Days blurred into weeks as I completely neglected my studies, immersing myself in cultivating, physical exercise, and scouring the forums for updates. For the past two weeks, martial law was lifted a few times so that citizens could get groceries and fulfill other requirements. Still, the government announced that it would be active indefinitely until further notice.
Just a few days ago, a person had finally entered the Aperture Opening stage. They had described their experience and shared a full walk-through on how they did it. They then said we would receive a surprise if we did it right.
Of course, I found it through the novel forums. And apparently, I was on the right path.
Once again, I sat on the floor of the living room, my mind fully focused on the sensation of the ambient essence around me. I had become so intimately familiar with the actions that I could almost do it on instinct.
But today, something felt different. I sensed the essence deeper, more vibrantly.
I took a deep breath, drawing the essence into my lungs. The familiar icy fire ignited, but this time, it felt less like burning and more like a tingling warmth. It flowed through my body with ease, tracing the pathways I had painstakingly carved over the past weeks.
With each breath, I drew in more. I felt my capacity expanding, my mortal shell—as they called the body in the forums—stretching to accommodate the influx of energy. It filled my limbs, coated my skin, and surged through my head.
And then, it happened. I reached a point where my body could hold no more. The essence saturated every cell, every fiber of my being. It felt like I was overflowing, on the verge of bursting.
The words from the guide rang within my mind, along with the experiences shared in the forums and the countless hours I spent visualizing this moment.
And then, with a subtle pull, the essence began to move. Not outwards like it usually did, but inwards. It swirled and condensed, coalescing in a single point within my chest, just behind my sternum. It felt like a miniature globe was forming within me, carrying with it nothing but pure life.
Remembering the extra instructions the forums had given, I drew in even more essence, increasing the size of their core. It swelled, increasing to the point that it felt like it would burst at any moment.
No, no, no.
I panicked. But my worries seemed to be for naught.
Just like what happened with my body, the core reached a point where it could not be saturated any more. Then, it began to coalesce within itself. The miniature globe shrunk, only stopping when it returned to its original size. But I could feel it. The essence within it was denser, more pure.
Not wanting to risk it again, I immediately stopped inhaling essence.
Without the supply of any more energy, the growth of the core slowed and ultimately came to a stop.
Releasing a sigh of exhilaration, I opened my eyes. Only then did I notice the cold sweat covering my body.
This was it. I had entered the first stage of cultivation, Opening Aperture. And with it, I had officially become a cultivator.
I quickly took my phone and went through the email once again.
[If you have created your aperture, I congratulate you. Now, I shall inform you about the sub-stages within the main stages. Every stage has different sub-stages. For the Opening Aperture stage, it was quite simple. The aperture will grow as you absorb essence, and when it reaches the limit, it will condense once again. This process will happen exactly five times. Every time it happens, you have broken through to the next stage. Just after you have created the aperture, you will be called a newborn. The first time the aperture condenses, you will be in your first cycle of condensation. Followed by the second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth. There's no sixth time. Doing it anymore will cause the aperture to crack. From then on, you are a Body Refining stage cultivator ready to refine your body for future cultivation.]
Now I understood why that person said to absorb even more essence. It was to use the momentum of the initial breakthrough to complete the first cycle.
So now I was in the second cycle of the Opening Aperture stage. Sweet.
The information from the Expert this time was quite comprehensive.
I scrolled down, just to take a glimpse of the next stage, only to find another sentence written far away from the Aperture Opening stage section.
[Keep in mind that not all apertures are equal in size. The talented ones will be able to create a bigger core, giving them the capacity to store more essence.]
Yes. He was not a proper guide. This should have been mentioned earlier so that people would know about it before attempting to even create an aperture.
I shook my head and stood up. The aperture within my sternum seemed to invigorate me; I felt a liveliness I had never felt before coursing through my veins.
But what was the surprise?
Without drawing in energy, I focused my mind within myself. There it was, the core of essence nestled right beneath my sternum, swirling with currents of energy. The more I looked at it, the more incredible it felt, until I realized that the energy currents seemed to move faster the more enraptured I was.
It felt as if it was reacting to my will.
To test my theory, I willed the essence within it to move. An instinct I never knew I possessed kicked in, and the energy currents shifted. Just out of curiosity, I tried to take them out of the core.
It really happened. The essence seeped out in a stream of milky liquid. I didn't stop there. I willed it to come out of my body. The essence moved. The closer it got to the skin of my palm, the colder I felt. But the essence never came out. Instead, a layer of frost manifested over my skin, coating the place where I wanted the essence to come out.
I stared at the frost in fascination. With intricate patterns etched on my skin, the sight was simply beautiful. But more than that, it was power. Real, tangible power born from the essence within me.
A grin spread across my face. Like a kid who had received a new toy, I began experimenting. I willed the essence to flow to my other hand, and a matching frost pattern appeared. Then to my feet, feeling the icy coldness seep into my toes. I could even guide it to my head, a refreshing chill countering the lingering warmth of exertion.
But could I do more than just create frost?
I focused on the doorknob across the room, picturing the essence flowing towards it, coating it in a layer of ice. Nothing happened. I tried again, concentrating harder, pushing my will against the barrier that seemed to separate me from the external world.
And then, with a faint click, the doorknob froze solid.
A laugh escaped my lips, a mixture of disbelief and exhilaration. I felt like a magician.
Emboldened, I began freezing even more things. From a simple cup of water to—
A sudden wave of dizziness washed over me, cutting my experiment short. My vision blurred, and my knees buckled. I stumbled, barely managing to grab the edge of the table to keep from collapsing.
What was happening?
A bone-deep exhaustion swept through me, draining every ounce of strength. My arms felt heavy, my legs like lead. The frost on my skin melted away, leaving behind a clammy chill.
Panic flared in my chest. I tried to draw in more essence, to replenish the energy I'd expended, but it was like trying to draw water from an empty well.
I focused inward, my mind reeling. And then I saw it. The aperture, once vibrant and swirling with energy, was now dim, almost lifeless. The essence, the source of my newfound power, was gone. Completely drained.
A cold dread gripped me. Had I pushed too far? Had I somehow damaged my aperture?
I crawled towards my phone, my fingers fumbling with the screen. With trembling fingers, I typed out a message, my vision blurring with each keystroke:
> WARNING! Don't deplete your aperture completely! I just lost all my essence, and I feel like I'm dying... Something's wrong...
I hit send, the message disappearing into the vast expanse of the internet. Then, darkness closed in, and I slumped against the floor, my consciousness fading.
The last thing I saw was the email, still open on my phone, the words mocking me from the screen:
...Congratulations on creating your aperture...