To cultivate means to go against the law of the world.

This sentence was what I believed I will hear upon entering this strange realm of wonders. Without any tangible item anywhere around, I was surrounded by a pleiad of mirages and illusions. Instead of half steppe - half arctic climate, there was no temperature or life here at all!

It was as if the entire physical elements of the world turned to their essence only to showcase their beauty in front of me. Do you think a simple stone cannot be beautiful? If only you could see how intricately it is made from various elements intertwined with each other as if nobles in a dignified dance!

You can't marvel at the sight of grass? What about enjoying the view of countless lines of energy entangled under the layer of earth and composing of a myriad of difrent lights of life?

In this strange dimension, everything was in its peak state. There was no wear, no harm or fault. Just by simply gazing at the tree, I instantly understood what was its intended perfect form. By looking at the essence of the monstrum in front of me, I could peer into its voids that represented all the weak or underdeveloped points.

"To cultivate means to align with the will of the world!"

Whoa! Holly, where did that voice came from? Isn't it like in complete opposition to what every novel out there was stating? If I take those words for granted, where does the cultivation ordeals come from? Hmph! This strange voice could think of a better lie to guide me astray!

"Heavenly tribulations are just a means to purify both the innate and acquired flaws in one's body and soul. Without them, higher realms would forever be outside one's reach!"

As soon as my mind thinks of any kind of protest, this strange voice immediately answers my doubts. But it's not like I have any time for this! Not only I'm in the middle of a fight with this damn monster, but the system also warned me about the soul tribulation coming my way! If I'm stuck in this uncorporeal world, how I'm supposed to defend myself?

"Fear not young transmigrator! The time in this state flows in a difrent way than in your reality. Not faster, not slower. Difrent."

Oh, so as long as this voice is speaking the truth, I don't have anything to worry about! But… How can I be so sure that it's not lying in the first place?

"Lying is a conscious act of twisting the truth. While as a human you try to personificate my direction, what you here is just a world essence materialising through the means that you can fathom."

Well, that is even more suspicious. If this voice has a source in my mind, why is it speaking in such an elaborate manner? Does it have chunni illness from Jupan? Well, I can't judge it here.

Taking another look at this phantom representing penguin I can finally rest easy. While this voice isn't convincing at all, I can't see this monster spirit changing or moving. If the time is still working in a way it should be, this demonic beast would either continue shrinking due to me sucking its energy or make some sort of move if I were to stop.

SWOSH!

When I look at the monster, my mind suddenly distances itself from the immediate area, making me overlook the entire forest!

With strange, barely noticeable barriers separating each of the locations from the others, I can see other lines connecting each of the areas to others! For some reason, I can even understand it!

"All that you see right now, is just a poor visualisation that your mind is attempting to make it easier for you to comprehend the truth presented for you. You don't need to worry if you don't understand it now. When you wake up, all of the information contained in this world will be infused into your soul."

BOOM!

As if a sonic eruption happened right beside my ear, this eerie world suddenly disappears, switching places with the reality that I'm used to!

Looking at the penguin that is closing to its earthy size in front of me, I suddenly retract my hand from it's wound.

"Blop!"

"Targeted monster still have vast reserves of life energy."

"Sucking it dry will provide great benefits for the host!"

As if I didn't know this already!

I pulled back not because I'm not interested in this energy, but because I suddenly understood the repercussion of killing this being!

Distancing myself for a bit, I fall down on my bottom, unable to come to the terms with a sudden appearance of all the knowledge that I never wanted to have.

People say that the less you know the calmer your sleep is. Only at this moment, I understood this statement!

While I'm capable of drying this monster from its energy and even if it would be beneficial to me in the short term, I simply can't do it because of what would happen afterwards!