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Gradually, Lucian's eyes opened within a foreign space. Turning his head, he witnessed many in a situation similar to him, predominantly clueless whereas the remainder seemed to possess expectant outlooks. As he came across their expressions, Lucian was plagued with questions of his own.
Slowly, his attention shifted towards his surroundings rather than the people nearby. "Is this the Monolith? I don't know what I was expecting but... this is different," Lucian mumbled under his breath.
The area resembled a digitized zone, possessing numerous spanning grid lines, as well as a dull gradient background. Overall, the astonishing sight Lucian imagined seemed to be a far-fetched daydream of an imaginative teen.
Although the scenery was underwhelming, it was still a new sight to him. This allowed Lucian to take it all in without any complaints. However, his somber mood had already affected his mental state.
'With my current situation, the last thing I need is raised expectations,' Lucian thought. He then panned his attention back towards the others within the confines of this odd space.
Before moving, Lucian scoped out the others summoned to the monolith. Out of the three groups that caught his eye, some exuded unfriendly auras, others appeared outright unapproachable and lastly, the rest seemed to be rather impatient.
After learning of their behaviors, Lucian remained in place while a ripple occurred.
A translucent figure appeared from within despite the lack of an opening. At times, their body seemed to be a mix between digital and holographic, but that didn't take away from the fact the figure possessed an aura stronger than anyone present. Moreover, a white mask hid their features, and their body was completely covered up.
"Welcome candidates to the Proximal Space. Since this isn't truly the domain of the monolith, I can actually appear before you all. However, become a Guardian and this issue will be easily resolved," the figure spoke.
After glancing around, pleased with the candidates of this round, the figure gave a nod and then continued, "For those of you completely unfamiliar with the proceedings of the monolith, I am an Overseer, one of the many lower-level ones at that."
Within the hierarchy of the Monolith, the force left to uphold order was known as the Overseers. Their rankings were determined by the number of stars they possessed. The lowest ranking, a single star was a mere Trainee Overseer, one of the most abundant categories. The last ranking is a 7-starred Overseer, a singular existence, known as the Grand Overseer.
As for the one who appeared before Lucian and the rest, they were a 2-starred Overseer, or in simpler terms, they were certified. Possessing the ability to transverse between a certain number of floors and this Proximal Space as he was the assigned Overseer.
"Mister Overseer, since you are our guide, does that mean you will distribute rewards?" One of the youths in the crowd asked. While he was on the shorter side, his slender frame did well to hide that fact. Moreover, based on the way he carried himself, it was clear he possessed an abundance of confidence.
"Mm, possibly but that isn't what you should be worried about right now. On the contrary, I believe there is a matter that is much more important right now—Refinement," the Overseer answered.
The moment he mentioned Refinement, a number of youth's eyes brightened, similar to a toddler being given a new toy, or perhaps even candy. To those who were unaware, the term Refinement didn't mean much, but they couldn't be more wrong.
Refinement was one of, if not the utmost important factor to a beginner Guardian, this was because it was a compliment to Awakening. Furthermore, even if you were unawakened, it served as a catalyst to expedite the process and instantly propel the individual into the realm of Refinement.
Unlike an Awakening, Refinement existed in 4 variations—Normal, Strengthened, Elite, and lastly, Extraordinary. Each counterpart was stronger than the last, but similarly, it possessed more stringent requirements to acquire them. Not to mention, Refinement could only take place once. The only time this wasn't true was when a Variant was born.
Unfortunately, Refinement wasn't based on the strength of the vessel like an Awakening was. Refinement operated on far more mystical principles.
"Let the Refinement begin, I hope I at least witness the birth of many Elite figures. Every single person who achieved an Elite Refinement now has an illustrious reputation," the Overseer commented.
After a short pause, he snapped his finger. "Let's see just how vibrant your fates are, do any of you have vigorous destinies capable of taking you far on this extensive journey? Let us see. Now, indulge in the rewards of your predecessors!"
'Fwmm!' 'Woosh!'
A low humming noise gathered in the skies above before allowing countless pillars of white light to descend upon everyone present, bathing them in undulating waves of comfortable warmth. Initially, the pillars' shells were thin, but gradually each of the pillars thickened until gleaning information pertaining to the events of the interior was impossible.
Yet, all of a sudden, the translucent figure frowned. "What?"
Unlike the rest of the individuals blanketed in their pillar of light, an anomaly took place. One of the pillars, despite absorbing the ambient energy, failed to solidify. In comparison to the rest, it was dilapidated and threatened to collapse with the slightest contact.
Albeit hidden, there was shock plastered across the masked Overseer's expression. In all of his years in service, this was the first time he had come across such an abnormality. No matter how weak one's destiny was, it was always strong enough to permit the pillar's thickening. In other words, Lucian's predicament was a novelty.
Finally, after some time, the Overseer pulled himself together. "You there, what is wrong with you?"
"Are...you talking to me?" Lucian responded. He was caught off guard by the sudden questioning. Not to mention, while within the pillar, it was difficult to discern outside events. The energy comprising the pillar disrupted perception.
"Yes, you! Just what is wrong with you? Why is the Fractal Pillar not reacting towards you?" The Overseer questioned. This ordeal had truly stumped him. Only a faint amount of the energies present entered Lucian's body, and what little amount did enter flowed with a botched circulation.
In response, Lucian could only remain silent while looking clueless. Similar to some present, this was his first time hearing of Refinement and the like. While some others may possess more knowledge if they grew up around Guardians, Lucian wasn't subject to this luxury.
"My apologies, I have overlooked your origins. Some of you aren't aware of the matters supporting this place. This is known as a Fractal Pillar; it utilizes a special type of energy to upgrade your Mana and vessel simultaneously. Hold on," the Overseer said, glancing through something before his eyes.
Currently, the Overseer was sifting through the information of the chosen people. However, even after triple-checking his search, he couldn't find any sign of Lucian's records.
"This is unprecedented. Since my first years as an Overseer, this is the first time I have seen an unrecorded person. Very well, I'll have to resort to the manual way."
Suddenly, Lucian voiced his own theory. "Well, could my Zero Point Disease have something to do with it? My body doesn't emit Mana properly," Lucian answered, trying to help provide an answer. If the others didn't possess the same sickness, then it was possible this might be the sole reason.
"That's not the issue. The Fractal Pillar cleanses all issues, ranging from Astral Corrosion to Tattered Vessels. I'm afraid the problem isn't your vessel, but your destiny," the Overseer responded.
'It's not my body, but my destiny?' Lucian thought. As he contemplated this, he couldn't help but voice his curiosities, "What does this destiny mean?"
The first time he heard of this was when he listened to the message received from that unknown voice.
"Well, first you need to understand that your planet is nothing but a minor world. In the records, it is listed as DMW-001491625. But, as a Minor Seed World, the Fractal Pillar of the multiverse was bestowed upon your people," the Overseer said in an odd tone. He sounded both proud of the pillar but disappointed with the development of this expected batch.
"As for the blessing I speak of, that is the merging of destinies, or rather absorbing your doppelgangers. The Fractal Pillar extracts all copies of yourself from the multiverse and combines them into one person. Then, based on your accumulation of destiny, you are rewarded with befitting abilities. Of course, it isn't free. You must work for it!"
"Well... this doesn't make sense. Why has the situation become even more bizarre?!" the Overseer muttered, his voice quaking with trepidation. Under his mask, his eyes widened to a comical sight.