Fin perched on the branch, the puppy a warm weight in his lap. The creature's snowy fur rippled with each breath. The Passive Convergence notification pulsed in his vision.

Theron looked up at him. "So," Fin called down, his fingers working through the puppy's silken coat as it nuzzled deeper into the crook of his elbow, "what's the name of that town you mentioned?"

A low chuckle rumbled up from Theron's chest. "Slow down there, grandson. Eager little thing, aren't you?" His face split into a grin. "Thought you'd be chomping at the bit to evolve that shattered skill of yours with that fancy new concept, but if you're itching for civilization instead, we can make our way to town."

Fin blinked, and the puppy's ears perked up at his sudden stillness, releasing a questioning yip. "Evolve it now? I thought I'd need to reach Tier Three first."

Lightning erupted without warning, a searing column of brilliance that devoured sight and sound alike. The puppy shrieked, tiny claws scrambling for purchase against Fin's cloak as reality twisted around them. When Fin's vision finally cleared, they sat in the familiar embrace of Theron's cave, firelight painting dancing shadows on the ancient stone walls.

Theron leaned casually against his favored boulder as if they'd never left it, completely unfazed by the instantaneous journey. The puppy, however, was having none of it. The small creature bolted from Fin's lap, its paws skittering across the smooth cave floor as it raced in panicked circles before finally diving behind a towering stalagmite, only its glowing eyes visible in the shadows.

Theron tossed another piece of driftwood into the fire, the flames leaping higher and casting his smirk in hellish relief. "You're climbing the tiers at an astounding pace, boy, faster than anyone I've seen. But Tier Three?" He shook his head, silver hair catching the firelight. "That's still two, maybe three years off. Mid Tier Two, though, now that's a milestone worth celebrating."

"Three years?" Fin slid down to sit cross-legged on the cave floor, the cool stone grounding him as the puppy slowly crept back to his side, tail tucked and flicking with nervous energy. "But I'm already Mid Tier Two! Why would it take so long?"

Theron's expression grew serious, the playful light fading from his eyes. "You've noticed your progress slowing, haven't you? The mana that once flowed like a river now feels more like molasses?" At Fin's grudging nod, he continued. "Everyone hits that wall, boy. Even I did, back when the world was younger and I was foolish enough to think I could force my way through it. Most cultivators linger in Tier Two for five to ten years, some never escape it at all. Evolving your core requires denser mana than you can currently process, and you need to max out and evolve every single skill at least once before you can even attempt the breakthrough."

Fin felt his jaw tighten as he checked his System Interface. There it was, stark and undeniable: Core Quality: Perfect – Mid Tier Two. The progress bar that had once filled steadily now sat stubbornly stagnant, refusing to budge despite all his recent experiences. "So evolving this skill," he said carefully, his voice steady despite the uncertainty churning in his chest, "that's the logical next step?"

Theron's grin returned, but this time it held a predatory edge that made even the shadows seem to recoil. "Aye, and it'll speed you toward Tier Three. But I won't lie to you, grandson, it won't be pleasant. Mending a shattered skill is like having a magma god reach into your soul and rearrange your very essence with molten fingers."

Fin snorted, settling more comfortably on the stone as the puppy finally relaxed enough to curl up beside him, its warm body a small comfort. "I'm getting used to pain. Seems to be a recurring theme lately."

"We'll see about that."

Taking a deep breath, Fin closed his eyes and dove deep into the landscape of his soul. The familiar sensation of turning inward was like sinking into still water, but what he found there made his astral form recoil. Convergent Equilibrium was a catastrophe, a writhing mass of mana shards that spun through his inner space like a broken mirror caught in a tornado. Each fragment caught and reflected distorted images of what the skill had once been, their jagged edges crackling with unstable energy that made his soul ache just to observe.

He reached for Passive Convergence, and immediately felt its gentle, aligning energy begin to flow through him like a calm stream finding its path through rocky terrain. The concept felt alive, breathing with purpose and patience. But the moment he began to weave its essence into the chaotic remains of his shattered skill, agony exploded through every fiber of his being.

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This wasn't the clean burn of lightning or the sharp bite of a blade. This was something far more visceral, like having his essence flayed apart one layer at a time, each nerve ending in his soul screaming as invisible hands reached into the deepest parts of him and began to rearrange the fundamental building blocks of what made him who he was. His vision went from white-hot pain to absolute darkness, and he felt his physical body crumple to the cave floor like a marionette with severed strings.

Consciousness returned slowly, accompanied by the desperate sound of the puppy's worried whimpers and the rough texture of its tongue lapping frantically at his face. Every part of him ached with a bone-deep throb that seemed to emanate from somewhere beyond the physical, as if his very being had been wrung out like a soaked cloth and left to dry in the wind.

Theron sat by the fire, seemingly unchanged, sipping from a steaming cup that filled the cave with an aroma both foreign and strangely nostalgic. The scent was rich and complex, with notes that reminded Fin impossibly of home, of mornings on Earth that felt like a lifetime ago.

"What is that?" Fin croaked, his voice raw as he struggled to prop himself up on his elbows. The puppy pressed closer, offering what comfort it could.

Theron swirled the liquid thoughtfully, his eyes distant with memory. "No name for it in any modern tongue. It's a brew made from beans cultivated by nomads." He took another sip, sighing with what might have been regret. "They crossed paths with someone having a particularly foul century, and every last one of them was wiped from existence. Shame, really. They made an excellent drink."

Fin grimaced, both from the casual mention of genocide and the lingering echo of pain in his soul. The puppy's steady warmth helped anchor him to the present. "You undersold the pain quite a bit."

Theron's laugh boomed through the cave, causing small stalactites to rain dust from the ceiling. "Oh, I told you it would hurt, boy. But knowing and experiencing are different beasts entirely." He gestured toward Fin with his cup. "Try invoking Passive Convergence first this time, let it establish its flow, then reach for your skill. It's shattered, yes, but the pieces are still there, still fundamentally yours. The pain will be just as intense, but you'll have better control."

Fin nodded grimly, steel entering his spine despite the exhaustion. He called upon Passive Convergence again, feeling its soothing influence spread through him like honey. Only when its rhythm had synchronized with his heartbeat did he dare reach for Convergent Equilibrium once more.

The pain crashed over him like a tsunami of liquid fire, but this time he was ready for it. This was familiar territory, echoes of his Tribulation's crucible, shadows of his transformation into Aos sí. He had survived having his very nature rewritten before, and he would survive it again. Gritting his teeth until he tasted copper, Fin held on as Passive Convergence began its delicate work, guiding the chaotic shards like a master conductor organizing a symphony of broken instruments.

Hours passed in a haze of molten agony. Each second stretched into eternity as the concept worked to knit together the fractures in his skill, aligning fragments that had been spinning wildly. Theron watched in silence, his presence a steady anchor in the storm of Fin's transformation. The old man's eyes never left his grandson, vigilant and ready to intervene if something went catastrophically wrong.

Gradually, impossibly, the shards began to sing in harmony. What had been discordant chaos slowly resolved into something approaching melody, the fragments finding their proper places like puzzle pieces finally clicking into position. The skill was being reborn, transformed by the integration of Passive Convergence into something entirely new.

Then, without warning, the world held its breath.

The air in the cave thickened to the consistency of amber, and reality itself seemed to pause in anticipation. Theron froze mid-sip, the liquid in his cup suspended like jeweled drops. The puppy's tail stopped mid-wag, its bright eyes locked in place. Even the flames in the fire ceased their eternal dance, each tongue of light frozen in perfect detail.

Only Fin could move, his labored breathing the sole sound in a universe gone silent.

The cave walls began to crack, hairline fractures spreading outward from where Fin sat as if he had become the epicenter of some cosmic earthquake. The cracks spread faster, spiderwebbing through stone and shadow and frozen fire until everything around him looked like a vast sheet of glass moments before it shattered completely.

A notification blazed across his vision, its text somehow more real than the frozen world around him:

[(Skill Offered %#$) (Skill Divined – Convergent Inevitability (Sovereign) – Equilibrium system creates gravitational attraction for beneficial convergences. Maintains optimal readiness states that naturally draw advantageous circumstances, mana confluences, and perfect timing. By staying prepared without forcing specific results, the user becomes a natural focal point where favorable outcomes tend to occur.)]

Fin's eyes widened as the implications crashed over him. Sovereign rank. Not just evolved, but transcendent.

"You, little Earthling, are very ridiculous," came a voice, annoyed yet unmistakably impressed, resonating not from the air but from all around.

Fin's breath hitched, recognition flooding through him like ice water. Despite everything, the pain, the exhaustion, the impossible circumstances, he couldn't help but smile.

"Hello, Kailos."

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