Chapter 007

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‘ ‘ for thoughts.

“ “ for speech.

* * for actions.

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After Ealric and Medwin left the Testing Hall, the Ancestor casually asked Leofric, in a melodious yet raspy voice.

Ancestor: “So do you know Leofric, the significance of today’s evaluation?”

Leofric: “Esteemed Ancestor, doesn’t it simply mean I won’t be able to become a magus?”

Ancestor: *snorting* “There is that, but it is just of superficial significance. Lacking affinity at all the elements has two major consequences.”

Leofric: ‘What can be more important than being denied the path of the magi?’

Looking at the quizzical and puzzled expression of Leofric, the ancestor gave a slight chuckle and continued.

Ancestor: “There are natural laws that govern all existence. Mastering these laws can be said to be the ultimate goal of a practitioner. Now without the insight in at least one of these laws, it is very difficult to be a sage!”

Leofric: “Ancestor, does that mean that it is possible to be a sage even without a shred of insight in these laws?”

Ancestor: “Yes. But cultivating in that manner is extremely expensive and severely limits your future potential and greatly reduces one’s lifespan; using such methods to become a sage, makes advancing beyond the next bottleneck very difficult. ”

Leofric: ‘What there are bottleneck’s beyond a sage? I though sages were on top of cultivators!’

Leofric: “Honored Ancestor, aren’t sages the most powerful existences on the path of cultivation?”

Hearing his young descendant’s question, the powerful ancestor heartily laughed for a while. He seemed to be genuinely amused at the question. While Leofric was a bit embarrassed at this reaction, he reminded himself that the honored ancestor could laugh at all members of the clan. His prowess gave him that right!

Ancestor: “Your question shows your lack of knowledge and experience about cultivation. Truly, this is what it means to look at the sky from the bottom of a well and wonder about its vastness! Young descendant, being a sage is just the beginning on the true path of cultivation! There are existences above a sage that could slaughter millions of sages in the blink of an eye!”

Slaughtering millions of sages in the blink of an eye? What kind of existences were sages? Sages were exalted individuals who could fly and live for thousands of years! They didn’t require breathing, eating or sleeping! A casual flick of a finger from a sage was enough to kill most mortals! A single sage by himself could lay waste to a small kingdom’s entire army if he went all out!

Leofric: ‘There are existences beyond sages? Beings who could slaughter sages like a baby would crush an ant?’

Leofric: “Ancestor, what are these existences?”

Looking at the shock and awe of his descendant, he gently shook his head.

Ancestor: “You have to earn the right to know that, young Leofric. Once you are a Grandmaster, I will reveal all I know. Till then, don’t worry about these things and focus on your martial cultivation. Besides, we are deviating from my original discussion. Don’t interrupt anymore!”

The last command was in a somewhat harsh voice. He was startled at this demeanor of the ancestor, but nodded meekly. The ancestor seemed satisfied, and continued.

Ancestor: “As I was saying, Insight into these natural laws is very helpful for becoming a sage. Although there are alternative methods to force these insights, they severely cripple one’s future potential.”

Ancestor: “Now these natural laws mostly correspond to the six elements! That is whether one is a warrior or a magus, to become a sage in these elemental paths requires insight to these natural laws. The chance of gaining insights and obtaining breakthroughs depends on a number of various factors.”

Ancestor: “However, the most important of these factors is at least some affinity to these elements and a strong soul. Even someone with low elemental affinity, which is insufficient to be a magus, can gain insight enough to become a sage with a suitably strong soul, hard work and a bit of luck.”

Leofric’s young mind slowly digested the implications of these revelations. In the end, even a warrior requires some elemental affinity in order to gain insights into these laws and become a sage. However, he lacked any elemental affinity. Did it mean that he could never become a sage? He couldn’t accept it!

Leofric: ‘That can’t be! The great Ancestor wouldn’t waste so much time explaining things to me personally if I had no potential…’

Ancestor: “The alternate methods which force insights to become a sage also rely on elemental affinity! Sages who become so through this path are destined to remain the weakest, and cannot progress further without additional external help! Thus, the six elemental paths whether it is through your own insight, or external help, are closed to you.”

Leofric: ‘First I can’t become a magus, next the future possibility of becoming a sage is closed to me? Impossible!’

Ancestor: “Even those who cannot hope to ever become an expert through their own efforts, have some compatibility with the natural laws. How can someone be totally incompatible with each and every natural law? This is simply impossible!”

He could see the gleam of excitement in the eyes of his young descendant. He inwardly smiled, but said in a stern tone.

Ancestor: “None of what you learned from me today can be revealed to anyone! Not even to other clan members or your parents and tutor. This is of utmost importance. What I say next may very well endanger not just you, but our very clan if it reaches the ears of the wrong people. You must maintain absolute silence about this knowledge, understood?”

Hearing the change in the tone of the Ancestor and his severe implications, he quickly realized that the things being discussed were of utmost importance. He quickly replied in a determined tone.

Leofric: “Yes, honored Ancestor! I swear to maintain my silence on the matters discussed in this hall.”

Ancestor: “Good. Now you may lack elemental affinity with the six elements. But that means you have something much rarer. You are attuned not to the six elements, but to one of the primordial aspects! I will tell you more about these primordial aspects when you are at the peak of the Journeyman Stage (Rank 4). For now, keep mum and focus on your cultivating as a warrior.”

Leofric: ‘Primordial aspects? What are those/ I am hearing about them the first time…’

The Ancestor then flicked his gloved fingers, and a small ring appeared in his right hand. The ring looked like a mundane wooden band. Leofric noticed that every part of the ancestor’s skin was covered. He wondered why, but nevertheless accepted the wooden ring from the ancestor. He then looked at the ring puzzled at tis utility.

Ancestor: “Now that ring is quite a valuable treasure for you. Prick your finger and bind it with a drop of your blood.”

Hearing his ancestor refer to the ring as a treasure, he was excited. From what he knew from Labasi’s coaching, certain valuable treasures could be personally bound to someone by a drop of blood. But those treasures were rare, even among sages. Why was his Ancestor casually giving him one such treasure?

Nevertheless, he carefully held the ring in his right hand. As eh unsheathed the dagger and pricked his left forefinger. He then carefully dripped a drop of blood on the ash colored wooden band in his right hand. The band shimmered for a bit, and absorbed his blood.

He then sheathed his long dagger, and wore the wooden ring on his left index finger. The ring was a bit loose and didn’t quite fit. As soon as he thought so, the ring shrank a bit in size and seemed a perfect fit for his finger! He looked at the hooded ancestor astonished.

Ancestor: “Now that ring isn’t very useful to anyone who isn’t attuned to a primordial aspect. What it will do is cloak your affinity and strength of the soul. To anyone who is sage and below, the strength of your soul, and consequently spiritual force, will appear half of what it is. Also most evaluations of your affinity will be fooled with false results. Do not take off the ring.”

Ancestor: “Although rings like these are quite rare here, they aren’t valued much in the grand scheme of things. They will only cloak your affinities to appear as the usual elemental affinities; your actual attunement doesn’t change. Now call your father and Meldwin back. It is time for you to retake the affinity test.”

Leofric bowed to the Ancestor, as he left the training room. He found his father and his great-grandfather sitting in the Great hall. He approached them and told them that the ancestor wanted to see them. Then all three of them quickly entered the testing hall. Once the entered, they heard the harsh, yet melodious voice of the ancestor speak.

Ancestor: “Young Leofric, retake your affinity test.”

Leofric silently approached the fire crystal and pressed his palm. The crystal lit with the intensity of a dim candlelight. He then approached the water crystal and a similar blue glow was revealed. He repeated that with rest of the crystals, and a similar glow was visible in the wind and earth crystals. Only the light and dark crystals had barely any reaction. Even then, there was a reaction from all the crystals.

Ancestor: “I remind you, nothing out of the ordinary happened in Leofric’s testing. He has insignificant affinities in fire, water, earth and wind and his spiritual force is eight times, compared to the baseline. He is unsuitable to cultivate in magics, and hence will follow the martial path of the warrior. This is what the official record will state.”

Meldwin: “Yes honored Ancestor! I shall see to it. Ealric, you and your son can return to your accommodations for now. Be sure to respect the Ancestor’s wishes.”

Ealric and Leofric bowed, while they left the training hall and returned to their villa. In the Testing hall, the Ancestor addressed Meldwin. What he heard shocked him.

Ancestor: “Make preparations. Leofric and the Master Mage who has accompanied him are to stay here. Tell him that if he becomes a Journeyman Warrior by the time he is 16 years old, I will take a more hands-on approach in his training.”

Meldwin: ‘As expected of the honored ancestor, his spiritual sense is acute enough to determine everyone assembled and their ranks. However, why does he value Ealric’s whelp so much? Oh well, it is not my place to question his decisions.’

Meldwin: *bowing* “I will take care of the matter personally, honored Ancestor!”

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Explanations and A/N:

Sorry for the late chapter, was busy in RL. And the next few chapters for both m fictions will be slow. (Asunder Online probably once in two weeks; Chronicles of Leofric probably once a week)

To avoid confusion, suitability to become a mage is dependent on the product of elemental affinity and spiritual force. Think of it like this:

Is say, Elemental affinities have numerical values:

Insignificant = 0 to 4

Low= 5 to 9

Average=10 to 1.4

High= 15 to 19

Exceptional= 20 and above

So suitability is Affinity * spiritual force. Usually a value of 80 to 100 is barely deemed sufficient for becoming a mediocre mage. Generally this corresponds to having at least average affinity and 8 to 10 times spiritual force.

Here comes the benefit of a strong soul. Someone with 20 times the spiritual force can become a mediocre mage even with 5 (low) affinities. As 20*5=100!

However, in the case of Leofric, his affinity with the elements is 0, while his spiritual force is 17. So his suitability to become a mage is 0*17 = 0

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