"Attempted murder," I said.
"It may seem like you're in an underground cave, but you're actually on the fifteenth floor. Those who brought you here wanted to see you die," he said.
"But how would being on the fifteenth floor kill me?" I asked.
"Because you've always lived in a place with very little Ather. On your planet, Ather is scarce, so you can't feel it. Bringing you somewhere with a high concentration of Ather without preparing you would kill you. But don't worry — I saved you by placing your consciousness into these tunnels, so you could feel and see Ather in large quantities," he said.
I stood up, bowed, and thanked him for saving me.
"It's nothing. Sit down," he replied.
Since we started talking, one question had been bothering me: who was he? From the way he spoke and the words he used, I was sure he wasn't from Earth. Who on Earth would say "you humans of Earth"? So I asked:
"What are you exactly? I'm sure you're not from Earth."
The man in black smiled and laughed.
"So, you've analyzed me. I was right — you do have some talent. Yes, it's true, I'm not human. Right now, I'm somewhere far away," he said.
Curious, I asked, "Where?"
"I'm on the planet Octra. But no matter where I am, what good does it do you? Your destiny is to die."
"Die? But I came here with good intentions, and everything was fine!" I said.
"Tell me — what's the highest cultivation stage on your planet?" he asked.
The strongest… who could that be? It had to be the Rank 6 cultivators.
"Rank 6 cultivators," I replied.
"Yes, but what stage are they in?" he asked again.
"I just told you — Rank 6," I repeated.
Seeing how serious I was, he laughed again.
"AAAH AAAH… sigh… So you don't even know the stages. Very well, I'll teach you. The first stage is:
The Human Rank — it goes from Rank 1 to Rank 9. As you already know, starting from Rank 6, life expectancy increases — by about 400 years per rank above that. Then comes:
The Immortal Rank — it ranges from Rank 1 to Rank 10."
I was shocked by this information. All those Rank 6 cultivators who thought they were accomplished… and yet, somewhere out there, beings existed who made them look laughably weak.
"But there are only two ranks?" I asked.
"Only two? If you knew how long it takes some to go from Human Rank 1 to Immortal Rank 10… But you're right — there are ranks beyond, though I won't tell you about them for your own safety."
For my safety? These beings were so powerful that just knowing they existed would put me in danger? I was about to ask something dangerous.
"If just talking about them is dangerous, then why are you talking to me?" I asked, fearful he might kill me.
"You're really sharp. It's because I don't want to kill you. But if I did, even from another galaxy, you'd already be dead."
I looked at him and lowered my gaze. Thank goodness I had run into him… otherwise, I'd already be dead — from the fifteenth floor or from a cultivator beyond Immortal Rank.
"I think we've talked enough. So listen carefully:
Soon, Human Rank 9 cultivators will arrive on your planet. They'll come looking for a map. And believe me, if they find it, they'll leave… but they'll come back to test it on you — meaning everyone will die," he said.
I started to panic. Such crucial information had been entrusted to me — but who could I even share it with? I didn't even know who had tried to kill me.
"I already told you what the map is, but you don't remember. That's normal — I sealed that memory. You'll remember once you reach Human Rank 9," he said.
"But how will I do that? On Earth, the limit is Human Rank 6!" I said, desperate.
"You even figured that out? Well, it won't be a problem for you. On the fifteenth floor, the Ather concentration is perfect — it's the only place on Earth where you can cultivate to reach Human Rank 7, 8, and 9.
But you'll never reach Immortal Rank on this planet," he said.
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because on your planet, Ather has no consciousness — it can't test you. Young Tony, all things must end. It's time for us to part. But it's been a pleasure talking to you — it must've been six thousand years since I last spoke to someone this long," he said, with a complicated smile.
"But how will I manage? I'm not even at Rank 1!" I said.
"That's true. For you, it's been a hundred years inside your consciousness. Don't worry — you were already a cultivator. Before going mad, you had managed to break through the three walls. I'd say you're close to Rank 2. I'll give you a technique to absorb Ather. Don't try to absorb the orb — start with the colors. Understand what they say, and the orb will come to you. But remember: there's Ather in everything. Try to find the Ather inside you and activate it."
The place we were in began to fade. The man in black started to evaporate.
"Will we meet again?" I asked.
He smiled and removed his hood. He was a very handsome man with pale skin, blue eyes, and long white hair. His gaze made me want to kneel before him — but I resisted with difficulty.
"I give you this affinity card. There are affinity cards everywhere Ather exists. This one represents fire. With proper use, you can transform these flames into lightning. You must assimilate it into your consciousness, then learn to use it with your real body."
As my body began to disappear too, I asked:
"How do I keep my madness in check?"
"For now, I've sealed it. But be careful — it's a part of you. If you start showing signs of madness, the seal will begin to crack. And when it breaks, you'll have to fight your madness to the death," he said.
"The time has come. I hope we meet again, my friend," he said, still smiling.
As only my head remained, I asked him his name.
"My name is CANICIA. If you ever leave your planet, come find me on Octra, in the Divine Galaxy," he said with a wave goodbye.
Everything disappeared. The place we had been in vanished, as if it had never existed.