only to discover it was useless for his path. It was an incredibly risky bet, but if there was one thing Kayden loved, it was risk. Great opportunities arose from great risks.
"How does your path make you so strong?" Netero asked. Kayden had to think for a moment before answering.
"I’ve embedded at least two incomplete laws and modified my soul to a degree that no mortal could likely achieve in their lifetime," Kayden said. He continued answering Netero’s questions without fear, and in return, he gained knowledge equivalent to tens of thousands of years’ worth of study about the laws.
Kayden learned everything from how to acquire the laws to the order in which they should be prioritized. Netero truly possessed an astonishing depth of knowledge. He was practically a living library.
"Why do you share your secrets so freely?" Netero asked a question Kayden had been asked dozens of times in his life.
"What makes you a master of something? Being the best at what you do because there are no competitors? Or truly being the best?" Kayden’s words struck Netero like a bolt of lightning. "I am the master of my knowledge. It doesn’t matter how many people copy me—I am unique. I am a mage of ten lightning bolts."
Kayden’s tone carried no arrogance, but his words were filled with pride.