A lean teenager sat in front of his canvas with a paintbrush in hand, his brush dancing through the air with the precision of a master, his brush seemed to change from color to color seamlessly. The brush he was using was tailored towards the use of the core energy of the world, Lu.
Lu is the main form of energy in existence. It took on many different forms, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind and many more, its most common form? Neutral Lu, which Valerio was using to paint. Though the usages of Lu were practically infinite, the most common usage was the absorption and integration of Lu into one's body. People who absorbed and integrated with Lu were known as cultivators, carrying increasing power and control over Lu. The act of absorbing and integrating with Lu was known as cultivating.
Valerio was best described as having cultivated a little bit to obtain some inherent Lu, but never continued, only refining his control for years.
He didn't have the Lu capacity to paint for long, meaning he needed lots of time to complete drawings, unlike others, it didn't bother him—he enjoyed the time he took in between strokes to reabsorb Lu. It gave him time to envision his painting better.
Lu paintings were special paintings created using Lu as the 'paint', they could carry visions and feelings with more depth than a normal painting ever could. A great Lu painter could capture a scene down to the exact feelings of the one who saw it, the smell of the air and even the feeling of the wind. That was simply how wondrous Lu was.
Valerio heard his mother clicking her tongue.
'Here she goes again.'
"Tsk tsk tsk, Val, when are you going to take a break from the arts? You can only remain in Tier 1 for so long."
A sigh echoed through the room as Valerio put his brush down.
"Mom, could we just….not?" Valerio asked while standing up, his tone thick with exasperation, a testament to how often he'd heard the same question.
Valerio stood almost a head taller than his mom, lost as to what to do. Regardless of what he did, if it wasn't cultivating, she nor his dad would leave him alone. He couldn't understand why they were in such a rush, and it wasn't like he needed strength for anything. His family could probably obliterate the universe many times over. What more could his strength add?
"You can't keep living as a first planer," Isadora said with a mix of anger and helplessness in her voice. She had long argued with him about this topic, she knew his standpoint. Moreover, she was his mom, she knew the type of person he was, someone stubborn to fault, someone too stubborn to do something he didn't see a point in even if his own parents insisted. Only logic would convince him. Isadora inwardly sighed; the truth she needed to construct a logical enough argument to convince Valerio wasn't something she could speak of.
"No no, I definitely could. You just prefer me cultivate rather than focus on arts, and you know I'm going to cultivate for my health eventually."
"Regardless, you're turning 18 soon, even if you rather not cultivate, and even if I didn't mind. Your dad won't let you postpone it further."
"I'll deal with dad later, alright mom?"
Valerio raised his brows as he smiled, his palms pointing outwards.
Isadora murmured something as she stepped out of the room, unfortunately, Valerio couldn't hear it.
'Tsk, maybe a little cultivation wouldn't be too bad… just enough to eavesdrop at least.'
***
Planet Fluxara, The Augustine Manor's Garden
A tall young man was walking through the fields, running his hands through the luminous overgrown grass spanning the entirety of the earth. His short black hair and blue eyes reflecting the starry sky above. Mom had always told him Fluxara had one of the best nighttime views in the galaxy, and looking up right now, he couldn't help but agree; it probably didn't get better than this. The subtle sounds of a river echoed in between the gardens of the Augustine Manor, complemented by the whistling of the grass. And it was the plethora of stars shining down on Fluxara that completed the scenery.
While gazing through the garden, Valerio's thoughts drifted over to his mom's words.
Truthfully, Valerio had never cared to cultivate, and the reason was as simple as it could get: He didn't need to. He had been born with everything he could ever want, a loving family, riches, strength and anything else he desired. He was aware of his fortune and grateful, nut he didn't want to waste his time gaining… strength, what could more strength do for him? Thus, he only cared about his hobbies: rune theory, crafting, music, and painting. Though he did receive lots of criticism for taking on so many professions, he didn't care; the opinion of others could remain as such; what did those fools know? All four of his hobbies he did because he thoroughly and genuinely gained joy from. Especially the feeling of creation, it was unlike anything he had experienced, granting a euphoric feeling of pride and excitement unlike anything else he'd experienced. His passion for these professions and arts had led him to ignore his cultivation, earning the loving ire of his parents, and most troublesomely, his father Maximus.
'He won't even hear me out this time, will he? 18 years old, you're a man now, you're too weak and more waffle.'
The serene atmosphere of the garden felt too quiet for Valerio's tastes as he switched to thinking out loud. What was so bad about talking to one's self anyway? If they didn't want him to think out loud, they'd just have to create more intellectuals for him to speak to, other than himself, of course.
He chuckled.
"I've been getting away with not cultivating for a long time, 18 years is not bad at all to be honest. But with me having long passed the optimal age for cultivation, there's no way they'll allow another year is there?"
That was a rhetorical question.
He knew the answer. Though he had always known the answer. His parents had only let him do as he pleased because they had known he could get away with it; making up for time with talent and resources. Now, however, he had finally reached an age where they wouldn't tolerate it, where talent and resources couldn't compensate for time.
"Dad's definitely gonna make me cultivate huh.' A laugh was drowned out by river's gushing.
"I had a pretty good run at least. Though, If I'm gonna be forced to do it, I may as well do it properly."
What was the point of half-assing anything? That'd be an even bigger waste of time.
Valerio swept his hands over the night sky, as if grabbing the ethereal energy floating around, and absorbed some of the atmospheric Lu—also known as Neutral Lu. He circulated it through his meridians—a system in the body used to transport Lu similar to the vascular system. Almost immediately, he felt a strength beyond himself, as if he could carry the world and race the wind itself.
Of course, the strength he felt was a mere facade caused by the fact that he rarely circulated Lu with the intent to enhance his physical capabilities. He knew he was weak, weaker than anyone on the planet actually. Anyone on this planet could likely get rid of him without much of a hassle. But then again, would they?
No, of course not, who'd dare harm the scion of the Augustine family?
A loud sigh echoed through the fields as Valerio turned around and headed back home.