Again?

5th year.

The snow around the pond melted as the area around the pond heated up. Soon it was hotter than a desert, above the lotus was an intense yellow fireball.

A ring of water and earth surrounded it, the water had ice lined on the inner side facing the flame and the earth had magma flowing through it.

The understanding of fire, or rather temperature, allowed Kelvin to create variants of the other elements. Taking away heat from water and adding it to earth formed variants.

Kelvin had spent the last few years training his soul and increasing his mastery over the elements, many other monsters had come when the lotus bloomed. Bears, wolves and goblins.

After the first death Kelvin prepared himself for the world he was to live in now, it wasn't too hard since he had gone through compulsory service in the army.

Still, coming to peace with this new world strengthened his soul by 1.5x. It wasn't a small increase either, by now his soul was much bigger than before.

Kelvin had also formed a mana core, an orb of concentrated mana. With it the mana he injected into the flower increased dramatically, by now the lotus flower had thousands of petals each one charged to the brim with mana.

His plant body covered the entire mountain, and with his normal sight Kelvin could watch the entire mountain.

'I feel so close to mastering the nature element, I guess I'll leave the wind element for later.'

The vines were everywhere, hanging off the branches on the trees and slithering under the snow. Kelvin had found that the pond rested at the peak of a snow capped mountain, for some reason the pond wouldn't freeze over.

The middle point of the mountain was covered in trees, and even lower, at the base of the mountain there was a small village.

Kelvin wasn't sure how many years had passed since the Transcendence, the village seemed to be a countryside village and didn't have much in tech.

The village sent hunters into the forest to get food every so often, and Kelvin always watched them. They held no fancy compound bows but rather handmade wooden bows with tendon strings.

Kelvin was sure however, that they were survivors of the Transcendence due to their abilities and the occasional reference to the culture from before.

Watching them hunt, Kelvin was suddenly sent into a blank state. His mind comprehending the nature element, the water rippled with the lotus as the source, expanding out.

Not long after the circle of earth and water shifted and touched. At the intersection tiny grass came forth from the earth ring and was showered with the water ring, the warmth and light given off by the fireball.

Kelvin switched to his soul vision and saw his soul expanding even further, when suddenly it reached a watershed. His soul shook, trying to expand further but there was something blocking it.

Kelvin could felt something missing, his soul wanted something before it could expand. When he tried to train his soul further, a searing pain radiated from the core.

'Shit that hurt, alright so no training soul for now. That's fine lets just uh focus on the elements? Yeah maybe they will help me breakthrough this bottleneck.'

Kelvin redoubled his efforts on the elements, when the lotus started to bud again Kelvin started pouring all his mana into it.

'I just need more mana, then I can try fusing the elements with my body.'

Thinking this Kelvin poured all the mana he could muster into the bud.

A few days passed and as the lotus bud started to bloom, Kelvin could already see that it had near hundred thousand petals.

Kelvin kept his senses on high alert as it bloomed, his vines had spread to the forests. Using his starry vision which Kelvin discovered saw the souls of sentient beings.

Kelvin wasn't too sure about the sentient thing since plants weren't seen but beast type monsters and humans were.

A wave of mana exploded out the lotus as it opened fully, the clouds above had even moved slightly.

'The fuck was that?! Shit now monsters are definitely going to come."

The trees around the pond started to move, the branches thickened and connected to each other. A wooden wall with no opening was formed, but Kelvin felt it wasn't enough.

The wall was only the height of the trees, if a feline monster came they would be able to climb the walls.

'Shit now that I think about it wood is the fucking worst as a wall, okay need to calm down. Think Kelvin Think!'

The ground was than dug up, the dirt was pressed into the wooden wall forming what seemed to be a mix of stone and dirt wall.

'That should be enough yeah? Alright, time to see if I can fuse the elements with my body...'

While Kelvin was about to start, he was struck with a wave of dizziness and his vision darkened.

'Shit...'

When he opened his eyes, Kelvin found himself back in Limbo.

[Oh, welcome back kid. What did u reincarnate as this time?]

'...A... lotus...'

[A plant? Well that's certainly new. How did you die?]

'I don't know! I was just hit with this dizziness and then darkness!'

[Maybe someone hit you with a mind skill, why would they do that though?]

Kelvin started explaining what he had done as a lotus, though it came out as complaining.

[Well it must be obvious after saying it out loud right? Some monster or person probably found the lotus and wanted it. Well cheer up, I'm sure your next life will be something of interest. I guarantee it! Think of it as a gift, and uh...]

'What?'

[Your soul is looking very uh... inflated... it seems my advice was badly given.]

'What do you mean?! My soul increased in size meaning it was stronger right?'

[Well, your not wrong... but size isn't the only factor in its strength. Intensity is also part of it, your soul is somewhat big but its... well it's weak.]

'Then what? Can I even fix it?'

[Of course you can, here let me cut it for you. You might... feel... a pinch...]

'OWWWW'

[Oh don't be a crybaby I'm done. There, it's back to normal. Don't worry too much, if you had continued on that path you would end up as a kind of ghost.]

'Argh, still all I did was for nothing.'

[*Cough* yes well don't worry too much, as I said your next life will be great! You have my guarantee! I can influence where you are reincarnated... somewhat. But that's enough! At least you won't reincarnate into something like a bug or plant.]

'Okay... let's just go I guess...'

Kelvin's soul was then sucked into itself, leaving Limbo.

[*Sigh*, mortals and their flimsy mentalities, hopefully this next life will teach him something.]

.....

In a luxurious room, an egg the size of a human head laid on a soft red pillow. The egg bathed in the sunlight when it started to shake.

The air around the egg started to heat up, distorting even. Not long after the door burst open, a slim lady in red clothing and flaming red hair came in.

"Yes yes yes! Eat it all up darling!"

Waving her hand, the ring on it flashed and a pile of red sparkling crystals landed beside the egg.

After an hour, the sparkling crystals were all dulled and the surrounding air was hotter than ever. The lady than switched out the dulled crystals with new sparkling ones as she stared lovingly at the egg.

After the 10th pile the heat started to cool, and the egg started to shake violently.

"Wait wait! Honey, I know you can hear me! Don't come out! You aren't ready yet okay? If you come out now, you'll be sick and underdeveloped!"

The lady quickly spoke to the egg as she ran to hug it. The egg shell was still extremely hot, but it didn't seem to affect the lady even a little bit.

The egg stopped shaking after that, but the lady still hugged it, even petting it.

"Listen, you need to stay in the egg for nine years. I know you don't know how long it is but don't worry, I will stay with you all nine years okay?"

.......

When Kelvin came to his new body, he found himself in an egg and very very hungry. So hungry he couldn't think, his instinct screaming at him to eat.

His body started pulling the fire element in the air, heating up the egg, Kelvin could feel it heat up way past the temperature for cooking eggs. Realizing his hunger could be appeased by absorbing the fire element Kelvin used his full effort to pull the element from the air heating the room even further.

At some point a huge amount of fire elements surrounded him, without being polite Kelvin vacuumed up the elements. When he was finally done, Kelvin wanted to get out when he heard a foreign voice and language.

Kelvin wasn't sure what the person said, but he could feel the worry in their voice when suddenly images of an underdeveloped bird leaving an egg entered his mind.

Understanding the intention Kelvin stopped quickly, but he wasn't really sure what to do. The person sent vague images to him, but Kelvin had started feeling sleepy and he didn't fight the feeling.