I woke to the red sunlight streaming through my window and the familiar weight of the vine around my neck. It had taken to draping itself across my eyes when it thought I was sleeping too long, but today it was just lounging contentedly, one tendril idly tracing patterns on my shoulder.

Fortunately, after my lesson yesterday, there was no arrogant young master waiting for me outside. I had no plans of fighting a peak Rank 1 anytime soon, at least not until I was confident in winning.

"Master, are you planning to train with Elder Molric today?" Azure asked, pulling me away from my thoughts.

I suppressed a shudder. "Absolutely not. I don't want to know what other lessons he has planned. Getting thrown into a nightmare forest once was enough, thank you."

The vine tightened slightly at the memory, and I reached up to pat it. "Besides," I continued, pulling out the crystal vial of earth essence, "we have more important things to do. Time to see if this will work with the World Tree Sutra."

"You're concerned about the compatibility?"

I turned the vial, watching the liquified stone swirl within. "It's not exactly the same as cultivation world earth essence. The energy signature is... different." I could feel it even through the crystal - where normal earth essence felt like ancient mountains and deep caves, this had an almost metallic quality to it, sharp and somehow hungry.

"The World Tree Sutra was specifically designed to handle various energy types," Azure replied thoughtfully. "And given how the Genesis Seed has already adapted to the red sun's energy, it should be able to process this variant of earth essence. The fundamental principles remain similar, even if the exact manifestation differs."

I nodded. That had been my reasoning as well. The World Tree Sutra was nothing if not adaptable - it had to be, given its ultimate goal of creating an entire universe. Still, best to be careful.

Settling into a meditation pose, I placed the vial between my palms and closed my eyes. The process for absorbing the earth essence would be similar to how I'd handled the water essence, but I'd need to adjust the formation slightly to account for the different energy type.

"Remember," Azure advised, "the Flowing Rivers Formation needs to be modified. Earth moves differently than water - more gradual, but with greater momentum."

I could see the pattern he was suggesting in my mind - the flowing curves replaced by angular lines that intersected like tectonic plates. Following his guidance, I began channeling my qi through the new formation.

My awareness shifted to my inner world. The Genesis Seed dominated the space as always, its massive form a constant reminder of what I was working toward. The miniature red sun still cowered in its corner, though it seemed to have grown slightly more comfortable with its role as an energy source.

As I guided the earth essence through the formation, I could feel it responding differently than the water had. Where that had been fluid and eager, this moved with deliberate purpose, each particle of energy finding its precise place in the pattern before the next would flow.

The Genesis Seed stirred as the first traces of earth essence reached it. Its surface rippled with interest, and I felt an almost questioning sensation - like it was evaluating this new offering. Then its mouth opened, accepting the essence with the same careful consideration it had shown for the water.

The effect was immediate.

Power surged through my inner world as the space expanded rapidly, growing by ten cubic meters. The air itself seemed to thicken with earth essence, and in places I could see the energy trying to coalesce into actual terrain. Small patches of ground would start to form, only to dissolve back into pure essence moments later.

"The Genesis Seed appears to be establishing the foundational matrix for physical manifestation,” Azure commented. “Once you acquire the wind essence, you should be able to begin actually shaping the environment."

Current status:

Cultivation: Qi Condensation Stage 4

Inner World: 135 cubic meters

Soul Essence: 800/800

Spiritual Essence: 750/750

Physical Essence: 700/700

I nodded absently, more focused on an unexpected development - my spiritual essence had increased by 50 points.

"That's... interesting. I wouldn't have expected essence from this world to affect my cultivation base directly."

"Look closer at the Genesis Seed," Azure suggested.

I directed my spiritual sense toward it and noticed something. The seed wasn't just storing the earth essence - it was actively converting it, breaking down its structure and reforming it into something that matched the fundamental energy of my inner world.

"The World Tree Sutra operates on spiritual essence as its base component," Azure explained. "Rather than trying to incorporate foreign energy types directly, it transforms them into a compatible form. Quite elegant, really."

"That makes sense," I withdrew from my inner world, absently rubbing my temples.

The conversion process had left me with a slight headache - not painful, exactly, but like I could feel my energy pathways adjusting to the new power.

"So," Azure said after a moment, "will you be returning to the cultivation world now?"

I glanced toward Elder Molric's laboratory. "Soon. But I'd like to learn the flying rune first. Being able to fly would make things much more convenient back home." I paused, then admitted, "And... it would feel wrong to leave without saying goodbye to the elder. However crazy his methods might be."

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"Oh?" Azure's tone was teasing. "Have you grown fond of our eccentric instructor?"

I shrugged, uncomfortable with the observation even though it was true. "He's the first actual teacher I've had since being isekai'd. And even with all his... peculiarities... he genuinely wants to help. Most of the time. When he's not trying to traumatize me for science."

The vine chose that moment to wrap itself more securely around my neck, its familiar weight comforting. I reached up to touch it gently. "And I'm going to miss you most of all, little buddy."

The vine unwound slightly so it could look at me properly, its tip tilted in a way that somehow managed to convey both confusion and concern. Then it rewound itself even more firmly than before, as if declaring it had no intention of going anywhere.

"Azure," I asked quietly, "is there any way to take it with us?"

"Theoretically possible," Azure replied, his tone gentle. "But not at your current cultivation level.”

I sighed, continuing to stroke the vine's length. "I know. And the next time we're here, the loop will have reset. All our time together, all these memories... they'll be gone."

The vine's grip tightened in protest, not understanding what I meant.

"There may be techniques in the Azure Peak Sect that could help," Azure suggested. "Soul-sharing methods that would let you transfer memories when you return."

I scratched the spot where the vine liked it best, just behind its sensory cluster. "Something to look into," I agreed. "I'm not giving up on you that easily."

The vine rewarded me with a gentle tap on the nose - its way of telling me I was being unnecessarily dramatic. I couldn't help but smile. Even though it didn’t fully understand why I was sad, it was still trying to cheer me up.

***

When I entered Elder Molric's laboratory later that morning, I had to duck immediately to avoid a blast of crimson energy.

The elder was in the middle of what appeared to be an experiment involving two massive plants locked in combat. Their leaves and branches clashed like swords while traces of half-formed runes flickered around them.

The amount of power they were giving off was staggering – well beyond what even a rank 2 practitioner should be capable of. I carefully edged around the perimeter of their battle, not wanting to end up as collateral.

"Oh!" Elder Molric looked up from making notes, looking surprised. "I didn't expect to see you for a while. You didn't look particularly happy yesterday."

I waved my hand dismissively. "Water under the bridge. Or earth essence under the bridge, as the case may be."

Relief flickered across his face but he hid it quickly with a grin. "Excellent! What would you like to work on?”

With a casual wave of his hand, he created barrier around the battling plants, containing their destructive energy.

"I was hoping to learn the flying rune."

His eyes lit up. "Oh, that's a fun one!" He practically bounced over to a shelf, retrieving a scroll that looked significantly less weathered than most of his collection. "This is the basic flight rune for Rank 2 Skybound. Nothing too fancy - you won't be breaking any speed records, and with your current energy capacity I wouldn't recommend more than fifteen minutes of continuous flight. But it's remarkably efficient in terms of red sun energy consumption."

I studied the rune design carefully. The pattern resembled a pair of wings, but with geometric precision that reminded me of the aviation diagrams I'd seen in my old world. Straight lines represented lift vectors, while curved segments suggested air flow patterns. At the center, a complex knot of lines formed what looked like a miniature vortex.

"The back is the ideal location," Elder Molric continued, already reaching for his carving tools. "Helps with energy distribution and makes it easier to maintain proper orientation during flight. So, would you like me to do the honors?”

At my nod, he produced the familiar ritual knife. The blade glowed faintly red as he charged it with energy.

"This might sting a bit," he warned, though his grin suggested he wasn't particularly concerned about my comfort. "Try to hold still."

The process was quick – less than a minute of sharp, precise cuts. Each stroke burned briefly before fading to a dull ache as the rune took hold. The vine watched the entire process intently, ready to intervene if the elder got too enthusiastic with the knife.

"Now then!" The elder stepped back, clapping his hands together. A familiar gleam entered his eyes as he formed a complex series of hand signs. "Let's give you some room to practice!"

The laboratory ceiling suddenly shot upward, expanding until it was lost in shadow at least thirty meters above us. The walls seemed to ripple and stretch, creating a space roughly the size of a large courtyard.

"Start with the basics," he instructed. "Channel energy through your Fundamental Rune into the flight pattern. Focus on generating lift first - don't worry about directional control until you've mastered hovering."

I nodded, directing power through the tree pattern on my chest. The new rune activated immediately, sending a strange tingling sensation across my back. My feet left the ground... for about half a second before I crashed back down.

"Less power," Azure suggested. "You're overwhelming the lift vectors. Try reducing the input by thirty percent."

My next attempt got me a full meter up before I started spinning uncontrollably. The vine had to shoot out several tendrils to grab nearby shelves, stabilizing me before I could knock over any of the elder's experiments.

"Good!" Elder Molric looked delighted. "Your little friend’s help is quite effective, but try to maintain your own balance. Focus on keeping your core centered."

The next hour was filled with various attempts at mastering basic flight.

I learned that too much power sent me shooting toward the ceiling, while too little resulted in an awkward hopping motion that the elder found highly entertaining.

Directional control was even trickier - my first attempt at forward movement somehow sent me backward and slightly to the left.

But gradually, with Azure's adjustments and Elder Molric's practical advice, I began to get the hang of it. The key was treating it like swimming through air - smooth, controlled movements rather than the jerky corrections I'd been trying.

By the time we finished, I could maintain stable flight at various heights and move in any direction without accidentally spinning or crashing into walls. It wasn't exactly graceful yet, but it was functional.

"Well done!" Elder Molric clapped as I landed somewhat less awkwardly than my previous attempts. "You've picked it up faster than most. Though I suspect having two teachers helped." He winked at the vine, which had finally stopped hovering anxiously every time I went more than a meter off the ground.

As I opened my mouth to thank him, I was interrupted by hesitant footsteps in the corridor. A young initiate appeared in the doorway, hand raised to knock. When he saw Elder Molric, he immediately dropped into a deep bow.

"My sincerest apologies for the interruption, Honored Elder," he said, voice trembling slightly. "But there's an urgent matter..." His eyes darted to me meaningfully.

Elder Molric waved his hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, what is it?"

The initiate straightened but kept his eyes lowered respectfully. "They have Kiran!"

"Who are they?" I asked, though I had a sinking feeling I already knew. The vine around my neck tensed, sensing my sudden anxiety.

"Zoren." The initiate's voice cracked. "He's holding Kiran in the eastern training grounds. Says he won't let him leave until you come fight him."

I frowned. "The academy has strict rules against—"

"Obviously he's not calling it a hostage situation," the initiate cut in with a scowl. "You know how he works. He knows exactly how to phrase things to stay just within the rules while..." He trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

"I'll be there," I said quietly.

The initiate bowed again to Elder Molric before hurrying away.

"Master," Azure's voice was cautious, "what do you plan to do?"

I glanced at the doorway. "Even if this is just a loop... I can't leave him like this. Kiran tried to warn me about Zoren. They’re after me, not him, he doesn’t deserve this."

"Do you think you can defeat him?"

I shook my head. "I couldn't handle a half-step Rank 2, and while I might stand a chance against a peak Rank 1, beating one?" I let out a hollow laugh. "Not likely."

"Then what exactly do you plan to do?"

A smile slowly spread across my face as an idea took shape. I turned to Elder Molric, who had gone back to making notes on his experiment. The vine perked up, clearly recognizing my expression - the one that usually meant I was about to do something either brilliant or incredibly stupid.

"Elder... would you happen to have a robe I could borrow?"