The sun had not yet fully risen when Lux opened his eyes. For the past two years, it had become routine to wake up before dawn, when the city of Flame's Crest was still shrouded in silence and morning dew.
"Wake up, worm. It's time to measure your sad reality," Mobius' arrogant voice echoed in his mind.
Lux sighed softly. Now five years old, his body was stronger than it had been two years ago, but training with Mobius was still exhausting.
Lux then sat cross-legged on the floor of his room, focusing his attention on an ordinary stone he had picked up from the garden. In his mind, he visualized the Möbius Gauge the paradoxical ring that constantly spun within his soul.
Stone: Coefficient 0.99992
Solid and stable. Lux could now read this coefficient fairly accurately after months of practice. Two years ago, the numbers fluctuated wildly in his mind. Now, he could maintain the measurement for ten seconds before mental fatigue set in.
"Keep going... Don't be complacent," Mobius scolded.
Lux turned to a bowl of water on his small table. Concentration was more difficult here.
Water: Coefficient 0.99875
The numbers swayed, reflecting the ever-changing nature of the liquid. Lux frowned, maintaining his focus. Every time his mind wandered, the coefficient fluctuated more wildly.
"Control yourself, worm! You're not a baby anymore!"
After the water came the lit candle in the corner of his room. Fire was always the most challenging to use for practice.
Fire: Coefficient 0.99500
The numbers changed rapidly, almost impossible to follow. The wild and ever-changing nature of fire made it nearly impossible to measure with any stability. Lux was sweating, his head beginning to throb.
"Enough with fire. Move on to air."
Air: Coefficient 0.99750
This is the most abstract. Measuring something invisible. Lux spent the rest of his energy on this before finally collapsing onto the bed, breathing heavily.
"0.012% progress in 2 years. Pathetic," Moebius muttered. "But... for a worm, it might be sufficient."
"You're always so insulting," Lux replied in his mind, still panting.
"Truth isn't insult. It's merely... measurement."
Yeah... Whatever.
At breakfast, Lumina noticed her son looked tired. "Lux, are you okay? You've been waking up very early lately."
Lux nodded, taking a spoonful of porridge. "I'm just practicing, Mom."
Noctis, who was sitting across from him, smiled proudly. "Look, Lumina. He's going to be a great cultivator. Look how focused he is. Even at his young age, he already has the discipline of a true cultivator."
Lumina stroked Lux's hair. "I just want him to be happy, Noctis. Sometimes he seems... too serious for a child his age. Other children his age are playing, while he spends his time alone in his room."
"Let him be. Every great cultivator has a unique beginning," said Noctis. "Maybe this is his path."
Lux listened with mixed feelings. He wanted to say that he was actually practicing with a primordial weapon that could distort reality, but of course that was impossible.
"They won't understand, worm," said Mobius, as if reading his mind. "They live within a box of predetermined rules. You... you have the potential to be outside that box, well of course that's because I'm so great, hehe..."
"What's wrong, dear?" asked Lumina when she saw Lux's expression change.
"Nothing, Mom. I was just thinking... some things about cultivation," Lux replied quickly.
Haha... Noctis laughed. "See? Even at the dinner table, his mind is on cultivation!"
Alright... "Let's focus on breakfast for now," Lumina reminded them.
After breakfast, Lux returned to his room for his second training session. Mobius had developed a "training protocol" tailored to a child's body shorter sessions, more frequent breaks, and a focus on objects with medium coefficients.
"Today we're going to try something new," said Mobius. "I want you to measure the coefficient of your shadow."
"Shadow?" Lux was confused.
"Everything that exists in reality has a coefficient, worm. Even concepts themselves. Now measure!" Mobius commanded firmly.
Lux then try to do as mobius told, but it was much more difficult. How do you measure something that isn't a physical object? His mind raced, trying to understand this concept.
Two years...He had been training like this for two damn years. Sometimes Lux wondered if it was all in vain. But then he remembered the gray meteor, his lost friends, and the secret he carried.
He had to keep going. There was no other choice.
"Don't doubt yourself, worm," Mobius said suddenly, his voice a little softer than usual. "Your progress... acceptable. For a little worm."
Lux smiled slightly. It was almost like a compliment from Mobius.
Six months later, on a bright afternoon, Lux sat in the backyard of their house. In front of him was a cup filled with clear water that he used for practice. Two and a half years had passed since he began training hard with Mobius, and frustration began to creep into his heart.
"Still can't do controlled distortion," Lux complained in his mind. "All I can do is measure, measure, and measure. When will I be able to actually do something?"
"Patience, worm," Mobius replied in an unusual tone almost as if he were considering something. "Today... today might be the right day to try."
Lux immediately sat up straight. "Really? You're allowing me to try distortion?"
"Not 'allowing'. I'm ordering. But listen carefully, little worm. You may only try it on the water in that cup. The coefficient is 0.99875. Aim for a small change only 0.00025. Understand?"
Lux nodded happily. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He assumed a meditative position, his hands stretched out toward the cup of water.
"0.99875..." he whispered, focusing all his attention.
He visualized the Möbius Gauge in his mind, watching the glitch pointer move along the surface of the paradox. He concentrated on the number, imagining it changing slowly.
0.99875... 0.99870... 0.99865...
His head began to throb, but he kept pushing. The energy in his body drained rapidly, like water flowing from a leaky container.
0.99860... 0.99855... 0.99850!
Suddenly, the water in the cup changed. From clear to slightly cloudy, as if fine bubbles had formed and then disappeared. The change lasted only about three seconds before the water returned to normal.
Lux fell backward, his head throbbing with pain. The world spun around him.
"Finally!" exclaimed Moebius, and for the first time, Lux heard a tone that was almost like pride in his voice. "Measurable progress. Although it's still pathetic on a cosmic scale, at least you're not completely useless."
"The water... became thicker," muttered Lux, still lying on the grass.
"Of course. You changed its reality coefficient, which affects its molecular bonds. Now sleep, worm. You'll need at least two hours to recover your energy."
After Lux woke up from his forced nap, he immediately took out the small notebook he had hidden under his bedroom floor. As a former engineer, he was accustomed to documenting every experiment.
Lux's Notes:
· First distortion successful!
· Target: Air coefficient from 0.99875 → 0.99850
· Effect duration: 3 seconds
· Energy cost: High (must sleep for 2 hours)
· Physical effect: Water becomes temporarily thicker
"What are you doing now, worm?" asked Mobius.
"I'm recording my observations," replied Lux. "From all the measurement exercises over the past two years, I've noticed a pattern."
He opened a new page and began to write:
Distortion Difficulty Level:
1. Air (most difficult) - Coefficient 0.99750
2. Fire - Coefficient 0.99500
3. Water - Coefficient 0.99875
4. Earth/Stone - Coefficient 0.99992
5. Metal (easiest) - Not yet measured
"Hmm," Moebius sounded interested. "You noticed that objects with lower coefficients are actually harder to distort?"
"Yes," Lux said enthusiastically. "At first I thought objects with lower coefficients meant they were more unstable, so easier to change. But in fact, it's the opposite."
"Good logic for a little worm," praised Mobius. "But you misunderstood the meaning of the coefficient. A lower value does not mean 'more unstable' - it means 'easier to change'. But 'easier to change' also means more difficult to control."
Lux nodded, beginning to understand. "So fire is easy to change, but because of its wild nature, it's actually more difficult to distort in a controlled manner?"
"Exactly. Think about it: which is easier—pushing a stationary stone ball, or trying to change the direction of a ball of fire that is already moving unpredictably?"
The explanation made everything clear to Lux. He immediately updated his notes:
New Understanding:
· Low coefficient = Changeable but difficult to control
· High coefficient = Stable but once changed, the effect is more permanent
· Optimal range: Medium coefficient (0.998-0.999)
"You learn fast," said Moebius, and this time it clearly sounded like praise. "Maybe there's hope for you after all."
In the following weeks, Moebius adjusted the training methods based on Lux's discoveries.
"Our training sessions will change," announced Mobius one morning. "Based on your observations, which... aren't entirely wrong, we'll focus on objects with a medium coefficient."
They started with small stones that had a coefficient of around 0.99910-0.99930. Lux discovered that although changing the coefficient of the stones required more energy, once changed, the effect lasted longer.
"This stone... is now more fragile," said Lux after successfully distorting the coefficient of a stone from 0.99925 to 0.99920.
"An interesting side effect," commented Moebius. "By changing its molecular stability, you've made it easier to break."
Moebius also reduced the duration of the training sessions from 30 minutes to 15 minutes, with more frequent breaks in between. They found that with this approach, Lux could do three short sessions per day instead of one long session that left him exhausted.
"Your worm body has limitations," explained Mobius. "It's better to have many short sessions than a few long ones. This allows your brain to process the experience without overload."
And by the end of the month, Lux was able to perform small, controlled distortions on various objects:
· Changing the temperature of his drinking water by a few degrees
· Making leaves fall more slowly for a few seconds
· Even once managing to make a metal coin slightly heavier for a moment
"Your progress is acceptable," said Mobius. "But remember, this worm is still just the basics, so don't get overconfident."
Lux nodded, but inside he felt happy. For the first time since coming to this world, he felt he had achieved something small. He might still be a child, but he was trying to build the foundation for something big.
He looked toward the horizon, at the towering Burning Sky Sect tower. One day, he would be strong enough to find his friends. To understand the truth behind the gray meteor.
And with Mobius by his side, despite being arrogant and annoying, he began to believe that it was possible.
Change comes gradually, like the changing seasons, but for the Noctis family, the past two years have brought about a transformation faster than they could have anticipated.
One night, Noctis came home with a worried look on his face. "I've been given a new assignment from the sect," he told Lumina as they sat in the living room. Lux listened quietly from behind his bedroom door.
"The disruption in the spirit herb supply chain is getting worse," Noctis continued. "The sect has ordered me to lead an investigation team to the border region."
Lumina frowned. "The border region? That should be close to the Shadow Viper Sect's territory. Haven't they been getting more aggressive lately?"
Noctis nodded heavily. "Yes. Three trade caravans have been attacked in the past month. Our sect has lost a lot of valuable resources."
"How long will you be gone?"
"About six months."
Lumina was silent for a moment before whispering, "Six months? That's too long, Noctis. And too dangerous."
"I know," Noctis sighed. "But as a Core Member with five Pillar affinities, the sect expects more contribution. This is an important task." Noctis explained.
From behind the door, Lux felt a deep sense of concern. Over the past two years, he had learned enough about sect politics to understand the danger of this situation. The Shadow Viper Sect was known as a cruel sect that did not hesitate to kill.
"The politics of worms," Mobius commented. "Fighting over resources like ants fighting over crumbs."
"Hope you come back safely, Dad," Lux replied in his mind.
"That's none of your business. Just focus on your training."
The next day, Noctis began preparing for his departure. Lux watched from a distance as his father checked his weapons, pills, and talismans in preparation for the mission.
"Don't worry, Lux," said Noctis when he noticed his son's gaze. "Father has this." He showed him a protective cloak that emitted a subtle energy. "This is a gift from Elder Feng. It can withstand the attacks of a Foundation Establishment cultivator."
But Lux could see the cloak's coefficient 0.99940. Strong enough, but not invincible. In his heart, he wished he could do something to protect his father.
"While I'm gone, you have to take care of Mom, okay?" Noctis ruffled Lux's hair.
Lux nodded earnestly. "I promise, Dad."
The night before Noctis' departure, the family gathered for their last dinner together for the next six months. The atmosphere was heavy, though they all tried to hide it.
"Lumina," Noctis said, holding his wife's hand. "I've spoken with Elder Feng. While I'm gone, the sect will provide extra protection for the two of you."
"We'll be fine," replied Lumina, smiling weakly. "Just focus on your task and come back safely."
With Noctis' departure, life changed for Lux and Lumina. Lumina's responsibilities as a formation expert increased rapidly.
Two weeks after Noctis left, a messenger from the city defense team came to their house.
"Mrs. Lumina," said the cultivator in armor respectfully. "We need your expertise. The defense formation at the east gate is starting to weaken."
Lumina replied. "I'll check it out right away."
Lux was allowed to come along, on the condition that he did not leave his mother's side. At the east gate, Lux watched his mother work. He saw Lumina circle the damaged formation, her hands moving quickly as she measured the flow of energy.
"The formation coefficient is 0.99890," Lux thought to himself. "There are several weak points."
"Just be quiet and observe," Mobius warned. "Don't even think about trying anything."
Lux watched as his mother harmoniously used her four Pillars. The Soul Pillar to sense the flow of energy, the Intelligence Pillar to analyze the formation's patterns, the Perception Pillar to find flaws, and the Fire Pillar to strengthen the formation's core.
Within three hours, Lumina had not only repaired the damaged formation, but also improved it. Its coefficient rose to 0.99915.
"Excellent, Lady Lumina!" praised the guard commander. "This formation is even stronger than before!"
Then news of Lumina's expertise spread quickly. Within a few weeks, she received more requests for help. From repairing the protective formations of spiritual shops to helping optimize the cultivation chamber formations at the sect headquarters.
One afternoon, Lux overheard his mother's conversation with a senior manager from the team responsible for the city's formations.
"We want to recruit you as a formation consultant for the city defense team, Miss Lumina," said the manager. "We need your expertise, because lately many formation experts have been assigned outside the city on sect missions, so we are short-staffed here."
Lumina thought for a moment, then replied, "I'm willing, but on one condition, I will only work when my son is at school or with his nanny. My family is my top priority."
The condition was accepted, and Lumina officially became a formation consultant. Lux watched how his mother flourished in her new role. She was no longer just a wife and mother, but also a respected cultivator in her own right.
For Lux, this change meant he spent more time alone or with the babysitter provided by the sect. But it also gave him more freedom to practice with Mobius.
"Father is away from home more often. Mother receives more cultivator guests for formation requests," Lux muttered one afternoon as he watched his mother receive guests from other sects.
"The adult cultivator world is full of responsibilities and dangers," Lux said to himself. "One day, I may also have to face them."
Lux observed how the dynamics of power worked. Cultivators from smaller sects treated Lumina with excessive respect, while cultivators from sects equal to the Burning Sky Sect treated her as an equal.
He also began to understand the pressure his parents faced. The constant requests, high expectations, and ever-present danger.
"Mobius," Lux asked one night. "Do all cultivators live like this? Always alert, always striving to become stronger?"
"The weak die, the strong survive. That is the law of the universe, worm. In any world."
In his solitude, Lux found new determination. He had to become strong—not only to find his friends and understand the secrets of the meteor, but also to protect his parents.
He noticed how his mother sometimes looked tired after a day of work, but still smiled at him. He remembered how his father sacrificed himself by going to dangerous areas to protect the sect and his family.
They fought for him. Now, he had to fight for them too.
"Your training today was poor," Mobius criticized when Lux failed to maintain his concentration.
"I'm worried about Dad," Lux admitted.
"Worry is a weakness. Focus on what you can control with your power."
But for the first time, Lux felt he didn't entirely agree with Mobius. Worrying about loved ones wasn't a weakness; it was a reason to be strong.
He looked toward the city, toward the sect's towering tower. Somewhere out there, his father was facing danger. Here, his mother was working hard. And he...
He would keep training. Not because of Mobius's orders, but because of his own choice.
Because one day, when danger threatened those he loved, he wanted to be able to do more than just measure the reality coefficient.
He wanted to be able to change it.