Bab 3: Choice
What made this a shocking feat was that, Adrian did this while still being an Immortal. It was unheard of. A thousand Immortals taking on even a Divine was impossible.
However, Adrian did just that, the impossible. And not only did he come out alive, that Sect was also decimated thoroughly and completely, never to be heard again.
The news sent the Dark Edge Realm into frenzy, more so than the recent news of the Patriarch's death.
How such a concept was possible was beyond them. After all, it was general knowledge that the gap between a Peak Immortal and even the weakest Divine was so immense words couldn't even begin to describe it. The gap was believed to be immense, until Adrian shattered that belief.
It was then a more dreadful realization hit them. Wasn't Adrian just a Young Master? If the Young Master of the Clan was already capable of this, then what of the Elders? Grand Elders? Patriarch? Or the even more terrifying Ancestors?
No, that was going too far. Coming back to the Young Master, what if by some dreadful chance Adrian retained this kind of prowess when he becomes a Divine?
Elder Adrian chuckled lightly when his thoughts reached this point, and a sneer couldn't help but tug at his lips.
'The might of the Fahren Family isn't something the likes of them can fathom,'
"So, what matter demands your personal presence in my humble abode?"
Osric, on the other hand, asked. Although, his shock had long receded, his eyes couldn't help but narrow slightly every time his gaze landed on the three silver moon crested on the left chest area of the Elder's robe.
This clearly confirmed his status as an Elder. And the fact that he was one meant, he was now a Divine.
Osric shook his head. Unexpected, indeed, but he truly wasn't worried. Besides, Osric doubted he really came here to harm him.
"Straight to the point, I like it." The Elder stated, nodding positively as he took his seat on one of the chairs.
Osric followed suite.
"In that case, I won't waste your time,"
Elder Adrian's tone had changed, a repressive aura exploding from his body. In that moment, he was no more the playful Adrian, but a respected Elder of the Fahren Clan.
"In respect for the previous Patriarch, the Clan has sent me with two propositions concerning you. One, in exchange for publicly abdicating your status as a member of my Fahren Clan, the decision have been made to sponsor your Awakening Ceremony.
Two, should you choose to remain here, then the Assimilation Rites must be performed on you."
Osric's eyebrows jumped at the last statement.
Assimilation Rites, comparatively speaking, were not dissimilar to Awakening Ceremonies in that both events needed the Heavens when they are performed.
However, that was where the similarity ended. While one, the Awakening Ceremony, needs the Heavens to awaken the talents that lay asleep in one's being. Assimilation Rites, however, bestows talents you never originally had.
When things were put this way, it suddenly made sense why Osric was perplexed. Why would they go so far for him? Was it because of the Patriarch? But, wasn't the Patriarch dead?
Truthfully, Osric had been expecting the worst, after all, the past month had been nothing but constant bullying. All his properties, excluding the palatial building he was currently living, had been seized.
'To think my worries are unfounded,' Osric thought. However, the next moment, he frowned.
The Rites were heaven-defying, game-changing, could turn an utter trash into an absolute genius, indeed, but it wasn't necessarily advisable. The reasons? Simple.
Awakening Ceremonies needed a mystical energy called Heavens' Blessing to awaken talents. Talents the Heavens had already deemed fit for you before you were born.
Assimilation Rites, however, forcefully strips talents from the Heavens to be assimilated into whatever lifeform was undergoing the Rites.
This sounded good and surreal. However, stealing from the Heavens wasn't without consequences.
"But–"
"You need not worry about such things. Your choice is the only important part of this conversation. With the Fortune of my Fahren Family, let alone an Assimilation Rite, we wouldn't feel a pinch if hundreds of them were conducted. Thus, the only worry here should be your imminent choice,"
Adrian explained steadily. With the senses of a Divine, how could he not pinpoint the concerns of Osric? It could be said that, although, for a fourteen-years-old Mortal, Osric was quite difficult to read, he was still an open book to the likes of him. Hence, he could sense his worries.
However, Osric was nearly unconvinced.
While it was true that carrying out Assimilation Rites incurs the wrath of the Heavens, the prestige of cultivators would be down the drain if a solution hadn't been found.
Fortune, the term Elder Adrian mentioned in his statement, was found out to be the only solution. With Fortune, Assimilation Rites could be conducted, without the worry of being branded a Menace by the Heavens.
However, Fortune was no existence that could be accumulated just because one deemed it. What's more, the amount it needed to placate the Heavens was simply astronomical it almost felt ridiculous.
A reason most organisations of the Martial Verse didn't dare perform the Rites. After all, Fortune was a fuel that kept them running. In other words, the sudden loss of such voluminous amount could mean the eventual collapse of their Sect or Clan.
However, this was just one of its disadvantages.
While it was true that the Rites bestows talents stolen from the Heavens, this, though, greatly depended on the luck of the one undergoing the Rite.
The talents were random, and thus, with good enough luck, one could get the best of talents, while those with especially shitty luck would only make do with the lowest of talents.
Another reason most organisations wouldn't dare carry out the Rites. What if they took the risk, losing colossal amounts of Fortune, only to get a disappointing talent? While it was true that, losing such amount mayn't mean their fall, the doubtless part of it is that their overall prowess will be halved.
And yet, Elder Adrian claimed their Fortune was enough to take on hundreds of Assimilation Rites without feeling a pinch.
Osric's eyes narrowed. The prowess of the Fahren Clan seems to be extremely deeper than what is made known to the public.
He couldn't help but think, perhaps, the Patriarch wasn't even the reason they could still continue to hold their position as the strongest of the whole Realm.
Getting to this point, Osric's eyes suddenly grew serene. He would get to the root of the Fahren Clan. That, he wore to himself.
But first, it was about time he made his choice.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
WeaverOfNightmares
WeaverOfNightmares I'm sorry for the late updates. It's my first time trying webnovels. Hence, bear with me till I get accustomed to it. For now, expect one chapter every two days. Thanks!
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