The tiny white lizard remained suspended within the endless white.
His golden eyes rested calmly upon Lian.
"...This is a dream space."
Lian blinked.
"...A dream space?"
He slowly repeated the unfamiliar words.
"...You mean..."
"...A dream?"
His gaze swept across the surroundings once more.
Endless white stretched in every direction.
There was no sky.
No earth.
No mountains.
No wind.
Nothing.
Only himself...
And the tiny white lizard.
"...That explains it..."
His expression gradually relaxed.
"...I was wondering why there wasn't anything here."
His gaze returned to Lizarius.
"...Master..."
"...You brought us here, didn't you?"
The lizard gave a slight nod.
"...Correct."
Lian scratched the back of his head.
"...So..."
"...What exactly are we supposed to do here?"
Silence.
After a brief pause—
Lizarius answered.
"...Test the physique you awakened."
Lian looked around again.
"...And..."
"...How are we supposed to—"
He suddenly stopped.
His expression slowly became thoughtful.
"...Wait..."
His eyes lowered.
"...Inside that clam..."
"...I honestly lost track of time."
He smiled bitterly.
"...Sometimes it felt like only a few weeks had passed."
"...Other times..."
"...It might have been months."
"...Toward the end..."
"...I couldn't even think clearly anymore."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"...Then I finally came out..."
"...Only to find out that almost an entire year had passed."
His smile became somewhat helpless.
"...Before anything else..."
"...I'd actually like to see my mother."
"...She must have been worried sick."
He raised his head.
"...So, if we can make this qu—"
The ground beneath his feet suddenly vanished.
"...Eh?"
There wasn't even time to react.
His body dropped straight downward.
"WAAAH—!!"
The endless white disappeared.
In its place—
an endless ocean erupted around him.
**SPLASH!**
Freezing water swallowed him whole.
Lian's eyes flew open.
*What?!*
His body immediately struggled upward.
His arms cut frantically through the water.
His legs kicked with all their strength.
Yet—
the surface never seemed to come any closer.
He continued swimming.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Nothing changed.
His heart immediately began racing.
*What's going on?!*
*Why can't I reach the surface?!*
His movements gradually became more frantic.
Only then—
did he notice something.
Several meters away—
the tiny white lizard floated quietly beneath the water.
Completely motionless.
Watching him.
Lian stared.
*...You—*
Before he could finish the thought—
Lizarius' calm voice echoed directly within his mind.
"...Breathe."
Lian froze.
*...Breathe?*
His eyes widened even further.
*Has Master finally gone crazy?!*
*I'm underwater!*
Lian remained suspended within the endless sea.
He stared at the tiny white lizard.
*...No.*
*If Master is the one saying it...*
*Then there's probably a reason.*
*This should be the test.*
*Besides...*
*I probably can't drown inside a dream... can I?*
Suppressing his instincts—
he slowly relaxed.
Then—
he inhaled.
Water entered his mouth.
His eyes widened.
Yet—
there was no choking sensation.
No burning in his lungs.
No feeling of suffocation.
Instead—
the water seemed to transform the moment it entered him.
The surrounding water naturally separated.
Pure air flowed into his lungs.
Lian blinked.
Then took another breath.
And another.
Completely effortlessly.
"...I can breathe..."
His eyes wandered through the endless ocean.
*This...*
*This is the ability of the physique...*
His thoughts drifted back.
The time he had spent within the lake.
The water that had surrounded him.
Back then—
he hadn't once needed to breathe.
At the time—
he had assumed it was Master's doing.
But now—
he was doing it himself.
*Back then...*
*Master was helping me breathe.*
*But now...*
*I'm doing it on my own.*
*My physique...*
Lizarius' calm voice echoed through the water.
"...You panicked."
"...And forgot everything."
"...You attempted to swim toward a surface that doesn't exist."
Lian rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"...Well..."
"...When you suddenly drop me into an endless ocean..."
"...Panicking seems like the natural response."
The tiny white lizard ignored the excuse.
"...If you had remained calm..."
"...You possessed another option."
Lian tilted his head.
"...Another option?"
"...The Water Control Art."
Lian froze.
*...The Water Control Art.*
Lizarius continued.
"...You've cultivated it, haven't you?"
"...Its purpose is not merely moving water."
"...It governs water."
"...Push it."
"...Pull it."
"...Redirect it."
"...Resist it."
"...Become part of its flow."
Lian's eyes gradually brightened.
"...You're right..."
The lizard continued.
"...With your newly awakened physique..."
"...Its effectiveness should increase substantially."
"...However..."
"...It still would have accomplished nothing here."
Lian blinked.
"...Why?"
"...Because this sea has no boundary."
"...No shoreline."
"...No surface."
"...No bottom."
"...There is nowhere to escape."
Silence.
Lian scratched his cheek before smiling helplessly.
"...You know..."
"...When I first met you..."
"...I never imagined you'd actually be a decent teacher."
He paused.
Then his smile became awkward.
"...Actually..."
"...It's still the same."
"...I don't think you're a decent teacher."
Silence.
Lizarius didn't react.
Internally, however—
Lian's thoughts were completely different.
*...He's right.*
*I've spent almost a year cultivating the Water Control Art.*
*Yet the moment something unexpected happened...*
*I forgot it completely.*
*Even if I hadn't panicked...*
*I don't think I would have thought about using it this way.*
*Ever since I learned the technique...*
*I've barely used it.*
*Floating a small sphere of water...*
*Moving streams...*
*Simple exercises.*
*I've never truly understood what it means to control water.*
His gaze slowly lowered toward the endless ocean surrounding him.
*But now...*
*If I combine the Water Control Art...*
*with this newly awakened physique...*
*Maybe...*
*I can control the water itself...*
*Instead of merely moving it.*
Without another word—
Lian slowly closed his eyes.
His breathing became steady.
The Water Control Art quietly circulated through his meridians.
This time—
he didn't immediately reach outward.
Instead—
he first observed.
The water surrounding him.
Its flow.
Its pressure.
Its movement.
Everything felt...
Different.
Far clearer than before.
It was no longer an external substance pressing against his body.
It felt...
Familiar.
As though it welcomed him.
As though it naturally wished to move alongside him.
*Aquatic Water Element Body...*
Lian slowly raised a hand.
He didn't force the water.
Nor did he command it.
He simply guided it.
The surrounding currents immediately responded.
A small stream began circling around his arm.
Then another.
Then another.
The water flowed naturally.
Without resistance.
Lian's eyes slowly opened.
"...It..."
"...It's listening."
He gently moved his hand.
The current followed.
He pointed forward.
The surrounding water surged ahead before gradually calming once more.
A smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
*It's completely different...*
*Before...*
*Controlling water felt like dragging a heavy stone.*
*Now...*
*It's almost effortless.*
Lizarius silently watched.
Lian nodded.
This time—
he extended both hands.
The surrounding water trembled.
Several currents gathered around him.
Instead of a single stream—
dozens formed.
They circled his body like living serpents.
His control became increasingly stable.
The currents no longer scattered.
They obeyed every subtle movement.
His fingers closed.
The streams compressed.
His fingers opened.
They dispersed once more.
He continued experimenting.
Changing their speed.
Their direction.
Their shape.
Each attempt became smoother than the last.
Several minutes passed.
Lizarius watched in silence.
Lian eventually looked toward him.
A trace of satisfaction appeared in his expression.
"...I think I'm finally beginning to understand."
Lian continued moving through the endless sea.
His movements became increasingly natural.
No longer stiff.
No longer hesitant.
The surrounding water seemed eager to answer every motion he made.
Time quietly passed.
He experimented again and again.
Sometimes swimming.
Sometimes accelerating.
Sometimes simply allowing the currents to carry him before redirecting them with the slightest movement.
Eventually—
he stopped.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"...I think..."
"...I've got the hang of it."
Lizarius silently watched him.
Then—
he spoke.
"...Next."
Lian blinked.
"...Observe?"
Without another word—
the endless water around them suddenly stirred.
At first—
only a few currents began spinning.
Then—
more.
Dozens of whirlpools appeared throughout the endless sea.
Each one rotated at astonishing speed.
Lian's expression became serious.
His eyes immediately followed them.
The water at the center of one whirlpool rapidly compressed.
The spinning current grew tighter.
Smaller.
Denser.
Until—
a needle-like spear of water formed.
**SHHHH!**
It shot forward.
Straight toward Lian.
His pupils contracted.
*Fast!*
Before he could react—
the spear was already before his face.
At the very last instant—
it curved.
Passing harmlessly beside his cheek.
It continued forward.
Then—
turned again.
Again.
Again.
Its path bent freely through the endless sea.
Only after several more turns—
did the spear gradually lose cohesion.
Returning to ordinary water.
Silence.
Lian remained motionless.
His eyes never left the place where it had disappeared.
His thoughts raced.
*...I saw it.*
*The water wasn't merely compressed...*
*It continuously rotated while gathering into a single point.*
*Then...*
*It released everything at once.*
*After that...*
*It continued manipulating the surrounding currents.*
*Accelerating itself.*
*Reducing the resistance before it.*
*Just like...*
*The way I've been guiding water.*
*Only...*
*Far more refined.*
Lizarius finally spoke.
"...Current."
A single word.
Nothing more.
Yet—
understanding quietly settled within Lian's mind.
"...Current..."
He repeated softly.
His gaze remained fixed upon the surrounding water.
"...So that's what it was..."
A moment later—
he frowned.
"...Wait..."
His head slowly turned toward the tiny white lizard.
"...I didn't say any of that out loud."
Silence.
Lian stared.
His eyes gradually widened.
"...Don't tell me..."
"...You can hear my thoughts?"
Lizarius remained hovering silently before him.
Neither confirming—
nor denying.
The silence itself became the answer.
Lian rubbed the back of his head helplessly.
"...You can..."
He sighed.
"...Can't you?"
Another pause.
"...To think you've been listening to everything going through my head this whole time..."
His expression became increasingly awkward.
"...That's..."
"...Honestly kind of creepy."
The tiny white lizard remained completely indifferent to his complaint.
Lian stared at him for several seconds.
Then—
his expression gradually changed.
The awkwardness disappeared.
Replaced by curiosity.
*...If Master can hear my thoughts...*
*Then he probably knows exactly what I'm thinking.*
His gaze drifted toward the endless sea.
*...Then he should also know what I'm trying to figure out.*
The thought had barely formed—
when Lizarius spoke.
"...Continue."
Lian blinked.
"...Continue?"
"...You have only begun."
His expression slowly became serious again.
He looked toward the endless water.
Then—
he smiled.
"...Alright."
He raised both hands.
The currents around him immediately began to move.
This time—
he wasn't simply controlling them.
He was observing them.
Understanding them.
Feeling every movement.
Every shift.
Every change in pressure.
The Water Control Art circulated faster.
The Aquatic Water Element Body responded instinctively.
The endless ocean began to stir around him.
And this time—
Lian did not see water as something separate from himself.
He saw it as something he could understand.
Something he could guide.
Something he could become one with.
His eyes slowly narrowed.
*Then...*
*Let's see how far I can take it.*