【This isn't some nesting doll situation, but the fate that entangles all things in this world.】
Mephistopheles spoke calmly, in the tone of one who had seen it all:
【The wheel of destiny is also the great wheel of life; anything that exists in this world is inevitably pulled by it.】
【To explore the laws of fate is to fall into endless bewilderment. Only those who are truly steadfast in their original intentions have the possibility of breaking free from the shackles of fate. I believed you could eventually see through this layer, but the speed you achieved it at is quite surprising.】
【In that case, perhaps I can tell you about the primordial path now. Hmm... this also directly relates to the creation of my physical body.】
"Hmm? The primordial path?"
Faust finally remembered that Mephistopheles had mentioned this before.
Mephistopheles gave a mysterious smile:
【Do you know how the original paths came to be?】
【They were the roads explored by the very first batch of awakened ones in order to study and resist fate. But later, the wheel of destiny transformed them into channels for mortals to obtain power. Truly a masterstroke.】
【What used to require carefully orchestrated scripts to guide mortals now only requires bestowing a path. A monarch's path will inevitably lead toward the path of governance and conquest; a warrior's path will inevitably lead toward the path of self-challenge. The son of man views the path as a source of power, and thus, they are naturally restricted by that path.】
I was wondering why there were things like game classes that everyone just took for granted; so that's how it started.
"So, the primordial path is..."
【It is the purest path, almost entirely uninfluenced by fate, specifically using the emotions of the son of man as nourishment.】
【The desire for courage and glory, the longing for love and joy, the pursuit of knowledge and truth, the respect for life and nature... The original awakened ones accommodated these primal emotions to deceive the wheel of destiny into giving its gifts.】
Faust frowned. "That sounds like some kind of heretical stuff."
【You're being sensitive. These are all excellent things. Though if I had to say, it’s not just positive emotions; corresponding negative emotions can be harvested just as well.】
"So, you're saying this primordial path is very strong?"
Faust's eyes lit up. Ho ho ho, there's even a hidden class to play? That’s impressive.
【Where did you get the idea that older is always stronger? The strength of the son of man lies in continuous progress. Your path systems have evolved to be infinitely stronger than they were back then. In terms of sheer power, the primordial path is inferior to modern ones in every way. It doesn't even have a proper name and was merely a flash in the pan in history.】
【But it has one irreplaceable benefit: the mystery condensed by the primordial path is the purest form of mystery, one that even the wheel of destiny cannot interfere with.】
Mephistopheles finally revealed his endgame, stating directly:
【It is perfectly suited for shaping my physical body. A vessel capable of freely switching between human and dragon forms is not easy to come by.】
"So this is for making your vessel? You should have said so earlier. Sounds good."
If it were just a hidden class change for himself, Faust might have hesitated. After all, he didn't feel much for this primordial path and instinctively felt a bit of rejection.
But if it were for shaping Mephistopheles's physical body, then he had to use the best materials and the best conditions, stacking resources regardless of the cost.
Why? Because a dragon is the symbol of an emperor!
Faust wouldn't say he had some kind of dragon fetish or dragon obsession; after all, he didn't even know what dragons in this world looked like.
Was a dragon a biological creature, or a transcendent god?
Most importantly, he didn't even know what Mephistopheles looked like. He should at least see a projection first, right?
So he wasn't a dragon fanatic. Definitely not.
Faust said, "I'll raise you while you're young, and you'll support me when I'm old."
【Isn't that backward?】
Faust changed the subject:
"Anyway, how do I multiclass into this primordial path? Do I need to go somewhere to find an inheritance?"
The Prince of Qingxi's first thought was that he needed to explore some ruins to find lost technology.
【No need for such trouble. The primordial path never had an inheritance. After all, it was born too early. In modern times, it can only be considered a technique, though the requirements are somewhat strict. Only an awakened one who has awakened from fate can practice it.】
【The son of man today may have no memory of it, but I remember it very clearly. One night is enough to learn the technique.】
Thus, for the entire night, Faust mastered the knacks of the primordial path under Mephistopheles's tutelage. Just as the fairy said, it wasn't anything overly profound or esoteric; anyone with a basic foundation in occultism could master it.
It wasn't until the morning light spilled through the window that Faust stretched and pushed the door open.
Arriving at the courtyard outside his palace, Faust was about to do a set of warm-up exercises as a morning workout when he immediately saw Viviana in the yard.
The young woman was still dressed as she was last night, in her white royal guard uniform with gold trim. She stood straight in the courtyard, her pale gold, slightly wavy hair flowing down, shimmering silver under the morning light. Combined with her otherworldly, ethereal coldness, one might momentarily think they were looking at an illustration from an epic.
She stood directly facing the prince's bedroom, ensuring that the person coming out would see her immediately.
"Your Highness..."
Viviana looked up, her melancholy and magnificent purple eyes looking slightly fatigued.
Faust paused. "Have you been here all night?"
Viviana nodded gently and stepped forward, her beautiful face carrying an air of quiet grievance:
"After you said those words, how could I have any other thoughts? I couldn't close my eyes at all."
The girl tilted her exquisite face up toward Faust, her eyes shining:
"What you said last night, that you like me... like me... were you serious?"
A single sentence from her beloved had kept her awake all night. Viviana was completely lacking her usual maturity in this regard, acting entirely like a young girl.
Faust couldn't help but shake his head. "You should be able to tell."
"It is precisely because of that that I dared not believe it."
Having received the answer she most anticipated from the prince, Viviana's long eyelashes trembled incessantly. She took a step forward, slowly taking Faust's hand and pressing it against her cheek.
Faust spread his other hand. "There's nothing to not believe. Didn't you say you intended to pursue me? I was moved by you, that's all."
"Feelings are like that—a natural progression. At a certain moment, you just suddenly understand. You should have some experience with that, right?"
Indeed!
"Then... in that case, I... can do this now?"
The girl pressed one hand against her high, full chest and took several deep breaths before standing on her tiptoes to lightly kiss the Prince of Qingxi on the cheek.
Viviana was a very 'proper' child. Before a relationship reached a certain level, she would never overstep her bounds. Even if she wanted to be physical, she would always find a high-sounding, legitimate reason first, using rhetoric like 'I really have no choice with you' or 'I’ll just have to take responsibility.'
The straightforward 【Cinderella】 didn't count; Viviana had already strictly distanced herself from that side of her.
And a relationship of 'mutual affection' was fully qualified for this level of intimate interaction.
Rate on N.U.
