Sansa walked in front of Alan and Ethan, who could barely contain their impatience. She led them through the Order Hall to her desk, the same one where they had first met. "Wait here," she instructed.
Ethan watched as she stepped behind the counter, tapping on a large, 14-inch screen interface that looked identical to the ones on their soul bands. Immediately, both of their bands buzzed with a new notification.
Ethan tapped his, seeing a message: "You've been assigned a new request." Below it was the rank: Rank 1.
He heard Alan ask, "Did you get a request too?"
But it was Sansa who replied before Ethan could. "Yeah, accept the request. You'll be killing two birds with one stone. It was placed a month ago by an Attuned Rank ascendant."
"And how does this answer the compression question?" Ethan asked, ever cautious.
"You're an awfully cautious one, aren't you? Loosen up. You're more important to me alive than dead, anyway," Sansa replied with a smirk. "Go on, accept the request. I'll explain after you do."
Alan, being the easy-going one, accepted first and began to read. Ethan followed right after.
Mission: 5 True Blue Stones needed.
Location: Blue Mountain.
Reward: 10 Points.
Seeing they had read it, Sansa began her explanation. "There are two main problems with energy compression. The first is that you're trying to force energy that already has a nature. It'll be easier for you, Ethan, as an illusion user, because illusion energy is mostly docile. But you, Alan... you're in for a lot of pain, just like what I went through."
She let that sink in before continuing. "Compression can take different forms. You could compress it into a stable ball of energy, or even down to the size of a pea if you can manage it. But remember, the amount of energy in your soul hasn't changed—only its form has. This compressed energy will add an intangible weight to your soul with every bit you compress. Every soul has a limit. So, it's advised that the moment you feel your soul reach its capacity without causing even an ounce of pain, it's time to form your core."
Ethan asked almost immediately, "And what happens if you push this limit?"
Sansa replied with a single, stark word. "Death."
"Wait, what? It's that serious?" Alan exclaimed, his eyes wide.
"Yes, it's that serious," Sansa affirmed, her expression grave. "The soul is a fragile entity that you know very little about. Be absolutely careful when you compress your energy. It's important to remember that overachieving has killed more geniuses at this stage than battle ever has."
Immediately after the warning, Ethan asked another question. "Is there a number of compressions we could use as a reference to avoid making this mistake? From how you sounded, it feels like there's only a fine line separating overachieving and underachieving. I'd hate to think a number exists, but no one knows what it is."
"Of course not," Sansa replied. "Do you know how many deaths would have been avoided if something like that existed? But unfortunately, a number doesn't exist, and the reason is soul strength. Everyone is born with a different level of it. The end of your compression potential might be just the beginning for mine."
Alan pondered this. "Why do I feel like the amount of compression a soul can handle has its own advantages and disadvantages?"
Sansa smiled at this question. "Of course it does. The more energy you use to create your core, the bigger your core becomes, which directly translates to a larger energy reserve in your later ranks."
Ethan was shocked. "Wait, weren't you going to inform us of this? Why make us scared to go through more compressions instead?"
Alan, hearing this, was equally taken aback.
Sansa shrugged, her expression unapologetic. "It's better you're scared than dead. Besides, I was always going to tell you. But you have to understand what you're walking into first. Knowing the potential reward without first respecting the absolute danger is what gets ascendants killed. Besides, didn't you hear me the first time, 'You're more important to me alive than dead' I mean every word of that sentence."
Hearing this from her, Ethan took a deep breath, realizing he had been overexcited and that she was correct—his life mattered first. Lifting his head, he asked the question that was now burning in his mind. "How many compressions did you do?"
Sansa chuckled at his directness. "I was able to go through four." She then gestured for them to start moving. "Let's walk back to your rooms. We'll finish our one-hour session when we reach your doors. I want you to journal everything we've talked about so far. Take the day to use your breathing techniques to understand your limits, and research the Blue Mountain on the Order's forum and news feed."
Ethan and Alan, hearing this, realized they had been locked in an intense conversation for a while and nodded in agreement as they fell into step beside her.
As they walked, Alan picked up the thread of their lesson. "So, you said compression takes many forms. What form does yours take?"
Sansa heard this and replied honestly. "The compression form depends on the core creation method, and in the Aeltic Order, the most popular method is called Weaving. So, based on this, we compress our energy into thin, manageable threads and use those threads to weave our cores into existence."
"You'll need to gather enough points to buy the Weaving technique from the Order," Sansa continued as they walked. "The stele will train your muscle memory, embedding the process in your mind just like you received your breathing technique. You'll instinctively remember it, drastically reducing mistakes. Honestly, the discovery of this method of transferring techniques is the best thing that has ever happened to the Path."
She glanced at them, her expression turning grim. "I remember reading records of death rates during core formation in the past. The number that failed was far greater than those who succeeded. This single method increased the chance of a successful breakthrough by fifty percent. Maybe now you'll understand—core formation was, and still is, a life-or-death stage for every ascendant."
Ethan felt a newfound gravity settle over him. For the first time, the danger felt real. "If I'm not careful, I could actually die before I get the chance to do anything," he thought, the realization chilling him.
A new question then crossed his mind, and he looked up at Sansa. "So, where does the mission fit with all this? I understand we need points to buy the core formation technique, but that's not the real reason, is it?"
Sansa smiled, a flash of approval in her eyes. "Yes, you're right about that. The technique increases your chances by fifty percent, but with the True Blue Stone's energy, you'll have an extra twenty percent increase. The stone's energy has a calming effect on the soul. It pacifies your elemental energy, allowing you to compress it without as much violent resistance."
Her voice dropped to a serious tone. "Because if your energy isn't properly controlled during compression, you could harm your soul. And trust me, you don't want an injury like that. From what I've heard, they take a tremendous amount of time to heal naturally, unless you can find incredibly rare supplements designed for healing the soul itself."