章節 7: Monster? No, I'm a Cultivator! (Percy Jackson): Chapter 3
Ocean Song had a keen social sense.
That is to say, he realized immediately that he said something he shouldn't have and made things rather awkward.
It was like highschool all over again.
"In my defense, I'm like two months old." He quickly tried to defer any misgivings. However, for some reason, he felt like that just made things worse.
Hecate, Goddess of Magic, on the other hand, had a brief by rather philosophical question arise within herself. Could a child of Poseidon be drowned?
It was a question she found herself desiring an answer to with each new word that left the Cyclops' mouth.
"Are you the one who made this?" The Goddess once more held up the piece of seaweed, opting to just ignore what he said moments prior.
"Yes, Goddess." The Cyclops responded, bowing his head. "I hope that my attempt at gaining your favor was not insulting. This was my first work; I had hoped I had a modicum of talent to catch your eye for tutelage."
The Goddess was….confused. She expected something else when she received this…..this thing. She very rarely answered calls personally when prayed to. Every now and then she happened upon an up-and-coming witch that caught her fancy, but that hadn't happened in a while.
Now, there was a self-proclaimed two month old Cyclops having admitted to creating this…..thing in her hand.
It was then that she realized even something more amiss with the Cyclops now that she regained her composure.
"What did you do to yourself!?" She let out a surprised shout, eyes widened as she stared at the Cyclops.
"I….don't know?" Ocean Song seemed confused just as well by her accusation.
"Y-you…..did you replace your heart with Magic?"
"I don't think so?"
Her mouth hung open, utterly befuddled by the monster that stood infront of her. "What did you do?"
"I just Cultivated!" He responded quickly.
"How does farming do this?!" She pointed at him again.
"I opened my Meridians and took in the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth!"
She only understood some of those words because they made no sense in that order. However, she didn't immediately get…angry, it was obvious the Cyclops was a little…..dull. Perhaps, he didn't even truly understand what he did either.
"Show me." She calmed down, her tone becoming much more even.
"Show you…?" He tilted his head. "You want to see me Cultivate?"
"…..yes" She just nodded, not understanding what farming had to do with anything.
Instead, he plopped down on the ground, legs crossed and taking an…..odd position. But she knew meditation when she saw it.
But then she saw it.
He was drawing in the ambient Magic, specifically, the Magic associated with the Ocean and his Father's domain and taking it into himself. Normally, she wouldn't have given this a second glance because that's how all Demi-Gods utilize the gifts of their Godly Parents…for the most part.
But instead, he subsumed it.
She was wrong, he didn't turn his Heart into pure magic, rather he stuffed his heart full of magic until it nearly burst….among other places in his body. He took it in, beat it down until he commanded it, then stored it inside himself like…..like a strange imitation of a God and their Domain, but to a far lesser extent.
"How are you not dead?" She blurted out, for one of the rare times in her life, she was utterly without a real explanation of what was going on.
"I heal good in the water." He said as if it were obvious.
Hecate resisted the urge to let out a sigh and rub the bridge of her nose. Though maybe there was a nugget of truth in his words, she pondered. The children of Poseidon do heal extraordinarily well in the water. And she couldn't dismiss the chance that his Father lent a hand despite it being against the 'rules'.
Those rules in general were more adopted for Demi-God children rather than Monstrous Children even if it affected the latter just as much.
Regardless, she was now…. curious. In all her years, she had never seen someone do something so stupid and somehow succeed.
"What is your goal?"
"To learn from you, Great Goddess." He replied immediately with obviously practiced flattery.
Hecate nearly rolled her eyes. "No, what is your goal for….that." She pointed at him. "Your…farming."
"My Cultivation? It's to become immortal." He said casually.
"….you're already immortal." She deadpanned.
"…..what?"
"You're a Monster. You will reform in Tartarus if you die. Unless someone destroys your essence, you are effectively Immortal." She explained.
She was now confused because shouldn't that be something known even by newborn monsters?
It was his turn to sit there with his mouth open. "I forgot about that."
Once more, she questioned if a son of the Sea could be drowned.
"But that's not what I meant." He furrowed his brow. "Immortality is a state of existence, not being undying."
He was right, she acknowledged. Gods and Monsters both reformed when 'killed' yet one was more certainly higher than the other. She realized that he meant he wanted to become a God.
It was a lofty goal, one that many had. For Monsters….it was especially difficult, nearly impossible.
"What you're doing won't turn you into a God. You would die before stuffing enough Magic into your body to be even considered close to a Minor God." She pointed out. "But more logically, there is a limit of how much Magic you can take into your body through that method."
The Cyclops tilted his head again. "Of course, once I reach the limit of Qi Condensation, I'll break through to the next realm."
"…..next realm?" he was saying strange things again. Did he….have some sort of plan and wasn't just blindly doing stupid things? The thought intrigued her deep down. "What is this…..realm?"
"Foundation Establishment!" He said cheerfully.
"And what's that?'
"I don't know."
Perhaps she was giving him too much credit.
Still, she was curious to see what would happen to him and perhaps note it down for her own experiments in the future.
"May I ask you, Great Goddess, about your personal appearance. Does it mean you're willing to accept me as your student?" He looked hopeful.
Admittedly, the prospect wasn't…..offensive to her despite him being a Monster. But there was one major caveat that stopped such a thought dead in its tracks. "I don't take men as my students." she said rather dismissively. "However, I may make an exception and….teach you a few things, in an unofficial way. But I will not formalize any student relationship. However, that's dependent on what you did with this." She held up the piece of Seaweed once more, the original reason she appeared.
"I drew a Talisman." He said as if that answered everything. "It's supposed to summon a light rain. I'm sorry if it's not very good, it was my first attempt."
….he didn't even know what he did, she realized. She had a suspicion that he was playing the fool for some reason, but after simply interacting with him for a few minutes, she realized it wasn't an act.
He was in fact, a fool.
"What do you know about magic?"
"Uh….chant some words, make things happen? But realistically, it's about altering the natural world, isn't it?"
A…. decent answer, she admitted. A better one than most new practitioners. "That's the barest definition of correct. The…vast majority of Magical practitioners utilize the Mist as a catalyst to cast magic. You completely bypassed it."
The Mist was….it was the dividing force between supernatural forces and the mortals. It was an extension of her domain, an aspect of the fundamental force of Magic. Just like how Magic is everywhere in the world, so too does the Mist pervade nearly every crack of the world.
It is Magic solidified even if it isn't magic itself. It's the medium by which the vast majority of magic users utilize their spells and magical abilities. Sure, the best of the best can bypass the mist completely and alter reality by their own methods and skills. But for nearly everyone else, they use the Mist as a crutch.
This….Talisman, that Hecate held from the young Cyclops, it skipped several steps in the process and called upon the Rain. This along was enough to draw her attention even from a skilled practitioner.
"Does that mean I'm a genius!?" He exclaimed. "Thank you, Teacher!"
She was….somewhat regretting her words.
"I said I will not be your teacher beyond a few lessons. Do not refer to me as such." She said pointedly, drawing a line. "Every man I've taken as a student had become mad in their quest for power, so I promised a long time ago to no longer take men."
"And the women don't?" He asked.
"….it's less often." She nearly huffed. "I'm still the patron of Witches, I can't stop teaching Witches."
"I accept!" He immediately bowed his head. "Even if you don't want me to take you as my master, please let me offer these three bows to you."
She had….no idea what he was doing as he bowed to her, so she just silently stood there and let it happen. At the very least…..he was showing the proper respect to her status, which could be said as something.
"However, I require a…test." She wouldn't allow it so easily. She had never taught a Monster so blatantly before and she was remiss to willingly do so without assurances. If one day this Cyclops became the bane of her own children, she would only have herself to blame. And the last thing she needs is any other Gods breathing down her neck because a Monster she taught magic to was killing other Demi-Gods.
"I will walk through fire and ice for you, Goddess Hecate. If you tell me to go East, I won't dare to go West!" He exclaimed with a serious look.
The Goddess Hecate just blinked at him unsure of how to respond to that. "Very well, I will test your heart and hidden desires." She held her hands up. "Your innermost desire will be laid bare to me."
"Uh…..that's probably not a good idea."
She quirked an eyebrow. "Do you have something to hide, little cyclops?" She would see his character.
The measure of his heart and his desires for power and knowledge, where would it lead him. Especially as a Monster, if she saw something repulsive, she would simply reject him and move on.
"All I'm saying is…..I'm a healthy young man…."
She ignored his foolishness and cast a spell. "Reveal your innermost desires to me."
His face went blank as he spoke openly, prompted by the spell. "I would very much like for you to sit on my face."
"..."
"….."
Ocean Song flinched under her narrowed eyes and stern gaze.
"I warned you." He said in his defense.
Silently, she threw a book on the ground, scowling and disappearing from the island.
He picked up the book, dusting off the sand and realized it was an introduction to Magic written specifically by the goddess herself, something utterly priceless.
However, he didn't immediately delve into the mysteries of their magic to further his own cultivation goals.
He set the book down and walked over to the edge of the beach, plopping down as the tides brushed up against his feet.
"Dad." He reached out, knowing that while his dad would hear him he wouldn't necessarily answer. "Am I ugly?"
"Yes." An immediate reply came from across the waves.
"You're supposed to deny it!" I threw a handful of sand into the water.
"Gods don't lie son." He said, his gaze from me fading.
Ocean Song furrowed his brow, pouting. "Senior Brother!" He called out, praying to his elder Brother Triton. "May this lowly Cyclops have a moment of your time for a question?"
Surprisingly, he felt Triton's gaze turn to him. "I got a minute, little Bro. What's up?" The Lesser God's voice carried upon the waves.
"Dad said that Gods don't lie, is that true?"
"Nah, that's bullshit." He responded with a snort.
Ocean Song pondered that then asked another question. "Am I ugly, Senior Brother?"
"You're ugly as sin, little bro."
"…..thank you, Senior Brother."
"Any time, little bro!" He cheerfully pulled his gaze away.
Ocean song realized that he was right before.
It really was like Highschool all over again.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票