Chapter — Starforged Enlightenment
Sabre's breath hitched the moment the last trace of toxin was purged from his body. A sharp tremor ran through him, starting from his spine and spreading to his limbs, as though something deep within had finally been unshackled. His muscles loosened, his thoughts slowed, and then—everything changed.
His body shook strangely once more, but this time it did not bring pain. Instead, a calm unlike anything he had ever known settled over him. The world felt distant yet incredibly clear, as if a veil had been lifted from his senses. Every sound, every fluctuation of energy around him, became easy to grasp.
Sabre realized he was no longer thinking the way he usually did.
Thoughts that once felt heavy now flowed freely. Concepts that had always been vague suddenly made sense without effort. It was as though answers were presenting themselves the moment he asked the question.
He turned his focus inward.
Astral power.
The moment the thought surfaced, something stirred deep within him. Memories—no, not memories, but impressions—flooded his mind. They were fragmented and unfamiliar, yet they felt natural, as if they had always been a part of him. Lines of understanding formed one after another, connecting ideas he had never consciously studied.
His heart beat steadily as he processed it all.
Lightning.
Energy.
Flow.
Control.
Sabre frowned slightly, surprised by how easily he could comprehend these things. The fear he had felt earlier was gone, replaced by curiosity and a quiet sense of urgency.
"What kind of heavenly state is this?" he muttered.
His voice sounded distant to his own ears.
The realization struck him a heartbeat later, and his face tightened in shock. Sabre knew, with absolute certainty, that what he was experiencing was rare—terrifyingly rare. This was not something effort alone could achieve.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He hesitated.
Only for a moment.
Sabre clenched his fists, then slowly shut his eyes. If this state was offering him clarity, then he would seize it without regret. His mind dove deeper, focusing entirely on the essence of lightning. He did not attempt to force power out; instead, he observed, listened, and understood.
Lightning was violent, yet precise.
It destroyed, yet obeyed rules.
It was chaos guided by order.
Sabre traced those rules within his mind, letting them settle naturally. His goal was simple—understanding. Improvement would come later.
Outside, the world continued to move.
To everyone watching, Sabre suddenly stopped moving altogether. His body stood frozen in place, his eyes shut, his breathing shallow. A strange aura began to seep from him, spreading outward like invisible waves.
The air around him felt heavier.
Unsettled murmurs rippled through the crowd as people instinctively took a step back.
"Is he dead?" someone whispered.
Fear crept into their voices. No one understood what was happening, and the power lingering around Sabre made them uneasy. Some retreated further, unwilling to remain close to something they could not explain.
The senior who had organized the trial snorted, folding his arms calmly.
"He is not dead," the man said flatly. "What he is experiencing is enlightenment."
His gaze sharpened as he watched Sabre.
"Something that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
The crowd fell silent.
---
The sea roared violently as waves crashed against the ship, the storm of battle raging far from calm waters.
Lightning tore through the sky, splitting the clouds apart as the elder stood firm at the center of the chaos. His robes fluttered wildly, crackling with restrained power. Across from him, the pirate leader hovered above the sea's surface, water spiraling endlessly around his body like a living armor.
The clash between them had already shaken the ship to its core.
Bolts of lightning rained down, striking the sea with deafening explosions. Each impact sent massive columns of water erupting into the air, yet the pirate leader remained unyielding. With a wave of his hand, the sea responded to his will, reshaping itself into shields and spears that collided head-on with the elder's attacks.
The elder narrowed his eyes.
He knew the truth.
The only reason this man could still stand was because they were fighting on the sea.
Water was the pirate's domain.
Every drop strengthened him.
The pirate leader laughed loudly as another surge of water swallowed a lightning strike whole.
"You should have known better than to fight me here," he taunted. "This ocean answers to me."
The elder said nothing.
Instead, he raised his hand slowly.
The air vibrated.
The lightning around him did not strike outward this time. Instead, it condensed, drawing inward toward his body. The pressure intensified, forcing the pirate leader to step back for the first time.
"So," the pirate sneered, though his eyes flickered with caution, "you still have cards left to play."
The elder's gaze was cold.
He brought his hand down.
A pillar of lightning descended from the heavens, not wild and scattered, but refined and controlled. It tore straight through the water defenses, evaporating everything in its path. The sea screamed as steam exploded upward, shrouding the battlefield.
The pirate leader gritted his teeth, summoning the sea with everything he had. Waves rose like towering walls, crashing down in an attempt to smother the lightning.
For a moment, it worked.
The sea surged, overwhelming the elder's attack, forcing lightning to scatter across the surface.
The pirate leader exhaled sharply, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He had held on—but barely.
Then the elder stepped forward.
The lightning around him shifted, changing nature. It became denser, heavier, carrying an oppressive force that made the pirate's knees buckle.
"This ends here," the elder said calmly.
The pirate leader's grin vanished.
He realized then that the elder had not been fighting seriously before. What he had shown earlier was merely restraint.
The sea churned violently as the two forces collided once more, water and lightning tearing the battlefield apart. The ship creaked under the pressure, its structure screaming as cracks spread along its hull.
The elder pressed his advantage, his attacks growing sharper and more precise. Each strike forced the pirate leader back, further draining his strength.
Still, the pirate refused to fall.
As long as the sea existed beneath him, he would not surrender.
---
Far from the chaos, Sabre remained unmoving, lost within his enlightenment.
Lightning danced within his mind, no longer terrifying but familiar. He began to sense the faint pulse of energy flowing through his body, responding subtly to his understanding.
Without realizing it, he took his first true step forward.
And the world around him trembled.