Cultivation is Creation

"The fruit appears to be a nexus point," Azure said. "If you interact with it, there's a high probability it will propel us to another world entirely.”

I stared at the slowly rotating golden sphere for a long moment, feeling its gentle pull. The promise of new worlds, new possibilities... it was tempting. Very tempting. But...

I shook my head firmly. "We're here for the vine. We can't afford to get distracted."

"A wise choice, Master," Azure agreed. "The fruit isn't going anywhere. We have time to investigate its properties and potential destinations later."

I lay back on the thin mattress. My mind wandered to the problem of acquiring the vine. I couldn't simply ask Elder Molric for it directly – that would raise too many questions. Even in a place as strange as this, randomly asking about a specific magical plant I had no business knowing about would make people suspicious.

"We need to build rapport first," I mused. "Get him to trust us enough to share his more... experimental research."

"Indeed. Though given his enthusiasm for unorthodox theories, that may not take as long as it did last time.”

I smiled, remembering the elder's passionate rant about combining the two suns' power. "True. Still, better to be careful."

The elder already had one student who tried to steal his research, I wouldn’t want him to misunderstand my intentions, that would probably end very badly.

When morning arrived, I made my way to Elder Molric's laboratory, this time I didn’t need to rely on the map the quartermaster provided me.

As expected, I found the elder hunched over another iteration of his self-inscribing plant experiment. This time, I carefully positioned myself behind a particularly sturdy workbench before announcing my presence.

"Ah, good timing!" he called without looking up. "This is attempt number forty-seven at teaching plants to inscribe their own runes. Watch carefully!"

I did watch, though from my strategically chosen position. The plant's surface began rippling just as it had in my previous loop, crude runic shapes emerging like frost patterns on a window. The silvery lines spread beautifully across its surface...

Right up until it exploded in a shower of crystalline shards, exactly as I remembered.

"Progress!" Elder Molric declared cheerfully, brushing fragments from his robes. "That was almost three seconds longer than attempt forty-six!"

While he cleaned up the remains of his latest failed experiment, I casually scanned the laboratory. The vine wasn't immediately visible anywhere. Either it was hidden away somewhere secure, or he kept it on his person. Given how valuable it must be, probably the latter.

"Now then," he said, turning to face me properly. "Let's see how much you've learned from those books. What are the three fundamental principles of resonance?"

I gave him the same answers as before, watching his eyebrows rise slightly as I correctly answered increasingly complex questions. It felt a bit like cheating, but then again, I had technically learned all this information – just in a previous loop.

Right on schedule, his expression shifted and he launched into his passionate rant about the foolishness of focusing solely on the red sun's power. I listened attentively, nodding at appropriate moments as he expounded on his theories about combining both celestial energies.

When he finally remembered why I was there and asked to see my ability to channel the red sun's energy, I complied just as I had before. The red lines traced themselves across my skin as my physical essence increased by a hundred points.

The plant manipulation demonstration went exactly as expected. The vine, not my vine, transformed into an affectionate, cat-like creature that nuzzled against my hand, while Elder Molric filled pages of his notebook with observations.

His fascination with my "natural" abilities was just as intense as last time.

"Now," he said finally, "let's discuss your Fundamental Rune."

Before he could launch into his full explanation, I spoke up. "Actually, Master, I've done extensive reading on the subject." I tried to sound eager but not suspiciously knowledgeable. "I'm quite certain about the design I'd like to use, if you're willing to hear my thoughts?"

His eyebrows rose again, but he gestured for me to continue.

I described the same design that had worked in my previous loop – the Celestial Spiral forming the trunk, with branches extending at mathematically precise points, each terminating in carefully positioned leaf motifs.

"An ambitious choice," he said. "Most initiates opt for simpler patterns. Though your reasoning about using nature's preferred growth pattern is... intriguing."

He moved to the cabinet, gathering the same materials as before – the resonance stylus, the Blank Canvas Lilies, and the special ink.

As he explained their purposes, I noticed he used almost exactly the same words, right down to the jokes about melting body parts that probably weren't actually jokes.

When he handed me the stylus, I took a deep breath. This was where things would deviate from the previous loop. Instead of spending hours practicing, I was going to create the perfect pattern on my first try. After all, back in the elder’s day, either they got it right on their first try or they exploded, so I didn’t think it would bring any suspicion on me.

I channeled my energy into the stylus, letting the crimson ink flow. The pattern emerged exactly as I remembered it – the precise spiral of the trunk, the harmonious branches, the perfectly positioned leaf motifs.

Elder Molric's eyes widened as he watched. When I finished, he leaned in close to study the pattern, muttering under his breath.

"Remarkable," he murmured, circling the perfect design. "You would have survived in my day, when we didn't waste time with all these practice materials." His lips curled into a slight sneer. "These modern initiates, burning through dozens of lilies just to achieve mediocrity... pathetic."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks, remembering the mountain of ruined lilies from my previous loop. Twenty-four attempts to get it right, each one a testament to my "mediocrity." Of course, he didn't need to know about those failures - they technically never happened.

He handed me the crystal blade, and I let my blood mix with the special ink just as before. The pattern flowed onto the Meridian Lotus just as perfectly as it had in practice, and when I pressed it to my chest, the familiar sensation of roots spreading through my being told me it had worked.

"Excellent work," Elder Molric said, though he was already becoming distracted by some other experiment. "I'll see you tomorrow for your first real lesson."

"Actually, Master," I said carefully, "I believe my body will need several days to properly adapt to the Fundamental Rune before we can begin training."

He blinked, then smiled. "Ah, you really did read thoroughly! Yes, most initiates require about a week for their bodies to fully integrate with their first rune." He dismissed me with a wave as he turned back to his work.

As I walked back to my room, I thought about something I wasn’t able to complete during the last iteration, which was forming runes through the manipulation of the red sun’s energy, that was definitely something I’d like to do during this run.

***

"Master, you're finally awake.”

"Three days again?" I asked, sitting up in my bed, despite already knowing the answer.

"Yes. The modification process seems to follow the same pattern regardless of the loop. This mortal body required exactly the same amount of time to adapt to the red sun's energy."

I nodded, pulling off my shirt to examine the changes. The lean muscles were exactly as I remembered - not quite matching a third-stage Qi Condensation cultivator, but impressively close for what was essentially a miller's son.

"Master," Azure displayed the information in my mind:

Status Update - Current Body:

Name: Tomas the Miller's Son

Soul Essence: 950/950 units

Spiritual Essence: 0/800units

Physical Essence: 300/900units

Skybound: Rank 1

Fundamental Rune:

• Type: Wood-Based Fibonacci Spiral Tree Pattern

• Core: Red Sun Resonance

• Location: Heart Position

• Red Sun Energy: 300 units

The numbers matched exactly with my previous loop. It was reassuring to know that at least this part of the process was reliable. Consistency meant predictability, and predictability meant I could plan accordingly.

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"We should head to Elder Molric's laboratory," I said, getting dressed. "He should be on experiment one hundred and fifty by now.”

When I reached the laboratory door, the elder’s voice called out before I could knock, just as before. "Come in!"

The elder was once again stood bent over his workbench, focused intently on another experimental plant.

"Watch carefully," he said without looking up. "This is attempt number one hundred and fifty at teaching plants to generate their own stabilizing runes."

I positioned myself at what I judged to be a safe distance, remembering how the previous version had ended. The plant was already responding to his manipulations, its surface rippling as runic patterns began to form.

For a moment, it looked perfect. The runes stabilized, taking on that familiar silver sheen. The plant even seemed to be thriving, its leaves becoming more vibrant.

Then, exactly as I remembered, it simply... stopped living. The crystalline patterns remained, but the organic parts withered and died in seconds.

"Yes!" Elder Molric exclaimed, immediately starting to take notes. "Did you see? The runes maintained stability for nearly thirty seconds after manifestation! And the plant didn't explode this time!"

I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. Failure never diminished the elder's joy, he only considered it as progress. It was oddly endearing.

"Very impressive, Master," I said, bowing slightly. "The patterns looked much more natural this time."

"Exactly!" he beamed, scribbling frantically in his notebook.

I listened attentively as he launched into an explanation about biomechanical resonance and organic runic matrices. Even though I'd heard it all before, his passion for the subject was infectious. It was easy to see why he'd been drawn to my "natural" approach to the Fundamental Rune.

"Now then!" He clapped his hands together suddenly, making me jump despite expecting it. "Shall we begin your training?"

He moved to the familiar workbench, pulling out several scrolls as he spoke. "Rank 1 Skybound practitioners can do more than simply channel the red sun's power through their Fundamental Rune. The rune increases your capacity and strengthens the body, yes, but that's just the beginning."

When he finally pulled out the thick leather-bound tome - "The Complete Guide to Rank 1 Runic Inscriptions" - I was ready.

"I've been studying the basic patterns," I said carefully, trying to sound eager but not suspiciously knowledgeable. "The Titan's Crest, Blink Step, and Aegis Mark seem particularly well-suited to my current level."

While I did plan to add some other physical runes at some point, the three I was already familiar with seemed like a good starter kit.

Elder Molric's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? Most initiates take days just to decide on their first enhancement rune. You've already selected three?"

I gestured to the book, a copy was included in the hundreds of books the quartermaster had said the elder wanted me to study.

"Your guide is very thorough, Master. The theoretical foundations are clearly explained, and the progression of complexity makes sense. These three runes seem to provide a solid foundation for further development."

His expression shifted from surprise to delight. "Finally! A disciple who actually reads and thinks!" He pulled the book closer, flipping it open to the relevant pages. "You're absolutely right, of course. These three form an excellent basic combat set - strength, mobility, and defense. Though most initiates need days of practice before attempting even one of them..."

"If you'll allow me," I said, reaching for the resonance stylus, "I'd like to try inscribing the Titan's Crest."

He handed me the tool, watching with intense interest as I began tracing the familiar pattern. The interlocking triangles formed smoothly under my hand, each line flowing perfectly into the next. Within minutes, I held up a perfect rendition of the Titan's Crest.

Elder Molric's eyes widened as he examined it. "Remarkable... The energy distribution is perfectly balanced, each line exactly the same length and depth..." He looked up at me with an expression of growing excitement. "You truly are a Natural!"

Before I could respond, he was already grabbing more materials. "Try the Blink Step next! Let's see if you can maintain this level of precision with a more complex pattern!"

I complied, carefully recreating the pattern of overlapping crescents and directional arrows.

Elder Molric's excitement grew with each perfect pattern I produced. By the time I completed the Aegis Mark - its interlocking hexagons forming a flawless defensive array - he was practically bouncing with enthusiasm.

"Extraordinary!" he declared. "In all my years of teaching, I've never seen such natural talent for runic inscription! Even in my day, when we had real standards..." He paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "You know, this reminds me of some theories I've been working on..."

I tensed slightly, wondering if I'd overdone it. But instead of growing suspicious, the elder launched into a passionate explanation about how my "natural" abilities might relate to his research on combining the powers of both suns.

"You see," he said, pointing to the ceiling, "most practitioners force the red sun's energy to conform to rigid, artificial patterns. But you seem to instinctively understand how to work with natural flows! Perhaps this is why you can channel the power without traditional runic stabilization. And if we could apply this principle to both solar energies..."

I noticed the differences from his similar speech in my previous loop. His theories had evolved slightly, whilst the underlying passion remained the same, his ideas seemed more refined, more focused.

Finally, he remembered why we were here. "Ah, yes! The runes! Let's get them properly inscribed. Where would you prefer to place them?"

"The same positions as in the guide," I replied. "Back of the left hand for the Titan's Crest, left thigh for the Blink Step, and back for the Aegis Mark."

He nodded approvingly. "Traditional placements, tried and tested. Though given your apparent talent, we might experiment with more innovative positions later..."

The actual inscription process went smoothly. The crystal knife sliced clean lines, and the red sun's energy flowed perfectly through each pattern. When the final rune settled into place, I felt the familiar surge of power as my capabilities expanded.

"Perfect!" Elder Molric declared, examining his work. "Now comes the fun part!"

He was already heading for the door, that familiar mischievous glint in his eye. I followed, knowing exactly where we were going but curious about how this version of events would play out. Without Zoren actively hunting me, Kiran wouldn't be in the hallway nearby.

Sure enough, when we stepped into the hallway, there was no sign of the reluctant noble. Elder Molric didn't seem concerned. He simply raised his hand, and suddenly the air itself seemed to twist.

A young disciple who had been walking past suddenly found himself pulled toward us as if caught in an invisible current. His eyes widened in recognition and fear as he realized who had summoned him.

"Ah, perfect!" Elder Molric said cheerfully. "You'll do nicely for today's lesson."

The disciple – a thin boy with short black hair and nervous eyes – looked like he wanted to object but didn't quite dare. Smart of him, really. Refusing an elder's "request" was generally considered hazardous to one's health.

"Time for some proper combat training!" Elder Molric declared, already heading down the hallway toward the Crucible. We hurried after him, the other disciple shooting me worried glances.

The crystalline structure of the Crucible was just as impressive as before, its spires reaching toward the red sun while waves of energy formed intricate patterns across their surfaces. This time, when we entered, the training room was empty. There was no need for Elder Molric to kick anyone out and create more ‘training partners’ for me.

"The walls are reinforced with defensive formations," Elder Molric explained as we entered. "And there are healing runes built into the floor in case of... accidents."

The way he said "accidents" made the other disciple pale slightly. I couldn't blame him – Elder Molric's reputation for explosive experiments was well known throughout the academy.

"Take your positions," the elder commanded, his eyes gleaming with that familiar enthusiasm that usually preceded something dangerous.

We moved to opposite sides of the room as the defensive formations activated around us, creating a containment field.

The other disciple took up a defensive stance, his own enhancement runes beginning to pulse with crimson light.

Elder Molric raised his hand, and I could have sworn his smile grew even wider. "Begin!"

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