Chapter 1013 Mastering the seed of creation
The seed of creation brought a completely different inner voice to Max's consciousness that was different from the seed of destruction but not quite the opposite.
While understanding the motivations of the seed of destruction were easy as it prompted him to simply destroy without bias, to understand the motivations of the seed of creation were harder as it toyed with Max's mind in ways that made it impossible to distinguish its voice from those of his own desire.
Since the dark realm was empty and unlit, a very small part of Max sometimes longed for there to be a small house and a warm sun within this realm but it was never a pronounced desire, yet the seed picked up on it and began from there.
"Build a castle," it coaxed, "a fortress of light to pierce this endless night." The idea unfurled in Max's mind, a grand structure of gleaming spires and luminous walls, a beacon in the darkness. He could almost feel the smooth stones and see the warm glow against the black sky. Yet, he held back, understanding the deceit in this splendor. Such a creation, born from the seed's manipulation, would be a monument to his weakness, and would only worsen his situation in trying to control its powers.
The seed, undeterred, shifted its approach. "A companion," it suggested, more slyly this time, "someone to share your solitude, a creation of your own heart." The vision was powerful: a figure, born from the very essence of his longing, a perfect ally in this lonesome exile. A truly breathtakingly beautiful woman who had the flair of Asiva, the figure of Anna, the possessiveness of Mira and the personality of Hazriel.
Max's heart yearned for this connection, but he recognized the danger. Such a being would not be a true companion, but a puppet of the seed, a chain to bind him further to its will.
With time, the suggestions grew more elaborate, more enticing. "A garden of wonders," the seed whispered, painting a picture of a place where exotic plants bloomed with radiant colors and unknown fruits promised untold delights. It promised an oasis in the desolation, a paradise created by his hand. Yet, Max saw through the allure. This garden would be a trap, each plant and fruit another link in the chain, binding him to the seed's insidious influence.
In this unlit realm, amidst the silence and the void, Max came to an epiphany. The greatest act of creation he could perform was not to shape the world around him, but to shape himself.
To forge his will against the seductive power of the seed and use it to temper himself into becoming a better man.
Here, in the heart of darkness, Max resolved to not succumb to the whispers of creation and to not play god as he soon started to find balance between the whispers of creation and destruction as he was able to distinguish his own voice from theirs.
His body was a mess as some parts were overflowing with destruction energy while the others were overflowing with creation energy.
The two of these energy absolutely refused to mix and as a result they clashed and caused chaos within Max's body leading to him randomly losing large chunks of his HP.
The overall situation was dire as there were many instances when Max was suddenly driven to the edge of life and death, but then recovered due to his excellent arsenal of healing spells and abilities.
It was only when he was able to suppress the power of both seeds at once that his HP stabilized and he regained the clarity of thought as only after that did he start his experimentation on trying to mix the two great powers that could not be mixed by mixing his own will and energy as a medium.
As expected, he failed miserably at the first few attempts, but he did not lose hope.
He had all the time in the world and was determined to learn how to fuse the energy of creation with that of destruction to create the ultimate force!