Act I: Beggining II

In the nothingness, a figure stood, staring at a flame. The flame illuminated the endless white expanse, but instead of bringing clarity, the light painted the void in shades of black. This paradoxical flame, casting its opposite color onto the surroundings, began to illuminate the darkness it created.

Through the black flame, now lighting the endless void, the figure became visible—a man. His hair was as black as the night sky, but within the dark strands of his short hair, one could almost glimpse a starlit expanse, like stars glowing against the backdrop of an infinite, celestial night.

Yet it wasn't just his hair that captivated attention. His eyes—sharp and intense—reflected the black flame's light, like mirrors. The flame's glow gave his irises a deeper, darker shade of crimson, imbuing them with a piercing quality. His gaze upon the flame revealed curiosity, and beneath that, a quiet pride—the pride of someone who had succeeded in an endeavor on their first attempt. Not only his eyes but his face also conveyed this pride. A subtle, self-assured smile graced his lips, tinged with a hint of joy and comfort, as though the success of his experiment brought him satisfaction. Yet there was also a touch of smugness in his expression—confidence stemming from the mastery of an energy he had never before sought to control.

Breaking the silence, he spoke softly to himself, his voice tinged with thoughtfulness. "What could I do with this?" As he uttered those words, he began pondering the possibilities, instinctively raising his hand to stroke his chin with his thumb and forefinger in a gesture of deep contemplation.

The man's thoughts wandered into unfamiliar territory as he focused on the flame dancing in his palm. Despite his musings, he unconsciously maintained a flow of energy to the flame, which continued to burn dark and wild. The black flame flickered and moved like a true fire, untamed and uncontrollable, like a beast freed from all restraints.

Yet, despite its appearance, this flame was not like an ordinary fire. It shared almost none of a real flame's properties. The only similarity was the illusion of light it gave—a deceptive radiance that could easily fool any observer into believing it was real.

While the flame of energy danced in his palm, the man contemplated his next steps.

"Hmmm. What could I do with this?" he repeated to himself, his gaze fixed on the untamed energy in his hand, his mind swimming with potential ideas. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he observed the flame and muttered, "Maybe I can stabilize it?" His voice carried a mix of intrigue and determination as he focused on the black flame—the energy of the white nothingness itself.

"Let's try," he murmured under his breath and began directing his will to the energy, attempting to hold it in a motionless state. Concentration etched across his features, he worked to control the wild energy outside his body. To his surprise, his first attempt was a success. The once-wild flame stilled, hovering in perfect silence in his palm.

A small, confident smile curved his lips. "If that worked, maybe this will too," he said, shifting his focus. This time, he sought not only to control but to manipulate. Slowly, he separated the flame into two smaller flames, dividing the energy within his hand. As the second flame emerged, a spark of excitement lit up his crimson eyes, reflecting the illusory light of the void flame.

"Interesting," he mused, the corners of his lips curling slightly higher. The thrill of success and discovery fueled him further. Without hesitation, he divided the two flames into four. However, as the flames multiplied, they grew smaller. Noticing this, he extended his hand forward, allowing the four flames to float freely before him in the endless white expanse.

Observing the smaller flames, he realized they were too close to each other. Narrowing his eyes, he murmured, "If I leave them like this, they might merge back into one." He watched as the flames subtly pulled toward each other, as if drawn by an unseen force, threatening to combine once more without his control.

Intrigued, he leaned closer to the flames, noticing something else he hadn't observed before. "Fascinating," he whispered, bringing his fingers to his lips as a thoughtful smile crossed his face. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of curiosity and wonder as he studied the phenomenon. "It seems… the energy from the surroundings is being drawn toward them, though in such a small amount that it's almost imperceptible."

Pausing to reflect, he considered his next move. "Perhaps I should cut off my own energy and see what happens," he thought aloud, his excitement slightly tempered by caution. After a brief hesitation, he concluded, "Why not? I've nothing else to do." With that, he severed the flow of energy from his body to the flames.

Immediately, the flames began to shrink, returning to their original size before he had infused them with more energy. But their contraction didn't stop there. The flames continued to diminish until they were a mere third of the size of the original flame—just enough to sit comfortably in his palm.

Then something remarkable happened. As the flames stabilized at their reduced size, they began to draw in energy from their surroundings at a steady, albeit faint, rate.

"Intriguing," he remarked, leaning closer to the flames forged from his energy. "Even without my energy, they persist, sustaining themselves by pulling from the environment. Fascinating." He watched them intently for a while longer before speaking again. "I'll leave them for now and see how long they last," he said, settling into a seated position within the endless white nothingness. The flames hovered above him, floating almost directly over his head.

Though the flames burned on, his focus shifted. He began contemplating his next steps.

"Hmmm…" he muttered, resting his head on one hand as he thought aloud. "The amount of energy required to create and sustain those flames is almost negligible." His eyes narrowed as he considered further. "But even so, it's still energy I'm expending. I can't waste too much of it. After all, I want to experience the feeling of true relaxation."

He sighed deeply before continuing. "If I keep using my energy like this, I'll need to cultivate to replenish it. Only then can I grow stronger while still enjoying the calm that cultivation brings." With that thought, he closed his eyes and began to cultivate, immersing himself in the tranquil process of restoring his energy and strengthening his abilities.

.................

Several hours later

"Haaaa," he exhaled deeply, emerging from his meditative state. "If breaking through from the first stage to the second stage of Energy Liquidation takes this long, it'll feel like an eternity to reach the next." His voice carried a hint of frustration, but the moment was brief. He clenched his fist, determination flaring in his eyes.

"I can't lose resolve so easily!" he shouted, slapping his thigh in frustration at his earlier lack of determination. With renewed focus, he returned to cultivating, pushing forward with greater resolve.

....................

Two days later

"Stage three of Energy Liquidation!" he exclaimed suddenly, his eyes snapping open as an uncontrollable aura surged from his body. It expanded outward in all directions, filling the endless nothingness. The sudden eruption extinguished the floating flames above him, their light snuffed out by the shockwave of energy.

Had this aura been released on a planet, it might have caused violent winds to ripple across its surface. Yet here, in the endless white nothingness, the effect was isolated to the man and the extinguished flames. Feeling the surge of power within himself, he couldn't help but smile.

"Hmmm… they're gone," he said, glancing upward at the white space where the flames once hovered. "Hmmm... they've gone out... it wasn't even four days," he said with a hint of disappointment, unaware that they could have burned even longer if not for him, but it was quickly overshadowed by curiosity about the changes in his body.

"Interesting…" he mused, focusing inward. "I feel stronger. Around thirty percent of my gaseous energy has now turned into liquid form." His voice carried a note of satisfaction as he marveled at the transformation.

"These changes are substantial," he continued, "but I know they'll be even greater when I push beyond Energy Liquidation entirely." Closing his eyes once more, he resumed his cultivation, diving deeper into the endless pursuit of strength and enlightenment.

.....................

Several days later

The man had reached the sixth stage of Energy Liquidation when he felt something unusual. His eyes opened sharply, crimson irises scanning the white space. Turning his head from side to side, he searched for the source of the disturbance.

"Hmmm… what is that?" he muttered, a faint unease in his voice. It felt as though something was happening around him, yet he couldn't pinpoint its origin.

"What's going on?" he asked himself, his brow furrowed. The sensation lingered briefly before vanishing as abruptly as it had come. He blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden disappearance.

"Was it just my imagination?" he wondered aloud, tilting his head to the side. Closing his eyes, he attempted to sense whatever it was again but found nothing. After another moment of fruitless searching, he sighed and returned to his cultivation, his mind still lingering on the strange sensation he couldn't explain.