"So, to continue with your question?"
"What are the cultivation stages of Hurricane, and how does one progress?" It said, and Ryuk nodded,
"To think of Hurricane from the perspective of other energy cultivations sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?" the Spirit suddenly asked, and Ryuk’s eyebrow faintly knitted.
Its tone was that of contradiction.
"But truly, this perspective of Hurricane as an energy—while understandable for beginners—is the wrong approach."
"Only those who do not truly understand Hurricane will label it as such," he explained, and Ryuk’s brow creased.
The only reason he even knew the first stage of Hurricane was called the Imitation Stage was because the system had labeled it as such.
But now, hearing this entity’s words, he began to doubt that label—perhaps it was simply the perspective of someone who didn’t truly understand.
"Hurricane isn’t an energy, like I previously said," the spirit continued.
"The best perspective is to look at it the way Esh Therion did: as a memory."
Ryuk’s ears perked up.
"While it’s acceptable to label the first stage of Hurricane cultivation as the Imitation Stage, from the perspective of someone like Esh Therion—who truly understood Hurricane—it is better known as the Path of Memory."
"And the first path for one newly awakened to Hurricane is called: The Thief Path."
"The Thief Path?" Ryuk repeated, surprised.
"Yes. The Thief does nothing but take, does he not?"
"That is how one begins the path of Hurricane."
"And what you will steal... are the other energies."
"You may have noticed various runes appear on your body since your Hurricane awakening, haven’t you?" the figure asked.
Ryuk nodded.
"Those runes are conduits that store the energy you steal."
"But they’re not just conduits. They also grant you the ability to use what you’ve taken, though the energy usually doesn’t last very long once contact with the source is broken."
Ryuk’s eyes lit up with realization.
Of course—he understood now.
Every time someone touched him, his tattoos would light up and copy their energy.
But as soon as contact was broken, the energy would quickly fade. The time was always too brief for him to effectively use any techniques.
"Treat Hurricane like a thief who has stolen the world, then lost it—and also forgotten everything about it."
"When it touches something of the world, it feels a brief sense of familiarity. It holds it for a few seconds... and then it drops it. Why does it drop it?" the being asked.
Ryuk muttered softly, "Because... it has no memory of it."
"Exactly."
"It has no memory. So it cannot keep it."
"That is why it is wrong to think of Hurricane as a simple energy."
"Instead, view it through the lens of memory. In fact, begin to think of all energies from that perspective," he said, as his eyes narrowed with intensity.
"But how?"
"Name a random element," he suddenly said.
"Flames," Ryuk answered, a common choice.
The spirit began its explanation:
"The flame element is often seen as a destructive energy source."
"Most cultivators view flame from this external perspective. But to truly understand fire, you must dive into the emotions at its core."
’Core emotions, huh?’
"Flames possess three core emotions: Desire, Hunger, and Rebirth."
"Its desire lies in its hunger. It consumes... and it always wants more."
"There’s destruction in its hunger—it burns and razes."
"But also rebirth. After it has consumed, it clears the space for something new."
"A scorched forest cannot remain scorched forever. It will eventually give way to fresh life."
The explanation made Ryuk pause in reflection.
"This isn’t only applicable to flame."
"Think of water. Its emotion lies in adaptation. It bends, flows, and takes the shape of its container."
"Think of wind—it yearns to remain unchained. It moves. It drifts. It flees."
"There are more complex elements, like Fate and Time, whose purposes are harder to define."
"But still, within every energy lies a guiding emotion."
"When your runes copy an energy, they copy more than just power—they attempt to remember the emotional imprint beneath that energy."
"Whether it’s the memory of the one you touched, or the core instinct within the element itself."
"If you fail to understand these emotional memories, your runes cannot retain them. And once you lose contact with the source, the memory—and the energy—will fade."
"So, if I want to hold on to them longer... I need to understand the emotions behind the energy?" Ryuk asked.
"Yes. And also the memories. Do not just touch to steal someone’s energy."
"Touch to feel what lies beneath. If it’s flames—understand their rage. If it’s water—feel its calm."
"This is the first stage of Hurricane cultivation: The State of Imitation—or better said, The Path of the Thief."
"When you’ve truly learned to feel and remember the energy... the second path will reveal itself naturally," the spirit said.
While he felt the urge to ask for the name of the second Path, in the end, he chose to remain silent.
The being had told him that if he continued down the Thief Path long enough, he would eventually find his way to the Other Path.
It was asking him to discover it on his own—and he believed it must have its reasons.
Silence reigned for a while as Ryuk remained in his seat, quietly comprehending all he had just been taught, reviewing it within his mind.
After he felt he could recall it all and had formed a clear, concise objective, he turned upward, back to the figure who spoke.
"Now, to the other question—how do you climb up the Cultivation Path?"
"Isn’t that by understanding the emotions that lie beneath each copied element?" Ryuk asked, watching the figure closely.
"That’s correct."
"But more than that."
"The fastest way to ascend and rapidly grow one’s cultivation... in Hurricane, there is just one method," it explained, as Ryuk listened attentively.
"Battle!" the figure declared—and as it spoke, Ryuk could almost feel the entire realm quiver.
Every single mote of light within the space shimmered wildly, letting loose an overwhelming tide of battle intent.
"Ba... Battle!?" Ryuk stammered.
It was the last thing he expected—but the figure continued its explanation.