Chapter 152
Evelyn, who was watching this, could not help but take a deep breath. The sight was breathtaking, each sphere a testament to Oliver’s control. The shimmering spheres hovered like celestial bodies, radiating a serene yet powerful aura.
The moment Oliver released his espera, her breath hitched, and her heart almost leaped into her throat.
She had never seen any of her peers with such a sheer quantity of espera.
No, she had never felt this pressured before. The gap between them was so wide, she was starting to realize it now.
She could finally see it.
The gap between her and him, it was vast, extremely vast.
She looked down at her hand; it was trembling slightly from being exposed to the overwhelming espera coming from him.
‘If he had this much espera since the beginning, then it made sense how he reached so high up during the mountain climb…’
She inhaled deeply to calm her nerves. Fortunately, she had already practiced with him multiple times beforehand, or else she might not have been able to keep her composure.
The first time they tried it, she almost fell upon coming in contact with that sheer amount of espera.
“Huff…”
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed as she clasped her hands together. Closing her eyes, she focused as she channeled the light within her to move forward.
In the next moment, a bright ray of light emerged from her body. It was blinding, making any onlooker close their eyes.
However, she concentrated, and soon the blinding white light dimmed slowly, turning into a single focused ray—a dense, potent white ray of light focused in front of her.
“Go!”
She opened her eyes and, with a powerful burst of espera, launched the ray of light towards Oliver—more specifically, towards the cage of water spheres and constructs.
She did not relax and immediately conjured another blinding light, compressing it to a dense white ray, and threw it towards the water cage.
She repeated this, one ray of light after another, each filled with energy and momentum.
Her face was set in determined concentration, her movements precise and unwavering.
Oliver used [Cosmic Void Gaze] as he saw the incoming lights; all of them were slowed down in his vision as they moved and entered the cage of water spheres.
He stretched forward his hand and snapped his fingers.
In an instant, the water bodies moved, accommodating the rays of light.
Something happened: the light that should have passed through the water puddles was instead reflected backward!
Not refracted?
Reflection is the process where light bounces back from a surface rather than passing through it.
This phenomenon occurs prominently when the water surface is calm and undisturbed. Under these conditions, the water can act like a mirror, reflecting light rays in a manner similar to a flat, smooth surface.
However, that was not only it.
Reflection is noticeable primarily when an appropriate angle is made when the light strikes the water, a low angle close to horizontal.
Like when it happens during sunrise or sunset.
Instead of refracting out of the water, the light is entirely reflected back into the water.
But the more common phenomenon was ‘refraction’; usually, it was expected for light to pass directly through the water into the air. And the angle requirement is pretty suitable for it to happen as well.
Both reflection and refraction happen naturally in water, but refraction is way more common in general.
Oliver adjusted the water constructs at such a position and angle that all the light rays reflected perfectly from one surface to another.
Soon, the multiple light beams entered the sort-of water cage that Oliver had perfectly and precisely angled and moved.
What happened was the light beams, instead of dying down and disappearing, did not dull but instead kept getting reflected faster and faster in that cage of water constructs.
Now, here’s the theory that Oliver had proposed.
The laws and physics of this world were not similar to those of his previous world so far as he had noticed already. While a lot of concepts were similar, due to the presence of an energy called ‘espera,’ many things were different or did not exist at all.
It meant that the water in these constructs was not ordinary water but instead a form of “shiny water” that possessed unique energy-storing properties.
The constructs of water were made using his tremendous espera, and not to mention, he was continuously supplying espera into them as well.
These shiny water constructs could absorb and store large amounts of energy from the environment or an external source.
The external source being him and the light beams.
When light beams (photons) were directed into the cage of shiny water constructs, the interaction between the light and the water surfaces was designed to allow for perfect reflection.
Perfect reflection means that the photons do not lose energy during reflection but can instead gain energy from the water constructs.
He was using his espera to make the shiny water constructs have the ability to transfer energy to the photons through a process akin to stimulated emission, where the photons gain additional energy from the water molecules.
Each reflection within the cage increased the energy of the photons incrementally, turning them into high-energy photons.
The shiny water spheres acted as micro-lenses, ensuring minimal energy loss and maximum energy transfer.
While the flat water surfaces acted as perfect mirrors, reflecting the light beams without scattering, maintaining the coherence and directionality of the light.
Screech!
As the light beams reflected multiple times within the cage, they continuously gained energy, eventually reaching destructive levels.
A sharp, high-pitched screeching sound was heard from time to time.
The air seemed to vibrate with the intensity of the charged photons.
These high-energy light beams were nothing simple; they were potent ionizing rays with extreme destructive potential.
Ionizing radiation includes particles or electromagnetic waves with enough energy to ionize atoms or molecules by detaching electrons.
Basically, they have enough energy to remove the tightly bound electrons from atoms, capable of splitting atoms into ions!
It includes alpha particles, beta particles, neutrons, and high-energy photons (X-rays and gamma rays).
It was an instant death if someone dared to step into a zone of high-dose ionized radiation.
The cage, at the moment, was something similar. It was a cage containing high levels of these gamma rays.
It was a cage of death!
One step into it, and getting cancer was the least of worries; it was almost impossible to escape death without special protection.
Gamma rays at extreme doses cause irreversible damage to the central nervous system; they directly lead to CNS failure—directly attacking the brain and nerves and killing the entity.
In a typical nuclear accident or disaster, the estimated dose was around 10-30 Sv (a unit to measure the level), which was as good as a guaranteed death.
Typically, that should have been the case. However, Oliver and Evelyn were not at that level yet, nor did they intend to reach that level themselves for this demonstration.
It was very natural for them to surpass this threshold and reach extremely destructive levels if they continued to grow their espera in the future and become higher-ranking exorcists.
But for now, this small practical demonstration had basically put up a foundation for a much deadlier weapon of mass destruction for the future.
Right now, Oliver’s entire focus was drawn to the water cage. His entire concentration was on maintaining the balance and adjusting the positions of the water constructs repeatedly and continuously to accommodate the light rays.
The radiation level forming inside the water cage was not too high either. But it was still dangerous for a human body.
His eyes shone as he once again adjusted the water constructs. He was continuously using [Cosmic Void Gaze] on top of supplying espera to the cage of water. It was draining his mental energy as well as espera too much.
He could already feel a sense of fatigue in his body.
Of course, it was as simple as minor fatigue. He still had Abyss energy inside him to support and sustain him. Even if his espera was depleted down to zero, he would not die.
Nonetheless, it was too draining and gave an uncomfortable feeling to him. He wanted it to be over as soon as possible.
However, Oliver’s gaze shifted as he said, “Evelyn, it’s ready.”
To which, Evelyn moved quickly. She went up to the metallic training dummy in the corner.
With a deep breath, she tightened her grip around the gnarled roots of the dummy, feeling the rough texture bite into her palms.
She heaved, the muscles in her arms straining as she pulled with all her might. There was a moment of resistance.
Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing in her ears.
Snap!
Then, with a loud snapping sound, the roots of the dummy gave way, a cascade of soil crumbling around its legs.
She stumbled back, the now-liberated metallic dummy clutched in her hands, its legs that were rooted into the earth beneath dangling and dripping with dirt.
She looked at the dummy in her hands before gazing back at Oliver, who nodded at her.