He sat cross-legged again, his focus absolute. Every movement of the flames, every twist and ripple, he memorized. Then, with renewed clarity, he returned to the Dimension of Time.
This process repeated again and again. Each time he reached a dead end, he emerged from his dimension to observe the Devouring Essence Flames directly. Each time he reentered the Dimension of Time, his understanding grew sharper.
He began to perceive not only how the flames consumed but also how they transformed what they devoured. The fire didn't destroy for the sake of destruction. It consumed chaos, weakness, and imperfection to refine the world around it.
Hours turned into a full day. The other geniuses in the trial were still struggling to harmonize with the surface-level flames, while Max continued alternating between meditation and comprehension.
