Ball of Nothing

Zero didn't know how to describe the feeling of sitting under the Aggression Falls. While it was true that the water tried to drown him, Zero felt that it was more irritating than dangerous. The pins and needles feeling wherever the water made contact with his skin was annoying. Zero couldn't really move to scratch it or shrug it off during a meditation session.

Hua Tuo watched as his student fidgeted constantly underneath the waterfall. He thought that Zero looked slightly constipated with his strange scrunched up expression. He'd never seen Zero make such a face and wondered what was wrong. While the Aggression Falls was the most physically distracting waterfall, he didn't think that it would affect Zero this badly.

Zero was growing increasingly irritated. Now he could understand how Baal felt when he accidentally destroyed towns. Having to sit still and not get rid of irritants is a horrible thing! Mii and Bob fretted silently in Zero's mindscape. It hasn't even been five minutes but Zero's murderous intent had increased to twice since the time he learnt about Count Carrabas' existence. If sneezing could make Baal feel better even at the expense of human lives, it was probably worth it.

Zero felt a different kind of chill seep into his heart when the weight of that thought hit him hard. No! What was he becoming? The prickles of the water were insignificant compared to the horrific thought that his brain supplied him. What was he thinking? Human lives in exchange for a brief reprieve of discomfort? He was a doctor for crying out loud!

Hua Tuo saw the change in aura after ten minutes and smiled. Finally some progress! Zero might be a little bit of a slow bloomer but he certainly was a good student. Once he understood a concept, it wouldn't take him long to understand the entire process. The physician relaxed a little and decided to sit under the Progression Falls to start on his own training.

Mii and Bob relaxed a little when Zero finally understood the meaning behind Hua Tuo's words. Aggression Falls was actually rather similar to the Lake of Reflection. It forces Zero to look into his personal weaknesses one after another. If Zero showed any signs of weakness, the water will try to use that against him and drown him. It certainly wasn't easy to deal with such a trial and the young doctor tried his best to focus on the reason behind his training.

Sadly, knowing something and applying that knowledge were two very different skills. Zero might be able to understand the intentions but coping with it and reacting accordingly was hard. The boy often found himself falling into the illusion's trap and giving in to the irritating stimulations by reacting. He didn't know how long he spent meditating underneath the waterfall but the roaring of water was still deafening to him. It was going to be a long road before Zero mastered the art of ignoring and tuning out to external influences like Hua Tuo wanted him to do.

This training simply went against everything in Zero's existence. the boy craved adventure, sensations, thoughts and stimulants but Hua Tuo wanted him to empty out everything and become nothing. The teenager wondered if he was destined to fail this training. After all, it often puts him into a state of panic whenever he thinks about returning to that void without anyone to hear him or know about his existence. Zero's inability to move and powerlessness scared him so bad that the young physician has made a subconscious promise to never end up in that state again.

Zero filled his meaningless existence with colours by going out to seek new things, people and explore all sorts of ideas. The one thing that Zero knew he was probably not able to overcome would be his very existence and nature. He was the embodiment of the void but even he was afraid of what he represented.

Anything that went to the void never returned. That saying was only too true for Zero as he shuddered under the frigid water. This time, the Aggression Falls played on Zero's hatred for cold and the young doctor screwed both eyes shut tightly, trying hard to suppress the tremors wracking his body.

The cold was good, Zero told himself. If he could feel it, he was still alright. He couldn't deal with nothingness and embraced the numbing cold that borderline pain. The teenager would take everything that Aggression Falls could give to him.

As if sensing his thoughts, the Aggression Falls changed its strategy and supplied Zero with a sense of numbness throughout his body. Yes, Zero was still able to hear the sound of water and the sensation of it hitting his skin. However, after a while, they became so repetitive that Zero's mind found it hard to focus on them. It automatically filtered them out and the teenager panicked.

Hua Tuo sensed a spike in qi and mana fluctuation around Zero and opened his eyes. The resting turtles had long evacuated the Aggression Falls when Zero first showed signs of internal struggles. His powerful aura leaked out from time to time, causing the weaker animals to experience a fit.

Hua Tuo paused his cultivation and frowned. Zero didn't seem to be winning this particular battle with his chaotic energy leaking to the surroundings. Plants were turning brown and Hua Tuo decided that it was enough.

He picked up a pebble from nearby and flicked it towards his student's forehead with deadly accuracy. After skipping eighteen times across the water surface, the pebble connected with Zero's forehead with a thwack sound, causing the brunet to lose balance and fall into the icy water below.

Zero swam to the surface and spluttered. His eyes were wide open with shock as he hyperventilated. It took him a while to register that Hua Tuo was watching him.

"You're not tackling the problem at its root. Running from it while only cause you to train the wrong way. Do you want to be like Mei Chaofeng?"

Zero shook his head and became serious this time. Hua Tuo certainly wasn't fooling around when he warned him about the dangers. The Aggression Falls was probably the most dangerous of all three waterfalls as it messes with the mind. Zero was ashamed and felt frustrated. He was able to understand the concept but why was it so hard to put it into practice?

Hua Tuo knew that look. He'd experienced the same frustration many years ago. Even as a medical genius, there were things that he wasn't able to do even though he saw it clearly in his mind. However, there was no shortcut for this path. Zero had to overcome them with his own strength. This was why it was called a trial. While Zero was already strong, the physician knew that it was only the tip of the iceberg for Zero's true potential. He'd talked about it with Buddha and they agreed that Zero was going to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. With his current abilities, Zero would only fumble and succumb to the same darkness that plagued the Great One. if they wanted the story to have a different ending, something had to change.

Unlike the Great Gods, Sage Gods were once humans and they understood what was limiting the Gods. Humans of the past were able to slay Gods simply because they found a way to exploit the weakness of all Gods. Zero was no exception to the weakness. In fact, Zero was more vulnerable to it than the Great Gods simply because of his lack of experience and naivety.

That one weakness was not power or knowledge but fear. Great Gods and Gods were born with powers so great that there was essentially nothing that could take them down apart from each other. They simply used their overwhelming might and knowledge to rule and take down their enemies. Zero was the same. Anything that he did was over the top and caused huge waves of change for everyone. However, while making all these impressive changes, both Zero and the Gods often overlook a simple fact that they were not infallible.

Unlike humans we were constantly cross-examining themselves to improve, Zero and the Great Gods were happy to expand on their capabilities instead of filling the holes that made them imperfect. It was also the case with Zero who kept on using magic to make his life easier. The boy used magic to clean, sew and travel. In the process, he was missing out on things like knowing how to start a campfire using flint, seeing the different scenes along the way while he travelled or even the feeling of accomplishment at completing an embroidery stitch by stitch.

The Aggression Falls was one thing that could make even the mightiest Gods fumble. It could be avoided but not many could conquer it successfully. It was worse than dark magic that was manipulatable. The water is a reflection of one's greatest weakness and nails them completely. For powerful beings who were not used to being at anyone's mercy, it was a terrifying experience to let the water take control. The mind was also at the mercy of the illusions that were impossible to dispel because no magic was involved.

Zero climbed back up onto the platform and slapped himself a few times before inhaling deeply and closing his eyes. Hua Tuo watched his disciple struggle with the water for three full minutes before his eyes shot wide open. The look of unadulterated fear in the hazel eyes confirmed Hua Tuo's suspicions.

All the other fears and annoyances were easily dealt with because of Zero's all-encompassing nature like Gaia's. However, the one thing the Sage God thought Zero might struggle with was himself. Zero was terribly afraid of loneliness and while Hua Tuo understood it, nobody suffered from it more than Zero did.

Zero shared a look with his teacher and Hua Tuo didn't say anything. Zero understood too well what must be done. the Aggression Falls was the perfect start for Zero's trials. If he couldn't accept himself for what he was, there would be no way Zero could surpass his present self.

As the brunet watched his master go back to cultivating under the Progression Falls, he started to contemplate. Perhaps he really wasn't ready to conquer this trial just yet.

"What are you going to do?" Bob asked.

Zero didn't have an answer. He knew that if he walked away now, he would still not have an answer as to how he could overcome this fear. However, he certainly wasn't ready to face the paralysing illusion that reflected his inner world.

"I don't know... I'm not ready for this but I don't think I ever will be..."

Mii stopped her work and blinked. "What about a break? I say you've made good enough progress. You've mastered basic magic, some combat and medicine. learning combat wasn't part of the initial agreement, was it?"

Zero frowned. Now that he thought about it, the deal was for Hua Tuo to impart his medical knowledge and some basic magic while Merlin taught Zero more about magic. Nobody said anything about him having to learn how to fight. That happened along the way when he picked Ruth up at the Auction House in the abyss.

"No, you're right. However, I still want to do this. Just not today... I don't think I can..."

His assistants were understanding and gave Zero some time to himself. Hua Tuo wasn't too surprised when Zero decided to step out of the Aggression Falls. He came over and bowed, apologising to Hua Tuo for his failure.

"I-I don't think I'm ready for this..." he admitted with frustration in his eyes and Hua Tuo nodded without judging him for it. Still, Zero started to beat himself up for his incapability mentally as he rested in the cave.

Hua Tuo didn't worry too much as he felt the boy staring holes into his back while he meditated under the Progression Falls. Now that Zero wasn't in any real danger, he could focus on his cultivation. Who knows, Zero might learn a thing or two after watching him and take inspiration for future sessions.

Zero was impressed by how stable Hua Tuo was able to maintain the energy circulation in the Progressive Falls while looking like it didn't affect him. He knew that the water was scalding hot as the practitioner progressed but Hua Tuo made it look effortless as he continued to sit for hours underneath the waterfall. Zero decided to meditate as well but not underneath a waterfall. Instead, he chose to take a dive into the frigid water and activated his underwater-breathing skills.

Yes, the weightless feel resembled the void but without the roaring sounds of water and the fear gripping onto him like a second skin, Zero felt a lot more confident.

Fishes swam past Zero but the boy was focussed on becoming one with the spring. He stopped breathing normally and let the gills do its job while Zero tried to keep to the centre of his mindscape without Mii or Bob. This was his personal space that nobody should know about. It was connected to the void and Zero wondered if this space was real or simply a product of his imagination.

Unlike the earlier, the same space was more welcoming. It was exactly how Zero found it to be most comforting with the darkness shrouding him in their embrace. The space was empty but full of intangible things that only Zero could feel. Why couldn't the void be something like this?

Hua Tuo didn't really concern himself when Zero took a dive. In fact, he encouraged it after that traumatising experience under the Aggressive Falls. Contrary to the waterfall, Zero would be experiencing a very fulfilling meditation session brimming with positivity in the spring water despite the iciness.

When all three waterfalls combine, they become the source of energy that Endow Hill feeds from. It was brimming with life and good things that nurtured even the weakest beasts into the most terrifying monsters.

A tree cannot grow stronger simply by cutting it down. It has to be cut and nurtured to full health before repeating the process for it to grow bigger and stronger. Hua Tuo cracked an eye open to check on Zero who seemed content in the water. For the first session, Zero did well in figuring out his intentions. However, the true uphill battle begins from here. He was curious to see how his disciple will conquer what was known to have broken thousands of brave warriors.