After what feels like an hour I hear footsteps coming back to the room. After finishing my two hundred and eighty-second cycle I let out a long sigh. I have made a progress in matching my breaths with the waves of the world around me.
The room is in a sad state as nothing is standing on any of the tables anymore. I get off the bed and begin picking up the things that have fallen on the bed. It is only then that I realize that the sun is no longer high in the sky and night is beginning to descend.
As the footsteps stop I hear a knock on the door, "Come in." I say as I sit back down on the bed.
Uncle walks in giving me an odd look and a small smile, "Dinner is ready so I thought I would check on you, I didn't expect to see Mary sleeping outside your door."
He freezes as his eyes land on the bone of the completely devoured Devil Dog leg, "Did you… finish all of it?"
This time I give him an odd look, "Yeah, I thought that's why you left it with me?" I say questioningly.
"Well eventually yes, but that leg is from an upper third rank devil, I expected it to last you till the end of the week. So, how was your progress, have you begun to prepare your kindling?"
I shake my head, "I have only just begun to create sparks."
Uncle seems surprised, "Your energy retention was very good, how are you only just now making sparks?"
"My talent was of the lowest rank, does that have anything to do with it?"
He shakes his head, "Talent doesn't matter to Heretics, talent only shows how well your body can conduct energy from heaven and earth. By eating it instead you completely bypass this step."
Stepping in front of me he pauses, "Do you mind if I take a peek?"
"Go ahead," I say as I sit cross-legged.
He nods as he places a hand on my head above my crown chakra. I cycle my Qi like I normally would if I were gathering energy. I can see uncle's face going through many expressions before he backs away with a complex expression.
"What is it?" I ask a bit anxious.
"You… Has your God's flame always been in your soul room with your flame?"
I nod cautiously, "Is that not how it is with everyone?"
He shakes his head, "No, it is not. Normally your God's flame is hosted in your physical body, inside your heart. It seems like your God's flame is redirecting some of your flames into your physical body…"
"Is that a bad thing?"
"I-I don't know, normally moving your flame into your physical body is the final step before immortality. It gives you what is called 'Authority'."
Seeing my questioning face he continues, "Authority is what allows Hollow and Ninth Circle individuals to create a domain. If your God is doing this on his own volition then he may be planning great things for you."
"Does that mean I will get a Domain before I am Ninth Rank?"
"This is unprecedented so I have no way of knowing, but if I were to guess, I would say yes."
My chest wells with hope as I think of being able to save my parents.
"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, just because your path to immortality will be easier you will have to work far harder than others."
I nod at his words, he is right, "Does the Heretical Cult provide Devil meat to its members?"
"Yes, but you will have to complete missions to get it. I am an elder so I can provide you with many things but I am limited to how much I can provide."
My eyes widen, "You're an elder?!"
His brows raise at me, "Of course, I am a sixth Circle mage and an Inferno cultivator. While I am only an outer court elder I hold a lot of power."
"Outer court?" I ask not understanding.
"Ah, the Heretical Cult was created by Lou Yang, a half-demon raised in the Demon lands. So we go by their system of laying out the Cult. The outer court is the lowest of disciples, then there is the inner court, then the nine direct disciples of the Cult Leader."
"How do I become a direct disciple?"
"Just show your talent, there is no discrimination between human, demon, or Hybrid here. It is solely based on your talent and willingness to work hard. There are currently three spots open for the Cult leader's direct disciples. You will be explained all this tomorrow at the entry exams."
"I thought you said I won't have to do exams since I have your recommendation?"
"Yes, you are already accepted into the cult, but the exam will place you in either Outer court or Inner court depending on how you score."
"What is the test like?"
He smiles as he stands up, "You will see tomorrow, come, your siblings are waiting."
Standing up I nod in understanding, "Okay."
I follow him out of the room to see a sleeping Mary hunched over on a big cushioned chair. I smile as we walk past to let her sleep, since she has been working through all this she must be tired.
Using my eyes I quickly sweep the halls of the mansion and any of the open rooms. The layout is pretty normal with the only open rooms being the servant's quarters, the drawing-room, and the dining room where my siblings are waiting impatiently in front of empty plates.
Smirking I begin to walk faster, "The little ones are getting antsy."
Uncle nods with a smile as he walks faster to keep pace with me.
As we enter the dining hall Alia, Aylin, and Thea hop up, ""BROTHER"" The twins yell as they hug me.
I smile as I hug them back, after a few seconds I let go of them and pick up Thea, "Come, let's sit down, it's time for dinner."
The twins nod as Thea wraps her arms around my neck tightly. Uncle sits at the head of the table while the twins sit on his left and I put Thea down next to me on his right.
Sitting down Thea hops off her chair and raises her arms at me, "You want up?"
She nods happily, so with a sigh I lift her up and set her on my lap. Normally she sits on mother's lap while she eats but I guess that will be changing from now on…
After dinner, I go with uncle outside. The sun has already fallen but light still rises from the Valley of the Broken Devil so it is still pretty bright. The area around is incredibly verdant as trees completely surround the valley, yet inside it seems more like a desert oasis.
Around the area, I can see a couple more mansions built above the valley. They all seem to be hidden by some sort of barrier but I can see through them quite easily.
Uncle stops at the edge of the forest only a hundred feet in front of the mansion's garden.
Turning to me he looks a bit serious, "Do you know what your boons are? You should instinctively know how to use them."
I begin to ponder as I think if I know what they are, after a moment I think I know, "I do."
He nods, "You will need to be careful, just like your eyes, they may use too much power causing you to faint, or worse, die."
"Actually my eyes don't use any power. I just feel incredibly overwhelmed by everything assaulting my senses so my body probably shuts down to protect me."
He seems a bit surprised, "Then you are quite lucky, you will need to train yourself on your perception. Can you try out one of your boons? I will stop you if you use too much energy."
With a solemn nod, I hold out a hand towards the nearest tree. Dark blue portals begin to pop up around me as chains launch from them towards the tree. Only halfway to the trees, the chains fall flat as I fail to control them properly.
The portals vanish as the chains lay on the ground. Even at my failure Uncle is incredibly surprised as he kneels down checking the chains.
They are icy and black with a subtle blue aura radiating off of them. I can feel a toll is being on my small pool of Qi so I quickly try and dismiss them. Just like flexing a muscle, they seem to naturally obey my command and vanish.
Uncle seems pleased as he speaks, "Next?"
I take a deep breath as I raise a hand to the same tree as uncle backs out of the way. I concentrate as I try and push the energy out of me. Just like the chains, it seems to come naturally, a wave of ice projects from my body covering the ground in ice around me.
It spans two feet in all directions and five feet in front of me, not even close to the tree. I sigh at my lack of control, although it's the first time I've used it I expected better.
"Do you have enough Qi to try the last?" "I can do it."
Uncle nods at my resolves so I raise my hand yet again. Purple flames begin to bubble off of me as I concentrate on the trunk of the tree in front of me.
In a very lackluster display, a thin line of purple energy appears on the bark from nowhere. I fall to a knee exhausted as that took more than five times the amount of Qi than the other two combined. Looking at the ground in disappointment I see Uncle rush over to the tree and pick it up with one arm slowly lifting the fifty-foot tall tree into the air easily.
"Wha-" As I am about to ask why he is lifting the tree I stop in surprise as I realize the thin line I created on the tree cleanly cut through it. He is lifting the tree so that it doesn't fall on me.
Uncle turns to me with a big grin, "Now that's a boon."