Chapter 39 Sea and Land Test

"Interesting..."

Even though Orion's mind was only a small part of Stelloron's world, the Stelloron was amazed by such uncontrollable power.

"Let me show you a piece of this world."

The sky and sea quickly filled the world, leaving Orion standing alone in a vast sea.

The ocean is the birthplace of life, and the endless blue sea represents the cycle of living and dying. In this vast expanse, Orion was miniscule in comparison.

A sword appeared, and even though Orion had never used one before, it felt as natural as an arm when he held it.

Red streaks cut across the blue sky and sea. As Orion Astra swung the sword, flames burst from the sword and caused mist to fill the sea.

The spirit of Himeko followed Orion closely.

Dark shadows moved through the water, showing nearby creatures.

"Danger!"

Orion leaped out of the water just as a massive, bloody maw emerged from the shadows.

Mutated sea creatures like ancient sharks and giant squid filled the sea under his feet.

Orion stepped onto the water and moved through the shadows, looking for weaknesses.

The sea beasts targeted him with intense focus, attacking aggressively whenever he landed on the water.

He quickly drew his sword and slashed at a giant shark. Flames engulfed the creature, and its charred body sank into the sea.

The black and white corpses dissolved into the water at an astonishing rate. Orion noticed this unusual speed.

"The water is digesting them quickly, like a natural process."

Swinging his sword again, he sent a wave of flames that cut through the sea creatures' tentacles. Despite this, more creatures appeared, as if the sea was flowing faster with each cut.

"I'll be overwhelmed by the endless creatures if I don't figure this out." Orion grated his teeth and recalled his observations.

After many observations, he realized the key to the ocean's cycle.

Dodging a giant predator, Orion lifted his sword and plunged it into the water. The sea around him boiled.

As he moved across the water, he noticed a white, transparent substance appearing on the sea's surface.

His guess was confirmed: the cycle wasn't due to the stelleron but to something simple—plankton.

Plankton ate the sea beasts, and the sea beasts, in turn, were consumed by plankton. This cycle kept the ocean alive.

With one final swing, Orion Astra disrupted the flow of the ocean, making the scenery disappear.

"Perfect judgment, Orion."

Applause came from behind as the star core took the form of Orion and approached him.

"On this planet, the ocean is where life began."

"Now you will face the land."

A blazing attack shot through the star core's form, as if passing through a ghostly projection.

"Cut!"

The ground started to rise and crash together, turning the ocean in front of Orion Astra into a huge mountain range.

A massive stone fell from above, blocking Orion's view completely.

He used the power of the Star of Eden to focus his energy, lifting the stone with his hands. But as soon as he touched it, he felt an enormous weight press down on him, making it hard to move.

"Is this how nature's laws work?" Orion thought. The stone felt as heavy as a whole mountain. No matter how hard he tried, he could only barely push it.

He couldn't move his feet from the ground, and the paths to the sides were blocked. He was stuck.

"Do I need to push this stone to the top of the mountain?" Orion wondered. He used all his strength to slowly push the stone upward.

Step by step, he moved the stone closer to the top of the mountain. The higher he got, the heavier the stone felt, as if it carried the weight of the entire planet.

"I have to let it go."

Interestingly, pushing the stone backward was much easier than pushing it up. Within a few steps, Orion was back where he started.

"It's just like the story of Sisyphus," he thought.

In the myth, Sisyphus was punished by the gods for tricking them. He was forced to push a boulder up a hill forever. Every time he almost reached the top, the boulder would roll back down, making his efforts pointless and endless.

Orion looked at the path and the sky, thinking of a new plan.