"What is this?"
Suddenly, I found myself standing on a road beneath a starry sky, with five doors in front of me.
But more important than that—I had hands, not paws anymore.
Was my body human?
No. With a bit of observation, I realized it was different from before.
I had never had this body, and at the same time, it felt as if I had always had it.
It was different, yet natural.
"Welcome to the world of perfect purification. Your soul will be cleansed of every single sin after this."
"Why am I human—humanoid?" I asked, my voice coming out harsher than normal, even rude—not because of turbulent emotions, but because that was simply how my voice was.
"You want to learn Primordial Force, don't you? That tiger body of yours would be a massive hindrance. After all, how used to it are you really?"
I brought my hand to my chin, pondering deeply.
"I've only had that body for a few months, and it's constantly changing due to its maturation. And to be honest, after an entire lifetime as a human, I can't help but feel that I move rather clumsily."
"Exactly! Clumsy is the key word. Meanwhile, this humanoid body of yours can move delicately and precisely, which is a requirement to master Primordial Force."
"But then my training would be wasted. Techniques for a humanoid body are incompatible with a different one."
"No, you're thinking about it the wrong way! What would happen is that you'd gain both the theoretical and practical foundation, and you could later revise it to improve it even further."
"That doesn't sound like a good trade," I said, crossing my arms.
"Tsk! In any case, you'll be able to reclaim that body eventually. Just ignore the inconveniences and focus on your training!"
"What do you mean?" I frowned.
"Don't question it so much! Just be grateful for the opportunity, you ungrateful boy!"
I sighed deeply before focusing on the doors in front of me.
Each one led to a different environment, but all of them, without a doubt, looked dangerous.
The first door led to an icy platform in the middle of an infinite Arctic ocean—leviathan-like creatures could be seen in the distance, giving a sense of uncertainty and danger about what lurked beneath those waters.
The second door led to what looked like a sea of magma and molten rock; unsurprisingly, fish swam through the lava, and draconic beings flew above the smoke.
The third door led to a desert so golden it resembled pure gold—similar to the others, gigantic worms moved above and below the ground.
The fourth door led to the peak of a stormy mountain; intense lightning, heavy rain, and tornadoes were omnipresent—and even so, small radiant creatures navigated the storm without difficulty.
The fifth door was the most different of all. It led to a small lake amid tree roots, where tiny glowing fairies constantly flew around—the scenery was completely peaceful, with no threats in sight.
"And what is this?" I asked the entity.
"The four elements that must purify you, and healing in its most perfect sense. After mastering the basics of Primordial Force, take a step toward the first door. When you feel satisfied, leave and go to the second. Continue until you reach the last."
"Aren't those creatures dangerous?" The entity laughed at my question.
"All living beings are dangerous—especially those pure in nature, like these elemental spirits. However, as long as you don't get too close, nothing should happen."
I nodded, watching as the entity silently dissolved into the surrounding shadows.
'Looks like I'm on my own now.' I took a deep breath before standing up and starting to move.
Under the starry sky, I took a step forward while trying to feel Primordial Force.
However, there was no energy in that simple movement.
'If there's no energy, it's because I walked incorrectly.' I laughed in amusement as I thought about human anatomy.
Slowly, I remembered newborns and how they learn to breathe, walk, and speak in a natural, instinctive way.
Yet, to a more attentive eye, one can see that babies breathe with their bellies, while adults often breathe with their chests—more aesthetically pleasing, but not healthier.
As I practiced my breathing technique, I began to regress into my childhood.
My belly rose and fell, carrying air throughout my entire body.
Likewise, I thought about my bone structure and musculature, how these elements interact to create the simple motion of a step.
'The perfect step—what does it look like?'
I thought about every muscle involved in the movement, analyzed how the center of gravity shifted throughout the action, and how everything continued in perpetual motion.
And then, I took a step.
One step after another, like a child learning how to walk.
It was strange to be so aware of such a simple movement, and even so, I still lost my balance and fell from time to time.
After a while, I began to feel as if my step was becoming steadier.
After some more time, my step became strong—and then powerful.
It was just a step, but I could feel the ground sinking and my calf swelling, growing stronger.
Before I realized it, my muscles had developed, becoming far more robust than at the beginning.
'How much time—no, don't ask that. Just focus on your training.' I continued walking beneath the starry sky.
At some point, I could feel something like an icy liquid moving through my leg.
My steps became more and more powerful.
BANG BANG BANG
Walking among the stars, I made the sky below tremble.
A smoky silk emanated from my legs.
'Perfect. This is the perfect step.' Smiling, I moved on to the next movement.
Slowly, I performed the motion of a kick, then kicked the air in front of me.
Nothing happened—my leg felt weaker than ever.
'What is the perfect kick like?' Once again, I felt around my legs and glutes, trying to understand the logic behind that movement.
Slowly, I visualized my body once more and imagined the initial, intermediate, and final motions.
Once again, I kicked, trying to reach that ideal image.
BANG BANG BANG
At some point, my kicks began to make the sky tremble as the smoky silk once again emanated from my feet.
'This is the perfect kick.' I took a deep breath as I experimented a bit more with my lower limbs.
Eventually, regardless of the movement made by my legs, every single action was wrapped in that smoky silk, capable of making heaven and earth tremble.
Once more, I focused on learning how to move my upper limbs.
I trained with focus, oblivious to the illusory passage of time.
"Wow." The entity materialized from the shadows and looked me up and down."You've become far too dangerous, haven't you?"A little drool was running down Euphy's face.
I chuckled softly. My body had grown even without ever lifting weights. My entire body was large and strong, yet still elegant.
"If women saw you like this, we'd have a serious problem." The entity swallowed before coughing.
"It's time for you to go there." I nodded, looking at the elemental doors.
Now that my body was fully strengthened by Primordial Force twenty-four hours a day, I could create an ability.
"Wish me good luck," I said, stepping onto the icy platform of the first area.
The platform immediately sank at the slightest touch, icy water quickly flooding my feet.
"Water, ice, and leviathans. Definitely a great place to spend a vacation," I joked, happy to finally see something other than stars.
CRACK
"What?" The ice creaked beneath me.
CRACK CRACK CRACK
"Oh, shit!"
Suddenly, the platform split apart with me in the middle, throwing me into the depths of the sea.
I urgently held my breath as I stared into the abyssal chasm I had fallen into.
Dozens of eyes watched me from below—and dozens more from the sides.
Immediately, I looked upward, where the platform was rapidly disintegrating.
'Apparently, the platform was just for entering.' I sighed mentally. 'I'll have to live underwater for a few years.'
Quickly, I calculated how long I could stay without breathing while being careful not to irritate any of the monstrous sharks around me.
"What is this?" Suddenly, a shout echoed from the depths as many abyssal beings parted the waters.
My eyes widened as a massive serpent with red horns and black eyes the size of the Statue of Liberty swam toward me.
I kicked the water desperately, trying to get away as fast as possible.
However, in front of me, a blue and red arc formed, the creature's body passing me with ease.
Its face quickly drew close as I prepared a powerful strike.
"Who are you?!" the creature roared as it approached. "What are you doing in my domain?!"
To my surprise, the leviathan stopped a few meters away and observed me irritably.
"Hi, I'm Kai. I'm undergoing a purification ritual in these waters," I said uncertainly, bubbles escaping my mouth.
"It's been a long time since I've seen something like this." The leviathan circled me with suspicious eyes. "A mortal sent to swim with water spirits. That's quite rare."
I listened in silence, preparing for a possible confrontation.
However, the leviathan smiled broadly, looking me over from head to toe.
"This is very dangerous, you know. Didn't anyone warn you about the dangers?" I said no.
"Look at every fish, shark, and leviathan around you. Each of them is a water spirit—beings who carry in their essence the secrets of droplets, rivers, lakes, oceans, vortices, typhoons, and even powers capable of shattering stars."
"Do you carry one of those secrets as well?" I asked curiously, prompting his smile to widen even further.
"Of course. Want me to tell you how to destroy a star using just a single drop of water?"
"Yes," I said, just before the leviathan opened his mouth again and whispered softly into my ear.
'But what? Why does my head hurt so much…' I clutched my forehead in pain as my vision darkened.
"Here, let me tell you a bit more," the leviathan continued whispering into my ear.
My mind trembled as my tongue filled with the taste of bile.
I gripped my head tightly as it shook more and more.
CRACK CRACK CRACK
And then—my mind shattered.
"Hey, guys! Let's help him, tell him your secrets."