"Er… Umm… No?" Of course, she'd reject him like this. This was Aphrodite's first time meeting him.
When he heard this answer, Pal- No, 'Adam' felt like his entire world collapsed. They were his feelings.
True and sincere feelings.
He turned into a foolish man at this point.
"I'm sorry… I made a mistake, saviour." Adam spoke before bowing. Hoping he didn't offend her.
His face still red hot and heart still rabidly beating.
Sweat trickling down to his chin as he tried his best to control his emotions, but couldn't do it.
"Don't apologise. I understand how you feel." There was a generous smile on Aphrodite's beautiful face.
She walked up to him without caring about the way he looked earlier. Seeing his mixed guilty emotions.
"This…" Adam didn't know whether to push her away. His body reacted like a pubescent boy.
His mind frying from her close proximity.
"You are a pitiful child. I'd like to help you, but are you willing to accept it?" Her words were heavy.
It calmed the man's heart.
"If it's help from you, I'll accept it gladly." He said.
"Even if that 'help' may ruin your relationship with the person you respect most?" Aphrodite sighed.
Her question becoming a weight on his heart.
Perhaps it was this seriousness that brought him back to reality. Into a state where he could ask:
"You gave me a name and time to think. I don't believe you're saying this as a warning before harming me." Unlike the other two watching from the side, Adam knew she truly wanted to help him.
And he also knew not everything was easy.
"…You're smart."
"I'm an idiot who got tricked into becoming a sacrifice." When he said that, the girl turned angry.
"Someone did that to you?!" Aphrodite's fury clued him in on what point they'd been watching him.
He started to regain his cunning tongue and mind.
"It's of the past now. I don't hate them anymore." It was the truth. Now he liked Talia and Shia's deeds.
"Why not?" In her confused state, she didn't notice a hand gently being placed on top of her own.
Adam didn't grab her, only responding: "Because it was thanks to them I managed to meet you."
Truly, even if it was shallow, this relationship he found was much more precious than anything.
He thanked his destiny that at the end of the dark tunnel, there was a light like 'her' on the other side.
Aphrodite blushed once more.
She looked embarrassed by his straightforward pursuit of her. His eyes were much too attached.
"Do you know my story?" She changed the topic.
"I don't. So I'd like to ask." Adam shook his head.
"You know Aphrodite's story, right?"
"Is that your story?" The calm way he asked this showed that he wasn't under any illusions.
"I'm glad your attentive. Right… 'Aphrodite' is just a story, but so am I and you." She said all enigmatic.
"We're stories?" Adam listened to her intently.
"'Pal Weldone' had a story that ended at his tragic fate as a sacrifice. His story ended there, but the remnants of his tale hold power for those who know it. Just like how all stories leave a legacy, the name and identity hold power." Aphrodite agreed.
"Then what about 'Adam Graham'?" He asked.
"His story had discontinued release. He didn't die or anything, but he rejected his name. That identity now belongs to you." The goddess patted his back and cheered him on, but this felt too distant.
Adam puffed his cheeks to show a pouting face.
A grown man with a bald head making such an expression… was awkward. But he was handsome.
That point made everything better.
"I understand that this is a give and take. You want me to help those two over there, but then what about you?" Adam couldn't leave it like this. He couldn't be the one taking without giving back.
He'd be too indebted to her at this rate.
"Don't worry. They will pay me back-"
"That's them. I want to reply you as well." Adam confessed. Seeing his heavy gaze, she relented.
"When the time comes, I'll need a partner to help me with my own issues. Call me if you manage to ascend one day." Aphrodite finally calmed him down to an extent, but it only gave him ambition.
A drive to become stronger.
Or another way to put it was that he 'lusted' for strength now. Doing anything to achieve it.
Aphrodite didn't stop him from feeling like that.
When a man had nothing, it was impossible to steer them away from a dark path in life.
Like the one he was being consumed by now.
"…So you mean I'm unworthy."
"Don't take it like that." It's sad, but truthful.
"That's fine. Just wait for a while." Adam promised.
"Enough. Let's get straight to it. 'Adam Graham', in return for temporarily becoming the Demon King of Hell and Heavenly Monarch of Heaven, you will be allowed an evolution. Gaining proper Intrinsic Skills as a new entity." Aphrodite threw out his feelings.
They weren't important right now.
After being rejected for a second time, Adam decided to do things the way he was confident.
"Are the ones I have now not proper?" He brought up my status window and showed to them.
He didn't know if they could see it initially, but there were so many insane things… this was nothing in comparison. Just as he predicted, the Gods looked at his status and looked surprised.
"This guy is interesting."
"Do you see them hidden characteristics?" The intellectual Holy God pointed out to Aphrodite.
Seeing how they reacted, Adam felt a bit proud.
"…You two can speak to him first." The goddess kept her attention to the status window blankly.
Trying to think of something by herself.
Adam felt interested in what she was thinking, but the faceless Conceptual Gods rushed him first.
"You have some good Affinities."
"Damn right!" The dreadful Evil God snickered wickedly, but was pulled back by the Holy God.
He coughed, then they acted as if agreed on.
A small list of new Affinities were lined up on both a white screen and black screen with white text.
"We cannot give you much, but you can choose any Exclusive Attribute aligned with us that you are capable of having. Minus the negative effects." It was the last sentence spoken that was important.
[You have obtained the 'Holy' Attribute.]
Adam looked at the Holy God intently, then felt the generous demeanour these two entities exuded.
They were really going all in on this.
He looked at the two lists that popped up:
[1. Forgiveness- Digesting Stomach (Death, Dark)
2. Temperance- Seismic Skin (Fire) Strength
3. Clarity- Endless Mind (Time)
4. Modesty- Tranquil Voice (Yin, Wood)]
[1. Apathy- Individual Darkness (Dark, Death)
2. Wrath- Inheriting Flame (Fire, Time)
3. Sloth- Worldly Sustenance (Wood)
4. Envy- Mirror Spiritus (Yin)]
…..
….
…
..
.
I recognised the lists.
The first list of Holy Affinities became what would be known as 'Sacred Gifts' possessed by heroes.
Usually, Sacred Gifts had some sort of condition that needed to be kept. If not, they'd simply lose it.
For example: 'Forgiveness' required the individual to be forgiving of any misdeed done towards them.
Or done towards others.
Sacred Gifts themselves held tremendous power and benefits, but these conditions were heavy.
For the Evil Affinities related to the Sins, the big drawback to many were the powers themselves and the mental disability they gave. For Asmo in particular, that would be a never ending libido.
It looked like she managed to tame it by creating incomplete clones and making them do the deed.
That was her way of controlling it for her.
For me, if I was given that option, it looked like I wouldn't be given the disability coming with it.
…Wait.
"These are just Affinities, right? I'm guessing your telling me I have to fuse my Affinities to get these without their Gifts themselves?" When I asked this question, they didn't seem the least bit ashamed.
I too didn't complain. It was more a clarification.
Wrath Affinity flames could do things that normal flames could not. They could kill even immortals.
But now a choice was thrusted upon me.
'Apathy' and 'Forgiveness' required the same Affinities, but leaned to two different areas.
Apathy gave my shadow a mind of its own. It was a darkness power that acted independently of me.
Even able to kill me.
Normally, the downside was being unable to feel emotions and having no soul like a real Demon.
Instead, my shadow could hold souls instead.
This was why 'death' was a part of it. Necromancy could infinitely bring back the souls in the dark.
'Forgiveness' was more aligned with my Skill Acquisition. It could probably improve that.
Able to eat anything thanks to my stomach being blessed. A simple but effective ability to have.
Allowing me to survive the toughest environments.
I thought for a bit on what I should prioritise, then immediately put 'Apathy' as the one I'd choose.
After all, Skill Acquisition had been completely useless at this point. A great but worthless Skill.
When compared to that, the ability to have my shadow act independently was much more useful.
It reminded me of my useful Abyss Core back then.
And how it shattered…
But there was another thing that I had to ask: "Why is there 'Sloth' on there? I have no Wood Affinity."
"Boy, you may not have it right now. That's true. I must be pulling your leg on this, right?" The Evil God's sarcastic answer made me realise that my time with Talia must have planted those seeds.
A potential I didn't even know I had.
"I've decided." After making my final choice, I looked at the two lists of exclusive powers again.
[1. Forgiveness- Digesting Stomach (Death, Dark)
2. Temperance- Seismic Skin (Fire) Strength
3. Clarity- Endless Mind (Time)
4. Modesty- Tranquil Voice (Yin, Wood)]
[1. Apathy- Individual Darkness (Dark, Death)
2. Wrath- Inheriting Flame (Fire, Time)
3. Sloth- Worldly Sustenance (Wood)
4. Envy- Mirror Spiritus (Yin)]
My first choice was obvious: "Apathy."
The first option for both sides disappeared. The only ones left being those I had the Affinity for.
I could either choose four Affinities of Sloth, Envy, Clarity, and Temperance… or two more being that of Wrath and Modesty. My mind instantly went through the strengths and weaknesses of each.
'Sloth' was similar to 'Forgiveness' in that it passively took in strength from the outside.
Nourishing myself with the surrounding like a plant.
Basically being able to photosynthesise at will.
There was nothing that wouldn't become my body's sustenance. Whether that he heat or cold.
'Envy' was a spiritual Affinity that allowed souls to be tethered with mirrors. Able to enter the Mirror Realm to traverse, store, and become the medium for abilities. Like others, it was a sort of immortality.
'Clarity' was simply a strong mind able to resist any debuff, and 'Temperance' boosted my strength.
They might seem simple, but their potential was still so off the charts that Heroes obtained them.
Real ones chosen by God.
In essence, it'd probably be better to choose Hero Affinities instead of the loser-like powers of Evil.
But it wasn't that simple.
I had no interest 'Modesty', but 'Wrath' could potentially improve my 'Riot Hysteria' Intrinsic Skill.
When my arms were ripped off and my Magic Pathways stolen, this was my only Origin Skill left.
Something that couldn't be stolen.
"I…" My mouth moved as I was about to reach out to touch it, but then my reality had hit me.
Riot Hysteria was a good Skill indeed, but it was hard to control the more powerful it evolved.
It was why Berserkers could never tame it.
If he acted on feelings, then he may end up suffering the same way he did with Talia and Shia.
He couldn't let that happen.
"I choose Temperance, Clarity, Sloth, and Envy. I'm not changing my decision." I said that resolutely.
[Your 'Innate Gift' is in the process of awakening.]