Caldrin had just revealed that one of the Primarchs was a god who used unarmed combat like Leo did. At no point since hitting E-grade had he felt like his Pugilist path was a wrong one. There was no need for a weapon. He was the weapon. Okay, he also had a slew of Essences and a dragon companion, but still.

So, to find out someone had taken that path all the way to Primarch filled him with an eagerness that he’d been missing. He loved fighting. Loved the way he felt when he gained levels. Perhaps this Velthar was someone he should meet.

He voiced it. “Could I meet him?”

Caldrin burst into chuckles. “I fear we’ve set some expectations for you in regards to Primarchs.” His laughter died down naturally. He sighed, like he hadn’t laughed in a while. “To meet a Primarch is usually something reserved for the true pinnacle of power. To meet three at once? And remain conscious or even alive? At E-grade no less, quite unheard of.”

Leo’s eyes widened a touch at the information. Was he really that unusual? His mind flashed to his transformation, his bloodline, the number of people telling him that six Essences is completely unique to him.

Okay, maybe he was a bit unusual.

“What does this mean for me? I have so many questions about what I… am.”

Caldrin’s face softened. “I don’t believe that telling you how to forge your path is best. In fact, us gods agree it is frowned upon. Some do, of course. Creating puppets that they guide from the moment they are inducted. That path is not inherently worse, but it does lead to blocks much quicker.”

Leo nodded. Apparently he wouldn’t be getting as many answers as he hoped.

“So you can’t tell me anything?” Leo asked.

“There is endless information out there, young one,” Caldrin said, suddenly sounding stoic and teacher-like. “I have gathered as much of it as possible here, in my Arcanum. It is a place for knowledge. I pride myself on it.”

“So can you tell me what all my stats do, or how to reach each grade? What kind of stat balancing I should be aiming for—”

Caldrin cut him off with a hand.

“How about this, I will answer a question, then you answer one. We get three each.”

Only three, huh. He had to choose wisely. There was a lot he needed to know about his path, about Earth, gods, stats… But first.

“Is Ellie going to be safe from Cindralus?”

Caldrin’s bushy eyebrows rose as he stroked his beard. Gravel fell between his hairs, little clicking noises as they bounced off the ground before dissipating. Leo wondered what else he stored in that beard.

“For now, from him directly? Yes.”

Leo took a moment, understanding the meaning behind the gods' words. Then he took a breath and nodded. Resolve flooded through him like a fresh coat of paint. His raw grief made room for his need to grow stronger. For himself. And for her.

“Thank you,” Leo said. “Okay, your turn.”

“I’d like you to tell me about your parents, and your childhood,” he said, suddenly serious.

Leo frowned at the unexpected question. His grief for their loss rose up, accompanied by Bjorn’s.

“My parents were normal folks, they didn’t shoot fire from their hands or turn things to frost with their breath. They raised me and Natalie as best they could in a boring, loving, normal home. It was nice.” He smiled. “I made things hard for them with my anger issues, kept getting in trouble when I was young. I had to get therapy to control it. I’m pretty sure now that was just this bloodline, or whatever, making itself known.”

Caldrin nodded, seemingly satisfied. “I see.”

“My turn,” Leo said, considering. He wanted to know about stats and such, but more people could tell him that in the future. It was working out so far, what could he ask a Primarch that only he would know?

“How do I get to become a Primarch?”

One eyebrow rose beneath the man’s hat. “As you can no doubt tell, the path to power is a long one. One that will be filled with loss, death, struggles. But also happiness, pride, and fulfilment. For us, who have multiple Essences, the path can be harder. I will not mention specifics, but come D-grade, you will find yourself slowing down should you not push yourself harder. The grades after that come as follows, C, B, A, S, God. Then Primarch. With… a little in between I won’t be mentioning. While reaching godhood is extremely rare, enough time has passed that one ascends often.”

“Didn’t really answer my question,” Leo murmured. “But I’ll take it, thanks.”

“What is your last remaining Essence?” Caldrin asked. “You said you had six, but I’ve only witnessed you use five.”

“I actually don’t know,” Leo said. “When the system integration thing happened—” He raised his fingers and began counting them off. “I unlocked Fire, Lightning, Ice, and Earth. Then at E-grade, Wind just kinda showed up. I’m sorta hoping it’s something cool like Void or Dragon. But I’m guessing it’ll be Water.”

“Then we will share the same Essences.” Caldrin smiled.

“Which ones do you have?” Leo asked. “Wait, that wasn’t my last question!”

Caldrin paid him no mind. “It’s no secret, I have Water, Earth, Ice and Wind.” He revealed each one as the element danced around him.

Leo nodded. “Can I ask another?”

Caldrin nodded. “Your last.”

This question would have to answer as many things at once as possible. It could be a long time before he could ask more. Did he ask about family now? Ask about his Essences? His Bloodline?

It took a while, with Caldrin not even faltering or pushing him. Eventually he spoke, voice soft and a little hopeful, laced with uncertainty.

“What am I?”

Caldrin sat there silent as the question that had been on everyone’s minds came from the one who was its subject. He would not lie. That was not his path. To seek knowledge and distribute it, especially that of the Essence, was. So now, with this… creature before him that had both more Essences than him, and also a mysterious ancient bloodline, he had to be certain.

Certain that his words would not alter its path. Even if he had suspicions.

To voice them could make them so.

“I do not know.”

Leo’s face dropped with a small sigh, slumping in his chair. He was hoping that after Caldrin had paused for such a while that he would find out more. Finally get some answers about what the heck he was. He was wrong.

“Okay, well ask your last one,” Leo said, dejected. He’d come here hoping for answers and only left with more questions.

This is becoming a thing and I hate it. Fine. I’ll just have to find out for myself.

His head rose as Caldrin’s eyes met his. Caldrin directed his eyes down to Ellie, who was curled up on Leo’s lap. She was large enough that barely any of her was hidden behind the table.

“I’d like my last question to go to young Ellie here.” Ellie perked her head up, finally paying attention now that she was being addressed.

“Would you like to receive my blessing?”

~

Ellie had been just barely listening to Leo and Beardy talk. She’d been more interested in the absentminded scratching that Leo was giving her. Through their bond, Leo’s emotions were going up and down. Happy and sad. Anxious and intrigued.

His mind was still a bit wobbly. So sleeping was not allowed right now, no matter how comfy she felt.

It was Ellie’s job to make sure he was okay.

After big Bjorn died, Ellie had felt super sad. She’d felt how bad it made Leo feel too. It was overwhelming. The feelings had been getting better though, although she felt it was just him bottling some of it up.

Ellie will keep you safe, the young dragon promised.

She nuzzled harder. Then, she felt eyes on her, drawing her attention away from her thoughts. It was Beardy.

Her eyes opened, head rising until she looked right at him. He was smiling.

Leo spoke before she could. “What do you mean, bless her? Like the blessing Lena has?”

“Indeed. While my first idea was to bless you myself, I believe that you are already receiving too much attention. If I give you my blessing, anything less than becoming my Herald would be deemed suspicious, especially with how much power you’ve exhibited so far. Blessing the dragon would lessen the attention on you, perhaps giving the impression that she is the reason for your strength.”

Ellie didn’t know what this all meant. She didn’t know what a blessing was. Was it edible? Could she chomp it? Considering her current hunger levels… yeah, Ellie could eat a nice blessing.

“Would it not just bring more attention to her?” Leo asked.

“Right now—despite the dragon—the multiverse is looking at you. You’ve revealed a dragon, multiple Essences—more than anyone in existence—and an Apotheotic transformation. To say you are one in a trillion is inaccurate. While I cannot intervene in the affairs of your planet, I can give you some protection, or at least, her.”

Ellie felt Leo’s emotions go all wobbly again, the same way he did when he was thinking hard. She wished she could speak Leo’s language, let him know that it’s okay. Her head pushed into his chest, he kept speaking as she pushed into him.

“I’m not saying this out of greed, but if your goal is protection, shouldn’t it be me you bless?” Leo asked. “Ellie, let off a bit, you’re pushing me out the chair.”

She was frustrated, jumping onto the table, running straight to Caldrin. Ellie nodded. Whatever a blessing was, tasty or not, she would accept it so that he would stop worrying.

“Very well,” Caldrin said, eyes flashing.

“Wait, we weren’t done talking about it!” Leo demanded.

“She’s made her choice.”

A notification appeared for both Ellie and Leo, and as he read it, his frown started to fade. But his feelings were still mixed.

Ellie has received a Blessing from The Archmagus

Blessing: Herald of The Archmagus

Large boost to magical learning and comprehension

Improved Memory

Improved mana and Essence control

+10% Intelligence

Grants the skill: Library of The Arcanum (Divine)

Library of The Arcanum (Divine)

The Herald may petition the keeper of Caldrin’s archives for knowledge.

The answer is never guaranteed to be complete.

The answer may be cryptic.

The answer may reveal dangerous truths.

The archives may refuse questions beyond the Herald’s current ability to comprehend.

Cooldown: 30 Days

Ellie’s Title Gained: The Eighteen

The Eighteen
Among the countless blessed of the multiverse, only eighteen may bear the mantle of a Primarch’s Herald.
+5% Intelligence
+5% Wisdom
+5% Will

~

“Holy shit,” Leo said analytically, re-reading the blessing over and over. “I’m guessing this is better than being ‘Acknowledged.’”

Caldrin chuckled, reaching out to stroke Ellie. She accepted.

“Blessings come in five different tiers,” Caldrin said. “Acknowldged, Marked, Favoured, Champion, and Herald.”

“You mean…” Leo asked, eyes wide.

He nodded. “Indeed. Gods can only have two Heralds at once. I had one free, with the other devoted to an A-grade named Yuro. She’s a prodigy of magic and runework. I’d let you meet her, but she’s occupied at the moment.”

He didn’t know what to say. This was beyond anything that he’d expected. Leo once again slumped into his chair, surprised that the chair moved with him this time. It was always comfortable.

“Does this happen to everyone who has just joined the multiverse? It feels like so much has happened. I’m exhausted.”

“No time for rest,” Caldrin said, clapping his hands. The room vanished around them leaving them suspended in the void.

Leo woke up, alarmed by his surroundings. He tried to focus on everything around him but his aura and reach felt blocked. Contained.

“Now, we have some time remaining until you need to return, so I’ll grant you a choice,” Caldrin offered, smiling.

Leo breathed, expecting some kind of trial or tribulation. It was on theme for this new reality he lived in. He’d probably have to fight a Primarch or something.

Fuckin’ tutorial, by the way.

Ellie was zooming about the space, freely flying without a care. The seriousness of all this was just normal to her. She hadn’t lived a life of almost twenty odd years of human normalcy.

Caldrin continued. “While you seem to have many gifts and bonuses, your technique, aura control, and awful mana control, need some major work. I can offer you a way to train them all for a few days each, or to train one for a week.”

Leo almost let himself relax. “And to train these, do I have to undergo some kind of horrific gauntlet that will test my resolve and willingness to kill or some kind of tower of death?”

Caldrin chuckled. “Your tutorial was one of the most difficult I’ve seen in a long time, but not unique. Although, only as difficult because of your own actions in hastening things. This will be… safe, the invitation said as much, did it not?”

Leo nodded, then ducked as Ellie zoomed over his head.

“So, what’ll it be?”

Leo considered it for a moment. This was all a bonus, a way to train himself under the possible tutelage of a bloody Primarch. So did it really matter which one he chose?

“Can we start with fighting, and then choose to switch later?” he asked, hopeful. The reason he hadn’t picked the others was his fight with Serrix. He’d only won due to his Apotheosis so the need to utilise his own stat advantages better was a must have.

Caldrin hummed. “I thought you might have picked mana control.” He sighed. “Very well.” He clapped and Leo was in a wide open room, white walls and white floors.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me. Any more white walls and I’m taking the red pill.”

Caldrin was gone, vanished as the room appeared. Leo hadn’t even noticed his departure. Ellie fell from the sky, being deftly caught by Leo with an ‘oof’. The dragon giggled and wriggled in his arms excitedly.

“Did you have fun?” Leo asked, smiling. She nuzzled her reply.

“Is it just an empty room, or do I have to press start or something?” Leo asked aloud.

Solid shapes started rising, like something out of an actual video game tutorial. They were walls and obstacles he realised. Afterwards, a golem made of stone rose too. It was armoured, carrying no visible weapons.

Training Golem Unarmed - Level 83

Training module. Unarmed Combat training.

Elemental prowess integrating.

Starting difficulty one.

Any damage taken will be restored upon completion or defeat.

They weren’t quite system announcements, but they appeared in his vision all the same.

A countdown sounded out in his head, and when the timer hit one, the golem raised its fists.

It rushed at Leo suddenly, arm swinging in a wide arc. He instantly got into battle mode, weaving to the side as the arm crashed over him. A glowing blue fist cracked the armpit of the golem, severing the arm as lightning coursed through it.

It swung out with a kick, aimed at his leg. Leo met the kick with his own Scarlet Impact, bursting it into flames. The golem fell to the ground and Leo stomped its head in.

That was easy.

You have been restored

Level two starting

Excitement rose within him. This was just what he needed to let off some more steam. A truly relaxing beatdown.

He grinned, meeting Ellie’s twinkling eyes.

“I wonder how many levels there are?”