The Sean household stood tall as the wealthiest family in the entire Norma Kingdom. Prideful yet powerful, every member carried themselves with a sense of elegance—sometimes arrogance. Even young master Travis had his own mountain manor and a well-guarded medicine garden, all part of his father's deliberate move to establish his presence within the noble landscape.
Tonight, Travis was preparing for his first energy cultivation breakthrough. Weeks of body training had sharpened his senses and hardened his resolve. He sat cross-legged near the flickering lanterns, the sharp herbal scent of tier-three ingredients wafting from a jade tray beside him.
He muttered, "Still tier-three…? With the resources this house has, I should be working with tier four at least."
His disappointment was real—not from entitlement, but because he knew what his body needed. The energy flow in this new world was denser than his previous one, but the basic cultivation system felt eerily similar. Still, the higher he aimed, the more he'd need to rely on potent resources.
Just as he closed his eyes to begin, a knock interrupted him. Annoyed, he reached for his dagger and cracked the door open slightly.
He paused.
A subtle fragrance drifted in, followed by the elegant figure of a woman in a deep crimson shawl. The soft shimmer of gold threads danced in the dim corridor light. Her eyes—a piercing shade of blue—met his with a gentle smile.
It was his mother, Candace Sean.
Travis stood frozen. Her arrival had clearly unsettled him—not because he feared her, but because her grace had a way of disarming even his most practiced composure.
"Aria said you've been having strange dreams," Candace said warmly. "I just came to check on you."
She stepped into the room like a queen in silk, her presence commanding yet comforting. With a soft sigh, she settled onto the nearby sofa and gestured for him to join.
Hesitant, Travis sat beside her. "I'm… fine now. Just shaken, that's all."
She looked at him with eyes that held more wisdom than words. "You've changed, Travis. I can see it. Not just physically. You're calmer now. Focused."
He blinked. He had underestimated her insight. But perhaps it wasn't just maternal instinct—perhaps she truly saw through people.
"I had to," he said finally. "There are things I need to do. Strength I need to gain."
Candace gently brushed his hair aside and smiled. "Then let your mother help how she can."
Her touch startled him. Not because it was unfamiliar—but because it was… grounding. For a brief moment, the fierce ambitions inside him quieted.
"I'll be fine," he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "I've found a path."
After she left, Travis took a deep breath and returned to his circle. He stared at the tray holding the Blood Lotus petals, Crocus leaves, and vial of pale nectar.
"All right," he murmured, "time to see if your little gift, Tatiana, was worth it."
The poison she had secretly fed him weeks ago had almost killed the original Travis. But Joe had used it as fuel—something others feared, he converted into power. Poison, he realized, was rich in elemental volatility. If balanced, it could be absorbed as raw force.
He crushed the herbs into a paste and swallowed them with the nectar, immediately feeling the sharp sting as it coursed through him. Sweat broke out across his brow. His skin flushed red.
He grit his teeth and focused everything on the base of his left wrist—where the poison had been most concentrated.
Slowly, using the flow patterns etched into his past life's cultivation scripts, he began to circulate the burning energy throughout his body. It was excruciating. It was thrilling.
After what felt like an eternity, the fire settled. His breathing slowed. A quiet hum filled his core.
He had broken through. Energy Gathering Realm—late stage.
He opened his eyes slowly, a faint glow retreating from them. "Not bad for one night."
Just as he stood, something strange happened.
A warmth spread through his chest—then down to his limbs. Strange red patterns began to appear faintly across his skin, glowing like ancient glyphs.
He froze. Not in fear, but in curiosity.
"What now…?" he whispered.
The markings began shifting, as if guiding his internal energy. He followed the pattern's rhythm and, instantly, his energy flow doubled. Every cell in his body seemed to drink in the air's essence.
He didn't understand it yet—but something inside him had awakened. Not from Travis. Not from this world. From the void between lives. From Infinitus.
"I don't know what you are," he whispered into the air, "but I'll figure it out."
For now, there was training to do. And a destiny waiting to be rewritten.