54. Exploring Powers

John didn't stay at the workshop for long. Instead, he went directly to Stark Mansion — or rather, where the mansion used to be.

Seeing the ruined state of what was once his home, John felt a sharp pang in his chest. This place had been his sanctuary for as long as he could remember. Now, it was nothing more than scattered debris.

He sighed deeply, still finding it hard to believe that his breakthrough alone had caused such destruction. Digging through his memories, he tried to recall any mention of breakthroughs being this powerful — but there was none. Nothing he had found suggeste a mere advancement could unleash such devastating force.

Frowning, John entered a deep state of thought.

"What's different about me?" he wondered.

Moments later, a bold theory formed in his mind.

"It must have something to do with Origin Energy."

He knew that while most people across the universe relied on lower-level energies like mana, solar energy, or elemental forces, he was different. From the very beginning, his body had been absorbing Origin Energy — a power reserved only for the strongest individuals.

"As far as I know, no one has ever started cultivating directly with Origin Energy... That must be the reason for the overwhelming power during my breakthrough. If my guess is right, future breakthroughs could be even more destructive. I need to be careful... or I might end up wiping out an entire city — or worse, the entire planet."

Determined to understand his new strength better, John made his way to the edge of a nearby cliff to test his abilities.

---

The wind tugged at his clothes as he stood at the cliff's edge, staring down at the rocky shoreline below. The scent of salt lingered in the air, and powerful waves crashed against the jagged rocks, spraying white foam high into the air. The sky was painted in hues of orange, signaling the arrival of evening.

Taking a deep breath, John spread his arms wide.

"Let's start with the basics."

Fire Element

John summoned his fire element first. Flames ignited around his hands, flickering like restless serpents. With a sharp motion, he thrust his palm forward, sending a torrent of fire roaring through the air. The flames engulfed a nearby boulder, and within seconds, the rock glowed red-hot before cracking violently.

John frowned.

"The intensity is much stronger than before… but still manageable."

He noted that while his fire had grown more powerful, it hadn't spiraled out of control. It seemed his mental focus played a big role in containing it.

---

Next, John shifted his focus to the wind element. Closing his eyes, he felt the air stir around him. The gentle breeze rapidly intensified into a fierce vortex. With a flick of his wrist, the swirling wind tore through the cliffside vegetation. Leaves scattered, branches snapped, and loose stones tumbled toward the crashing waves below.

He spent several minutes refining his control, creating small whirlwinds and sharp gusts. When he formed a concentrated air blade, it sliced a thick tree trunk in half with terrifying precision.

"My wind element has become sharper... faster… stronger. If I'm not careful, I could accidentally kill someone."

---

Turning his attention to water, John raised his palm and drew moisture from the air. A floating sphere of water formed above his hand, glistening in the fading sunlight. With a thought, he shaped the water into a twisting serpent-like stream. He directed it toward a large boulder. The impact smashed the rock into fragments, sending wet debris flying.

John took a moment to reflect.

"Control over the water element seems smoother. I can shape it with better precision now... but it feels heavier — like I'm handling something denser than before."

---

For his earth element, John stomped his foot. The ground beneath him rumbled, and jagged spikes of stone erupted like spears. He clenched his fist and punched forward, causing a chunk of solid rock to burst from the soil and hover in the air.

He guided the floating rock toward the cliff's edge, launching it downward. It struck with a thunderous crash, sending stone fragments tumbling into the ocean.

"My earth element feels far more destructive... but there's a delay when I try to control large structures. I need to improve my precision before relying on this in battle."

---

Finally, John prepared to test his space-related abilities — which he never used before, the power that worried him most.

He extended his hand and concentrated. At first, nothing happened. Then, the air around his fingers shimmered like rippling water.

"That's new…"

Curious, John reached out and imagined folding the space before him. The air rippled again, and suddenly, the scorched boulder he'd attacked earlier blurred and shifted several feet to the right.

John's eyes widened.

"Did I… teleport it?"

Encouraged, he tried again — this time focusing on a tree. With a flick of his fingers, the tree twisted and bent unnaturally before snapping back into place — only now it was facing the opposite direction.

His heart pounded with excitement.

"If I can manipulate space like this… the possibilities are endless!"

He attempted to create a rift — a portal. Stretching out his palm, he visualized two points connecting. The air distorted, and a faint, circular tear formed. Through it, John could see a different part of the cliff — about twenty feet away.

Grinning, he reached into the rift. His hand vanished inside, and when he withdrew it, his arm emerged from the portal's other side.

"Incredible… this is same as my teleportation ability but somehow different but it takes too much time and energy for now using this ability in fight is not possible ."

But there was still one more thing he wanted to test.

John stretched both arms out and drew on everything he had learned so far. The space around him twisted violently, shimmering like a heatwave. Thin, glowing silver threads appeared — lines of raw spatial energy that coiled and danced like living tendrils.

Gritting his teeth, John shaped those threads into sharp spikes and fired them toward the cliff. The spikes shot forward like lightning bolts, piercing through solid stone with ease.

John exhaled heavily, sweat trickling down his face. He felt drained but strangely exhilarated.

"This… this is insane."

The destruction before him was undeniable. Cracked earth, scorched stones, and twisted trees marked the area.

"If I can cause this much damage without meaning to… I can't afford to lose control again. And for now i can't use too much space ability. But in the future it will helpful."

He gazed out at the horizon as the sun dipped below the waves, painting the sky in shades of crimson and gold.