Samuel had the single greatest view of his life.

He could see the world down below; it all felt so small and insignificant. There was this sense of freedom that he simply did not have the words to describe it properly.

But the sensation felt good. Very good. There was a small dose of fear as well, knowing the fact that if he fell he would most likely die. But Samuel had not been truly alive in a very long time. He had been just passing his days till death took him.

That could be it. Maybe this was what it felt like to be alive.

“Amazing. Is it not?” came the woman's voice carrying him in his arms.

He nodded, his sights still locked on the majesty of the world below.

“This is what you can do.”

“Hmm?”

“This is your potential.”

Samuel turned to look at the powerful woman unable to follow what she was saying. However, he tried listening to her intently.

The woman let out a breath and looked back at him with just as much focus.

“You came here thinking you would die. Am I right?” She asked, with no hate or judgment in her voice.

.

He felt flustered at his secrets suddenly being ousted in the open but he felt no desire to lie to the woman so he just nodded.

“I will not pretend to understand why you would want that for your life. I have not lived a day in your shoes. What I can say is that about half of the mortals who attempt to become a master have nothing left to lose and no desire to move forward. To them, this process is just a form of suicide.”

Samuel did not disagree with her, that had been the prevailing thought in his mind. But he wanted to know, so he asked.

“But… How did you know I am the same?…”

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The woman chuckled at his question. She said.

“Boy. You and them are not the same. If you had been, we would not be talking right now. No, you simply did not know how to move forward and decided was your only option. You have not given up. Why would you even try to if you had? Why not simply lay down and wait for death?”

This he could understand, but the woman might not like his answer, it was not as deep as she would think. But he was not a man of tact, he did not know what tact was. So he answered honestly.

“I wanted to look good for the gods when I died.”

The woman stopped for a second and looked at him, uncomprehension masking her face.

Then she gave out the deepest and most beautiful laugh he had ever seen in his life. The mirth in it even made him smile despite his confusion.

“Oh!.. Oh heaven above! To be young and naive again!”

The more she spoke, the more the initial image of cruelty and stoicism cracked.

After a full minute of hysterical laughter, she finally managed to calm herself down and say some very astonishing words.

“Boy! Becoming a cultivator is the worst offense you can commit to the will of heaven and the gods that reside in it!” She said trying to catch her breath.

“What!?! Why?!?” He exclaimed in surprise.

“To walk this path is to walk the path of godhood. To one day challenge them for their throne in the heavens. Even if you do not, your mere existence becomes a threat once you have sufficient cultivation.”

She answered and this made him shocked.

“I am a heretic now?!?” He asked very worried now. He had always depended on the gods. Everyone did. To suddenly be told that he was now an enemy to them was a shock to him.

“Not exactly. Heck, there are many devout cultivators, then there are those who derive power from the gods.” She answered.

“Oh!” He felt relieved, he was not devout but, like the average person, he believed in and worshiped those who governed the world.

She sighed as if she suddenly realized something and came to accept it as fact.

“Never mind, we have gone a bit off-topic. Let us return to the crux.” She said becoming serious once more.

“Samuel!” She exclaimed.

“Yes!?!” He answered instinctively.

“You are now a proud master! Do not speak of death like it is inevitable! Conquer it! For you are now on the road to become a pinnacle existence!” She said, taking a small break before speaking.

“And me and my partner would like to guide you on your path! To show you what it means to be a master! Will you let us?”

“Yes?” He answered again.

The seriousness left the woman’s face as it bled into incredulity.

“Was that an answer or a question?” She asked

“No! I mean Yes! I mean I would love it if you taught me how to become a cultivator!” He answered with a bit more confidence in his voice.

Inside he felt very elated. A cultivator, an existence he had only heard of in legends, suddenly wanted to teach him. It was the dream of every orphan!

“Good. Now hold on tight.” She said.

Before Samuel could utter his next words, the woman shot forward, at a speed incomparable to her ascent.

But he felt no fear or shock. No, the elation of the revelation carried him through the harrowing hurtling through the air.