This unexpected development left Marcus genuinely puzzled and intrigued. He was well aware that void energy could be transformed and adapted into various other forms of power depending on the user's nature and the specific techniques being employed.
However, the energy traditionally released through Zenurik school methods remained fundamentally void energy at its core, regardless of how it was manipulated or applied. The practitioners might shape it differently, but the underlying essence was always unmistakably void-based.
But the energy currently manifesting around Bruce and Selina's hands contained absolutely no detectable void fluctuations whatsoever. Instead, what he was observing appeared to be completely pure energy—something clean, harmonious, and entirely different from anything he had expected to see.
"How strange," Marcus murmured to himself, his analytical mind working through the possibilities. "Did the Zenurik school somehow modify its fundamental operating principles to match their individual natures and potential?"
It was clearly supposed to be a void-based discipline, a school of techniques specifically designed to channel and continuously release void energy in various forms. Yet somehow, when practiced by Bruce and Selina, it had transformed into something that produced this remarkably pure and peaceful energy instead.
"Focus your energy into your weapons and continue practicing your combat stances," Marcus instructed, deciding that practical observation would provide better insights than theoretical speculation.
Following Marcus's guidance, both students worked to control and direct the energy flowing through their hands, concentrating it into the weapons they carried. At this moment, they were both wielding their preferred daggers—sleek, well-balanced blades that had become extensions of their fighting abilities.
As their energy continued to condense and flow into the metal, their daggers began to emit a soft, steady glow that seemed almost ethereal in the garden's twilight atmosphere.
"Now try attacking the stone flower bed over there," Marcus suggested, gesturing toward a decorative stone planter that would serve as an adequate test target.
Hearing Marcus's instruction, both Bruce and Selina approached the solid stone flower bed and prepared to strike it with their energy-enhanced weapons.
Swish~
The daggers, now wrapped in their mysterious energy, sliced through the stone as easily as if it were soft clay, carving clean, precise grooves into what should have been an impenetrable surface.
"Very interesting indeed," Marcus said with genuine appreciation and curiosity. "Although this isn't void energy as I expected, it actually seems to be far more suitable for both of your individual fighting styles and personalities."
He was absolutely correct in this assessment. This pure energy seemed perfectly matched to Bruce and Selina's natures. Unlike void energy, which could be chaotic and unpredictable, requiring constant mental control to prevent dangerous side effects, this energy provided clean amplification without any of the problematic complications that void power typically introduced.
After receiving Marcus's positive evaluation, both Bruce and Selina felt a surge of pride and satisfaction. However, their spirits quickly became visibly depleted, and they both appeared physically exhausted from the demonstration.
It seemed that utilizing this energy required a significant expenditure of their personal stamina and life force, leaving them drained after even brief applications.
"Teacher, can we stop now?" Bruce asked with obvious difficulty, his breathing labored from the exertion. "We can't maintain this much longer."
"We're completely exhausted," Selina added, her voice strained as she struggled to remain standing upright.
Although they had successfully developed proficiency with Zenurik school techniques, the energy they could access was still quite limited. With their current energy reserves and physical conditioning, they could sustain perhaps one serious attack before requiring significant recovery time.
"Yes, that's enough for now," Marcus said, having seen everything he needed to assess their current capabilities.
Through careful observation, Marcus had determined that while Bruce and Selina had indeed mastered Zenurik school fundamentals, their energy was being generated entirely from their own internal reserves rather than being drawn from external void sources.
This personal energy had gradually grown to its current level through months of dedicated daily practice and conditioning. If given sufficient time and continued training, they might eventually be able to sustain extended combat using such energy. However, at their present level, this power could only be treated as a finishing move or emergency technique.
"Fascinating," Marcus thought to himself. "Although they can't access void energy from external dimensional sources, this represents an entirely different evolutionary path. As long as their personal energy continues growing and developing, they should eventually be able to achieve commander-level capabilities through their own unique methods."
Through continued practice of Zenurik school techniques, Bruce and Selina would be able to gradually increase their power and effectiveness. The fact that they weren't using traditional void energy wasn't necessarily a problem, especially since neither of them would ever be able to transform into Warframe battle armor anyway.
Simple energy amplification would be sufficient for them to handle most challenges they were likely to encounter during their vigilante careers.
"It seems I should teach you both more advanced applications of Zenurik school techniques," Marcus announced, his tone becoming more instructional and serious.
Bruce and Selina had successfully mastered the basic fundamentals of the Zenurik school, which primarily involved learning how to generate and control their internal energy. Now that both students had successfully condensed and manipulated this power, it was the perfect time to introduce them to higher-level applications that would allow them to progress much further along the Zenurik path.
With that decision made, Marcus began an extensive demonstration for his two eager students.
The various advanced abilities of the Zenurik school were systematically presented for their observation and study. These included techniques for dramatically increasing energy recovery speed, methods for expanding total energy capacity, and specialized applications that could be released as devastating combat moves.
Zenurik's numerous abilities were demonstrated one by one, creating a comprehensive display that filled Bruce and Selina with excitement and wonder. Even Alfred, who had been observing from the sidelines, found himself staring with his mouth agape in amazement at the incredible techniques being revealed.
Initially, they had all assumed that Zenurik school was simply about learning to harness and utilize personal energy. Now they understood that mastering basic energy manipulation was merely the most fundamental requirement. The true strength and versatility of Zenurik school lay in the advanced techniques that Marcus was currently teaching them.
Watching the various demonstrations that Marcus performed with such casual expertise, Bruce and Selina concentrated intensely, trying to memorize every detail and nuance. They were terrified of missing even the smallest element that might prove crucial to their future development.
Alfred, standing nearby, also watched with complete focus and attention. Although he had never studied Zenurik school techniques himself, he was determined to remember everything being demonstrated.
This way, even if Bruce and Selina forgot some crucial detail during their future practice sessions, he would be able to quickly correct their mistakes and guide them back to proper form.
As time passed and the demonstration continued, Marcus systematically taught both students the complete curriculum of Zenurik school techniques and applications. What level of mastery they would ultimately achieve would depend entirely on their individual dedication, natural talent, and continued effort.
After completing the comprehensive teaching session, Marcus turned around to look directly at Alfred, who had been observing everything with intense concentration.
"Don't waste your time trying to memorize all of this," Marcus said with gentle but firm authority. "Without personally mastering Zenurik school fundamentals, these advanced techniques are essentially meaningless to you."
Not having mastered basic Zenurik school meant that Alfred could only make judgments and assessments based on his own imagination and external observations. However, such judgments would be completely irrelevant and potentially harmful when applied to actual Zenurik school practice.
Without personal experience of energy manipulation and the internal sensations involved, it would be impossible for him to truly understand the subtle mysteries and requirements of Zenurik school techniques.
"Is that so?" Alfred responded thoughtfully, not showing any disappointment about these limitations. "It seems I'd better focus on being the best butler I can be rather than trying to become a martial arts instructor."
Alfred didn't become discouraged or dejected because of his inability to directly help with this aspect of their training. Since he couldn't memorize these techniques in a way that would actually benefit Bruce and Selina's practice, it would be far better for him to concentrate on performing his own responsibilities with excellence.
"All right then," Marcus said, settling himself more comfortably and changing the subject. "Let's discuss what other changes have occurred during my absence over the past few years."
"Changes over the past few years?" Alfred repeated, taking a moment to organize his thoughts before settling into a nearby chair.
"Since your departure, Master Bruce and Miss Selina have maintained their vigilante activities every single night without exception," Alfred began, his voice carrying both pride and mild concern. "This has been the only activity they've insisted on maintaining consistently, aside from their daily training regimen."
He paused briefly before continuing with obvious enthusiasm. "Oh, and you should definitely see what they've done with that secret room behind the fireplace. It's been completely transformed into Master Bruce's personal operations base."
"That secret room?" Marcus asked with immediate interest, his memory immediately recalling the hidden space.
Marcus certainly remembered the concealed room behind the fireplace, though in his mind he had always associated it with Bruce's eventual transformation into Batman and the development of the famous Batcave.
"A secret base? I'd very much like to see what they've accomplished," Marcus said, rising from his seat with genuine curiosity.
With that decision made, both men stood up and began walking back toward Wayne Manor's main structure, leaving Bruce and Selina to continue their practice and recovery in the garden's peaceful atmosphere.
"Master Bruce has significantly expanded and modified the original secret room," Alfred explained as he led Marcus through the manor's familiar corridors. "There are now numerous instruments, monitoring equipment, and technological systems installed throughout the space."
Alfred continued providing detailed explanations as they made their way toward the secret room, describing the current state and capabilities of Bruce's hidden operations center.
Soon they reached their destination, though Marcus immediately noticed that the entrance method had been completely redesigned for enhanced security and concealment.
They didn't enter through the traditional fireplace entrance at all. Instead, they accessed the space through a carefully concealed underground passage that had been constructed in an entirely different location within the manor's basement level.
After navigating through the new entrance system and arriving in the secret room, Marcus found himself genuinely shocked by the sophisticated scene that greeted him.
The originally empty walls were now occupied by more than a dozen high-resolution monitors displaying live feeds from various locations throughout Gotham City. The screens provided comprehensive surveillance coverage of the city's most important and dangerous areas.
"I thought this kind of systematic approach would take several more years to develop," Marcus said with impressed surprise. "I didn't expect Bruce's strategic thinking to emerge this early in his development."
Although the equipment in the secret room was still relatively basic compared to what it would eventually become, the overall setup immediately reminded Marcus of the legendary Batcave that would eventually serve as Batman's primary operations center, with Alfred providing crucial technical and logistical support.
Every time Marcus considered Alfred's future role in supporting Bruce's mission, he couldn't help but compare the elderly butler's capabilities to those of an incredibly sophisticated artificial intelligence system.