Farnes's shock was palpable, his usually calm composure broken as he processed Alex's revelation.
He glanced down at his hand, noticing the crumbling wood, and let out a slow breath to steady himself.
"You two…"
He shook his head, a glimr of bewildernt in his eyes.
"Most people reach that threshold decades, sotis centuries, into their lives. You've barely started, and already you're on the edge of becoming a Higher lifeform."
He gave a half-smile, though his eyes were still clouded with a mixture of surprise and caution.
"So, tell , what exactly led you here so quickly?"
"Honestly, that's what I was hoping you could help with…"
Alex replied, holding his gaze steady.
"When Mira and I looked at our requirents, the System said we'd already 'broken free of mortal bindings,' but I can't shake the feeling that most C ranks don't have that marked as complete so soon."
Thud!
Another piece of the wooden table crumbled in Farnes' hands…
"..."
Farnes's expression shifted, a look of contemplation crossing his face.
"Breaking free of mortal bindings isn't just about achieving a new rank. It's a transformation that requires each individual to face and transcend the limits that keep them tied to mortality. Most C ranks achieve it through trials of their own. Not many understand the concept going in, but they co out of it fundantally changed, aware of having touched sothing beyond the limitations of flesh and mind. To achieve that transformation… there is usually a trial, sothing deeply personal and often dangerous."
Alex frowned, considering this.
"A trial?"
"Yes,"
Farnes confird.
"For most, it's a journey that challenges their core beliefs and reshapes them. Many must risk their lives, face their greatest fears, or overco the kind of obstacles that force them to push past the limits of their own mortality."
At this point, Mira walked into the office after having stood outside the door, listening in on their conversation.
She folded her arms, her brow furrowing as she considered Farnes's words.
"But the System already considers us to have 'broken free.' What if we… skipped the process?"
"Not possible."
Farnes said in an utterly decisive tone.
"The System is strict, unyielding. It doesn't hand out exceptions or marks achievents completed unless they are. If it has recognized you as having broken free of mortal bindings, then you've done it. Whatever experience you've had that transcends normal understanding — that's your answer."
'But we know that's not actually the case though, since Gorath proved the System's rules can be bent with its gift…'
Alex thought this the mont he heard those words co out of Principal Farnes' mouth, and he felt the urge to suddenly correct him on it.
But considering the way Farnes, and the rest of the human race reacted when Alex denied the Overseer's offer, Alex wasn't sure if he was willing to share such a closely regarded secret.
At least, not one that could have potentially changed the whole course of the war… if the Federation could have gotten their hands on those celestial orbs…
But regardless, Alex did everyone a favour by wiping out Gorath, as well as the rest of the Telorn system.
The Red Demons clearly knew what they were dealing with, and Alex had stopped them from gaining anything from the Celestial orbs.
Both Mira and Alex were quiet as they processed this, glancing at one another.
Alex took a deep breath before finally admitting.
"We did go through sothing… unique. You were actually there for mine, Principal."
Alex didn't even need to voice the experience he was talking about, as Farnes could already guess.
"Phoenix Rebirth?"
Farnes gave an approving nod.
"Rebirth at that level would push anyone beyond their mortal limits. To be deconstructed to the core and built back up — very few trials match that."
Mira looked thoughtful, her voice quiet but steady.
"It makes sense now, in a way. But if we've already crossed that threshold without really understanding what it ant… does that an we're at a disadvantage? If we don't have the sa perspective as those who went through their own personal trials?"
Farnes considered her question, a touch of respect in his gaze.
"It's a wise question. Power without understanding is dangerous. That's why most who achieve Higher lifeform status have to prove themselves over centuries, if not longer. They gain wisdom along with power. It's a balancing act. But I'll tell you this: There's a place on Earth — a ditation chamber where Higher lifeforms often go when they're ready to understand a higher power. You'll learn more about it when you beco Higher lifeforms yourselves."
Alex's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he looked at Farnes. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of trial his ntor had faced to reach his own Higher lifeform status.
"Principal."
Alex ventured, curiosity evident in his voice.
"What did you have to do to break free of your mortal bindings?"
Farnes's gaze grew distant,with old mories clearly surfacing behind his eyes.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, his tone more subdued than usual.
"Mine was… not sothing I'd wish on anyone."
He admitted, his voice carrying a trace of sothing almost like reluctance.
"The System demanded my absolute endurance. I spent five years straight in the Primordial Expanse. Starving. Alone. Stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing, not even a blade of grass or a single insect, for millions of kilotres. I was truly isolated."
The starkness of his words hung heavy in the air, and Mira's brows furrowed in disbelief.
Five years? It was hard enough to survive one day in the Expanse, let alone years without even the most basic resources.
Alex leaned forward slightly.
"How did you survive?"
A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Farnes's mouth.
"Barely. I relied on the faint remnants of energy I could muster to stay alive — rationing every last bit of power I had, stretching each breath and heartbeat as far as they would go. There were nights when I thought I wouldn't make it to the next dawn, and yet, sohow, I held on."
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