“Alright, you two!” Chelsea smiled as she looked at the two new recruits that were brought to her for training. “Leowynn’s had some experience training a Fallen God, but she doesn’t know all the little tricks to help make the process run more smoothly. Especially not without getting her own divinity thrown into the mix. For that, you guys need me. I’m something of an expert on the void.”

“Even more than the Goddess?” Hanya asked doubtfully, causing Chelsea to grin.

“That’s right. I come from a world far removed from this one. You could say that your Keeper adopted me into his world, in a sense. Now, before we get started, what do the two of you expect the process to be like?”

Surprisingly, Geoff was the first to speak. “We’ll be nurturing a Fallen Soul with a seed of chaos, and then spread the chaos to our flesh, and finally our will, similar to how gods ascend. The process is an extreme one, but I believe that we’re ready.”

Chelsea gave a small chuckle at that. “Fifty points, because you’re only half right. Yes, the process is extreme, but not in the way you’re expecting. It was so hard on the first two because, again, Leowynn used her divinity to help the process. That made the energies clash within them, which actually hindered their progress more than helping it.”

“A god must endure extreme pain, a trial of the spirit, flesh, and the mind. If they fail, they prove themselves unworthy of the power they seek. That is the foundation for the three steps of divinity. The three steps of chaos, however, have another meaning. Your trial is purely of the spirit at every step.”

“The first stage, the Fallen Soul, will have you take a seed of chaos and merge it with your divine spark, before finally bringing it into your soul. This process will bring you no pain, but will force you to endure pleasure beyond your imagination. Should you lose yourself to this pleasure, your mind and body will shatter, and you will become naught but a beast of the void.”

“When it comes time to expand and develop your Fallen Flesh, the pleasure you face will be even greater, aiming to tempt you from the path you tread. Succumb, and you will be a soulless monster bent on ending the existence of all around you, returning it to the void.”

“Finally, there is the Fallen Will. For gods, this is simply merging their mana with their Divine Body and entering a brief hibernation. For the fallen, this is the greatest trial of all. While you slumber, you will experience dozens of dreams, each depicting a different version of what you believe to be a perfect world.”

“In order to truly ascend as a Fallen God, you must force yourself to awaken from every dream, tearing yourself away from the paradise created by your own heart.”

“And if we don’t, we become some form of rampaging monster?” Hanya asked with a bitter smile, seeing the pattern.

Surprisingly, Chelsea shook her head. “No, you simply remain in a coma. If you accept your dream as reality, your body will begin to dissolve. Should you not awaken before the last of your body disappears, you will leave behind a small gem. Taking this gem into the void will allow one to experience the perfect world that you resigned yourself to. However, at that point there will be no saving you. Everything within the dream, yourself included, would become a mere projection.”

Hanya gulped when she heard that, surprised at how truly different the process was for both sides. “Is this… why the fallen used to be seen as heretical? The protection of the world?”

Chelsea hummed thoughtfully at that. “In a sense. The world at that time wasn’t ready for the Fallen, but the Keeper opened the class up too early. As for what is and isn’t heretical, that isn’t for me to say. In some worlds, merely conjuring up a small flame is enough to warrant execution. In others, the realization of geometry, or the wisdom to speak up will mean certain death. Every culture has their own reasons, typically revolving around a lack of proper development in certain areas.”

“Okay… then, how do we start?” Geoff asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.

“We already have.” Chelsea said with a grin. “Honestly, all of this is related to the main point. Tell me, the three energies you possess, where do they come from?”

Hanya thought that over briefly… “Ki comes from the body, spirit from the soul, and mana from the mind. By resting and consuming nutrients, we replenish these energies.”

“Close!” Chelsea pointed towards Hanya. “That’s the textbook answer. Now, let me fill in the blanks. There is no such thing as perpetual energy, unless it comes from the void. Ki comes from dissolving nutrients or recycling ambient energies. Spiritual energy comes from maintaining your health. Where, specifically, does mana come from?”

“Is it not the mind?” Hanya stated again. “Mana is the energy of thought, the ability to impose one’s will on their surroundings. By resting and allowing the mind to recover, one’s mana will restore itself.”

“Twenty-five points. Mana is the energy of thought, yes. So think about that… what is the void? It is a massive source of energy, energy based on information. The mind, sentience, all of it is derived from a seed of chaos. Mana is merely the power of the void diluted enough that it fits inside your primitive existence at birth.”

“The seed of divinity is constantly racing through your body, unwilling to be found. However, the seed of chaos has never once shifted. Since the day you were born, it has been at the center of your consciousness.”

Geoff furrowed his brow as he listened to Chelsea’s explanation. “Doesn’t that mean that the first step of a Fallen God would be the Fallen Will?”

“Sixty points, but no. Thanks for trying, though. Right now, your seed of chaos is too weak to make that connection with the void. If you do so, your mind will be crushed into oblivion. To strengthen it, you have to move your seed of chaos, the source of your consciousness, into your spirit.”

“Once you start this process, your impulses will gradually become stronger due to shifting your seed of chaos away from your mana. You will desire to act without thinking, to embrace the pleasures of the void. When you take the next step, you will feel an almost boundless strength, further intoxicating you with these impulses.”

“Only those with firm minds can truly endure merging their seed of chaos back with their mana after it has grown, establishing the connection to the void. For your sake, I suggest you remember what you are doing this for.”

The two would-be saviors nodded their heads in unison, their expressions firm. Chelsea’s smile grew wider after seeing that. “Good. Now, search inside yourself. Find the core of your consciousness, and try to clear it of all thought. Listen only to my voice. There is nothing else.”

The two closed their eyes, their faces beginning to relax. Chelsea’s power had an almost hypnotic tone to it, her eyes having gone pitch black. “Find the core, and clear it of thought. That’s good. Just like that. The core should be in your soul. That’s where it belongs. That’s where you want it. Take it there, and your divinity will follow. See? There it is.”

The faces of the two scrunched up slightly, able to feel a brief sensation of warmth. “Your divinity was born from chaos, and is finally returning to it. Remember, listen to my voice. There is nothing else. The seed of chaos is entering your soul. That’s where it belongs. That’s where you want it.”

Chelsea’s hypnotic voice broke off once the two before her gasped, throwing their heads back in bliss. Their fists clenched at their sides, and they were immediately broken out of their trance due to the sensation of chaos merging with their souls. Chelsea didn’t try to guide them at this point, simply moving off to the side and waiting.

“Was it wise to use a trance to get them here?” James asked from next to Chelsea’s new seat. “That kind of thing leaves them more open to the sensation of corruption.”

Chelsea simply shrugged her shoulders. “That’s why I explained all the dangers to them beforehand. They both seem like strong individuals. I figure that it shouldn’t take them more than an hour before they get control of themselves.”

James let out a long sigh, shaking his head. “How long do you think it will take them to go through all three steps? They’ll still need the saturation period to recover.”

“Oh, I know. I’m not trying to break them or anything. I’ve got a set of exercises planned out for them. As long as they follow the plan, we should be able to handle one stage per month. I’m using this experience as a sort of benchmark for them. If it takes them longer than the hour I predicted, I’ll need to rework my schedule. Otherwise, it should be fine.”

James gave a small nod at that. “As long as you’ve thought it through. I doubt we’ll get another pair as good as this one.”

Chelsea blinked, turning to look at James with a grin. “Oh? Even you’re taking a liking to them, now?”

James chuckled, nodding towards the pair. “Take a look.” He said, causing Chel to look over. Geoff was gritting his teeth, hands clenched hard enough that a thin trail of blood was trickling down his knuckles. He leaned forward, smashing his head against the floor. Hanya was panting heavily, fingers white as she held onto herself for dear life, but her vision was clearing as well.

Despite Chel having estimated that it would take them roughly an hour to recover, they had done so in under five minutes. Or at least, they had done so to a degree where they were able to think for themselves again.

“Oh, I like these two.” Chelsea said with a wide grin. For them to recover that fast, they had to have either exceptionally strong wills, or an exceptional connection to the void. Given that they were priests of Leowynn, it was entirely possible that the answer was both. “Yeah, I think we’ll be right on schedule.”