CHAPTER 396: RETURNING

After what felt like both a brief moment and an eternity, Orion finally reopened his eyes. A deep and thoughtful sigh escaped his lips. "The Darkness Element truly is profound," he softly murmured, his voice tinged with subtle amazement. "Creating the Affinity Rune for Light and Darkness seems even harder than I initially thought."

Almost immediately, Lumi’s glowing screen materialized quietly beside him, gently floating as her voice rang out with an expectant yet curious tone,

[You are finally awake, Master. Have you finished comprehending the Darkness Element? (๑•ᴗ•๑)?]

Orion slowly nodded his head, thoughtful yet confident in his answer, "Yes, I have most of it thoroughly understood now."

Lumi’s floating screen bobbed happily, her excitement clear,

[Then are we going back now? (｡ᴗ｡)]

Orion, however, shook his head lightly, his expression turning serious as he explained softly, "No, not yet. I still need to carefully consider the delicate balance between Light and Darkness. Their coexistence isn’t something I can rush into."

Understanding filled Lumi’s voice as she gently replied,

[I see. Balancing those two opposing elements will be quite challenging. I trust you’ll handle it perfectly, Master. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧]

Orion chuckled at her enthusiasm before he closed his eyes again, diving back into his internal contemplation.

His brow furrowed deeply as he began meticulously evaluating the potential dangers and opportunities associated with simultaneously forming the Affinity Runes for Light and Darkness.

These were not ordinary runes. Unlike the Core Elements, Light and Darkness possessed inherent, opposing natures, each seeking dominance or neutrality over the other.

Achieving perfect harmony between these two would require absolute precision and unwavering mental fortitude.

Furthermore, Orion understood clearly that he wouldn’t simply be creating these runes once, he would have to immediately shatter and recreate them, given his progression to the mid-level of the Awakening Realm.

The complexity of forming, breaking, and instantly reforging runes of this magnitude was a daunting task, each step filled with risks that could result in severe backlash.

Thoughts and considerations filled Orion’s mind: the potential for catastrophic imbalance, the risk of spiritual damage, and the sheer complexity of crafting something stable yet flexible enough to be rebuilt repeatedly.

He continued to sit cross-legged upon the glowing lotus, his expression deeply serious, his mind utterly engrossed in complex calculations and mental simulations.

Within the calm of the comprehension zone, each thought resonated with clarity, each rune formation vividly constructed and disassembled in the vast expanse of his Sea of Consciousness.

The balance between Light and Darkness, two inherently opposing and powerful elements, was a subtle and delicate equilibrium that was being a pain even for him.

He meticulously analyzed each potential combination of runes, theoretically pairing intricate runic inscriptions with refined mana circuits.

In his mind, countless configurations took form, vivid lines of glowing script and flowing mana pathways intertwining, shifting, merging, then inevitably unraveling due to subtle flaws.

Each theoretical construct, no matter how carefully calculated, failed to meet his standards of harmony, always tilting precariously toward imbalance.

As time flowed on relentlessly, Orion’s mental trials only intensified, his concentration deepening to an extraordinary level.

Gradually, his physical senses receded, consciousness becoming fully immersed in the boundless internal space of his mind.

He cycled methodically through hundreds of potential combinations, tirelessly seeking that elusive equilibrium. Yet, every pathway ended similarly—in imbalance, instability, or outright chaos as forming two runes, especially Darkness and Light, seemed nigh impossible.

Finally, after what felt both instantaneous and timeless, Orion’s concentration slowly faded. His eyelashes fluttered briefly, and with great effort, his heavy eyelids opened.

Awareness gradually returned, along with the soothing tranquility of the inheritance ground, gentle ripples dancing softly across the lotus-studded lake surface.

He exhaled a long, quiet breath filled with subtle frustration and fatigue, feeling momentarily detached from reality.

"How long has passed?" Orion murmured quietly, his voice slightly rough from disuse.

Almost immediately, Lumi’s softly glowing screen appeared gently in front of him, her tone subtly worried as she replied,

[Months, Master. You were lost deep in your own thoughts for far too long this time. (｡•́︿•̀｡)]

Orion’s brows rose slightly in surprise, shaking his head in mild resignation. Slowly, he rose to his feet, stepping carefully off the large lotus.

The invisible barrier surrounding it flickered gently before quietly dissipating into nothingness. Calmly, Orion began walking back toward the shore.

Lumi floated silently beside him, her curiosity finally breaking through as she asked eagerly,

[How were the gains, Master? Were you able to figure out how to form the runes perfectly?]

Orion softly exhaled, his eyes revealing complex emotions of contemplation and mild disappointment. ’It’s not so easy, Lil Lumi. Balancing Light and Darkness is even harder than I thought. From the hundreds of configurations I devised, almost every single one is destined to fail if I attempt to form the two simultaneously,’ he replied solemnly.

Lumi hovered thoughtfully beside him, her glowing display flickering with thoughtful consideration before she finally asked,

[Master, what if you form one Affinity Rune before the other? Perhaps if you form the Light Element Affinity Rune first, then you can form the Darkness right after that? You won’t have to take the load of forming two Affinity Runes that way.]

Orion firmly shook his head, his voice filled with certainty yet tinged with reluctance,

’If I take that approach, then forming the Darkness Affinity Rune afterward will become nearly impossible. The two elements inherently repel each other at the deepest level, each fiercely resisting the other’s very presence.’

’Let’s say even if one element doesn’t alone affect me negatively, forming the second later would be impossible. And you already saw, Darkness or Light alone is very dangerous for me who doesn’t follow the path of Light or Darkness solely. And that’s not a path I’m willing to walk at all.’

Lumi softly sighed, clearly sharing in Orion’s internal struggle and frustration, her tone gentle and supportive as she asked,

[Then what comes next, Master?]

Orion finally stepped onto the familiar shore, calmly drawing the golden headband from his Sea of Consciousness. Wearing it like a prize, he turned towards Lumi’s screen with a smile, ’What else? To safely and successfully balance these opposing elements, I’ll need a stronger foundation.’

’Specifically, I must advance my soul cultivation to a higher level. Only then will I have a greater chance at succeeding. Additionally, I must deepen my mastery over mana circuits, Affinity Rune formations, and the more intricate aspects of runic inscriptions. I think I will need higher mastery of them to form the Affinity Rune.’

After he finished speaking, he closed his eyes briefly, preparing to depart from the inheritance ground.

Before he vanished, Lumi’s gentle voice sounded once more inside his SoC,

[I believe in you, Master. If anyone can unravel these mysteries, it’s undoubtedly you! We won’t get discouraged, if worse comes to worse we will think of a way to contact Echo! (｡ᴗ｡)و✧]

Hearing her words, Orion let out an amused chuckle before activating the golden headband. He felt space gently ripple around him as the Inheritance Ground vanished into nothingness, swiftly replaced by his bedroom.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he adjusted to the change of scenery. Exhaling deeply, Orion felt the subtle fatigue and mental exhaustion from his long contemplation finally settle upon him.