Chapter 182 – Acceptance 

“Another Divine Element inheritor? How is that even possible!?”

Calron pressed his palm to the ground and leaned towards the Patriarch in shock.

“And why is it not possible? Are you not one yourself?”

The old man asked wryly.

“I thought they would be separated by the different realms… ”

Calron hung his head down in contemplation of how to proceed with this news. If there was another Divine Element cultivator, then he or she would already have experience controlling that power and could simply crush Calron with a single attack.

“That is somewhat true, but since the guardians were not as powerful as the ancient primordial beasts, they could travel freely and into each other’s territories. The good news is that the Shadow G.o.d does not know that you exist so he will not be specifically coming for you. However, he has set his eyes on this mortal world, so you will inadvertently be clas.h.i.+ng against each other soon.”

The old man explained calmly, sensing the fluctuation in Calron’s emotions.

“Do you think the Shadow G.o.d will find out about me?”

Calron inquired with a nervous tone. After experiencing the might of the Azure Lightning, Calron knew that if he was facing off against someone with a similar power and moreover who could control it, then it would be a hopeless battle for him.

“Fortunately, you have a year or so before his army reaches here and that gives us plenty of time to prepare you for the war. The first step is for you to start being able to use the Azure Lightning’s power without hurting yourself, and we’ll start your training by taking you to the frontlines of the war with the darklings.”

The Patriarch chuckled while patting Calron’s back and slowly getting up.

He did not reveal everything to Calron that the golden dragon had told him, but this much information was enough for the moment. If he told the entire truth, then the young man would wallow in despair before he even started to fight. 

It’s the fate of the scion…

“… ”

Calron remained silent as he thought about his future and what he had to do from now on.

“I hated myself when I was too weak to protect the others from Zarvel, and how so many people had to die because of him. I don’t want to feel like that ever again.”

He glanced up at the smiling face of the old man.

“Once you learn to control the Divine Element, you won’t ever have to. Start your training by slowly letting the Azure Lightning outside of your body and see how long you can last before it really starts to hurt. The more you get used to its presence, the easier it will be for you to merge your soul with it.”

The Patriarch instructed the young man as he walked towards the door.

“Practice tonight and I’ll see you tomorrow, kid. Be ready for your first taste of war in the morning.”

“I feel like I’m back at school.”

Calron laughed once the old man left the hut. He had cla.s.ses with Uncle Kail about economics and now he had to go the frontline of the war against the darklings with the Patriarch.

Looking at the pieces of elemental metal surrounding him, Calron resumed his task of creating the G.o.d Tiles. Regardless of the growth of his personal strength, he also had to focus on spreading the influence of the Azure Pavilion and this could only be done through the G.o.d Tiles.

Wait, I forgot to ask the Patriarch about the divinity that he mentioned!

All of a sudden, Calron remembered that the old man had hinted that the changes inside his body were due to the divinity left by the golden dragon. 

Is that how he healed me?

Calron tried to detect the divinity inside his body, but each time he tried to pinpoint its location, his mind would get scrambled and he would lose the location. It was a very bizarre experience for Calron to suddenly forget where he was concentrating.

Giving up his search to locate where the part of divinity was hidden in his body, Calron decided to test its effect on the G.o.d Tiles. Taking a piece of elemental metal, he began to imprint the bolts of lightning into it.

After creating ten G.o.d Tiles, Calron had still not felt the sharp sting of pain from the Divine Perception. Elated by this discovery, he continued to produce the G.o.d tiles until the creation of his seventy-third tile finally sent a shock of pain to Calron’s mind.

“Time to stop.”

He was satisfied by making these many G.o.d Tiles in one day, as it would really bolster their finances once they were sold. If he planned on equipping the slaves with weapons, armor and resources, then Calron would need an inexhaustible supply of gold.

No. They would not be slaves anymore, as they would be fighting as free men and by their own choice. From the start, Calron had decided that if any of the freed slaves did not want to stay with him, then they were welcome to leave and choose their own path. He planned on offering the same choice to Ellie and Avor, but for some reason, he knew that neither of them would decide to leave him. Especially Ellie.

Should I go outside?

Calron did not know what to do now that he had finished making the G.o.d Tiles. He wanted to go see what the others were doing and maybe visit Roran and Ellie at the shop. He still remembered the little girl’s sullen face when she found out that everyone had forgotten about her and left to eat without her.

“ …the Shadow G.o.d does not know that you exist, so he will not be specifically coming for you. However, he has set his eyes on this mortal world, which means that you will inadvertently be clas.h.i.+ng against each other soon.”

The Patriarch’s words resounded in his head.

“Come out.”

Calron whispered as he summoned the Azure Lightning on his palm.

*crackle*

Bolts of violent blue lightning surged around his arm, forming beads of sweat on Calron’s forehead as he tried to control the Divine Element.

Calron’s eyes flashed with a bright azure glow, as the reflection of the blue lightning flickered across his irises. An expression of agony was etched on his face when the Azure Lightning started to seep into his skin and bones.

“You have trouble controlling it not because you are weak, kid, but because you refuse to accept it.”

Once again the Patriarch’s words filled Calron’s mind.

Fine! I’ll accept it!

Calron roared within his thoughts, and let the Azure Lightning loose.

*RUMBLE*