"Haha~ Yeah, right." Hyuk laughed in response, but made a face after seeing that resolve. He asked:
"Wait… You're serious about this?"
"Hahaha! That's my disciple for you~! Hahahaha!"
"You should think about it some more. There's no way you have anything worth a marriage proposal."
"Isn't my empty land enough?" Adam looked at his magic instructor. His words being optimistic.
"If that was enough, anyone could gain their hand in marriage." Sebastian looked at this realistically.
"Hey, don't put him down. At least he has some great ambition. So let's help him out." Hyuk spoke.
The white-haired instructors thought about helping out, but the younger one was still unconvinced.
"Are you seriously going to get stronger via… that sex empowerment thing?" Sebas frowned at them.
He looked disgusted at the perverted duo.
"That 'Dual Cultivation' to you! Don't look at me like that. It's not a Demonic or Unorthodox art!"
"Still… You should probably pick between cultivating Mana or Qi, rather than both at once."
"Oh…" The lustful Martial King at least agreed on that point. The nature of 'Mana' and 'Qi' differed.
One strictly obeyed the concepts of Attributes, and the other was mostly by the mentality of the user.
The latter even imploding if not handled right.
Adam gave this some thought, but he couldn't really understand why they were fixated on this.
"Are they really that different?"
"…You really don't know the first thing about anything." The Magician sighed and held his head.
Even the pervert looked embarrassed on his behalf.
"Alright, then what do YOU guys think is better for me?" He handed the problem over to them.
"Mana."
"Qi."
"Any." With Simon speaking last, their opinions reached a standstill. The opinions were balanced.
However, the lack of enthusiasm to give him any particular suggestion garnered some attention.
They all couldn't figure the old drunkard out.
"Why any? Didn't you focus on martial arts before you got injured? Shouldn't you agree with me?"
Kang Hyuk seemed really desperate about this.
"Martial Art, Smartial Farts… I don't give two shits about whether he becomes fighter or whatnot."
"Bro…!"
"And I'm not your 'Bro', pervert." Looked like Simon was also against Hyuk's way of cultivating strength.
He just wasn't that open about it.
The drunken geezer hunched down with a stomach ache after setting off sparks with their eye-contact.
Regardless, there was one statement the drunkard contributed that made sense to the rest of them:
"I think you should understand how to use your Innate Gift before screwing around in martial arts."
These words sounded harsh, but Adam accepted them as they were. There was only one problem.
"My Gift is useless. 'Empty' just makes my Gift Slot empty. That's all it does." He rolled his bitter eyes.
"…I think I know someone who can help." These words carefully came out; with a bit of hesitation.
"Who exactly? And can you trust them?"
"My other cute disciple is trustworthy enough. I might need to share some things about your powers and all. Are you alright with that?" Adam realised that he had to make a choice here.
"If it's your disciple, couldn't you teach me anything he knows?" He responded with caution.
"My other disciples other than you already knew how to take care of themselves. They also didn't come from my realm, so… Anyway, they know more about Innate Gifts than anyone he probably does."
Adam looked around and saw the other two nodding in response. Gifts were common to them.
"…Alright. But who are you going to call?"
"There's one who's still in that 'Royal Palace' place over there. I don't know where the rest ran off to."
"Are they in this kingdom?"
"Meh, probably. Were they? I can't remember when I got to this place exactly." He scratched his head.
One person suddenly stood up after hearing that.
"You didn't come here a few months ago?!" Sebas seemed surprised about Simon's mysterious past.
"A few months ago? What?" The old geezer didn't seem to understand the significance of that event.
Was he some kind of drifter before coming here?
But that didn't make sense. Pandorica was a nation surrounded by the boundless reaches of the forest.
How could someone like him survived coming here? And why did his head hurt thinking about it?
Adam felt like he was forgetting something crucial right now, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Who was this drunkard anyway?
Sebastian being a Magician from a certain realm of magic was obvious, and so was Kang Hyuk's origin.
The only one who didn't make sense was Simon…
"Let's put that all aside. If you think that other 'cute disciple' of yours can help, then you can tell him."
There was no point being uselessly paranoid about someone close to his mysterious battle instructor.
It was better to see if his Gift really had any uses.
Simon pulled out his phone and went to the side while the rest of them discussed about his training.
Sebastian and Hyuk weren't backing down on why they thought their 'foundation' would work better.
The thing that the Magician kept on bringing up was that 'Qi' was well-known for being unstable.
If Adam failed to control his heart, then there was a high chance of being injured due to 'Qi Deviation'.
In fact, he'd heard many went insane after they tried to alter their techniques to become stronger.
However, the Martial King didn't admit his defeat.
While others might have that problem, Kang Hyuk had read and become proficient in ALL sexual arts.
Even those of the Demonic and Orthodox side.
Though he admitted this was because he almost died due to switching his 'Cultivation 'Techniques'.
In the Martial King of Dual Cultivation's body was a mixture of Qi that wouldn't exist anywhere else.
However, that still made Adam lean towards Sebas.
A less unstable power was worse than a stable one.
Adam didn't care if you got younger if you reached a certain point of Internal Qi. He had immortality!
Though that made remember something.
"Hey, how did you get an 'Imaginary Attribute'?" It was a question in his mind since talking earlier.
"…Honestly, I'm not that sure. Wizards in my world were just naturally born possessed by them."
"What about that Cat Zodiac?"
"It also possessed me without so much of a warning beforehand." Sebas shrugged helplessly.
Since this wasn't much to go on, Adam decided to give up on finding his 'Imaginary Attribute' for now.
It's not like it was something he could ask for…
…was it?
'Wait, I am NOT a protagonist in this world. Will I get a Imaginary Attribute just by asking for it?'
Although this thought seemed absurd, he had felt stranger things happen to him over his time here.
Gaia was always unusually generous to him.
He might have helped out her 'daughter' and everything, but the rewards were too good for him.
Should he just say it out loud at least?
"Hey, Gaia…" The start of his words caught the two of them off-guard. They somehow found it funny.
Adam ignored the embarrassment and just asked:
"…can I have an Imaginary Attribute? Please~" He made a face twisted with pitiful eyes and shyness.
The flurry of emotions going through him made regret go through him. He wanted to hit himself.
At least, that was until his eyes became dumbfounded and he was rooted on the spot.
Hyuk curiously called out:
"What happened?"
Only to see the stupefied landlord turn his gaze and wave a finger, showing off the messages.
[You have been recognised by an Imaginary Spirit.]
['Mother Nature' asks what took you so long.]
[You have now inherited a complete 'Divinity'.]
[You have gained the Imaginary Attribute: 'Gaia'.]
[The host is already in possession of the 'Wood' Attribute. Synchronisation rate has heightened.]
[Your new 'Unique Skill' is being formed.]
[Attributes of 'Yin', 'Blood', and 'Space' has been implemented into the creation of the new Skill.]
[Unique Skill: 'Spirit Affinity' is being altered.]
[Skill Creation is commencing…]
[Synchronisation and Skill Creation complete.]
[You've obtained the Unique Skill: 'Father Nature'.]
[Description: Your affinity with spiritual entities and nature has increased. Any 'Territory' you may own has now become part of you spiritually. Taking care of your land shall also boost your health and magical prowess. Your Territory is your body.]
The eyes of his instructors turned into saucers.
"Ummm… Can I have one too? Pretty please~ And I want it to be cool too." Hyuk's words were met with silence. Nothing happened in response to any of his pleas. An uncomfortable feeling enveloped him.
Sebastian ignored how the pitiful pervert, who was begging for an Attribute, and spoke to him first:
"Congrats."
"Thanks… I wasn't expecting this."
"Do you feel any changes?"
"You wouldn't believe it." Adam could somehow feel his body was 'bigger' than his mortal shell.
Almost like he had become the land itself…
He could distinctly sense the people within his land. Those ascenders that he'd gave refugee to.
Even their stats couldn't be hidden in his eyes.
Though he also felt barren and empty at the same time. He'd neglected management of his territory.
It felt like there was now an itch that needed to be scratched. He couldn't help this instinctual feeling.
Almost like the desire to improve carved into him.
Simon came back and looked befuddled by how Hyuk seemed to be praying out loud to the world.
But he pretty much ignored him to pass the phone.
A virtual screen popped up that introduced this disciple Simon was talking about earlier.
The redhead with a slick outfit and somewhat spiky hair talked while wearing a strange beastly mask.
A smile curved on the exposed lower half of the man's face. He seemed happy to meet him.
"I've heard about you, my fellow disciple of the same mentor." Shane Goldsmith have him a look.
He found this situation to be interesting, at least.
"Call me 'Adam'."
"Then you can call me 'Shane'. Is it true that you've actually inherited a slight amount of Divinity?"
"Well…" He'd recently inherited the complete package, but he found no reason to tell him that.
"You don't have to hide it from me. I'm a lot like you." The slick samurai acted like a kindred spirit.
"Before you say we're similar. What IS 'Divinity'?"
"Exactly was it sounds. A boon from a God."
"You mean like the G.O.D. God… or Zeus?"
"Neither. I'm not saying they're not Gods, but they aren't the type of Gods that can give Divinity."
"Then what's the requirement?"
"I'll tell you later. Just know that they need to be in a state of 'between the real and imaginary' or someone who ascended to Godhood to create their own Attribute." The latter half was new to him.
"Then what are you saying now?"
"I'd heard all about your little plan to marry a princess. You have some balls, I tell you that."
"…" Did that geezer really have to tell him everything? Now he felt embarrassed by it.
"Was that too much?"
"It was… but there ARE some pros you have that nobody else does. I'll put in a good word, but we'll have to see if you'll pass 'his' conditions and get into the marriage interview." Shane let out a sigh.
"…" Adam scratched his head and didn't respond.
"Though there is ONE way to make things certain."
"Really?"
"But you'll have to make a decision here. There's no going back after this is done." He said deeply.
"…Is it a dangerous plan?"
"Not really. You know… If I tell him about your Divinity, Ramos will marry his sister off even he doesn't want to. That's how important your power is to him." The slick samurai didn't hide anything.
Although the the middle part felt like he was coercing the man, he thought about that incident.
How he was casually captured by his enemies…
Although using that detail to get the upper hand wouldn't be morally upright, but he was desperate.
He needed all the advantages he could get.
"Tell him…" Adam decided that resolutely. The look of the man seemingly understood his situation.
That's probably why he said nothing to stop him.
After the call was cut, Shane held the phone and knew that this decision wasn't against interests.
Ramos would be happy to get Adam's support.
He just felt pity for the two princesses.
After all, one of them would likely have no choice but to be married off to his 'fellow disciple'.
It was especially concerning now, after…
…he heard of the nature of Adam's Innate Gift.