"How do I perceive ether?"
That was the question Kim Gyeong, seated cross-legged on the ground, had impatiently asked.
In turn, the Shadow explained simply:
[Like I said before, sensing Ether at your current stage won't be possible, much less the Universal Ki. Well, that would have been in the case in a normal scenario.]
"What's different?"
[The two aspects of a living creature is divided into Body and Soul. One can't be called living without these two. A body cannot move without a soul within it and soul cannot interact with the material plane without a body. In your case, however, you're a lost soul who had fallen from the River of Destiny into this place. So you should be able to sense things that couldn't be sensed normally.]
"Then that makes I should be able perceive ether automatically, doesn't it? But..."
Gyeong looked around before adding:
"I don't see anything."
[Do not look with your eyes.]
"…You're really fond of vague instructions, you know that?"
[And you are fond of sarcasm. Yet here we are.]
The shadow let out a sigh. Following that, it raised a shadowy finger and pointed around them.
[This space feels empty to you because you're still limiting your mind to human territory. In truth, it is saturated. Ether flows everywhere here like water trapped beneath ice. You just have to open your mind to the things around you.]
Open my mind, huh?
'That's easier said than done.'
This was like telling someone to build a structure without giving them the necessary blueprints. Of course, he wouldn't know how to proceed.
'Whatever. As long as I follow its instructions, then I should be able to perceive it. I think?'
Gyeong shook his head.
'No, I'll definitely succeed.'
Failure was something that he didn't need on his mind right now.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and discarded all unnecessary thoughts, focusing on sensing the ether around his vincinty.
How hard could it be?
† †
Some time later...
'Fuck. It's hard.'
Gyeong inwardly grumbled as he once again failed to sense the so-called Ki.
It was frustrating.
Every time he felt like he was close — when that faint, elusive sensation brushed against his awareness — it would slip away at the last moment, vanishing as though it had never been there at all.
Like trying to grasp smoke with his bare hands.
The harder he focused, the worse it became.
His thoughts tangled, his concentration wavered, and whatever fragile connection he had formed shattered instantly. Each failure left behind a dull, creeping irritation that settled deep in his mind.
Was he doing something wrong?
Or was he simply incapable?
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down.
Getting impatient wouldn't help. If anything, it only made things worse.
…Still.
Who would have thought sensing Ki could be this infuriating?
A faint sound broke the silence.
It was a soft, almost amused chuckle.
Gyeong's eyelids twitched open. He looked up just in time to see the shadow crouching a short distance away, with its hand on its cheeks.
That featureless face.
For some reason, it rubbed him the wrong way.
[You are trying too hard.]
His jaw tightened. "I knew you were going to say that."
[Of course you did.]
Gyeong rubbed his face with both hands and let out a tired sigh.
"Then what am I supposed to do? Every time I relax, I lose whatever little progress I make. And when I focus, everything collapses. It's an annoying process."
[Hehe. That is because you are treating Ether like an object to be grasped.]
...Object?
[You keep reaching outward, attempting to seize it. Ether does not respond to force, nor does it respond to desperation.]
"So I just… what? Sit here and do nothing?"
[No.]
The shadow closed the distance, bringing its indistinct face level with his.
[You listen.]
Gyeong frowned. "I don't hear anything."
[Not with your ears.]
"Figured as much."
Ignoring his complaint, the shadow continued.
[Your mistake lies in intent. You are searching for Ether as though it is separate from you. But for a soul like yourself, that is simply false. You are not inside a body. You are not anchored to flesh. Right now, your existence is closer to Ether than it is to matter.]
The words sank in slowly.
"You're saying… I shouldn't be looking for something outside?"
[Correct.]
The shadow lifted a finger and lightly tapped the space over Corvin's chest.
[Start here, with yourself.]
"Myself?"
[Your thoughts, your emotions, the sensation of existing. Do not try to control them. Simply observe them.]
Gyeong hesitated.
That sounded… uncomfortably abstract.
Still, he had no better option.
He closed his eyes again.
This time, he didn't try to reach outward. He didn't imagine flowing energy or swirling elements.
Instead, he focused inward, on the faint sensation of being present at all.
At first, there was nothing but noise.
Fragments of irritation. Lingering frustration. The echo of pain from earlier. His thoughts bounced endlessly, refusing to settle.
Then, gradually, they began to slow.
Not because he forced them to, but because he stopped caring whether they did.
The irritation dulled. The tension eased.
And beneath it all, he felt something subtle.
A pressure.
No, not pressure. More like… density.
It was faint, almost imperceptible, yet undeniably there. As though the space around him had imaginary mass and weight, brushing against his awareness from all directions.
His breath caught.
So this is…?
The sensation wavered, threatening to vanish the moment he acknowledged it.
...Shit, don't chase it!
He let the feeling exist without naming it, without pulling at it.
The world shifted.
The white expanse around him no longer felt empty. It felt thick and layered. Threads of something unseen drifted past his awareness, brushing against him like slow-moving currents.
Gyeong's eyes snapped open.
"I feel something."
The shadow seemed a little surprised.
[What? You really do?]
"Yeah. It's faint but it's there. All around us. Like the space itself seems more heavier than before."
[I see. So you can really see it.]
Gyeong stared down at his hands, flexing his fingers slowly. They looked the same. Felt the same.
Yet everything was different.
"So… that wasn't Ki yet?"
[No. That was merely perception.]
The shadow's voice carried unmistakable satisfaction.
[And that alone puts you far ahead of where you should be.]
"You say that like it's supposed to make me feel better."
[It should.]
The shadow turned slightly, gazing into the endless white.
[Because now that you can perceive it, learning to interact with it is only a matter of time.]
Gyeong followed its gaze, a strange mix of exhaustion and anticipation settling into his being.
"…So what's the next step?"
The shadow smiled.
[Now things will get a little bit exciting.]