Like everything else in this world, obtaining an Essence was not easy, especially if it was nestled within one of the many Anomalies that filled the world.

Finding an Essence in an Anomaly was one of the most common occurrences. To some extent, this was to be expected, as Anomalies themselves were areas with increased energy density. So, it was no surprise that something with even greater density was born in them.

"That hurt..." Ethan croaked, spitting out a clot of blood.

His eyes followed the black orb that seemed to have hit him by accident.

'The blow wasn't strong enough to knock me out, but... even a few wounds are unacceptable. By morning, we must be home, unharmed and full of strength!'

Ethan had no choice but to catch the Essence, so, clenching his hands into fists, he jumped away from the rock, levitating among the anomaly.

Menir watched from afar, waiting for the moment when her help might be needed.

With difficulty, Ethan maintained his balance by pushing off the floating rocks.

'What a strange feeling. I'm definitely in the air, but it feels like I'm floating.' Ethan thought as he approached the black orb.

Each anomaly had its own effect. In this case, Ethan was levitating and struggling to control his position in space. Some other anomaly might strike him with streams of flame, electric discharges, or gravity that would nail him to the ground.

Before he could do anything, the black orb shook, preparing to make its next charge.

At the same moment, Menir's eyes grew deeper as she stretched out her hand.

The crimson hands threw chains at the rock, moving it directly in the black orb's path. Strangely enough, it worked, and the black orb stopped like a cornered beast.

Sure, it could easily have changed direction and flown around the rock, but the problem was not that, but that its usual routes had been disrupted.

"Go! You have to do it now!" Menir exclaimed with a fiery gaze.

Ethan shrugged.

"Alright, no need to yell. I know what to do!"

Then, he jumped off the rock, rushing straight at the black orb. The Essence wanted to escape, but it simply didn't have time before Ethan grabbed the small but important treasure.

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The black orb shook, spikes piercing Ethan's palms in an attempt to force him to loosen his grip, but he was unyielding.

Ethan's hands were covered in blood, but he only clenched his teeth and continued to hold on.

Crack.

Suddenly, all the spikes broke as the orb's outer shell became static. The Essence no longer tried, but completely surrendered to Ethan's energy.

"Get out of there!"

Ethan nodded.

"Yeah, now it'll be much easier."

The anomaly lost its Essence, but that didn't mean it would cease to exist. Perhaps when other Carriers visited this anomaly again in the future, there would be a new Essence or something else inside it.

A few jumps and tosses on the air pillars, and Ethan found himself in front of Menir, carefully holding the Essence in his hands.

"What now? This thing looks more stable than I thought." Ethan asked, raising the orb to the light of the setting moon.

"We have to absorb it. Right now, and then get back."

Ethan glanced at her.

"This should be my Third Pattern and your fourth, right?"

"Presumably so. Given the circumstances, there is nothing more valuable to us right now than the Patterns. If the Blind Voyager pointed us to this Essence, then we will definitely get something useful out of it."

In some ways, the Essences were similar to the Echoes. They were treasure chests, but the Essences contained only energy and their element. In rare cases, the Patterns could be found, as they were everywhere.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

As soon as Ethan's energy touched the Essence, the black orb cracked. A stream of dark energy poured out, but quickly returned, forming a cluster of energy with flickering symbols that was already familiar to them.

The gears began to move as the Pattern disappeared from Ethan's chest, appearing directly in front of his Construct.

Now, Menir was in Ethan's place, as their Circles began to move simultaneously.

Ethan's heavily damaged Circle and her own, which had been almost intact from the beginning, gradually restored each other. More precisely, their Circles copied the necessary parts of each other and absorbed the spectral copies, leaving the original intact.

[The Third Pattern began to fill the First Circle.]

A mechanical voice rang out in Ethan's mind.

[Progress: 0% -> 9% -> 14% -> 21% -> ...]

Ethan and Menir glanced at each other.

"What do you say? How does it feel to be number two?"

"It doesn't matter. The result is what counts," Menir replied coldly. "Moreover, don't forget that your circle is a superior one. You were number one from the very beginning."

Then, they both heard the same thing, well, with one small detail.

[Third Pattern reached 100%. Third Pattern is complete!]

[New ability of the First Circle Catalyst obtained!]

The Third Pattern for Ethan and the Fourth Pattern for Menir, but for both of them, it was the last one.

"Wait. If we've collected all the Patterns, doesn't that mean our Circles are now the Full Ones? We're no longer Broken Carriers, we are...!"

Ethan didn't have time to finish before their eyes went blank.

Their minds were transported to the inner space. Two Circles hovered before them. They were complete, 100% assembled, almost.

[The superior circle and inferior circle are not ready to accept each other.]

[Synchronization has reached 99.99%.]

[The superior circle must stop resisting.]

"Oh, so now the problem is with you." Menir rolled her eyes.

"What? That can't be! I want to become a True Carrier way more than you! Hey! I'll do anything! Just do what you have to do!"

They would have continued arguing if their Circles hadn't started spinning. The streams of energy crossed gracefully, as if they had begun to communicate.

[Triumvirate Path wishes to receive more energy.]

[Blind Voyager agrees and also has a condition. Blind Voyager wants to commit two murders, take two lives.]

Ethan and Menir audibly gulped. They had no control over this process whatsoever.

[Triumvirate Path agrees.]

[Triumvirate Path wants these to be strong sacrifices, above their level.]

[Blind Voyager is willing to make this concession.]

Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.

The space trembled as streams of energy took the form of an unusual black and red key. It was fused in the middle, while the sharp parts pointed in different directions, resembling a blade with a round handle in the center rather than a key.

The dual-key was hollow, requiring filling.

[Kill two creatures above your level to resolve the conflict between the superior circle and the inferior circle.]

Menir was frowning, unlike Ethan, who was grinning widely.

"Two? Hah, isn't that just what we need?!"'Good.' Menir smiled. 'Now we've done it. Hah, he turned out to be much more persistent than I thought.'