How long had it been?
Gyeong didn't know.
It felt like two years had passed, maybe more.
As a soul, he couldn't age, and within this white space the very concept of time felt distorted.
No. The space itself was strange.
At one point, out of sheer curiosity, he had asked the shadow, whom he had taken to calling "C" for convenience, about the size of this place. She… no, it had explained that the space functioned like a white box. If one continued walking in a straight line long enough, they would eventually arrive back at their starting point.
Naturally, Gyeong had tested it.
He designated a mental Point A as his starting position and decided on a Point B as his destination. With nothing else to do and an eternity stretching before him, he began walking in a straight line, careful not to deviate even slightly.
He walked.
And walked.
At some point, he stopped.
Point B was right in front of him.
It was Point A.
There had been no sensation of turning around, sudden repositioning, or distortion he could consciously perceive. One step he was moving forward, and the next, he was standing exactly where he had begun.
That was when he truly understood.
This place did not obey distance.
It looped, folded, and ignored the concept of travel.
Since then, Gyeong had lost any reliable sense of how much time had passed. Days blurred into one another, marked only by repeated failures, brief moments of insight, and C's occasional guidance.
If he had to guess, two years felt about right.
But in a place where space lied and time meant nothing, even that was just another assumption.
During this time, he had been learning how to manipulate the universal ether known as "Ki."
He couldn't manipulate his own ether but the universal ether was a different story. According to C, it was difficult for humans to manipulate Ki and there were only a few in her time that could successfully manipulate it. Those talented individuals could only be counted on one hand.
Perhaps as a soul, his Ether Core could resonate with the universal ether better as compared to normal humans, so he was having a easier time.
"Fire," "Metal," "Wood," "Earth," and "Water."
Those were the five fundamental expressions the universal ether most readily assumed.
He had started with the simplest.
Fire Ki — Red
Fire Ki accelerated everything it touched. Energy output increased, reactions became violent, and change happened faster than it naturally should. When infused into the body, or what passed for one, it heightened aggression, passion, and destructive potential.
Too much Fire Ki, however, led to instability and loss of control.
Gyeong learned that lesson quickly the first time the ether around him flared red in response to his agitation.
Metal Ki — White
Unlike Fire, Metal Ki was inwardly focused. It compressed, hardened, and defined. Even when not manifesting physically, Metal Ki reinforced structure, strengthening boundaries, sharpening intent, and solidifying form.
C had described it as the Ki of discipline.
Wood Ki — Blue
Wood Ki flowed gently, endlessly. It represented regeneration, recovery, and evolution. Of all the elements, it was the most forgiving. When Corvin brushed against it, the ether felt warm, not hot like Fire, but warm.
It could mend damage, restore balance, and even strengthen what already existed through gradual accumulation.
Earth Ki — Yellow
Earth Ki anchored existence. When Corvin first touched it, his perception slowed, as though the world itself had taken a steady breath. It reinforced space, suppressed motion, and provided unmatched defensive potential.
Barriers, walls, and zones of suppression all fell under Earth's domain. More importantly, Earth Ki stabilized the other elements. Fire burned cleaner. Wood grew truer. Metal formed without flaw.
Asidefrom its glaring flaw of stiffness, it was rather useful and possessed a lot of versatility.
Water Ki — Black
Gyeong had lingered on this one.
Water Ki was the most difficult for him to grasp, yet the easiest to feel. It responded not to intent, but to acceptance. Rather than opposing force, it redirected it. Rather than breaking, it endured by yielding.
It governed cold, mist, tides, and concealment. But more than that, it touched upon emotion and memory. When Water Ki was used improperly, one risked drowning in their own thoughts.
Masters of Water Ki could erase presence, slip through defenses, and turn an enemy's strength against them.
C had warned him plainly.
[Those who fall into Water without understanding themselves never resurface.]
Together, the Five Elements formed a cycle.
Fire refined Metal.
Metal cut Wood.
Wood stabilized Earth.
Earth absorbed Water.
Water extinguished Fire.
None was superior. None was complete alone.
And somewhere within that balance, Kim Gyeong was expected to carve a path out of a prison that had never been meant to open.
Needless to say, this was only possible on a surface level.
Fundamentally, manipulating universal ether was nothing like controlling the ether that flowed directly from one's own Ether Core. The latter obeyed instinct and intent, responding like an extension of the self. The former was foreign.
It was a slow and arduous task, like trying to redirect the course of a river with nothing but bare hands.
Only then did Gyeong truly understand why most people could not use Ki.
…Well, not that anyone on Earth could use Ether or any form of supernatural power to begin with. He was treading into territory no one from his world had ever touched, manipulating forces that existed far beyond human understanding.
'I'm really doing something impossible, aren't I?'
That thought inevitably led his mind back to the mysterious shadow.
Just who was C, really?
His days soon fell into a repetitive rhythm. He spent most of his time training his control over the universal ether, and whenever he rested, he conversed with C, if only to keep his sanity intact.
One day, while he was practicing his control over the different forms of Ki, a familiar feminine voice interrupted him.
[Stop. You're doing it wrong.]
"I am?"
[Your flow of ether is fragile. Why aren't you drawing it into your Ether Core and circulating it through your body? Don't you understand that the effects would be far more profound that way?]
Gyeong's expression turned serious as he mulled over her words. "Hmm… you're right. I did notice some lag in the flow."
[See?]
"I'll give it a try."
[Since you're still relatively new, you should be able to adapt a manipulation technique I developed.]
"You developed something like that?"
[Of course I did. Are you looking down on me? Didn't I tell you already? I am the Great Witch of Immortality.]
…Oh, right.
Gyeong did his best not to cringe.
Folding her arms, C continued, her tone brimming with pride.
[Absorb ether while you move. And instead of relying on a single type of Ki, use all of them at the same time. Ideally, you should improve your Ki control without allowing any one element to lag behind. It's incredibly difficult, but with enough practice, you'll manage. And it's not like you're short on time.]
He frowned.
Manipulating all five elemental Ki at once?
On paper, it sounded plausible. In practice, it was absurdly difficult. Each type of Ki behaved differently and demanded a completely different approach to control.
How was he supposed to balance all of those flow states at the same time?
'Well, there's only one way to find out.'
Practice.
And besides, like she said, were they truly lacking time in this place?