The next stage

The five dust puppets created by the baron rushed out from the plaza and ran towards the slope. They had taken the route through the location where not so long ago, the arena had stood.

Silvera watched the distance between her and the Temple increase. She hadn't expected to feel sadness at leaving the place behind. Almost twenty years she had lost in this forsaken place. 

'What is the baron doing in there? Even an Enlightened Knight will suffer serious wounds amidst such massive amounts of berserk chaos energy.'

She would have rather stayed and tried to save the monolith but her condition rendered her useless. She would have only been a burden.

One glance at the others being carried told her they weren't faring much better. The miniature golden spears had vanished with Ronan's death but remained immobile.

Just as they reached the end of the plateau at the middle of the hill, Silvera noticed a figure dragging a self-made sled behind him. She tapped the figure carrying her, making it go near the person.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" She asked in a stern voice. The man was clad in torn clothes but the boy and girl looked noble in their luxurious robes.

"H-hello ma'am. I am Edward Maine, an average man with average talent. I serve the Viscount. I am just making sure the young master and missus remain safe."

Silvera didn't know Edward but she had heard about the twins in her role as the priestess. She nodded pensively before turning toward the figure in the front.

"Bring them with us. We might need them later."

The figure at the front came soundlessly toward Edward and took the sled over. Edward looked stupefied but didn't protest. He was already glad he was alive. And he intended to remain alive. He just stated his gratitude and followed behind them.

'As long as I remain weak I need to follow others. Now, I can only hope that the Viscount's name can keep me safe.' 

Edward trod alongside the group, lamenting his fate. He could only follow the arrangement of the strong. Such was the life of an average man.

…

"Don't focus only on withdrawing energy from the monolith. Try to inject your innate energy into it, creating a balance between the two."

The baron's voice fell onto Hex's ears as he stood before the broken monolith, clasping it with both hands.

Although Hex had an excess of chaotic energy, it was still less than the amount in the monolith. The moment his hand touched the stone, the chaos flowed into him, the point of less chaos. 

Hex groaned in pain. His body was already at its limit. The chaotic energy was tearing his tendons and burning his skin, from the inside. 

If it hadn't been for the golden light healing him continuously, his body would have burst open. But the constant healing and rupturing of his flesh was akin to torture. 

Yet, Hex held on. He gnashed his teeth, causing blood to flow from his mouth, and held on. It might have been his unwillingness to admit defeat before the baron. 

Hex was adept at controlling chaotic energy and using his heart to refine it. The innate energy he gained from it used to remain inside him. It was what he used to power his techniques. 

To move that into the monolith was an unknown path. It didn't deter him, though, from trying. After some tries he noticed a pattern.

'The chaotic energy flows almost automatically when I inhale. What if I use my breathing to complete the cycles?'

As soon as the thought appeared in his mind, he gave it a try. 

When he inhaled, he felt the chaotic energy enter his body. The stinging pain accompanying it threw him off for a bit. Thankfully, he held his breath as he got used to the pain. 

When he exhaled, he focused on the refined energy - some called it innate energy, some Blessed energy. The energy burst out in a stream and entered the monolith.

'Succes!'

He hadn't expected it to work on the first try but was happy nonetheless. 

"Keep going," the baron said coldly, sobering him up. 

Hex didn't open his eyes. He continued to focus on synchronizing his breathing with the energy cycle. 

Gradually he lost himself in the cycle. It felt like nothing else existed between heaven and earth. 

"Open your eyes." After an unknown amount of time, a faint voice whispered in his head, causing him to do so. 

Hex stared at the familiar yet strange space. He was in the space where he found himself often during refinement. His crystal-like heart was contracting and expanding as usual.

Hex, however, was more focused on the area below it. A faint outline of the monolith was forming in the space.

'What is this?!' Despite having experienced so many things due to his unique heart, Hex was still stunned by the sight before him. 

"Is the broken piece taking root inside me?" Hex wondered out loud. 

"Yes," the voice said. Hex was sure it was the baron. How and why he was making him do all this was a mystery to him. 

"Just keep going. It will soon be over."

Hex did as he was told. He kept going. The outline became more tangible. He could see the upper part. All that remained was the base.

It took a while longer for the base, but soon, it started to materialize. 

'About 90% done.'

.

.

.

'About 99%.'

.

.

.

And then the final piece connected. 

BOOM!

Hex felt his mind shake. He fell on the floor. His body felt torn open. His heart was going wild. 

"What the hell?!"

He shouted in pain. The baron remained silent. Hex suddenly saw a bright stream of light escape the monolith and connect with his heart. 

The phantom of a bear appeared. It had red and green fur with a dark aura around it. The appearance of the aura made the space heat up. Hex recognized it. It was his glyph, only more colorful and tangible.

The next instance the Kobold's phantom appeared beside it. It was blue and white. Its appearance made the space freeze up. The heat and frost seemed to be fighting for the upper hand.

The collision of both made the space tremble wildly. Hex didn't understand the specifics but felt he had to step in.

He stood up and pushed himself to both phantoms. The bear and the Kobold roared at him. Hex was stunned for a split second but then frowned.

"Shut the fuck up! I beat both of you. Do you still want to harm me? Bring it on fuckers. I will beat the shit out of you!"

His outburst silenced the beasts. They growled weakly. But Hex wasn't having any of it. 

"Fuse bastards. I thought you became one. Become one and serve me as one. Only I get to roar, understand?!"

The phantoms lost their resistance at once. The collision of colors stopped and fused.

The space lit up. A piece of red earth appeared beneath him. A piece of it was covered with snow. The green color birthed a few strands of grass. 

The moment it all appeared, Hex felt a sense of peace. His body stopped hurting. He felt reinvigorated. 

"Come out!"

The baron's voice sounded just as he relaxed. Hex willed it and found himself back in the ruins of the Temple. The monolith was gone. 

"What exactly happened?" 

Hex didn't hesitate to ask for clarification. He felt as if he had transformed. His body, mind, and energy felt in balance. It was not something he could put into simple words.

The baron glanced at him.

"Nothing significant. You only became a Knight."

"..."