Chapter 28: The Hierarchy of Ascension
The creature sighed deeply and, in a calmer tone, asked:
"What is your name, hatchling?"
Yukeli immediately noticed the change. Before, there had been distrust and coldness in the creature's voice, but now there was something different—a cautious curiosity. That shift, however slight, felt strange. It was hard to believe that an entity which moments ago had nearly crushed him with its mere presence was now speaking with something close to patience.
Even so, Yukeli did not allow himself to relax. He hesitated for a moment before responding.
"Yukeli."
The creature remained silent for a few seconds, observing him with those ancient and difficult-to-interpret eyes. Yukeli couldn't define exactly what he saw there. It wasn't just intelligence. It was something deeper, something that seemed to measure his entire existence in a single glance.
Then the creature spoke again, the bushes that carried its eyes rustling and transmitting the sound of its voice.
"I asked for your true name, not a title."
Yukeli frowned slightly.
"I… do not have one."
For a moment, the eyes disguised as fruit merely stared at him. Then, he let out a heavy sigh, like someone who had just confirmed a leap of unpleasant suspicion.
"That only reinforces my incredulity further," he said. "A creature of the First Order, much less one without a name, should not be capable of doing what you claimed to have done."
The weight of those words fell upon Yukeli like a stone. He did not respond immediately. Part of him wanted to argue, to insist he was telling the truth, but another part—the part that could still feel the crushing presence of that entity—knew that arguing would be futile.
He remained in silence.
Then the branches of the small shrub began to move, like small snakes sliding over one another, intertwining slowly. The movement was strange, deliberate, almost careful, as if something invisible were molding each branch with precision.
Little by little, the branches began to reorganize. First they formed something resembling a column, then they split into thinner extensions. Smaller twigs bent and compressed, leaves joined together, and the entire structure began to take on increasingly familiar contours.
Yukeli realized what was happening only when it was too late to ignore. The shape emerging before him was… human. Or, more precisely, it was identical to him.
Arms. Legs. A head. The same size. The same proportion.
It was a clone of Yukeli made entirely of crystalline branches and leaves. A shiver ran down his spine. The creature seemed to have reconstructed his form with disturbing precision, as if imitating every detail of his structure. But there was something profoundly wrong with that imitation.
In the place where the eyes and nose should have been, there was nothing. The face was smooth, empty. Only a mouth existed there—far too large for that face. Opened in an unnatural way, without lips or a tongue, just a dark slit that seemed too deep to belong to something made of twigs.
The creature's "hair" was a tangle of small branches, similar to a wild bush growing directly from its head. Caught between these branches were the rounded fruits, the same strange fruits of the plant, but now they seemed to have abandoned their disguise; each of them possessed reptilian pupils, making it clear they had always been eyes.
Those eyes moved slowly, observing and analyzing. And even without a true face, Yukeli had the clear sensation that the thing was looking directly at him.
"Listen with your limited mind, hatchling. I shall grant you the privilege of understanding your own insignificance. Tell me… how much do you know about the power system and classification of this world?"
Yukeli answered cautiously.
"Nothing… I know the names," he replied with care. "I know I am an Intermediate-level Awakened. But I do not understand the logic behind it. To me, they are just words."
The creature went still for an instant, as if reconsidering something. Yukeli had the impression that simple answer had altered something in its mind. Then, he let out a small sigh.
"Then it seems I have no choice. Pay attention, Yukeli… for what I am about to explain now is something that few creatures of your level have access to."
In the same instant, the invisible grip around Yukeli's neck vanished. Air rushed into his lungs with force. He breathed deeply, feeling his chest expand in an almost painful way. The crushing pressure that had previously kept him completely paralyzed diminished considerably. He still couldn't move his body as he wanted, but he no longer felt like an insect trapped under the weight of a mountain.
Even so, Yukeli remained alert. If that creature decided to kill him, nothing he did could prevent it.
"First," the Merchant began, "we have the unclassified creatures. Animals, as they were called in ancient times. These are insignificant creatures, without names or identities. The only thing they possess is ferocity and the capacity to be easily influenced by primordial essence."
As he listened, Yukeli felt a slight discomfort grow within him. Animals. Without identity. For a brief moment, he wondered if that also applied to him before. Before discovering the existence of primordial essence, before fighting for his own survival in that strange and brutal world. Perhaps it had been exactly that.
The Merchant continued.
"When these creatures accumulate enough primordial essence, they undergo a mutation. One of the three absolutes of primordial essence—body, mind, or soul—ends up influencing a characteristic they possess, whether physical or mental."
Yukeli paid even closer attention.
"From this influence, an Aspect is born," the Merchant continued. "Upon awakening an Aspect, the creature undergoes an evolution and becomes much stronger; it ceases to be an animal to become a beast. These beasts are called Awakened—beings of the First Order."
The word echoed in Yukeli's mind. Awakened. It was what the system said he was, but he had never truly understood what it meant. Since the system said he was something above human, it made sense that this was due to a mutation. Now, it was beginning to make sense.
"Do you understand?"
Yukeli remained silent for a few seconds, organizing his thoughts. That explanation was simple, yet at the same time, it revealed something massive. An entire system of evolution that he had simply been unaware of.
"Yes," he finally replied.
"Very well," the Merchant said firmly. "When a being reaches the First Order and becomes an Awakened, it begins to distance itself from its race, walking toward something superior. To cross this phase, there are five rungs: Initial, Intermediate, Advanced, Peak, and finally, Arcano."
Yukeli had reached the Intermediate level recently, but he could already clearly feel the difference. His body felt more stable and more defined. It was as if he had distanced himself a bit further from what it meant to be purely human through the density of his flesh and bone. Small physical perceptions that had previously escaped him now surfaced naturally, almost instinctively.
And yet… that was only the beginning. If the Intermediate level already gave him this sensation of change, Yukeli couldn't help but think about what it would mean to reach the higher stages. He had only taken the first step.
"The Initial stage is the door, your first real contact with primordial essence. The capabilities you gain in this stage are what differentiate an Awakened from an unclassified. Here, you must learn to control raw essence—using your energy in a balanced way, concentrating it into small applications such as healing wounds, enhancing senses, or increasing perception. Only when you can naturally manipulate primordial essence in any situation will you be able to advance."
Yukeli pondered the mentioned capabilities. He would be lying if he said he was capable of any of those things; until now, he had relied more on his Aspect and had barely tried to understand this energy. Thus, the explanation seemed flawed, for even without those capabilities, he had reached the Intermediate stage.
Noticing his doubt through the mental connection, the Merchant clarified: "There is another way to surpass it—the one you just used: simply increasing primordial essence until it crosses a certain limit, which varies from race to race."
The creature's gaze seemed to pierce through him in that moment, as if analyzing every fragment of his existence.
"Though this path is faster, it can be extremely detrimental in the long run."
Yukeli did not respond, but those words remained engraved in his mind. Detrimental. He didn't have to think much to understand why. It was like someone with a high-quality machine… but without knowing how to use it.
But he was not the one to blame. It was the Merchant himself who had forced him to eat the fruits that gave him strength, causing the uncontrolled surge of his primordial essence.
"The Intermediate stage," the Merchant continued, "is about the absolute of the body. Here you must master your strength, manifesting it externally. Cover your body, make it more efficient, more resistant. It is like having more limbs at your disposal. In this stage, your tangible strength must obey your will, naturally and instinctively. Once that happens, you may advance."
Yukeli immediately remembered the way the Jedi from Star Wars moved objects without touching them. The clearest memory, however, was recent: the moment the Merchant of Fruit had grabbed him by the neck with an invisible force and dragged him across the ground as if he weighed nothing.
'That must be this external manifestation.'
His body had changed since he had reached the Intermediate level. He felt it constantly. His muscles were denser, his endurance greater, and his movements had become faster and more precise. Even his breathing seemed more controlled, as if his entire body functioned more efficiently and less humanly.
But even with all those changes, Yukeli did not feel he could manifest his strength outside his body in that manner. He could do something similar using his Aspect ability, but that was something different. He couldn't imagine moving objects without using his domain manipulation, much less grabbing someone without even touching them.
"In the Advanced stage, you deal with the absolute of the mind," the Merchant continued. "This is where complexity truly appears. When one reaches this stage, primordial essence enhances your brain, so you must learn to master your own consciousness—without shortcuts."
The Merchant paused for a moment, and then continued, only this time he spoke into Yukeli's mind again.
"Most consider only those in this stage and beyond as truly Awakened, for it is at this point that a creature develops a consciousness that transcends basic instinct. They learn to use primordial essence to read and transmit their thoughts, to communicate more deeply, to read and infuse wisdom. Only when these abilities are natural, when your mind is under control, can you advance to the next level."
Yukeli trembled slightly. There was no way he would get used to this sensation anytime soon. The way the creature invaded his mind was terrifying; knowing he could hide nothing from him was even worse.
'But this ability must have some restriction. The way he asks at certain moments instead of reading my mind makes that clear,' Yukeli analyzed brazenly, not caring if the Merchant knew of his suspicions. 'I need to advance to this stage as soon as possible if I survive this creature. The idea that any predator I encounter in this world can read my thoughts is a bit terrifying.'
The creature had treated that as something basic. But to him, those abilities seemed absurdly necessary.
"The Peak stage… is true hell," the Merchant continued, his voice heavier. "You will need to touch the concept of will. You will need to know your own soul."
Yukeli didn't know exactly what that meant, but something in the way the Merchant spoke made his chest tighten.
"But do not worry about that," the Merchant continued. "You will never surpass that level. The absolute of the soul is the most complex and mysterious of the three. A creature such as you, who does not even possess a true name, could never assimilate it."
Yukeli felt a sting of irritation rise within him. He did not like being underestimated. The Merchant of Fruit seemed to catch the subtle shift in his posture, or perhaps he simply anticipated the obvious reaction, for he continued without giving importance to the young man's discontent.
"Should a being cross that threshold, they will reach the Arcano stage," he said, his voice even deeper. "At that point, one must prove they deserve their Aspect. The Aspect is what we are. One must know it and master it fully. No being can pass through this stage alone—the assistance of the Genesis Order is required."
Genesis Order. He had no idea what it meant to receive the assistance of this mysterious system, but from the way the creature spoke, it seemed immensely important.
"If one can prove they deserve the power they possess, and already having a decent mastery of the three paths of primordial essence, they will evolve. They will cease to be merely Awakened. They will become a new race. Something that transcends mediocrity—something that thinks, acts, and breathes primordial essence. They will become an Enlightened."
Yukeli remained in silence. Each word echoed in his mind, heavy and inevitable. Until that moment, he believed he had become strong simply by surviving, fighting, and absorbing primordial essence. But now he realized how small his understanding was.
There was a path. A system. An entire hierarchy of power that he didn't even know. The reality opening before him was much larger and much more dangerous than he had imagined. And the most disturbing thing was realizing that the creature before him existed far beyond his own level.
After that explanation, the difference between the First and Second Order no longer seemed merely large; it seemed almost impossible to cross. It wasn't simply a matter of greater or lesser strength; it was a difference of nature, of mastery, of comprehension. An Awakened was still learning to deal with their own Aspects. A being of a higher order… had already moved past all of that.
This realization made a nagging thought arise in Yukeli's mind. The fire serpent. Now, looking back, the memory of the battle felt different. At that moment, everything had been chaos, fear, and instinct. They fought, resisted, attacked together—and somehow, they won. But now, after hearing the Merchant's explanation, victory no longer seemed so simple.
In fact, it was beginning to seem strange. If the explanation of what an Awakened was was correct, and Yukeli had no reason to doubt it, then a creature of the Second Order should be on a completely different level. Something that had surpassed the limits of an Awakened. Something already walking toward becoming something else, something like the monster in front of him.
And yet… they had killed it. The idea began to seem less and less convincing. Not that Yukeli doubted what had happened. He remembered the fight, the suffocating heat of the flames, the sound of the serpent's gigantic body thrashing against the ground. That had been real.
But the Merchant's explanation put everything into another perspective. Perhaps the serpent had not been at full strength. Perhaps it was wounded. Perhaps it was newly evolved. Or perhaps… they had simply had absurd luck.
Whatever the answer, one thing was clear to Yukeli now. The Merchant of Fruit's incredulity was not an exaggeration. It was logic. And for the first time since that conversation had begun, Yukeli himself began to feel a small doubt arise within him.
'Did we kill a being of the Second Order... or do we think we killed it?'
Doubt began to corrode Yukeli's confidence. If an Enlightened is someone who 'thinks, acts, and breathes primordial essence', the serpent they faced should have incinerated them before they even drew their weapons. The victory, which before was a trophy of survival, now seemed like a bad joke told by fate. They hadn't defeated an Enlightened; perhaps they had only slaughtered a cripple.