Jamal (currently masquerading as Sage Senan) sat in his study, staring at a floating orb of light that the servant had brought him. It was a "Ase Lamp"—basically a jar of glowing spiritual bacteria.
[System Analysis] [Substance: Ase.] [Definition: The ubiquitous life force. The medium through which the immaterial interacts with the material.]
"Right," Jamal muttered, rubbing his temples. "It's Mana equivalent. It's Chakra equivalent. It's The Force equivalent. But if I tell them it's spiritual, they'll meditate for twenty years to float a feather. I need them OP now so I can get paid and retire."
He grabbed his chalkboard (a slate slab) and called the disciples back in. They looked terrible.
Jomo (The Tank) had sunk three inches into the soil just by standing still.
Zola (The Mage) was twitching, seeing wireframe meshes over the furniture.
Rameses (The Speedster) was vibrating so hard he was blurring at the edges.
"Sit," Senan commanded. Only Zola sat. Jomo was afraid he'd crush the chair. Rameses couldn't stop pacing.
"Yesterday, we discussed the body," Senan began, stroking his beard. "Today, we discuss the fuel. Ase."
The three disciples nodded reverently. "Ase is the life force," Rameses recited. "It flows through the four elements."
"Stop," Senan held up a hand. "That is poetry. I am teaching you Mechanics."
He drew a large circle on the slate.
"You think Ase is a mystical river? No. Ase is the Universal Wave Function."
The boys stared blankly.
"Listen closely," Senan stood up, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "The priesthood tells you Ase permeates the Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. They are correct. But they are thinking too small. Ase is the binding energy of atoms. It is the code of the simulation."
He pointed to Jomo. "Jomo, you are not using Ase to strengthen your skin. You are using Ase to increase the Gravitational Constant (G) of your personal space. You are pulling Ase from the earth and compressing it until it becomes heavy."
He pointed to Rameses. "Rameses, Fire is just excited atoms. You are not 'channeling' Ase. You are using Ase as an oxidizer. You are a combustion engine. The Ase in the air is your gasoline."
He pointed to Zola. "And you. Ase is information. It is the Wi-Fi signal. You are not casting spells; you are hacking the router."
[System Alert] [New Concept: "Scientific Ase Theory" integrated.] [Logic: 88%. (High compatibility with Quantum Field Theory nonsense).] [Disciples' Understanding: 12%... but rising.]
"But Sage," Zola interrupted, his voice trembling. "If Ase is just... code... does that mean I can rewrite the Ase of others?"
Jamal grinned. "Now you're thinking like a developer."
"Come," Senan waved his sleeves. "We are going to the Town Square. It is time to test your 'Alignment' against a non-believer."