Chapter 16:Ouroboros Library

Aris sat in his room, staring at the ceiling. The days at Dragon Mountain had been uneventful since his admission, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was behind the other disciples. He couldn't practice cultivation yet, at least not in the way everyone else seemed to. He needed something more, something that matched his talent.

He paced around the room, frustration bubbling inside him. Inspiration had helped him a lot so far, but he hadn't fully unlocked its potential. That was when the idea hit him. If he couldn't cultivate like the others, maybe he could still use his talent to improve himself in other ways.

A grin spread across his face. "I'll make my own library."

The idea of cataloguing every technique he had improved, every martial art he had touched and perfected, excited him. Not just to keep track of them but to create a collection that could become a resource for him—and perhaps one day, others too. He could gather and perfect the techniques he learned and turn them into something extraordinary. It would be called the Ouroboros Library—a place of endless knowledge and refinement.

Without wasting time, Aris sat at his desk. His mind began to race, remembering all the techniques he had encountered. With Inspiration, he could recall every minute detail of them, how they moved, their flow, and their weaknesses. He carefully placed each one in an imaginary section of the library he was building in his mind, categorizing them by their strengths and elements.

As he focused on organizing the techniques, something strange happened. His Inspiration ability, which had always been helpful but limited, suddenly felt like it was expanding. His heart skipped a beat. *Is it evolving?*

He closed his eyes, the rush of power from the skill upgrade washing over him like a wave. It was a familiar feeling, yet this time it was more intense. *Inspiration* had leveled up, and with it came new abilities. His mind buzzed with the revelation—*Memory Storage*.

Aris clenched his fists in excitement. With this new feature, he didn't need to rely on his own memory to recall techniques. He could now store them within his ability, as if they were pages in a book that he could flip through anytime. Every technique he had learned or would learn could be saved and brought up at will. It wasn't just cataloguing; it was archiving knowledge like never before.

But before he could explore what else *Inspiration* had unlocked, a knock echoed through his door. Snapping out of his focus, he stood up and walked over to open it.

A fellow disciple stood outside, panting as though he had run all the way. "Mr. Oprah is starting a class on Cultivation Matrices," he said quickly. "You should come—it's important."

Aris raised an eyebrow. He had heard of the matrices before, but they were said to be extremely complex. They were vital for mastering high-level techniques and moving forward in cultivation. If Mr. Oprah was teaching a class on them, it might be exactly what Aris needed.

"Thanks," Aris said, grabbing his things and heading to the lecture hall.

As he entered the hall, Aris found Mr. Oprah already speaking in front of a large crowd. The elder stood before an enormous chalkboard, covered in diagrams and symbols. His voice was calm but filled with authority.

"To properly cultivate any scroll or manual, one must first understand the *Cultivation Matrix*," Mr. Oprah said, gesturing to the board. "Without it, the energy flow will be unbalanced, and your progress will be severely hindered. The matrix acts as a guide, calculating the pathways your energy must take to flow properly."

Aris sat at the back, listening intently as Mr. Oprah explained further. The elder spoke of energy channels, points of focus, and nodes within the body that had to be activated in precise sequences. He scribbled down a formula that looked impossibly complicated. It was all based on calculations—hundreds of them.

"The pathways must be calculated before you even think about circulating your energy," Mr. Oprah continued. "A single error in your calculations could lead to disaster. The energy could backlash, causing permanent damage to your core."

Aris's heart sank. This was exactly the problem he had been avoiding. Everyone else seemed to grasp these concepts so easily, but for him, it felt like an insurmountable wall. He wasn't great at calculations, and the idea of having to map out his own energy pathways with that level of precision made his head spin.

Mr. Oprah continued, explaining how certain nodes could overlap or interfere with each other if the matrix wasn't carefully mapped. The process was far more detailed than Aris had ever imagined. He stared at the board, trying to make sense of the complex equations, but his mind hit a blank wall. It wasn't just the numbers—it was the entire concept of calculating energy flow that was overwhelming.

As the class wore on, the other disciples were scribbling down notes, nodding along, but Aris could feel his frustration rising. He needed to understand this if he ever wanted to move forward, but right now, it felt like an impossible puzzle.

*How am I supposed to do this?*

The thought circled in his mind as he stared at the board. But then, something clicked. The new ability—*Memory Storage*. Could it help with this? Could he use *Inspiration* to analyze and store these matrices the same way he did with martial techniques?

His heart raced at the thought. If he could use the skill to understand techniques, what was stopping him from using it to understand the Cultivation Matrix? The numbers and pathways were like techniques in their own way—he just needed to find the connections.

Taking a deep breath, Aris activated *Inspiration*.

The world around him seemed to slow down as the skill came to life. His mind, which had been a jumble of confusion moments before, suddenly sharpened. The equations on the board didn't seem as complicated anymore. In fact, they started to break down, their components separating into smaller, more manageable parts. He could see how each piece fit into the matrix, how each calculation led to the next.

It was like watching a complex technique unfold before his eyes.

The pathways Mr. Oprah had been talking about began to reveal themselves, each node lighting up in his mind as if he could actually see the energy flowing through them. The calculations he had once feared now seemed natural, almost intuitive. He didn't have to think—he just understood.

Aris grinned. This was the power of *Inspiration*. Not just perfecting moves but analyzing and improving even the most complex equations. He let the skill work its magic, storing the information in his mind, building a framework for his own Cultivation Matrix. He wasn't just learning—he was mastering it.

As the class ended and the disciples began to file out, Aris remained seated, his mind racing with possibilities. With this new ability, there was no limit to what he could achieve. The *Ouroboros Library* would be more than just a collection of techniques—it would be the key to mastering everything, from martial arts to spell matrices.

For the first time since arriving at Dragon Mountain, Aris felt like he was truly tapping into his potential.