Velzahar stepped forward slowly, his gaze drifting across the vast cave walls as if recalling something long forgotten. His voice echoed with a quiet weight that filled the empty space, carrying an ancient depth.
"Noah… how much do you know about this world?"
Noah remained seated, his senses extending outward, clearly mapping Velzahar's movements inside his mind. Despite his blindness, nothing escaped his perception. His answer came without hesitation, calm and straightforward.
"…Nothing."
Velzahar stopped mid-step.
For a brief moment, he simply stared, as if unsure he had heard correctly. Silence stretched between them before his voice returned, carrying faint disbelief and curiosity.
"What do you mean… nothing?"
Noah tilted his head slightly, his tone steady and serious, without even a trace of embarrassment.
"Nothing means nothing. I only know about my parents—the King and Queen of Velzar. Other than that… I know absolutely nothing about this world."
A long silence followed.
Velzahar stared at him, unmoving, as if analyzing him from the core of his existence. Finally, he exhaled slowly, a faint sigh escaping his lips.
"…I see."
"We will begin your training," he continued, voice steady once more, regaining his composure effortlessly. "But before that… you need to understand where you stand in this world."
He raised his right hand calmly.
Space above his palm distorted faintly, as if reality itself bent to his will. A small glowing sphere formed, no larger than a marble, before gradually expanding into a detailed miniature globe filled with shifting colors and terrain.
Velzahar observed it briefly, his eyes calm.
"…You cannot see this," he muttered. "Then I will fix that."
His left hand extended toward Noah, releasing a tiny golden particle that drifted forward and entered his head.
The moment it entered—
Noah's perception changed completely.
Until now, he could sense only shapes and movements. But now, color flooded his awareness, painting everything inside his mind with vivid clarity he had never experienced before.
"…What is this?" Noah whispered softly, genuine surprise breaking through his calm demeanor.
"I can… see colors? Not with my eyes… but inside my mind. It's like I have another form of vision."
Velzahar ignored his reaction, focusing instead on the floating globe. Green lands, mountains, rivers, and small structures began forming with greater clarity, becoming more detailed with each passing second.
"Focus your senses here," he instructed calmly.
Noah obeyed immediately.
His perception locked onto the miniature world hovering above Velzahar's palm. Every detail appeared clearly inside his mind, far sharper than anything normal sight could achieve.
"This," Velzahar began, his voice steady and authoritative, "is the world you now live in. It is called… Eclovus."
The globe rotated slowly as his words sank in.
"This world contains many species—Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Beastmen… and Dragons. However, they do not coexist peacefully within a single land."
His tone grew slightly heavier.
"They are divided," he continued. "Separated across four massive continents, each spanning distances far beyond your comprehension."
"The Human continent—Norox."
"The Dwarven continent—Egumen."
"The Beastmen continent—Carfiallo."
"And the Elven continent… Velmor."
A brief pause followed before he added quietly, his voice carrying faint nostalgia.
"Velmor was once the land of Dragons."
Noah remained silent, absorbing every word carefully. His mind processed everything with precision, while curiosity burned quietly within him, controlled and restrained.
Velzahar continued.
"This world runs on a fundamental energy known as… Ether."
His gaze deepened slightly, carrying weight.
"It exists everywhere—within air, land, and all living beings. It is the force that allows evolution, growth, and the breaking of limits beyond natural boundaries."
"With Ether comes power."
His voice grew heavier, pressing against the surroundings.
"And with power… comes hierarchy."
"The ranks of this world are absolute," Velzahar stated calmly.
"Sapphire."
"Emerald."
"Ruby."
"Amethyst."
"Topaz."
"Diamond."
The air itself seemed to grow heavier as he continued, each word carrying pressure.
"Obsidian."
"Mythic."
"Celestite" - Where I stand."
A pause followed.
"…And Aetherion."
"The realm of Gods."
Noah's expression shifted slightly, a faint smile forming within his thoughts.
'…Gemstones?' he thought.
The names felt familiar, yet the weight behind them made them feel entirely different.
Then realization struck.
Velzahar… stood at Celestite Rank.
Noah's mouth parted slightly, shock rippling through his otherwise calm mind.
'…Isn't he basically a demigod?'
Velzahar glanced at him calmly, as if reading through his thoughts effortlessly.
"I know what you are thinking," he said. "But you misunderstand the meaning behind these ranks."
"The names do not matter."
His voice sharpened slightly, carrying authority.
"What matters… is the difference between them."
"An Emerald can destroy thousands of Sapphires effortlessly. Each rank is not a step… but a wall that cannot be crossed."
His gaze locked onto Noah.
"An absolute difference."
Noah's thoughts trembled slightly.
'…This is insane.'
Even the novels he had read never portrayed such overwhelming differences between power levels.
Velzahar observed him quietly before narrowing his eyes slightly, something catching his attention.
"…Strange."
"I can sense power from you," he continued. "Yet you do not even know how to use Ether."
A pause followed.
"…So how did you become this strong?"
Noah hesitated briefly.
A drop of sweat slid down his face as his thoughts raced rapidly.
'…He's too strong to deceive.'
Decision made—
"It might be because of my physique," Noah replied calmly, without hiding it.
"I possess the Sword God Physique… and my talent is related to the sword as well."
Silence fell instantly.
Velzahar's eyes widened slightly, his composure cracking for the first time since their meeting.
'…Nirovan gave him that?'
His thoughts stirred with disbelief.
'A human shouldn't be able to handle a God's physique…'
His gaze deepened as he stared at Noah, as if trying to see through him completely.
'…What are you?'
After a long pause, Velzahar exhaled slowly, regaining his composure once more.
"…I see."
His voice returned to calm, yet carried a deeper meaning now.
"Then we will begin from the foundation."
He turned slightly, his presence stabilizing once more as if nothing had happened.
"First…"
A brief pause followed.
"You will learn how to control Ether."
As he spoke, he lifted his hand again, this time raising only his index finger. Energy began to gather at its tip, swirling like a vortex, dense and visible, compressing further with each passing second.
The energy condensed into a tiny pebble-like sphere, radiating immense pressure despite its size. Velzahar spoke calmly, his gaze fixed forward.
"This… is the most fundamental use of Ether."
"A compressed sphere of pure energy. No elements. No attributes. Only raw, concentrated power shaped by control."
His voice remained steady, yet carried immense weight.
Without moving his body, Velzahar flicked his finger forward.
The sphere shot out instantly, faster than Noah could fully track, striking the obsidian wall of the cave in a single moment.
BOOOOOOOM—
A deafening explosion echoed throughout the cave, shaking the very ground beneath them. Dust and debris erupted outward, filling the air as fragments of stone scattered violently in all directions.
Noah's senses expanded toward the impact point, analyzing everything instantly.
Then—
His mind went blank.
The wall… had been torn apart from within.
When the dust slowly settled, a massive crater was revealed, its depth and destruction far beyond what such a small sphere should have caused.
Velzahar turned toward the cave entrance, where faint sunlight streamed inside, illuminating his figure from behind. His voice echoed calmly, as if nothing extraordinary had just occurred.
"This is the technique you will learn first."
A pause followed.
"As it is your first time, it may take longer than expected."
"I have matters to attend to."
His tone remained indifferent.
"Master it… before I return."
With that, his form moved forward into the light.
And in the next moment—
He vanished.
Noah remained alone.
Inside the silent cave.
With nothing but raw power—
And the first step toward becoming something far beyond human.