Phaser sat alone on a cold steel bench near the far end of the training complex with his faceless mask placed beside him. He was back to his original appearance. He leaned forward, watching the faint steam rising from his forearms where Xana had burned through his skin earlier.
A small distortion in the air emerged beside him. Phaser didn't flinch. The space beside him bent faintly and then with the grace of a ripple fading into stillness, a man appeared. His dark golden coat rustled slightly as he sat down. His long curly hair, tied with a silver clasp, swayed in the gentle wind.
Phaser exhaled and turned his head.
"What are you doing here, Master?"
"Watching my student break another of my predictions. You've exceeded my expectations, Phaser. I expected growth but not this kind."
Phaser chuckled lowly. "I just got tired of losing."
Seirath leaned back, resting his hands on the bench's edge.
"You've learned how to wield Void. You've mastered your Xana forms. You've fought through your own limits and achieved resonance, all in two months. And all of that has been achieved without even touching your Concept Flux."
Phaser's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yeah. That part still feels… distant."
"And it should. Concept Flux isn't a tool. It's identity given shape. I don't know how Concept Flux works but I am sure you already know how to use it."
Phaser tilted his head, watching the older man. "You always make it sound easy."
"I make it sound simple. Easy? No."
They sat in silence for a while. The gentle hum of the nearby flux-reactors filled the air, mixing with the distant echoes of sparring in the lower sectors. Then Seirath spoke again but his tone dropped to a serious one.
"You know in this era, there are beings known as the God-Touched Fluxers. They have surpassed mortal Flux resonance. Their Flux isn't drawn from within but was blessed directly by the Goddesses themselves."
Phaser glanced up, curious.
"And I'm one of them."
Seirath nodded. "Correct. When you were touched, the Flux of the world reacted. Even I felt it from the pyramid. You've stepped into a domain that mortals aren't meant to touch yet."
Phaser's eyes drifted downward. He flexed his fingers, watching as a faint shimmer of Xana coated them before fading again.
"So I'm what… chosen?"
"Not chosen. Acknowledged. There's a difference. No one knows why the Goddesses touch beings but there is always a reason for it. You're still far from the Déka stage, but I suppose it's time I told you how the world measures Flux."
Phaser straightened slightly. He never heard Seirath speak in this tone before.
"As you know, there are ten categories of Fluxers based on their Xana output and control capacity. They go as follows: Ena, Dio, Tria, Tessera, Pente, Exi, Epta, Októ, Ennéa, and Déka."
"Greek numerals. Fitting for the old-world system and was used seven centuries ago to classify Flux."
"You do know history. The Ena Fluxers have the smallest Xana pools. They are low-level users who can barely stabilize their energy field. Déka Fluxers, on the other hand, only five beings in history have ever reached that level. They're the first five wielders of Flux. Right now, only less than fifteen people in the entire world stand at the Ennéa Category. And you, Phaser, are one of them."
"Wait, that low?"
'Verdamona, Thales and the other male leads of MoDS are at Ennèa Category but they're that low?'
"Yes. The Ennèa Category are that rare. Either way, you're standing among monsters now. But remember, the higher the Category, the steeper the climb. I'm at Októ and it took me twenty years to reach my Seventh Awakening. You are already at your Third and it hasn't even been a full year. You're an anomaly."
"An anomaly, huh. Story of my life."
"Don't take it lightly. The higher your category, the heavier your Flux becomes. It eats at the mind and tests the body. That's why your Flux Resonance was so crucial. It stabilized the gap between your soul and your vessel. You already achieved it, didn't you?"
Phaser smirked. "Of course you figured it out."
"I know more than you realize," Seirath chuckled. "Most Fluxers spend decades trying to align body and soul. You did it by instinct but the next step matters. You want to learn the final Xana technique, don't you?"
Phaser nodded immediately. "Augere. The expansion technique. It's the one Hinesia used in our duels, right? The one that amplifies every cell in your body with exponential Xana."
"You even know its purpose even though you had no idea what it is. Impressive."
"So? Will you teach me?"
For a moment, Seirath was silent. The neon lights reflected off his eyes, making them look like twin molten suns. Then he smiled faintly.
"Under one condition."
"I'm listening."
"You must defeat all five of my daughters in solo matches before the CATF season ends with no teams or partners. Just you and them, one by one."
"All five? In solo matches?"
"Correct. They're not just ordinary Fluxers. Each of them has inherited a different specialization of Xana from me. If you can defeat all of them, then you'll have proven that your Flux foundation is worthy of Augere. Otherwise, it will destroy you the moment you activate it. However, based on your power, I might be able to make an exception so give it your all."
"You're serious."
"I'm always serious when it comes to my students' lives. You've reached power most Fluxers will never taste but Augere is something else entirely. It's not a technique, Phaser. It's an expansion of existence. Your body, your soul and Xana will be growing beyond their thresholds. One misstep and your heart bursts before your Xana even stabilizes."
Phaser sat quietly for a moment. The idea of fighting Seirath's daughters didn't intimidate him. It intrigued him. He fought alongside some of them before in the CATF's group matches. Each one was terrifying in her own way.
"So basically, beat your family to earn your blessing?"
"Precisely. Consider it a family introduction."
Phaser reached for his mask and slipped it back on. The faint reflection of neon light traced across its surface like living ink.
"Alright, then. Challenge accepted."
Seirath nodded approvingly. "Good. The first match will be tomorrow. I'll have the coordinators send you the schedule. Don't hold back, Phaser. My daughters won't. They are monsters."
Phaser rose from the bench, cracking his neck. "Wouldn't dream of it."
As he began to walk away, Seirath's voice followed him, low but clear.
"You've crossed into the realm of the God-Touched, boy. Don't let that power define you. That's the only way you'll survive what's coming."
Phaser paused at the edge of the walkway, glancing back over his shoulder.
"Yeah… I know."