Seeing this, Silas didn't bother anymore and went back to his tent. He didn't want to take any action before he had more information about this place, but a new, exhilarating thought took root in his mind. 'This means that this world has superhumans.'
He was excited because it was generally easier to follow a path than to carve one out. Suppose there are already beings that have taken the path of superhumans. Naturally, it will be easier for him to take the same path. He now had a tangible direction, a new, impossible field of study laid out before him. The prison of his old reality was gone, and the universe was, once again, filled with secrets.
Suddenly, a thought hit Silas's mind. If this world has superpowers beyond the path of technology and science, is it possible there is more?
Silas was willing to bet there was. So, he shouted "System, open, status, open sesame," but much to his disappointment, nothing happened. He had already solidified his image as the crazy new guy because of his manic laughter earlier as well as the fact that he was wearing clothes laden with blood, garbage, and sewage.
So, he was not worried that his shouting would adversely affect him. Moreover, he was too excited to care. The superhumans had broken through all his composure. Seeing no system screen in front of him, he decided to change his approach.
He sprinted out of the camp towards the sewer nearby. After just five seconds, he found what he was looking for - a rat. He wanted to see if he had one of those killing systems. So, he killed the rat, but the rat didn't drop loot. No glowing text, no level-up chime. All he got was a bloodstain and the vague sense he'd just reenacted a cliché.
'A pity, but it does slightly reinforce the fact that this isn't imaginary. I can't imagine a version of himself that would ever refuse superpowers, and this world has been providing me with everything I want before now. So, either the imagination has decided to cut me off, or this isn't one. ' Silas thought.
'So, no system, no cheats, it is still the same path of suffering and hard work, I see. Pity, a shortcut would have been nice. ' Silas sighed in pity.
After Silas discovered the superhumans, he let his imagination run wild. He hoped he was like the protagonists of the novels he loved to read in his previous life.
For decades, novels and comics were Silas's only respite, besides his curiosity. So, naturally, he was disappointed that he had no golden finger.
It took Silas quite a while to take control of his emotions again. It couldn't be helped; this world had given him too many surprises.
This series of events is just too bizarre. First, I end up in this parallel universe instead of my own, that too in a foreign body. Moreover, what happened to the pod I built to traverse time? Then this world turned out to be one with superhumans like the comics. At this point, the most likely explanation is that this is an imaginary world, and I am in the afterlife.
But, be that as it may, a chance is a chance. Even if this is an illusion, I will break out." Silas said in his usual cold demeanor.
_He was back._
After cleaning his shoe of filth quickly, Silas ran back to the camp. He wanted to observe the superheroes more.
But it was a pity that by the time he arrived, the superheroes were already gone. They left as quickly as they arrived; They had already taken their pictures.
The brief flurry of excitement in the camp died down, replaced by the familiar, grim rhythm of survival. The homeless returned to their tents and makeshift shelters, clutching the small offerings of food. The commotion was over.
Silas remained by the fire drum, staring at the empty space where the man had been floating. The image was burned into his mind—an impossible fact that had unilaterally shattered the foundations of his old reality. He had spent a lifetime mastering a set of rules, only to find himself in a game where such rules did not apply.
And he was beyond excited because this was what he wanted. He wanted things to challenge his beliefs and his knowledge because this challenge would eventually lead to an evolution in his beliefs and knowledge.
The excitement he had felt was now settling into a cold, profound focus. A new path had been revealed, and he needed to understand it. His core ambition had always been the same—comprehension. He needed to understand everything about everything.
Silas had found that he didn't always have this obsession. But at some point in his life, his curiosity had mutated into this obsessive drive to learn everything. But Silas didn't consider this drive a problem; after all, every man needs a goal. His goal was just a little grand.
Moreover, Silas had already learned that to understand something truly, you have to be at a level similar to it.
For example, let's say that Silas becomes able to see through space and time today, and consequently, no truth can be hidden from his eyes. But even so, will Silas have a brain capable of understanding these truths? Will he have a body capable of using them to his advantage? Will he possess the processing power and creativity necessary to utilize these truths to enhance his understanding?
Or will all these secrets of the universe just look like pretty lights to him?
Silas bet that they will. No matter how much knowledge he is presented with, it will be meaningless if he can't understand and comprehend it.
This was the crucial difference. It wasn't about accumulating power, but leveraging it to elevate himself as a whole. This meant that his goal in wanting power was different from most.
For example, when Silas gained complete political authority over Earth, the first thing he did was not to employ it to bolster his personal guard or amass more strength. Instead, he rewired the entire academic system, streamlining every university, think-tank, and laboratory into a single, global network. Through that network, he leveraged the collective knowledge of thousands of scholars to enhance his research, as it was his top priority.
The power he just witnessed in the floating man was immense, but it was raw, unfocused. A tool. Silas didn't want it. He could create a machine capable of floating out of scrap metal.
What he sought was something more fundamental; To achieve his goal of true comprehension, Silas had chosen the path of quantum mastery. This was a supreme discipline.
Fixed abilities, no matter how strong, influenced the world or forced it to follow the individual's will, but quantum mastery was about operating the world.
It was the difference between using a lever and being able to redefine the laws of physics that makes levers work. The lever could be capable of lifting the universe, but it could only do so because the laws of physics allowed it.
There was a fundamental difference.
To even begin such a journey, however, required more than just knowledge or will. It required a vessel, a body, and a mind capable of perceiving and processing reality on that fundamental level. The floating man had a body that could defy gravity, but did he have a mind that could understand the principles behind it? Unlikely.
So, Silas had to create a vessel that was perfect in every regard. This was his goal in his previous life, too.
This vessel was just a tool for one to project his will onto the world. So, it didn't matter if it was an external tool or his own body. But Silas wanted to use his body as the vessel rather than external tools. So, next comes the undertaking of preparing the vessel. The prerequisite for this undertaking was a significant elevation of his body.
His brain must have more processing power than a quantum computer.
His eyes should be able to see particles at the quantum level.
His mind should be able to affect spacetime and become indestructible.
All in all, his body must contain the potential for manipulating the world at the quantum level.