Shinsu


 * "Shinsoo is the world itself."
 * - Yuga (Lo Po Bia Ren)

Shinsoo (신수, 神水) is a miraculous substance that flows through the Tower and each Floor has areas of varying amounts of shinsoo density, increasing with each floor. In lower concentrations, it's density makes it act like a gas, but in higher concentrations, it's like liquid.

In different times, shinsoo can act as water, fire, air, or light and it has an endless list of variations. As it can be so many different things, nothing can be singled out to define shinsoo or to assign it with a special property. That shinsoo is the "basis of all energy" implies it is the most important part of all energy, though there may be other "building blocks" required, depending on the end product (like water, fire, etc.).

Shinsoo is essential for living in the Tower, it allows breathing and provides moisture for the inhabitants. Lero-Ro stated that within the Tower, shinsoo replaces air and carries out all the processes that air would.

According to Lero-Ro, shinsoo is said to have no limits. Through shinsoo alone, one can attain eternal youth, immortality and even the powers of a god (most likely Rankers and High Rankers). And there is a rumour Enryu is able to create life using shinsoo.

In Ashul Edwaru's "Of the Tower's Weapons", it is mentioned that shinsoo is created by the Tower and even exists in sealed places. What shinsoo is created from, is unknown. But this means shinsoo is artificially created and possibly is not naturally occuring. And in turn, the Guardians control shinsoo on each Floor.

Sometimes when people start to handle shinsoo, their growth stops before they become adults.(chapter 32 Author's Notes).

Being able to directly control shinsoo is a very rare talent, and it can be said that this talent itself is an absolutely necessary requirement in order to become a Ranker. Basically, most, if not all, Regulars have some degree of control over shinsoo, although this does not mean all regulars can become skillful manipulators of shinsoo. While Wave Controllers specialise in using it, all positions have to learn it eventually to pass the tests, or to fight successfully or to use it to strengthen their bodies.

Irregulars commonly have a special talent for using shinsoo, which leads to them being extremely powerful - one of the reasons they are considered to be so dangerous.

Shinsoo Resistance is a natural resistance against shinsoo, allowing the individual to resist attacks consisting of shinsoo, move around in areas with certain amounts of shinsoo density, and so on. It seems to be inborn for Tower inhabitants.

Air and Shinsoo
Much research in the difference between air and shinsoo has been made by Ashul Edwaru, and the below is a summery from a book about weapons that he has made.

First, the common point is that they both let living beings breathe. And they both flow constantly. It is also identical that they are powerful enough to threaten others when they flow harshly.

Then the difference? The biggest difference is indeed the characteristics that vary by concentration. In shinsoo's case it's more like a gas when it's in low concentrations and more like liquid when it's in high concentrations. However, it seems air cannot be liquefied, even in high concentrations.

The second difference is the circulation. The circulation of shinsoo is very fluent but there is no common law. (And the movements are all different, depending on the floor of the Tower you are on.) However, it is said that there are set laws in the circulation of air. (I want to study some more about the laws, but the research is slow because none of the Irregulars that I have met are knowledgeable enough about the laws of air.)

The third difference is consumption. shinsoo exists everywhere inside the tower. So shinsoo exists even in a room that is completely sealed. shinsoo does not flow in from somewhere else, but is rather created from the Tower. So, we can live in sealed places. Air is not created from sealed places, and if a being is locked inside a sealed room, the being will consume all of the air and die. (It seems very uncomfortable.)

He ends by saying that the readers might find it strange that he starts a book about weapons by speaking about shinsoo. However, that only means that they are ignorant about how weapons in the tower function and are made.

Manipulation of Shinsoo
There are two ways to control shinsoo: Control through an item or direct control Generally speaking, when one says "manipulating shinsoo", it usually refers to direct control.

Shinsoo manipulation abilities vary greatly among individuals, although members of the 10 Great Families have a large chance of being born with the talent of shinsoo manipulation. Branch houses that originate from the main houses of the 10 Great Families are no exception to this probability of having the talent at birth. A few unknown members of these branch families keep the origins of their blood a secret, maintaining the passing down of the talent of manipulating shinsoo.

Externally manipulating shinsoo to change the environment, to attack the opponent, or to carry out other actions is known as shinsoo manipulation (신수 조작, shinsoo jojahk; 神水 操作; "divine water manipulation"''). Depending on the group or region, it also goes by several other names such as "water mastery" (수역, sooyeok; 水役; "to make water a servant") or "wind technique" (풍술, poongsul; 風術; "wind skill"). The first person who began to systematically organize shinsu was one of the patriarchs of the 10 Great Families, Po Bidau Gustang. All of the language (jargon), standards, and units related to shinsu that are used today all originate from Gustang's work.

Shinsoo can be used to enhance physical abilities, to create barriers, and as a formidable destructive energy. It is said that Enryu can even use it to create life.

The Exact Definition of "Wave Controller"
Technically, the term Wave Controller does not actually refer to just shinsoo manipulators, but rather something more specific. However, the two terms are often used interchangeably in the Tower.

In terms of battle positions, the Wave Wielder refers to a position that utilizes shinsu manipulation in order to participate in battle. However, this is merely a traditional definition and very few individuals actually fit these conditions. Most Wave Wielders have other direct battle abilities and commonly fill other positions.

Contracts
In order to manipulate shinsoo directly (without the use of an item) within the Inner Tower or Outer Tower, a contract with the Guardian of the floor must be made. In regards to items, only items that already have a contract made with the Guardian can be used. For example, an item that has a contract with the administrators of the 2~30F cannot be used at 31F.

Because one has made a contract with the Guardian does not mean one can manipulate shinsoo anywhere on that floor.

After a contract has been made with a Guardian, one must uphold several terms and conditions. If one violates any of these rules, the contract is considered to have been broken and one's rights are taken away, making their contract null. The strictness of these rules vary between class to class. In terms of the contract that Rankers and High Rankers make with Guardians, it can be said that they are nearly completely free of restrictions.

It is not impossible to manipulate shinsoo without a contract. Simple manipulation of amounts below a certain standard is possible without a contract. Also, an innate resistance to shinsoo, a body strengthening ability that utilizes shinsoo, or other similar skills are all natural abilities that one can have, and therefore do not require contracts.

It is known that there is exactly one place in the Tower where shinsoo can be freely manipulated without a contract. This is the Forty-Third Floor, as its previous Guardian was killed by Enryu.

The 10 Great Families, their numerous branch houses, and a few other families are able to manipulate shinsoo without a contract. This does not actually mean they do not have a contract. It occurs because they are considered to have a contract at birth.

Baang, Myun and Soo
The basic unit of Shinsoo manipulation is called Baang(放-room) and the size of the Baang is called Myun(面-side) and the density of Shinsoo that goes in a Baang is called Soo(水-water).

Baang
The baang is the basic unit of shinsu manipulation. The more baangs one can control, the more skilled at manipulating shinsoo one is judged to be. However, this does not mean one can manipulation greater myun and higher soo with many baangs. As the number of baangs increase, control becomes more difficult. Overdoing the handling of baangs can physically and mentally exhaust the manipulator - in serious case, this may lead to death. If supported by a Lighthouse, the manipulation of the created baangs can become much easier, but this does not mean the number of baangs increases.

Myun
Myun refers to the size of a baang. Specifically, it refers to the surface area that shinsoo is spread out across, regardless to height. 1 myun is equal to 1 pyeong (평, 坪), which is equal to around 3.306 square meters of shinsoo. When discussing the size of a baang, the height is not considered because its range of fluctuation is large and heavily depends on the situation, which makes it difficult to discern. (Height is not involved in the calculation of the size of the baang. The height is dealt with by converting it using the numerical value of the concentration of the baang in question.) It can be said that the wider the myun one can control, the wider the area in which shinsoo can be applied. However, because one can control a wide myun does not mean one can manipulate a certain concentration of shinsoo within the myun. Normally, the center of a myun has the highest concentration of shinsoo and the circumference has the lowest concentration, but skilled manipulators can make the outer layer quite dense. There are also some who can control the concentration within the bang quite freely, although this is quite rare.

Soo
Soo refers to the concentration of shinsoo within a baang. Only the concentration of shinsoo in the most concentrated area of the baang is used to calculate soo. There is no numerical unit used on Earth that can be related to soo. The measurement of soo can only be done using a Lighthouse, Observer, or specialized senses. The higher the soo, the more effective and destructive a baang is. This is why controlling a high soo is extremely important. Normally, the denser the shinsoo in the environment, the faster the soo in a baang can be increased. However, there is a limit to the amount of soo that can be pressed into a baang, and this limit depends on the person. The environment has no effect in overcoming this limit whatsoever. The concentration of soo within a baang is not uniform, either. The value of soo changes depending on the myun, so there are big differences in regards to soo between individuals who manipulate shinsoo. If one has very good mental concentration, it is possible to manipulate a high soo of shinsoo within a small myun. If one is very good at distributed data processing, it is possible to manipulate a certain amount of soo within a large myun.

Baang, Myun, and Soo
Basically, when discussing the baang, myun, and soo an individual can control, Baang would actually refer to the maximum number of baangs one can manipulate simultaneously. Myun would actually refer to the maximum myun one can manipulate if they created only one baang, and Soo would actually refer to the maximum concentration one can press into a baang, regardless of the myun in this case. For example, let's say someone can: Despite the fact that they are unable to do all of the above at the same time, they are still evaluated as being able to control "4 baang 100 myun 30 soo".
 * control 4 baangs at once, but they're not very big or dense
 * control 100 myun if they create only 1 baang and focus everything on it
 * gather up to 30 soo into a single baang

Baang, myun, and soo are very closely related, and when supported by a Lighthouse or some other form of aid, large differences can be seen. Normally, the more numerous the number of baang, the smaller the myun and lower the soo that can be managed, and the larger the myun, the lower the soo that can be managed. Soo therefore heavily depends on the numerical value of myun and baang, as an increase in either means a decrease in soo. Fundamentally, this is known as the 'minus tendency' (마이너스 기질, maineoseu gijil; Minus 氣質; or "minus constitution"). Sometimes, there is a special case in which the numbers of manageable myun and soo instead increase as the number of baangs increases. This special case is known as 'plus tendency' (플러스 기질, peuleoseu gijil; Plus 氣質; or "plus constitution"), and is an extremely rare talent.

The minus tendency can be overcome with improvement from training and support from external aids, which helps in reducing the amount minused. However, one can never become a plus tendency.

Also, being a plus does not mean one can produce an infinite number of baangs. Pluses find it equally difficult to increase the number of baangs.

Records
Until now, the person who have handled the largest numerical value of Shinsoo is Enryu. And although the accurate number is not recorded, it's clear that it surpasses other recorded figures greatly. (According to a Light Bearer who could record Enryu's combat, Enryu is known to have handled more than 9000 baangs during the combat).

Types of Shinsoo Manipulation
There are two major types of shinsoo manipulation: Flow Control is reading the original flow of shinsoo and using that flow to manipulate shinsoo. On the other hand, Reverse-Flow Control refers to reversing the flow to manipulate shinsoo.
 * Flow Control (흐름제어, heureumjae'eo)
 * Reverse-Flow Control (역흐름제어, yeokheureumjae'eo)

1. Flow Control
Flow Control is reading the flow of shinsoo and manipulating it according to that flow.

Although there is no exact predictable pattern to the flow of shinsoo, shinsoo does momentarily flow in certain directions, so one can efficiently manipulate shinsoo by reading and using these temporary directional flows. (Once one begins to control shinsoo in one direction, it is difficult to change direction.)

The greatest advantage to flow control is that it allows the manipulator to control a large amount of shinsoo without much effort. Flow control is much faster than reverse-flow control, and can control more shinsoo.

Sometimes, one can take advantage of the flow of the enemy's baang of shinsoo to make it his/her own. Of course, the most important part is reading the current flow of shinsoo, and finding the optimum point - the best way to use it.

This also applies to Body Reinforcement (신체강화, shinchae gahnghwa; or "Physical Enhancement"). Every living organism has an individual flow of shinsoo. By using this flow, one can heal themselves or others, or grant numerous abilities.

Of course, the opposite is also possible. If you strengthen or speed up the flow of shinsoo within your own body, you can strengthen and speed up your own body, but you may also inflict a proportional amount of internal damage on yourself. This also applies to others. If you control your enemy's flow of shinsoo beyond its limit, your enemy will be reduced to nothing but a skin, like a popped water balloon.

Let's take a look at the case of Eurasia Blossom, who was the most talented and destructive in the Tower's history. She once proved that just by "accelerating" the shinsoo in one area, she could instantly kill 99% of the population living there.

2. Reverse-Flow Control
Reverse-Flow Control is controlling shinsoo by forcefully changing its flow. It is slower than flow control, and allows the user to control a smaller amount of shinsoo. Reverse-flow control is mostly used to destroy or stop the enemy.

Reverse-flow control requires more caution than flow control. In fact, to use reverse-flow control, you need to be able to read the flow of shinsoo even better than you need to for flow control. Of course, you don't need the talent to ride the flow like in flow control. You instead break, block, and shatter the flow and make it your own. (Even though this may sound very destructive, flow control is actually better for destroying things)

Of course it would be wisest to not make situations where you need to use reverse-flow control, but if you ever fall into a situation in which you must use reverse-flow control, listen to the wise words of Lightpen (라이트펜, Raiteupen), the current vice-president of the Research Association - "There is only one thing needed to defeat an enemy using reverse-flow control. You just have to be overwhelmingly more powerful than your opponent."

3. A Combination of the Two Kinds
A few talented Wave Wielders in the Tower are capable of the magnificent feat of utilizing Flow Control and Reverse-Flow Control at the same time. (A simple analogy would be the talent of being able to play table tennis against two opponents at once holding a paddle in each hand.)

This does not mean the same thing as just making two baangs of shinsoo. Of course, using different kinds of control in each bang is a difficult task, but you are only considered to have this talent if you can use both Flow Control and Reverse-Flow Control in the same baang.

The best example is Hwajeopgongpasul (화접공파술, hwajuhpgongpahsool), a technique only taught to FUG members. This technique is a very destructive "Damage Technique" (타격술, tahgyeoksool; 打擊術). Once your body is in contact with your opponent's, you forcefully "reverse-flow control" the flow of shinsoo in your opponent's body by accelerating the flow of shinsoo inside your own body. You then "flow control" the returning shock inside your own body to protect yourself from the backlash. This is a dangerous technique that destroys everything in contact with your body while leaving you completely unharmed.

Notes and Trivia

 * While the possibilities of shinsoo are said to be without bounds, limits still exist depending on the wielder. Shinsoo seemingly cannot be used to transform a weapon into another type of weapon, like changing the Green April into the White Oar. A Regular also can't use shinsoo to gain enough abilities and powers so he can surpass Phantaminum's Ranking, within 5 seconds of arriving on the 2nd Floor. Shinsoo clearly cannot be used to swap the locations of the 10 Great Warriors and Zahard, with the locations of some bystanders, so Grace Mircea Luslec and FUG can just kill them right away. Shinsoo can't be used to magically discover the top floor of the Tower. It can't be used to change the species of a character, like changing Androssi Zahard or Ja Wangnan into a giant rabbit or flying bat. As a result, it means in certain conditions or context, Shinsoo has close to no limits or no known limits. But in other situations, it is binded by conditions.

Alternate Translations

 * (Korean Translation) Shin-su
 * ("神水") Divine Water, or God Water