"The Corruption of Knowledge"
Chapter 13: Steps Toward the Commander
Author: Frenames
"Just asking… why did I become an Ascendant?"
Fray asked, his expression filled with curiosity as he looked at the Commander.
While the Commander was drinking coffee, upon hearing the question, he suddenly spat it out, his expression instantly turning furious.
"Damn you! I've been explaining this to you for a while now, and you still don't understand why you became an Ascendant!"
The Commander shouted as he stood up from his chair. Fray nearly jumped from his seat due to the sudden outburst.
Outside the office, two people happened to pass by the door. They were startled by the shout and almost jumped in surprise as well.
After a few moments, the Commander calmed down. He sat back down and wiped his mouth with a tissue.
"Sorry… I lost myself. I couldn't control my emotions," he said softly.
Why did I suddenly get angry? Maybe I've been overworking myself… the Commander thought.
He then explained again why Fray became an Ascendant.
"This might be a sign that you're close to being corrupted."
Fray swallowed nervously and stared at the Commander seriously, as if wondering whether he might suddenly turn into a monster.
"Do you remember that sphere that shone like the sun and expanded toward you? That is called a Concept Fragment."
Fray nodded.
"But… why were there two that released thread-like connections and merged into me?" he murmured to himself.
"The Concept Fragment that merged with you belongs to the new Ascendant."
The Commander sighed, clearly troubled by what happened to the new recruit. Fray noticed the regret in his expression and also felt saddened for the hooded man.
"Your Concept Line is the Concept Line of Illusion," the Commander added.
From Fray's expression, it was clear that he understood what his Concept Line was.
"The Concept Fragment of the new recruit emerged first, before the priest's Concept Fragment."
Fray's expression slightly changed—he knew that both fragments had appeared at the same time and merged into him.
The Commander noticed the change in his expression.
"Is there a problem?"
Fray shook his head left and right.
"I don't have any problems," he replied.
The Commander continued speaking.
"After the Concept Fragment entered your body and you lost consciousness, someone went to the church and took the priest's Concept Fragment. But they thought the new recruit's fragment would take longer to appear, so they left. The Beta Military was already on its way to the scene, so they failed to obtain it."
The Commander's expression showed slight irritation.
"I feel like… I don't have any power at all. Everything feels normal," Fray said.
"That's normal," the Commander replied.
"You've only just obtained the Concept Fragment. Before you can use your power, you must first understand and dissolve the principal pattern of your Concept Line."
Fray understood why he couldn't feel anything yet.
"I'll teach you how to sense your Concept Line. While you meditate, I'll watch over any anomalies that might occur," the Commander said, though his tone carried exhaustion.
Fray became serious. He knew that one mistake could mean the end—like walking along the edge of a cliff, where a single misstep would lead to death.
"First, close your eyes. Feel yourself and try to separate your existence from the world—as if you are the only one that exists."
Fray followed the instruction.
He closed his eyes, felt his own presence, and gradually separated himself from the world—until he could no longer sense anything but himself.
Moments later, he sank deeper into meditation, as if the world had completely disappeared.
When Fray opened his eyes—
He was shocked.
In front of him were two spheres—one red and one blue. Both emitted light, illuminating the dark surroundings.
"Are these… Concept Fragments?"
As he stared at the two spheres, each about the size of his fist, their light grew brighter. The light focused on him, like sunlight directly hitting his body.
As the brightness intensified, a flood of information poured into his mind. It felt like he was being baptized with knowledge, forcing him to close his eyes again.
"Is this the principal pattern?" he asked himself.
He remembered the Commander's warning—
to slowly process the information.
If he felt a strange force preventing his understanding, he should stop. That would mean unknown principles were trying to enter his mind.
But strangely… he felt no resistance at all.
An hour passed. Information continued to flow endlessly into his mind like a river.
After some time, the blinding light began to fade—like a fire running out of fuel—until it completely disappeared.
When Fray opened his eyes again, they glowed faintly with a purple light.
The two Concept Fragments were no longer blinding—now they looked like stars, beautiful to behold.
But something changed—
Lines began to emerge from the fragments. Three colors appeared: purple, blue, and red.
The purple line connected the two fragments, while the red and blue lines were connected to Fray. From above, they formed a triangle.
Because of the information he received, Fray understood their meaning.
The blue represented the Concept Line of Illusion.
The red represented the Concept Line of Mischief.
"So they're not just simple orbs…" he muttered.
"They really are Concept Fragments… but I still prefer calling them the blue orb and red orb."
He couldn't help but smile slightly. Despite the danger, he felt a strange excitement.
Each pattern grants six abilities.
But… he had already dissolved the principal pattern.
He now possessed fifteen abilities—when he should only have twelve. Because the two Concept Lines fused, they created three new abilities.
"With this many abilities… who could possibly match me at the same level?"
Better to be humble and hide other ability amd use this as a tramp card in emergency situation.
Fray whispered to himself.
To be continue...
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