Timeless Assassin

Chapter 1008: How To Master Time

(Planet V-Star, Inside the Enchanted Hut, Leo’s POV)

Once Leo had given his permission for the projection to train him, the projection wasted no more time and gave him his first assignment.

"There are three basic laws you must master before reaching the Demi God realm," the projection began calmly, "however, for now we will focus only on the first, the Law of Time, which happens to be the law I understand best."

The projection explained, as Leo folded his arms in response.

"Are we starting from this law because it’s the correct way forward, or because it’s the most convenient for you?"

Leo asked sarcastically, as the projection ignored the sarcasm and moved on as though he did not hear the question.

"To understand the Law of Time, you must first grasp how differently time behaves in the Third Dimension compared to the Fourth, because only when you begin to question why it flows the way it does in each realm, and what truly separates one experience from the other, will you slowly uncover what time actually is beneath perception.

However, to get you started, let me explain the fundamental differences between time in the third dimension and the fourth.

In the Third Dimension, time feels like a line, because you experience it as a sequence with a past, a present and a future, while your mind is forced to process one moment at a time."

The projection began, as Leo nodded slowly.

"Yeah. That’s... normal."

Leo replied, however, the projection shook his head in disappointment at that answer.

"It is not normal," the projection corrected.

"It is a limitation. You feel time as a line because you are inside it."

The projection instructed, as Leo narrowed his eyes slightly.

"So what does it feel like outside it?"

He asked, as the projection’s gaze sharpened.

"In the Fourth Dimension, time is not a line. It is a field."

Leo blinked.

"A field?"

"Yes. A field with direction, pressure, and curvature. While in the Third Dimension time only increases, in the Fourth it leans. It bends. It pulls."

Leo frowned.

"Time... pulls?"

"Have you never felt drift while traveling through the Fourth Dimension?" the projection asked.

Leo paused.

"...I’ve felt resistance sometimes. Like the space wasn’t smooth."

"That was not space," the projection said quietly. "That was time."

Leo straightened slightly.

"Explain."

"In the Third Dimension, you move through time unconsciously," the projection continued, "as it carries you forward. But in the Fourth, your aura can brush against the structure of time itself."

Leo’s expression hardened.

"And how exactly am I supposed to sense something I can’t even see?"

"You do not see it," the projection replied evenly. "You spread your aura thin, like mist, and you let it feel."

Leo gave him a flat look.

"I am not sure I follow"

The projection sighed faintly.

"When you stretch your aura wide inside the Fourth Dimension and stop moving, you will begin to feel as though reality itself has a direction.

A subtle leaning. Like everything is drifting toward a slope."

Leo went quiet.

"...A slope?"

"Yes. Time in the Fourth Dimension behaves like a gradient. Some regions flow smoothly. Some compress. Some distort."

"And Gods?" Leo asked.

"Gods can manipulate the gradient," the projection replied. "That is why injury becomes temporary for them, because using divine essence they alter the gradient of time and heal themselves."

Leo’s jaw tightened slightly.

"And I cannot do that yet, because I don’t have divine essence."

"Correct.

You can only observe for now. While you will only apply your learnings once you already become a Demi God."

The projection said, as Leo nodded in understanding.

"So what’s the assignment?"

Leo asked at last, as the projection finally gave him his homework.

"You will enter the Fourth Dimension and remain stationary," the projection said. "You will not travel. You will anchor yourself here and spread your aura outward in a wide radius."

Leo inhaled slowly.

"And I’m looking for... drift?"

"You are looking for three things," the projection continued. "First, dominant flow direction. Which side of your aura feels pulled harder."

"Second?"

"Variance. Places where the pull changes suddenly."

"And third?"

"Anomalies. Scars in the temporal surface."

Leo’s eyes sharpened.

"Scars?"

"You’ll understand when you come across them, they’ll literally be unlike anything you’ve seen otherwise."

The projection explained, as Leo exhaled slowly.

"And I just observe. I don’t touch."

"You can do nothing even if you do touch.

For without divine essence you will always lack the means to manipulate time.

So yeah, for now you observe and memorize, as you try to understand the true nature of time."

Leo rubbed his temple lightly.

"And how long am I doing this?"

"One hour a day to start."

"That’s it?"

"For now," the projection replied. "Understanding comes in layers. If you try to comprehend too much too quickly, your mind will invent fake confidence."

Leo gave him a sideways glance.

"That sounds ominous."

"It is pretty normal.

Working too much is not always the best way to get things done.

So yeah, for now you only study an hour a day"

The projection instructed, as Leo nodded in understanding.

"So let me summarize," Leo said slowly. "Time isn’t a line in the Fourth Dimension. It’s a field. It leans. It bends. It has pressure."

"Yes."

"And I can feel it by thinning my aura."

"Yes."

"And I’m not learning to control it. I’m learning to understand it."

The projection nodded once.

"Fantastic. So step one of defying destiny is becoming a glorified cosmic weather sensor."

Leo said sarcastically, as the projection did not react to his words.

"It is step one of not being blind,"

He replied calmly, as Leo stared at the ground for a moment, then finally nodded.

"...Fine."

He cracked his neck slowly.

"One hour."

His aura began to stir faintly around him.

"And if I come back saying I felt absolutely nothing?"

The projection’s eyes gleamed faintly.

"Then you simply try again tomorrow."