Vaelorian sat on the floor, his back straight and his hands resting on his knees. His eyes were closed, and his breathing followed the rhythm he had practised countless times.
But tonight, he wasn't thinking about scientific theories or the mysteries of higher dimensions.
He was thinking about Sundar.
The memory returned without warning.
The roadside. The invisible force. The sudden impact.
And Sundar stepping in front of him.
Vaelorian's fingers tightened.
He remembered reaching for his friend, desperately trying to stop the blood, trying to convince himself that everything would somehow be all right.
But nothing had changed.
He had been there.
He had seen everything.
And he had been powerless.
His breathing became uneven.
"Why couldn't I do anything?"
The question escaped his lips.
There was no answer.
He lowered his head, fighting the frustration building inside him.
For days, he had tried to distract himself with books, exercises and research. He had told himself that understanding the world would eventually lead him somewhere.
But what was understanding worth if he couldn't protect someone standing right beside him?
He closed his eyes again.
This time, he didn't try to push the memories away.
He allowed himself to remember.
Sundar's laughter.
Their arguments over football.
The stupid jokes.
The ordinary moments that had once seemed endless.
His chest tightened.
"I don't want to be helpless again."
His voice trembled slightly.
He took a slow breath.
Then another.
Gradually, his breathing returned to its rhythm.
He focused on his body, just as he had practised. The movement of his chest. The tension in his muscles. The beating of his heart.
He had spent so long trying to understand things beyond human perception that he had almost forgotten where his journey needed to begin.
With himself.
He concentrated deeper.
Something unfamiliar stirred within him.
At first, it was so subtle that he almost dismissed it as imagination.
Then the sensation spread.
His heartbeat became strangely distinct. Every muscle, every nerve and every movement inside his body seemed to enter his awareness.
A wave of warmth passed through him.
His body trembled.
For a brief instant, it felt as though his entire physical existence had become something he could finally perceive rather than merely inhabit.
Then something broke through.
Not physically.
Something within his body awakened.
His breathing stopped for a fraction of a second.
A powerful sensation surged through him, followed by an unfamiliar stillness.
Body Awakening.
The first stage.
Vaelorian's fingers slowly relaxed.
He could feel his body differently now. The tension in his muscles, the strength beneath his movements, even the subtle rhythm of his physical responses seemed clearer than before.
But the breakthrough didn't stop.
The sensation moved deeper.
His muscles tightened and relaxed in unfamiliar patterns. A wave of pressure passed through his body, forcing him to grit his teeth.
His expression twisted with discomfort.
He wanted to stop.
Source matters here: the author publishes on the NovelPhoenix site, while this chapter was copied without permission.
But he remembered why he had started.
He endured it.
The pressure gradually subsided.
His physical structure had undergone its first refinement.
Physical Refinement.
The second stage.
Vaelorian leaned forward, breathing heavily.
He thought the experience was over.
Then he noticed something else.
The space around him no longer felt completely empty.
There were subtle fluctuations everywhere.
Around the walls.
Near the floor.
Even around his own body.
He couldn't see them, but he could sense them.
His eyes widened.
He concentrated on the unfamiliar sensation.
For the first time, he perceived the faint traces of energy surrounding him.
It was like discovering an entirely new layer of reality that had always existed beyond his ordinary senses.
His consciousness trembled under the unfamiliar experience.
Then the sensation settled.
Energy Perception.
The third stage.
Silence returned.
Then he slowly opened his eyes.
His breathing was uneven. Sweat covered his forehead, and his hands were trembling.
He looked at his palms.
Then at the room around him.
Everything was familiar.
Yet nothing felt quite the same.
He swallowed.
"What... is this feeling?"
His voice was barely audible.
He raised one hand and concentrated on the energy he could now perceive.
For a moment, he sensed something respond.
He tried to guide it.
Nothing happened.
He concentrated harder.
The sensation vanished.
"What?"
He tried again.
Nothing.
A frustrated breath escaped him.
He could perceive something that had previously been beyond his senses, but he had no idea how to control it.
He looked down at his trembling hands.
Then, unexpectedly, his eyes moved towards the photograph beside his notebook.
It was a picture of him and Sundar.
Both were smiling.
Vaelorian picked it up.
For a long moment, he couldn't speak.
He remembered the promise he had made to himself.
Never again.
His eyes became moist, but he didn't look away.
"I don't know how far I can go," he whispered.
His fingers tightened around the photograph.
"But I'll keep going."
He carefully placed it back.
Then he opened his notebook.
After staring at the empty page for a while, he wrote:
Something inside me has awakened.
I don't understand it yet. I don't know what it means, or where this path will lead.
But I know one thing.
I refuse to remain helpless.
He put down the pen.
For the first time, his pursuit of cultivation had become deeply personal.
The following evening, Vaelorian left home.
He carried a small backpack containing water, his notebook and a few ordinary objects he intended to use for testing.
He had chosen a deserted stretch of land far from residential areas. The uneven ground was scattered with rocks, and an abandoned structure stood in the distance.
There was hardly anyone around.
Vaelorian looked across the empty landscape.
"Perfect."
He placed his backpack on the ground.
His first test was physical strength.
He approached a large rock and placed both hands against it.
After adjusting his position, he pushed.
The rock moved slightly.
He stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
He tried again, applying more force.
This time, the rock shifted several inches.
Vaelorian stepped back.
He stared at it, then at his hands.
A quiet smile appeared on his face.
"So it really happened."
He wasn't imagining it.
His body had changed.
But he knew that one successful attempt proved very little.
He tested his movement next.
His first sprint was faster than he expected. He misjudged his speed and nearly lost his balance.
His second attempt was better.
On the third, he managed to maintain his balance throughout the run.
He stopped, breathing heavily.
His body was stronger, but not limitless. His muscles still became tired, and his breathing grew uneven when he pushed himself too hard.
He recorded his observations.
Then came the more difficult test.
Energy perception.
Vaelorian stood still and closed his eyes.
He remembered the sensation from the previous night.
He slowed his breathing and concentrated.
At first, there was nothing.
He adjusted his posture.
Gradually, the unfamiliar sensation returned.
The surroundings seemed to become more distinct. He could sense subtle fluctuations around him, although he couldn't explain their nature.
He focused on a nearby stone.
For a moment, he sensed something surrounding it.
He opened his eyes.
He tried to influence it.
Nothing happened.
He concentrated harder.
Still nothing.
Eventually, he exhaled in frustration.
"So I can sense it, but I can't control it?"
He looked at the stone.
A small laugh escaped him.
"Wonderful. I've discovered something I can't even use."
He shook his head.
Despite his frustration, he was smiling.
For someone who had spent so much time wondering whether anything existed beyond ordinary human perception, even this limited experience was extraordinary.
He wasn't going to understand everything in one evening.
But he had finally found something worth pursuing.
Far away, inside an ancient cultivation chamber, a series of instruments suddenly began vibrating.
A faint light appeared across the surface of a circular formation.
An elderly cultivator, who had been meditating in silence, opened his eyes.
He looked towards the formation.
"That fluctuation..."
A younger cultivator approached and examined the readings.
"Something has happened."
The elderly man stood up.
"Where did it originate?"
The younger cultivator hesitated.
"From this planet."
Silence filled the chamber.
Another cultivator, seated near the far wall, turned towards them.
"Impossible. The surrounding environment barely contains enough dimensional energy to support a proper foundation."
The younger man checked the readings again.
"There's no mistake."
The elderly cultivator approached the formation.
A faint pattern appeared across its surface.
His expression changed.
"Three foundational stages?"
The younger cultivator looked at him.
"All at once?"
The elderly man didn't immediately answer.
He examined the readings carefully, as though searching for an error.
After a long pause, he spoke.
"How long has the individual been cultivating?"
"We don't know."
"Then find out."
The younger cultivator nodded.
But before he could leave, another voice interrupted them.
"Don't."
Everyone turned.
A black-robed man stood at the entrance.
No one had heard him arrive.
The atmosphere inside the chamber seemed to grow heavier. Even the elderly cultivator straightened slightly.
The black-robed man walked towards the formation and glanced at its readings.
For several seconds, he remained silent.
Then he spoke.
"Three foundational stages in a single breakthrough..."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"On a world that has barely begun to understand cultivation."
The elderly man lowered his head.
"Should we investigate the individual?"
The black-robed man continued looking at the formation.
"Observe him."
A brief silence followed.
"Do not approach him. Do not interfere with his cultivation."
He turned away.
"Let us first see what he does with what he has awakened."
The deserted area had grown darker.
Vaelorian sat on a flat rock, reviewing his notes.
His body was exhausted, and his attempts at controlling the unfamiliar energy had produced almost nothing.
He looked at the photograph tucked inside his notebook.
For a moment, he simply stared at it.
Then he closed the notebook.
There was still so much he didn't understand.
He looked at his hands once more.
"What exactly have I become?"
The question lingered in the evening air.
He had no answer.
But somewhere deep within him, the helplessness he had carried since Sundar's disappearance had begun to change.
It had not disappeared.
It had become determination.
Vaelorian picked up his backpack and began walking home.
Behind him, the deserted landscape remained completely still.
But somewhere beyond his understanding, his first awakening had already attracted attention.
And those who had noticed it were beginning to wonder who he was.