After centuries of stabilizing his mind, Ben regained some of the systematic reactions he had lost after meeting Ginn.

"Seeing my brother really caused me must despair. I thought I would go crazy. Such a dangerous line. And how unfair of me."

Seeing Eden on the floor sent Ben into an emotional spiral.

"At least I did do a damn good job."

They haven't only been randomly fighting. So, after seeing the results of such long work, Ben smiled.

"It's been a while. Yet, I'm still so far from stable."

Sensing his wavering mind, Ben remembered why but still felt it was unfair. However, he knew he couldn't keep drowning, as he didn't feel anchored.

"If only things were different, but I'm happy we've met."

Ben looked around before crunching down and putting his hand on Eden's chest.

He completed the work that he started even while sealed away. And then he shut himself off again.

Slowly sinking into the void, Ben knew he wouldn't be able to unlock himself again for a long time.

"It seems I did it right for once," Ben smiled.

The lack of dissonance surprised him.

Ben Higgs could only guess such actions aligned with his deep mind.

He still felt the mix of nostalgia and regret surfacing again, but this wasn't the first time. So, he wasn't surprised.

His memory loss spurs became so often that he had been feeling that constantly.

"Well, let's walk out. We should still have some time."

---

A woman talked with Ben in between spurs of coughing.

"It seems my time finally came, too."

"For someone who says that a lot, you're still quite lively."

"You're always so snarky. You grew old, but you're still the same."

Ben stayed silent while he cleaned the room.

"I don't know what happened back then, but you should let it go. Pel wouldn't want that, either. You've done enough."

Ben stopped cleaning and stared at the dying woman.

"I'm sorry."

"For taking care of me?" The grandma smiled and coughed.

After catching her breath, she continued.

"I knew back then, too. When you suddenly came back alone. But I didn't want to accept it."

She stopped and took death breaths.

"I'm not superstition inclined, but I felt like I wouldn't be seeing him for long once he decided to leave my home."

A pause followed every sentence.

"He was my son. But he felt like a Sun. So bright and warmed my life, but he felt so far away."

"I could've discovered it anytime, but I still decided to play along with you. How unfair of me?"

"I don't mind," Ben responded.

"I know you don't. But I also find you weirdly similar to my son. If you could, you would've been as wild as him. But those chai\ns. I don't know what you fear, but those cha\in//s."

"I don't know what you fear, but those ch//ains..."

"I don't know what you fear, but those c\hain//s..."

...

"Chains..." Ben whispered.

...

"Do you hate those chains?" Pel asked.

He and Ben bathed in a natural sauna while fireflies brightened the area.

Ben repeatedly washed his face with this energy-filled water as if hoping to moisten his decaying body.

"How is it to know everything and still do nothing?" Ben asked, staring at his friend with his left eye, the only one remaining on his face.

"Hehe," Pel smiled.

"I don't know. And soon, I'll know even less. An end so powerlessly."

"What would've you done differently?"

"If only I could've been more decisive. But I still did everything I could. Even if I don't remember much of it, that's how I feel."

"They hate you and will keep on hating you."

"I don't understand how you can stomach this status quo."

"So powerlessly. I hate those cha//ins."

"Chains..." Ben whispered.

...

"Why are you so afraid? I can help you with those chains." Ginn said.

After confronting a weird cultivator, Ginn's eyes glowed gold with interest.

"I wasn't expecting to find someone else dealing with this catastrophe. However, how could I've guessed that I would be this surprised? A survivor. But even more than that."

Ginn talked in another language.

However, Ben Higgs's surprise didn't have the time to sink in.

He was drowning.

Every fiber of his body wanted to kneel and abide. But at the same time, those same instincts told him to run as far as possible.

His cloudy mind went into a spiral due to the consequences of his continuous fighting to survive the last few days.

He was already a mess. But once his sensory overloaded even further, something snapped inside him.

So, he could vividly sense it. This flow of destiny overwhelmed everything as if an entire sea was falling from the sky.

No Spirit was pressuring him. But this apex cultivator still felt like a predator.

Ben couldn't move.

Black blood began dripping from his mouth and eyes.

Yet he still could barely see the smile leaving the cultivator's face.

Fortunately, at this point, an Array inside his mind snapped.

Ben's eyes became black.

His breathing stopped, and so did his heart.

The blood flowing down rushed back up inside his body quickly.

His dead eyes looked at the apex cultivator with disgust.

Ginn became surprised and confused by the unexpected reaction.

Ben stepped back with struggle as the nerves inside his leg cracked.

His hair fell, and his body wrinkled as Ben pushed every ounce of Spirit from inside his body.

Every other cultivator gasped in surprise, but Ginn motioned not to interfere.

He only stared intently.

But Ben didn't respond positively. His body tensed even further due to the stare. So Ben stopped as he almost left the area that had withered around him earlier.

Yet, Ben still stared back while his eyes burned with unwillingness.

Noticing the pattern, Ginn stopped staring at Ben and focused on the empty surroundings. However, he couldn't understand this elder's reaction.

But Ben could sense a bit of it, enough to drown himself. He could see the flow of destiny chaining everything around them.

So, when Ginn focused elsewhere, he jumped back and began running in reverse. Yet, his eyes remained locked into this apex cultivator as if in a trance.

Noticing the sudden movement, Ginn focused on the elder again.

And Ben immediately snapped into place, even breaking his left leg in the process.

"This is not funny," Ginn said out loud.

Yet Ben didn't respond, and once the overload overwhelmed him, his eyes began losing their focus.

Worry replaced Ginn's early optimistic and interested expression.

Once Ben's eyes became unfocused, Spirit flowed back inside him. But his body didn't accept it. The Spirit energy surrounding him pressured his body but wasn't allowed inside.

Following, the blood that still slowly flowed inside this elder, even without a beating heart, stopped and solidified.

His rigid body began falling after he lost his consciousness completely. But he didn't hit the ground because something else snapped inside his heart. And it started pumping the solid blood around Ben's body and controlled it to stop.

The elder broken leg snapped back into place and healed before hitting the ground again.

His body wriggled as it took off.

But as it flew this time, it didn't look at Ginn. The elder only kept running.

The movements were unnatural, but he quickly sprinted into the distance.

The cultivators became even more surprised, as most noticed that the blood tore the insides of the fleeing man and healed it constantly.

They all looked at Ginn, waiting for further orders. Yet Ginn only stared, despite being strong enough to catch up.

"Cha\ins..." He whispered.

---

As the training ground formation enveloped Ben, he was already absentminded.

He was exhausted, so he only brought Eden to the doctor before returning to his room.

---

"It took you a while to recover. I was worried."

"I felt exhausted. But now, everything should be fine for a while."

"The effects are incredible."

"Your faction will be beaming once they know you already got a new apex cultivator."

"The world will be surprised, for sure."

"Mom! What are you doing?" Eden appeared in the tearoom, hugging and kissing his mother on the cheek.

Sitting on her chair, Eloise only smiled.

"We're talking about how you should soon be considered the newest apex cultivator."

"Huh? Me?" Eden asked, surprised.

"Soon," Ben replied.

---

"Is it already time for the seal?" Ben asked.

He sat in the middle of a room surrounded by Arrays.

"Not yet," Ginn smiled reluctantly.

"I don't think you've had that much time lately to come by and talk. So, what is it, then? Spill the beans."

"You seem stable."

"I can hold a bit longer if the only thing I do is to sit here. But to be fair, I'm very bored. But the seal isn't a priority. I won't die even if I shut myself off. The safety of the faction and the world comes first. Since without both, does it even matter if I succeed?"

"If only we could do more than this."

"You've done enough. Spill the beans."

"I sensed something similar to before when you killed the anchor."

"The situation must be dire. So waiting for the scanning isn't viable?"

"I don't know, but something feels off, and I can't think of anything else."

"Sure, I can help. I can point, and you can bite. But I only have a couple of weeks, so no time for complicated plans. You must be even more decisive. And after, I'll need a temporary seal. And later, Dinna will have to lead the preparation for the breakthrough and the anchor scanning alone, without my input."

"I promise I'll be careful with that."

"Sure, sure. I'm not really afraid. Anyway, there was something else going on, right?"

"A faction conflict is nearing."

"I ought to praise their courage. But it's too coincidental."

"I also think so, but I looked into it and found nothing."

"You might be the strongest in the world, but you aren't omniscient or omnipotent."

"I'm often remembered of that."