The conclusion was simple. So long as you were within the first of three steps, and you hadn't locked yourself in by entering the Sixth Dimension, everything was still negotiable.

The reason why he could rearrange the steps of Dimensional Cleanse like that without much backlash was precisely because it didn't matter which of the three steps you took first.

If he had wanted, he could have focused on his body in the Third Dimension, his mind in the Fourth, and his energy in the Fifth. Who knew, maybe there were some techniques out there that did just that.

He now also understood why he felt so depleted, why his body was so weak and why his Innate Nodes were dormant.

The real reason was because he wasn't in the Fifth Dimension at all...

He was in the Third!

The reason he felt that he was in the Fifth was because his mind was fully unshackled. It was also why his Dream Force was so absolutely powerful.

His Innate Nodes were dormant because he technically hadn't formed his Nodes, though they were very clearly in his body.

His body was weak because he had yet to form his Nodal Pathways, though technically he already had.

Everything lined up and made much more sense to him.

One might be wondering why it was that Leonel was so excited. After all, just because he understood his situation now with greater accuracy, didn't mean that anything had changed.

He still didn't know how to move forward, and if anything, he had even more questions now than answers.

But Leonel didn't see it that way.

The first thing he had thought when he realized he was in the Fifth Dimension, after he finished cursing, was that it was a shame he hadn't been returned to the Third Dimension instead.

But now he knew the truth and everything had been laid out for him perfectly. How could he not take advantage?

'Why didn't you say something earlier, Anastasia?'

'Blame yourself. You like to get in your own head as though you're the only one with all the answers. You should try and see what your father thinks about this matter as well.'

Leonel's heart skipped a beat, but then he slowly nodded.

He had gotten some closure the last time he talked to his father, or at least his AI father, but that didn't make him use the dictionary more often. If anything, he had begun avoiding it again.

But who knew, maybe his father really would know something about all of this; he seemed to have everything planned out.

That seal that he felt had been undone in his mind was definitely something that his father had placed, so once it was undone, maybe...?

His father hadn't been very helpful to him when his journey began, at least not in terms of the progression of his path. But now that he thought about it, he found it odd.

His father had created such a detailed schematic to help his Crafting progress step by step. Even now, there were still more lessons in there that he could be taking advantage of if he wasn't so stupidly stubborn.

Why would Velasco make a whole training plan for his Crafting, but then leave him to his own devices for everything else?

Unless... he had always planned for this day to come?

Leonel smiled bitterly. Whether it was his grandfather or his father, it seemed they both liked to hold up a mirror to his face and show him how truly annoying he was.

But they were also the only two he didn't seem to really mind being the pawn of.

'Alright, I'll take a look. But first...'

Leonel stretched out a hand and one of the almost feral surviving Betas had their throat sucked into his palm.

There were a few stragglers remaining that hadn't been killed by the Alpha's Domain, and they all wanted to get at him and tear him to pieces, but they also couldn't step onto the magma without combusting and dying. So they had been growling around the outer rim, launching attacks at him.

It was a bit sad, but also another part amusing.

"Hey!"

Leonel roared into the face of the Beta, causing their heart to shake and their growls to subside. It felt like a lion had suddenly shouted at him.

"Good. Was he your direct Alpha?"

The Beta hesitated, but when he realized that the compulsion was gone because his Alpha was dead, he nodded slowly.

'Hm, I can take advantage of this. The other Alphas should still have some compulsions on them, but not enough to stop him from answering some questions now that his own Alpha has died.'

With a flip of his palm, Leonel took out one of the Betas he had stored away from his first encounter, the one he had asked about the Vital Star Innate Node.

"Do you recognize him?" Leonel asked.

The Beta of Alpha Magma shook his head.

"Smell him." Leonel commanded.

The Beta did as he was told.

"Do you now?"

The Beta nodded.

Leonel had picked up some things over the past couple hours. With such a complex, interlocking system of Alphas and Betas, if the Beastman Dimensional Verse wanted to maintain order, there had to be methods of telling each other apart.

Some Betas would be above other Betas because of who they served, there were even Betas more powerful than the Alpha he had just fought. Likewise, there was a hierarchy among Alphas.

It could easily become a mess if you assumed someone's strength just by their prefix.

"Who's his Alpha?"

"Ah... his Alpha is known as Alpha Bluestar..."

"What's his rank among Alphas?"

"... Alpha Bluestar is quite young. It's said that he has a chance to become one of the true elites, but for now he is not. He is still a half-step away, but many believe that with the help of this trial, he will take that step and begin to..."

The Beta suddenly furiously shook his head, not daring to finish.

Alpha Bluestar rivaling Alpha Clown? Even if one thought it, some things could never be said out loud.