It's been 10 months since Jacob first encountered Hestia and in those 10 months, Jacob has made a few discoveries about himself and his sword.
The first discovery was that his body can no longer utilize mana meaning he can't use magic.
The second, was that his sword for some strange reason was able to absorb mana of only the main elemental attributes, being fire, earth, water and air.
He also found out by infusing his sword with aether he can stimulate the absorbed spirit particles thus releasing the elements contained.
The fourth one was discovered during a sparring session where Hestia had concluded that Jacob's attacks significantly multiply whenever he uses his sword.
The final discovery and probably the best was that that although his physiology did not allow him to use celestial energy (purest form of aether) due to the formation of aether circuits in his body, he is able to perform the divine art to a certain extent which allows him to manipulate pure cosmic energy.
As he trained in these art he realized he can't utilize it efficiently however he has an incredible resistance to its effects.(An equal exchange of sorts).
...........................................
AT THE TRAINING GROUNDS
Jacob is steadily preparing himself as he is finally ready to move on to the next phase of his training.
Hestia then arrives and is confused by the enthusiasm Jacob exudes.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm warming up."
"For what exactly?"
"You know, mastering the divine arts."
"But you can't master them unless you are able to access pure aether, which you can't do."
Jacob losing some of his enthusiasm "Wait, so there's no way for me to be able to access pure aether?"
"There are ways for mortals to access pure aether."
"Really? how?"
"Well you'd have to use a celestial artifact but that would only serve as an exponential booster of sorts, alas it would serve you no purpose as it only boosts mana not aether."
"Well that's just sad ðŸ˜.....what about the other ways?"
"Well the other way is to to get a mana blessing which would allow you manipulate cosmic energy to a certain extent, but again you don't have mana so it's pointless."
"Really, are there no other ways?"
"You're quite the optimist, aren't you Jacob?"
"Just tell me." Jacob says with an unsightly frown.
"Well you could always try being a champion?"
"A champion?....what's that?"
"It's a title given to the one who has gained acknowledgement by a god and formed a contract with that said god, which would allow him or her to be able to use that designated god's abilities temporarily."
"Woah that sounds awesome. So....how do you gain acknowledgement?"
"Through praying, festival summonings or the most efficient way, participating in the trial of champions."
"I see."
"Jacob." Hestia calls with a serious expression.
"Wh..What's up?" Jacob asks, unnerved by Hestia's sudden change in tone.
"You are by no means to try to be a champion."
"What? why?"
"Jacob let's just say that a being a "mortal" that is able to manipulate aether, will not sit well with the gods."
"Wait, what you mean? Can't you manipulate aether?"
"We may live long Jacob, but even spirits can't manipulate aether. just like any other being ,excluding gods, we are only able to influence Aether which significantly boosts our already existing abilities."
"Ooh, So that's what you meant by I'm more of a god than mage."
"Exactly, you Jacob, are able to manipulate aether Just like a god. But sadly unlike a god, you can't use mana. So imagine what would happen if they were to discover of your existence as an aether manipulator."
"Wait, aren't the gods all knowing?" Jacob asks nervously.
"No, they are not omniscient."
Jacob sighs in relief but suddenly a thought comes to mind. "Wait what about the oracles and the fates?"
"I'm not so sure about the oracles but the fates definitely know about you, after all their powers involve knowing the "fates" of all and they existed way long before the gods."
"What!? Really?"
Hestia nods her head. "There are reasons why even the gods fear them, in fact before being known as the fates, they were known by another name."
"Which was?"
"They were a part of group of siblings known as the ancients."
"The ancients?"
"Yes, the ancients, and their father was the creator of all existence."
"Woah, beings like that existed?"
"Aren't you listening Jacob the fates still exist."
"Right, have you ever met the fates?"
"Yeah, once. And I gotta say those ladies may be old in terms of age but damn those triplets are beautiful, I mean I'm not gay but if I meet them again, I will fall in love."
"O....Kay. What about the other ancients?"
"Never met them."
"What about the creator?"
"Never met the creator in person, but I can say for certain that the creator is an omniscient and omnipotent being."
"Wow. wait what happened to the other ancients..?"
"uhh? well,...um?" Hestia seemingly fails to come up with an answer.
Just as the conversation takes a rather uncomfortable turn (for Hestia.), a familiar green haired lady arrives.
Jacob looks over "Ivy?"
"Hello Jacob, It's been a while." Ivy gently smiles.
Hestia secretly sighs out of relief due to Ivy's timely arrival.
...........................................
A FEW HOURS LATER
Jacob, Ivy and Hestia are currently eating lunch in Hestia's dining room.
"Man I gotta say, Aqua's food is second only to my mother's." Jacob says as he takes in another mouthful.
Ivy and Hestia nod in agreement.
"Yes I have tasted Melissa's food before. it is to die for." Ivy says as she elegantly chews her food.
"Really? I didn't know you had met my mother before."
"Well yes, we did have a few encounters here and then when she was around 16, 17 years old."
"Why was that?"
"There were some certain disputes that required our involvement." Ivy states dismissively.
"Really about what?" Jacob inquires, wondering what situation could have caused the need for the spirits to have intervened.
Ivy realizes Jacob won't let the matter go until he is given something of substance.
"Well around that time there was a war...."
Jacob interrupting "The magic war!?"
"No Jacob that was a long time ago and frankly your mother is only 43. The war was of a smaller scale but it was very intense. You see there were these enemies called time wraiths that wanted to take a certain item which I cannot disclose to you due to our agreement with the Emperials."
"Woah the Emperials were involved, well did you win?"
"Jacob, we wouldn't be standing here if we didn't."
"uh, right."
Suddenly the front door bursts open with tremendous force and Aaron rushes in shouting:
"Leave some for me!!!"
Jacob and the others completely ignore him and talk amongst themselves.
"Right on cue." Jacob says.
"I wondered how long it would take him this time." Hestia adds.
Aqua comes rushing from the kitchen with incredible speed and strikes the back of Aaron's head.
"What did I tell you about barging in like this?"
"Not to do it." Aaron says as he nurses the back of his head.
"Then why did you?"
"Because I'm super hungry."
"But you ate like 30 minutes ago."
"Yeah but that's 30 minutes too long without having some of your delicious food."
Aqua just frowns at the glutton standing before her. She then slightly shakes her head and two plates full of food come levitating in and places themselves on opposite sides of the dining table.
Seeing this, Aaron quickly takes a seat and begins to eat like a madman. Aqua takes the other and begins to eat.
Aaron seemingly satisfied asks "So what were you guys talking about before I arrived?"
Jacob answers excitedly "Ivy was just telling me about you guys' encounters with my mother."
"Oh yeah, which one?"
"The time....wraiths, yeah, the time wraiths."
"uh, a rather dull bunch I might add but alas it was way better than the winter massacre."
"The winter...massacre?"
As Jacob repeats Aaron's last words in a quizzical tone, the mood in the dining room greatly dampens.
Aaron, ignoring the change in mood, answers Jacob. "Yes the winter massacre, It was a horrible day I tell you, In fact, I'm positive it occured on the day of your.....birth."
"The day of my birth, you mean the 9th of June."
"Yes. Exactly."
"What happened on that day?"
"Well you see what happened is..." As Aaron about to tell Jacob, he notices the gazes of the other three and realizes he should shut up immediately.
"...You know what, it's a bit foggy, it was incredibly uneventful."
"Whaaat? Really?"
"Yeah, really."
"Okay."
"Anyways how did your learning of the last sage scrolls go?" Ivy asks changing the obviously uncomfortable topic.
"I guess, it went well but I'm still having troubles in the absolute constant and limit breaker techniques."
"Well obviously they are the most demanding of all the sage techniques. But I must say, I'm really impressed by your incredible growth during our short time together."
"What? Short? We spent like....44 months together. I'm literally about to become 15 in the next two months."
"No Jacob you're 12 and about to become 13 in one month's time. Besides if you were really about to become 15 then you'd be cosidered short but fortunately for you, your height is considered above average for your age."
"Right I forgot, I age by the time standards of my world."
"Precisely. Anyways, Hestia, if you will."
"Right." Hestia then summons an all black adventurer's outfit consisting of a tank top, coat, knee length shorts, and boots. All having a thin green lining.
"What's that?"
"Your new clothing." Hestia then snaps her fingers and Jacob's clothing is replaced with the new one.
"Well since lunch is now over we might as well say our goodbyes."
"Goodbyes, where you going?"
"Not us silly, we live here. It's about time "you" said goodbye. Your "training" is complete. And all that's left is your final test. There will be a map that will lead you to a portal leading back to your realm in the living room."
"Really? Another test? Can't you just send me back the normal way."
All of them answer at the same time. "No."
"Right." Jacob says this with a defeated tone and mutters under his breath "First grandpa, now them."
Jacob gets up and hugs them goodbye well all of them except Aaron. He picks up the map and leaves.
"Now that I think about it, there was someone during the battle with the time wraiths that greatly resembled Jacob, no?"
"Yeah now that you mention it, there was someone like that, what was his name again?" Aqua asks with a confused expression.
"Can't remember much about him." Hestia interjects.
"'Well in any case, I'm sure fluffy is gonna have a fun time with Jacob." Ivy smiles.
"Fluffy? You mean your lovely pet which is also a gigantic and powerful white wolf?" Aaron asks.
"Yes, that one."
"Huh? well that's strange."
"Why is that Aaron?"
"Because that's not where he is heading."
The others in the room tense up from Aaron's words.
"You didn't?" Hestia asks as she forcefully places her hand on the table.
"Well, you said it was a final test so...."
"Ugh, he did." Hestia says this as she slumps into her chair.
"What did he do?" Aqua asks with genuine confusion.
Ivy sighs as she rubs her temple. "He gave Jacob the map to the dark mountains."
"What!? You did what!?" Aqua shouts as she faces Aaron.
Aaron struggles to formulate words.
"You just had to go give Jacob, the map to the one place, Aaron, "ONE PLACE" we have no jurisdiction over."
Hestia then gets up and goes through the opening where there was once a door.
"Hestia come back, there is no point to looking for him, he is already long gone."
"Damn, can't sense him an longer." Hestia says as she return to the dining room."
"This is a major problem." Ivy says.
"Of course it is, Jacob is pretty strong but I'm not sure if he is ready for that kind of challenge." Aqua adds.
"It's not just that it's also about...."
As Ivy is about to finish her sentence the entire scenario shifts to a familiar dark room the only thing different being that the table, chairs as well as the other spirits where brought along.
"Well, well, well, we meet once again Ivy....and it seems that we have extra guests." The adult Jacob says this as he takes a seat at the opposite end of the dining table.
...........................................
"What the?" Hestia questions the sudden change in environment, when suddenly she freezes due the oppressive aura being exuded by Jacob.
"Welcome, my dear mentors." Jacob says in a mocking tone.
"Unreal." Is the only word Aaron can think of while trying to gauge Jacob's power.
"Don't gaze at me like that Aaron, it makes me shy for I am nothing more than a memory."
Aqua chokes at Jacob's comment. "I can say with full confidence that you are not a memory."
Jacob smiles sweetly "quite the insight you have."
Aqua looks away as she slightly blushes.
"Been there, crazy how he can just increase his charm levels like that through simple gestures." Ivy states.
"Yeah." Aqua replies avoiding Jacob's gaze.
"Anyways where are we and why is it so dark?" Hestia asks.
"Well we are currently in my mind and it's dark because I don't want you to see anything else but this." Jacob says this as a huge hologram screen forms and the screen shows monsters getting slaughtered by someone holding a sword.
"Wait, isn't that...."
Jacob interrupts Ivy "My sword."
"What is this?" Aaron asks.
"Well this my dear Aaron is a live feed of the dark mountains based on my "younger self's" perspective."
"Right." Aaron looks down in shame.
Jacob chuckles. "Don't stress yourself, I'm not upset, that much." Aaron's hopes dwindle as fast as they were raised by Jacob's words.
"Anyways let's take a look and Ivy please don't worry about my earlier request?"
"Request?" The others ask simultaneously.
Jacob continues on, ignoring the rest "I believe that a situation like this will arise sooner or later so it's better If the younger me understands the full extent of his capabilities as early as possible and work on getting stronger if necessary."
"Right." Ivy replies as she doesn't know what else to say.
"Anyways let us watch this thrilling trial." Says Jacob as he focuses on the screen. " Unless there is something you wish to tell me about the dark mountains."
Ivy, somehow finding her voice, when she realizes no one else will answer Jacob "Well you see, The thing is......"
...........................................
AT THE DARK MOUNTAINS
"Man, why are there so many monsters here, I just arrived." Jacob complains as he continues to hack and slash the monsters in his path.
"At this pace, this will take all day. Let's..speed things up."
Jacob runs at his top speed without the use of the multiplier technique (approximately 200 kilometers per second) and easily kills countless of monsters in his way.
As he is running everything in his surroundings seem to be at a standstill as he easily evades every oncoming obstacle in his path.
As he is running, he comes across a dreadful aura which completely throws him off his balance resulting in him stumbling and rolling into a bunch of rocks.
As he gets up and dusts himself, he sees a cave opening and enters as he sees no alternative route. "Well, that's not creepy" Jacob remarks as he enters the eerie cave entrance.
He walks for a while before entering a massive den. As he studies his surroundings he sees a gigantic black scaled....creature?
'Is that a... lizard? well no doubt, it's the current source of my unease, besides it looks way too cool to be a lizard.'
Jacob continues to study the sleeping creature. He then notices something peculiar.
"Wings? Why does it have....wings? Oh great heavens, that's a freaking dragon!"
Jacob shouts causing the dragon to stir. Noticing this Jacob clamps his mouth shut but to no avail as the black dragon awakes revealing it's blazing emerald green eyes and it's rather gigantic stature.
"Who dares to disturb me as I slumber?" The dragon asks in a deep voice.
'It can speak!?' is the only thought passing through Jacob's head as the dragon turns to face him.
"State your business, mortal." The dragon demands
Jacob sighs deeply 'Yep, the spirits truly are my grandpa's friends.'