A Bug In Fate

The silence was finally broken as Ravenna stood up from her chair and walked a few steps toward the lake. Stopping at the water’s edge, she glanced back at Alden with a faint smile.

"Hmm... that’s actually a good idea."

"A teacher does have the responsibility to help their student."

She spoke calmly before her expression turned slightly more serious.

"But are you sure you want to use my cultivation technique?"

"And I’m certain you don’t know this, but you can’t casually change your cultivation technique later as if you were changing clothes."

Alden fell silent for a moment as he carefully considered her words.

"Um... could you let me take a look at your cultivation technique first?"

He asked after thinking it over.

If it was really true that a cultivation technique couldn’t be changed easily, then it was better to be cautious rather than rushing in like a thirsty man in the middle of a desert chasing an illusion.

"Hm?"

"You can."

"And I think that’s actually the better choice."

Ravenna nodded in agreement.

She assumed Alden was simply excited to see a cultivation technique for the first time, and since he was now her student, there was no reason not to fulfill such a simple request.

She walked back toward him, sat down in her chair once again, and snapped her fingers.

Out of nowhere, a book appeared and gently landed on the table.

"Go ahead."

Ravenna said in her usual soft tone as she gently pushed the book toward him.

Alden’s eyes lit up with excitement.

To be honest, if he had seen it without knowing how precious cultivation techniques were, he would have treated it no differently than a movement technique.

But after hearing their history and understanding their importance to humanity, he couldn’t help but feel adrenaline course through his body.

"Thank you."

He said sincerely before carefully opening the book.

The first page revealed its title, written in a simple yet elegant script.

In clear, elegant letters, the title read,

~ Spatial Pulse Scripture ~

Alden read the title with amazement before turning the page to see its actual contents.

The following pages were filled with dense text, with neatly drawn diagrams occupying the corners to illustrate the explanations.

He glanced at his teacher.

Ravenna simply nodded with a faint smile, signaling him to continue.

Taking a deep breath, Alden began reading.

The first page explained the ideal posture required to cultivate the technique.

He turned to the second page.

From there until the seventh, the scripture focused on Space Affinity, explaining its fundamental principles and laws in remarkable detail.

After flipping another page, he found an explanation of the proper breathing rhythm during cultivation, accompanied by detailed illustrations that complemented the text.

Meanwhile, Ravenna watched him in silence, patiently waiting for him to finish reading.

Before her eyes, Alden continued flipping through the pages. Occasionally, he nodded to himself as if confirming something he had understood. At other times, his brows furrowed before his expression relaxed again, followed by another small nod.

There were even moments when his eyes widened in surprise, leaving him so stunned that he stopped reading altogether.

*Don’t tell me... he’s actually understanding it just by reading?*

She stared at him in disbelief.

*That scripture contains nearly a century of my research... so why does it look like he understands it?*

The more she watched him, the more surprised she became.

There was only one way to find out.

She could ask him.

But she didn’t want to interrupt his reading, so she quietly waited for him to finish.

What Ravenna didn’t know was that, in his previous life, Alden had been a science student.

He had spent years memorizing countless theories about space and the universe—whether they were ultimately proven right or wrong. Those years of study now made many of the concepts in the Spatial Pulse Scripture surprisingly familiar to him.

*What the hell... according to this book, the chances of the Big Bang Theory being true are almost zero.*

As Alden continued reading, the knowledge he had brought from Earth was challenged again and again.

Sometimes, both worlds seemed to follow the same principles.

Other times, they completely contradicted each other.

The deeper he read, the more fascinated he became.

Like that, two hours quietly passed.

By the end of it, he had a clear understanding of the Spatial Pulse Scripture—the precise flow of mana required for cultivation, the correct circulation path, how many cycles were needed, how long each cycle should be maintained, and the exact time it took for a complete circulation.

Taking a deep breath, Alden finally looked up.

The sun was now hanging directly overhead.

He closed his eyes for a few moments, silently organizing everything he had learned before opening them again.

Across the table, Ravenna had somehow taken out another book and was quietly reading it while waiting for him to finish.

"Oh... are you done?"

Ravenna smiled as she closed the book in her hands and looked at him with amusement.

"Yes."

"It was... an eye-opening experience."

Alden nodded sincerely.

*Hahaha... I’m not sure whether I should feel happy that my student is so intelligent... or insulted that even a kid can understand my life’s work just by reading it.*

Ravenna shook her head inwardly, unable to decide what she was feeling.

"It’s good that it was useful."

She said in a gental tone before her expression gradually turned serious.

"So... if you truly understand it, do you want to cultivate this technique?"

"Just so you know, I created this technique for myself."

"It wasn’t designed with anyone else in mind."

There was genuine concern in Ravenna’s voice.

The Spatial Pulse Scripture was her personal cultivation technique, painstakingly developed over many years.

Every aspect of it had been tailored to suit her physique, aptitude, affinity, and cultivation habits.

In other words...

It was never meant for anyone else to cultivate.

"You... created it?"

Alden’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Ravenna before glancing back at the Spatial Pulse Scripture in his hands.

"...That’s amazing."

There was undisguised admiration in his voice.

The respect he already had for his teacher rose to an entirely new level.

He calmed down before answering what she had asked.

"Oh... and I don’t think this is the best choice for me."

He paused, looking at Ravenna before continuing.

"This technique has conditions attached to it if it wants to display its full potential."

"In my hands..."

"It’s like holding a pen without any ink."

Alden said thoughtfully.

For a brief moment, Ravenna stared at him before bursting into genuine laughter.

"Hahaha!"

"You’re... surprisingly good at making comparisons."

She said, amusement dancing in her eyes.

Alden scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"...I feel like there’s something wrong with the way you said that."

"But... I’ll take it as a compliment."

"You should..."

Ravenna shook her head with a faint smile as she stood up.

"That will be all for today. Is there anything else you want from me?"

She brushed the dust off her clothes while asking, already preparing to take them back to the city.

Alden thought for a moment before something came to mind.

"Oh, yes. By any chance... do you have any other cultivation techniques?"

Ravenna raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you asking?"

"I do have a few, but they’re all average. And I advise you not to use them if you don’t want to remain stuck in the same realm for decades."

Her expression turned serious as she once again warned him against choosing a low-grade cultivation technique.

"Ah... no, it’s not for that, I promise."

"I just want to analyze them."

Alden quickly explained before she could misunderstand his intentions. He knew that leaving a misunderstanding unresolved could easily change a person’s future, for better or worse, depending on their fate.

Unknown to him, however...

He didn’t have to worry about fate deciding his future.

He wasn’t even under its influence.

Meanwhile, Ravenna quietly observed him, a thoughtful look settling on her face.

She had watched him analyze the Spatial Pulse Scripture, and from the conclusion he had reached, she was convinced he had genuinely understood its contents instead of simply admiring it.

At the very least, it proved he wasn’t an idiot.

"Hmm..."

"I can lend you a few."

She paused for a moment before adding,

"But first, tell me what you intend to do with them."

Although she believed Alden wasn’t foolish enough to cultivate them recklessly, she still wasn’t willing to gamble with her first student’s future.

If news somehow reached them that her student had ruined his foundation because of a cultivation technique she had personally handed to him...

She wasn’t sure how she would face those old fossils afterward.

"I want to create my own cultivation technique... just like you."

Alden answered without the slightest hesitation.

For a few moments, Ravenna simply stared at him in complete silence, as if trying to figure out whether she had heard him correctly.

"...You can’t be serious."

She finally spoke after calming herself down, her expression turning serious.

"I am."

"But creating a cultivation technique will take you more than—"

She suddenly stopped in the middle of her sentence.

A thought crossed her mind, and she sighed inwardly.

*What are you doing? *

*Instead of supporting your student, you’re trying to crush his ambition.*

Shaking her head at herself, she let out a quiet sigh before speaking again.

"...Alright. If that’s truly what you want, then I’ll help you."

"Even if it takes ten years, I’ll help you create your own cultivation technique."

A determined smile appeared on her face, satisfied that she had chosen to encourage rather than discourage him.

Unfortunately...

That determination lasted only a second.

"Ten years?" Alden frowned.

"That’s too long. I think a week should be enough."

"...What the hell?"

The words slipped out of Ravenna’s mouth before she could stop herself.

Her mind went completely blank.

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