Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

Alex did his best not to react to the question. Had the Blood God told him about it?

”I received it after fighting someone in the lower realm,” Alex said. ”They themselves had it in their family since the treasures scattered throughout the lower realm.”

”I see. So you weren’t the first to find it, but you were the first to make use of it as well. Is that it?” he asked.

”I suppose you could say that,” Alex said after some thought.

”In that case, what are your thoughts on returning it to the Blood God?”

Alex narrowed his eyes at the Mind God’s question. ”Did the Blood God send you since she failed?”

”Crimsonstar? No. I haven’t talked to her in a while,” the Mind God said. ”And no, I’m not really here to get it back to her. It’s merely a curious thought about what your plans were.”

”I have no thoughts on it,” Alex said. ”In the first place, your verbiage in that sentence is wrong to begin with. Return suggests it belonged to her before I found it. When, in truth, it never belonged to her in the first place.”

The man gave a surprised look. ”True. I suppose I didn’t think of it that way.”

Alex was a little taken aback at how easily he backed off from that, but he supposed the man truly was just curious.

”Is that all?”

”Of course not,” the man said with a chuckle. ”I wish to know how you feel about this Divination that has been made about you. That you are the Destroyer and that you will bring our doom.”

Alex lost all expression on his face upon hearing the question. It was possible in itself that the man had come here for exactly this.

”I hear you can tell whether someone is telling the truth or not simply by the way they speak, so here is my honest truth on this matter. I will not lead the world to destruction. If there is a doom coming, I won’t be the one to bring it.”

The Mind God’s expression didn’t change much, but he slowly nodded. ”That’s a little reassuring, if nothing else. So long as you’re not actively planning on destroying everything, then I can imagine the Divination was a mistake. Or at least, it was a misread of the future.”

Alex believed exactly that as well, so he nodded.

”And what about the other prophecies?” the Mind God asked.

”What other prophecies?”

”You know,” the man said. ”The one that calls you a Savior.”

Alex froze a little. How did this man learn about any of that at all?

”Is it surprising that I know of it?” he asked. ”I’m afraid a few of the other Gods are aware of this as well.”

”Are they now?”

The Mind God nodded. ”So, are you the Savior?”

Alex took in a deep breath. ”I don’t know. Compared to being the Destroyer, I would very much want to be the Savior. But if I believe in one prophecy, I will have to believe in the other one as well. So, for now, I choose to believe none of them are correct. That is the best for my sanity.”

The Mind God looked surprised at Alex’s response. That had been an opportunity to toss away one possible identity to take up another, but he had given up on both of them instead.

”You are an interesting young fellow,” the Mind God said with a chuckle. ”Would you join me? I could use a man like you.”

Alex paused. ”Join you? In what?”

”Not in what. Simply join me and work alongside me,” the man said.

”Oh, if you mean your cult, then I refuse. I have no plans on joining anyone,” Alex said.

”But you are under the Sword God, are you not?” the Mind God asked with a confused look.

”I am a disciple of Bladedance, but I am not a part of her cult.”

”We could have a similar relationship. You would be working beside me and not under me. You could help me with what I need to do, and I could pass along my techniques to you,” the Mind God said. ”I have been in search of an heir for a long time, and you appear to be the perfect candidate.”

Alex was quite taken aback at the Mind God’s words. He hadn’t expected the conversation to take this direction.

Had he really come all this way to make him his disciple?

”How does that work exactly?” Alex asked. ”I am to work beside you and somehow also be the heir to your inheritance?”

”You wouldn’t be a disciple. Just someone who can keep the inheritance I received from my master,” the man said. ”This technique of mine needs a safeguard, and I find you capable of filling that role.”

Alex looked toward Sunflare to see if he had any reaction to all of this, but the man didn’t give a single glance his way.

So, Alex looked back toward the Mind God, thinking about the proposal.

”Is this the technique that gave you your name?” Alex asked.

The man smiled. ”I couldn’t possibly say that right now. Not without your choice, at least.”

”That’s a shame, since I can’t make a decision without fully understanding what I’m getting myself into,” Alex said. ”You have to help me understand so I can make an informed decision. I will have to spare more time to learn your technique in the coming days, after all, and I need to know if it is worth my time.”

”Oh, it will be worth your time,” the Mind God said. ”But more than that, you need not worry. I won’t be passing along the technique for a long, long time.” He laughed. ”I do not plan on dying any time soon, after all.”

Alex frowned. ”So I am to simply follow you around for a long time, in the hope that you will fulfill your side of the arrangement at a much later date? That doesn’t seem fair to me at all.”