Kyle's immediate reaction was to ask what Manny meant with "probably", but he stopped himself.
What was he supposed to say?
He didn't even know which side Manny was on or what goal his secretive Organization followed. How could he claim that he was on their side when he didn't know what they wanted?
Swamp Dragon was part of this Organization as well, and while Kyle's relationship with Swamp Dragon had turned distant and professional, he still agreed with most of his morals. He believed that Swamp Dragon was aiming for the right thing. The issue was just that he was being an ass about it.
"Well, not much I can say," Kyle answered as another wisp with unimportant information arrived. "Frankly, I don't even know what side I'm on. I just wanna get strong and have agency."
"I know," Manny answered. "I believe our goal is one you can agree with, but that's not important for now. First, we have to fix Ayuvar and get out of here."
"Agreed," Kyle answered. "So, my next task is to become a Unique and Legendary Sage, correct?"
"Yes, focus on becoming a Legendary Sage first. The others are also trying to become Legendary Sages, but we can't be sure if everyone will succeed. I'll keep gathering information. By the time you're done, I will have more things to say."
"Sure, I'll get right to it," Kyle answered.
Then, he looked at Major Sovignor, who had been waiting for the last couple of seconds. "I plan on becoming a Unique and Legendary Sage as quickly as possible," he transmitted. "I probably don't get time off for free, right?"
"Not with your current status," Major Sovignor answered. "Shields and Spears do not receive a free opportunity. The chances of failure and death are too high for the vast majority of Sages. You have to go through your Refinements during your spare time."
"How much for 16,000 years?" Kyle asked.
"10,000 Military Merits represent potential retirement for a Sage. A Crusher receives 40,000 years of longevity upon becoming a Sage, which means one point of Merit equates to four years of freedom. You have to spend 4,000 Merits for 16,000 years of spare time," Major Sovignor explained.
'That's quite expensive but also understandable,' Kyle thought. 'Normal Sages probably need over 15,000 years to gather 4,000 Merits. With enough dedication, they can probably gather 5,000 Merits after 20,000 years, which would equate to another 20,000 years of spare time.'
'However, how many of them actually get there? How many Sages can actually survive 20,000 years on the frontlines? Not a lot, probably.'
"Sure, I'll exchange 4,000 Merits for spare time," Kyle transmitted.
Major Sovignor nodded, and the Merits were deducted from Kyle's Emblem. Shortly after, Kyle's Emblem went into standby.
"I wish you luck during your advancement," Major Sovignor transmitted. "Your Emblem will activate again after 16,000 years. When that happens, you have to report to another Major or me within five years to resume your duties."
"I will. Thank you," Kyle answered before leaving the Forward Base.
Kyle decided to go into seclusion below a mountain near a random Mortal Empire. Since he didn't need to work on his Major Law of Body or his Imposing Law anymore, he didn't need to go too deep underground. A couple of thousand kilometers was more than enough. He would have his peace there, but he would also not continue sinking towards the World Floor. Well, with enough time, he would still sink, but that would take way longer.
After getting to his chosen spot, Kyle took a deep breath as he went over the common methods of comprehending the Major Law of Mind during a Refinement.
Just to be sure, Kyle asked Manny about the methods again, and he basically confirmed them. He also gave a couple more insights.
Kyle waited for a moment before closing his eyes.
'This is going to suck so bad, and it will keep going for 6,000 years. The Wisdom Fire Realm really is the worst.'
'Well, here we go.'
Kyle pushed the surrounding Energy into his mind and triggered the Sixth Refinement.
As soon as the Energy entered his mind, Kyle experienced a weird feeling. For some reason, he felt nervous. His heart beat rapidly in his ears, and his eyes darted around in panic.
His instincts told him that he was doing something extremely dangerous. They told him that this was not a good idea.
Then, the actual pain started.
Kyle's body trembled as the Energy around him turned chaotic. A violent storm of chaotic Energy formed around him, but for some reason, it didn't damage any of his surroundings. This wouldn't sound so bad if there weren't an issue with the storm.
It destroyed Kyle's ability to control the surrounding Energy.
He couldn't pull in any Energy anymore. The Energy didn't listen to him and only entered his body whenever the chaotic storm forced it into his mind.
Kyle started to breathe more quickly as an instinctual reaction. Seekers didn't need air anymore, but they desperately needed Energy. Not being able to pull in any Energy was like not being able to breathe, and Kyle's instincts tried to compensate by breathing more.
'This...'
Kyle looked at the floor in terror.
'I'm... dying!'
The irresistible urge to pull Energy into his body assaulted Kyle, but no matter what he did, he couldn't pull in any Energy. The Energy simply wouldn't listen to him!
Kyle's perception stretched into his mind. He wanted to stop the Sixth Refinement so badly.
His instincts told him that he was making a huge mistake by undergoing the Sixth Refinement, and he felt like he was about to die.
Yet, Kyle's logic told him that this wasn't the case.
There were only two ways somebody could die during a Refinement. Either they went far beyond their limit and their will collapsed, or they decided to kill themselves during a weak moment.
'It's not dangerous!' he shouted at himself inside his mind. 'This is only dangerous if I decide to kill myself! I can take this! I- fuck! I need Energy! I fucking need Energy!'
Then, a wave of Energy rushed into Kyle's body, taking the nervousness and fear away.
Kyle's eyes widened in relief as a feeling of invincibility filled him. His instincts praised him for surviving and rewarded him with positive feelings.
Yet, mere moments later, the Energy stopped flowing into his body again, and the terror returned.
Kyle's body shook yet again as he gritted his teeth. His nails dug into his flesh in an effort to distract him from the pain, but it had no effect. Minor physical wounds like this couldn't compare to the pain of the Sin Flames, and the Sin Flames barely made a difference at this point.
He still felt the pain of the Sin Flames, but they basically didn't matter. Their presence was irrelevant.
Technically, the Sixth Refinement didn't even hurt that much. The Fifth Refinement had hurt far more.
Yet, to Kyle, the Sixth Refinement was so much worse.
The difference was his perception of danger. The Sin Flames were familiar to him. He knew them very well, and he had become accustomed to their presence. The Fifth Refinement had been a new kind of pain, but as long as he kept distracting himself, it would pass eventually. Neither of these felt dangerous.
But the Sixth Refinement did.
Kyle felt like his life was no longer in his hands.
He felt like an irresistible power was holding him by the throat, squeezing and loosening.
'They were right,' Kyle thought as Energy returned to him.
'This is worse than Sin Flames.'
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