Sam sat in complete silence, immersed in his thoughts. The moment he succeeded in creating his ability, he knew there was a price to pay. His ability to create sequences relied on strict rules that could not be broken.
He had imposed limitations on himself that he could not back out of. This was something he had to adhere to every time he consumed one of the sequence doses. He had promised himself to enter the "White Space," a place where he would be isolated from time and the outside world, surrounded by deadly solitude and the madness that threatened his mind.
The limitations he imposed on himself:
Absolute Solitude: Every time Sam drank a sequence dose, he would enter the White Space, a place with no one but himself. It was a void, surrounded by a deadly silence, where the only thing that could calm his mind were his thoughts, which could also turn against him. He was not allowed to return to the outside world until he completed the duration he had imposed on himself.
Trapped Madness: The White Space was a battleground for his mind, where every negative emotion was amplified. Sam had to keep his mind intact, or it would fracture. If he failed to maintain his sanity, the madness that swept through the space would consume him. This madness was not just delirium; it was a force that would turn him into a beast, losing himself forever, sealed within the White Space.
Stopped Time: Upon entering the White Space, time in the outside world would completely halt for him. Even if he were to remain there for millions of years, when he emerged, he would return to the same moment he entered.
Mental Test: It was a test of his mental strength and patience, a test of how firmly he clung to his dream of immortality.
Internal Struggle: Every moment inside the White Space would be filled with amplified psychological and mental pain. Sam had to maintain his meditation and never react to it, or he was doomed to failure.
After succeeding in fulfilling his oath and emerging from the White Space, Sam would then be able to master the sequences and begin the process of digestion through simulation.
"Although it's an extremely poisonous ability, and there's a high chance I might fail and fall, it provides me with all my goals—immortality and power. After reaching sequence 4, my life span will greatly increase, and with each advancement through the higher sequences, I'll eventually reach immortality at level 0," Sam said to himself as he headed back to the village.