There was only so much time I could spend theorizing, at the end of the day my primary goal was still strength. The consequences I just had to deal with as I grew stronger. Not the best answer to my predicament, didn't even pass the threshold of being a good one.

  It was better than being paralyzed by the fear of so many possibilities.

  Besides, Alvir seemed sane, and his demon was likely much stronger than mine. Though he was a bastard, I didn't know how much of that could be ascribed to demonic influence. So I still had plenty of time to figure shit out.

  I wasn't going to wait until it became a problem though. I had more time to spend as I grew awake, though it chaffed to sacrifice my training. I'd tried a few of my theories, and so far...no luck.

  The first thing that came to mind was inspired by the demon itself.

  Couldn't I just eat its soul until it was gone? The implication of snuffing out a life so entirely gave me pause...but it was a demon. When I tried though, I found that its soul was much too strange for me to interact with.

  I didn't know how to interact with souls in the first place, but starting on a thing of ever-shifting persuasion and what felt like an inversion of some sort wasn't the best for practice.

  It didn't help that the base components that made up our respective souls were completely different. Mine was...well, I didn't know, the closest thing I could compare it to was a pond. The demon's felt like pulsating flesh, maybe a heart? If said heart pumped mercury instead of blood?

  The imp found it endlessly amusing that I was trying to eat its entire being, not even a hint of worry that I'd be able to accomplish it.

  I'd keep trying, but it didn't look promising.

  The second theory I came up with was a ritual that could sever the bond, but that came with the problem of needing a ritualist. I knew next to nothing about rituals, only that it acted as a kind of exchange between mortal and...something.

  The effect varied depending on how much and what was sacrificed. To the extent that a nation could be blessed with everlasting prosperity. No one bothered to go that far, considering it'd take every citizen of said nation and then some to get the same affect for a limited time. Though there were stories.

  The third theory was to get a blessing.

  Surely the gods would've had no trouble with my dilemma, and I had already grabbed the attention of one among the pantheon's number. I just...wasn't good enough yet, apparently.

  Which was what led me here.

  I laid sprawled on the sand like a particularly stupid starfish, gazing at the clouds that marked the sky. One of them was shaped like a rabbit, which reminded me of Kit. I didn't think I'd see them in winter but hope was an insidious thing that didn't really care for sound logic. I'd have to settle for the clouds, which were kinda cute so it worked out in the end.

  A shadow cast itself over my form, and I looked up to find a waiting hand outstretched for my benefit. "Hey Adaman," I said. "You wouldn't mind if I stayed on the sand a little while longer, would you?"

  Adaman let out a snort and shook his head. "You've had enough rest from the beating I delivered, and the sun is still high in the sky."

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  "Fair," I grunted, then grasped his hand with my right before pulling myself up off the ground.

  I turned and picked up the dull gladius I'd been abusing for the past few hours and turned back to Adaman with a raised brow. The man nodded, and got into his stance with the quarter staff. I gave a nod of my own before doing the same.

  The series of bouts that followed led to a lot of me crumpling back onto the sand and getting back up for more punishment, the part I hated most was the repetition of the process. I had gotten better, but no where near the point where I could pose a true challenge to the priest. Then again, I wasn't using any magic.

  Not that I thought it would've made much of a difference, but I wanted to respect the god's rules, even if I wasn't sure if they extended past the initiation duel. I wasn't going to take risks when a blessing was on the line.

  Whether that was feasible was up for debate.

  Surely the god of valour and martial might only needed me to be stronger?

  "You've gotten better, but not in skill," Adaman said as we circled around each other. "But I can tell you aren't using magic, how interesting."

  I shrugged at the man. "I'm cool like that."

  "I'm sure," he chuckled.

  Then the talking was over and I charged to clash with the priest. His quarterstaff met my gladius and I tried to redirect to the side and create an opening. It didn't work, Adaman had more than enough experience where he could see past any plans I made. A whisper, just a hint of one.

  Adaman was hard to read, both literally and metaphysically. I'd asked about it once, hiding from the World was something I'd only seen once before, and that was seemingly through witch magic. The zealot went on a philosophical rant about the beauty of combat and the benefits of its mastery.

  So no dice on that front, unfortunately.

  But when I did catch something from Adaman, I acted on it without hesitation. The World never lied after all.

  He sidestepped and pushed my blade aside, going for a sweep of my legs in my moment of vulnerability. I brought my foot up and stomped down on the end of his staff. I saw of flicker of genuine surprise on the priest's face for a moment, but it wasn't enough to temporarily trap his weapon.

  There were likely many things he could've done to outmaneuver me, but he chose perhaps the most ridiculous method I could think of.

  Adaman's smile was filled with insanity as he let go of his weapon and parried my gladius by bitch-slapping the broadside of the weapon as though it were a simple gnat. I'd long learned not to let shock effect me in the middle of a fight, but that was too much.

  Not a second later I was back on the sand and looking at the sky, a distinctly broken nose where the madman had punched me. Mend was giving me so many interesting details about how cartilage wasn't the only thing that took damage, but I was too busy contemplating how the fuck.

  Adaman seemingly found my bewilderment hilarious, because he was laughing straight from the belly. "It's always a joy to show my juniors the bounty that comes with the climb!"

  "How?" I said as I sat up to stare at the man. "That—that shouldn't be possible, that kind of shit is reserved for stories. You broke every rule when it comes to combat and it fucking worked!"

  "Indeed!" Adaman said with a smile filled with mirth. "You should never do such a thing when facing an opponent that is your equal. Too much risk for just a bit of flair. You, however, are not my equal. Not even close."

  I scowled at the man. "Thanks for rubbing salt in the wound, asshole."

  "I meant no offence, simply stating a fact. You are a prodigy, but those above you aren't hard to find. You're making remarkable progress though, progress you should be proud of."

  "Not enough for a blessing apparently," I grumbled and got to my feet.

  Adaman huffed a chuckle at that.

  "What's so funny?"

  "You know so little of the divine," he shook his head. "Perhaps It is time for a pilgrimage to the villages if their knowledge is so lacking?"

  I glared at him and he waved me off with a smile.

  "While my god encourages your growth, he is already satisfied with your skill, else you would've never entered his domain. A boon, considering his standards are much higher for most, perhaps it is your age combined with skill that impressed him?"

  That...made some sense, but it didn't solve the greatest problem I had.

  "So how do I get a blessing then?"

  "It has something to do with you, as a person. A flaw that my patron finds glaring enough that they'd withhold their aid."

  I let out a heavy sigh, of course it was going to be something complicated. Just my fucking luck.

  "Any idea what that flaw might be, oh wise priest?"

  Adaman gave a knowing smirk and shrugged. "I have an inkling, but it isn't my place to say. This is your journey, so you must be the one to find and rectify your shortcomings. To receive assistance would be a disservice to yourself."

  "Fantastic," I grumbled.