Two weeks after the wedding, Ben felt like smashing his face against a wall.
Why. Can’t. I. Do. This!
I refuse to accept this is impossible! There’s a big range of options that might make it work, they all just fall into the categories of unlikely to succeed, liable to kill me, and unethical even by my standards. Something has to work!
What’s that supposed to mean?
Yeah, because I’m right and my skill literally proves that. I can detect evil viewed on a societal scale, evil viewed on an individual’s scale, and evil viewed on my scale. I’ve got no sense for any sort of innate evil in this world, which means there is none. Evil is a frame of mind.
Ben was going to retort but lost his chance as he heard notifications coming from the heads of the people around him, telling him of the success of the people he was training.
By that point, every adult demidemon had awakened their connect and every one of them had gained a bonus mind skill for it too, leaving only a few who’d come to continue training with him since then.
He didn’t blame any that stopped, going from low levels of the skill to awakening through exposure to his mind was going to be rough and the majority of them seemed like they just wanted a nice long break more than they were quitting outright, and they’d gotten what he’d wanted them to as well. Not just the levels or the new mind skills, they were getting the attribute bonuses, making all of them more equipped to deal with whatever the future was going to hold in store.
And it’s not like everyone quit after their success, Ben told himself as he looked around the shop at who was still showing up.
While Delair and Mora worked off to the side with one of his clones, there were a good half dozen others there filling the space, continuing to train their awakened connect skills with him and their new mind skills too, be they complex mind, mental expansion, parallel thought, or focus. The demis hadn’t been able to awaken those yet, but of those who were still stopping by, it was only a matter of time, with one standing out there more than the rest in what they’d achieved. The only one who wasn’t a demidemon.
“Alright, excellent work everyone, but with your levels, you officially need to take breaks for a bit, so I’d better not see any of you trying to sneak back in with the next groups before that, okay?”
A small groan went up among them. Even if they were excellent at training properly, there was no denying that Ben was still putting them through hell, and it left a small chuckle breaking free of his lips before he went on.
“And other than that, let’s get a small round of applause for your high priestess. Valaria, you are officially Myriad’s second contender, the next closest in the faith to achieving a godhood of your own.”
That perked the rest of the demis up, clapping happily for her while Ben watched his apprentice look over in her own curiosity while the priestess blushed under the attention.
She deserved it, though. By reaching the ninth level of her advanced connection, there was no denying that she’d cemented her place and authority within the faith that was just as grand as the position she already held, and that wasn’t even the only skill she’d been growing. Her unnatural mental expansion was leveling well from that same exposure to his mind, and he wanted to help her keep growing it too, even if there was a touch of selfishness tied to his desire to help out his coworker.
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That’s not just why I want it, thank you very much. It would just be a handy bonus to getting her there. The world needs more third tiers. Think of how handy it would be to get her to that level, and the bragging rights to you as well. You’d have two living godlings to your name, has any god ever had two living third tiers at once before?
You’ve gotta admit, it would be handy.
If that happens, I’m literally going to cry.
Both. Undeniably both.
Still, he did his best to suppress that feeling. However it would work out, he’d just have to take whatever results she’d get, and that would still be a ways off anyway. He’d need her to get a few more levels to her unnatural mental expansion before he could think about trying to help her awaken it and he needed to let her recover after that round of training with him too, even if it brought one more idle thought going through his head.
I’ve already got awakener as a title, wonder if I’ll get a new one if I push someone else into the third tier? Great awakener, master awakener, divine awakener, I feel like there’s room for options.
He let himself muse on that while he instead led the demis out, saying his goodbyes to them until only Valaria and one other were left.
“So, how are you both feeling?”
“The scale of the mental expansion levels still feels weird to adjust to,” the high priestess admitted. “It takes a couple of days to get used to before it starts feeling normal.”
“A couple of days isn’t too bad in the grand scheme of things,” Ben tried to reassure. “Before I even got to the second tier, I was having a synergy issue with some of my mind skills that left me with a multi-month long migraine. Your soul should be adapting to the change your mind is going through too, so it should get even easier the more you grow. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
Especially don’t worry about it if it’s going to keep you from letting me try to awaken you.
“Oh, I’m not worried,” she rushed to tell him. “I couldn’t be more thankful for the help. To be at the ninth level of an awakened skill of all things, I never dreamed of as much in my life.”
“Ha, well I’m glad to hear it. In that case, make sure you keep scheduling some time to practice with me. I know it might feel like you’re done, but there’s really no reason not to keep chipping away at the skill. After all, there’s still more to progress.”
Excuse you, I’ll have you know that the church of Myriad was built on deceit. If I’m honest, there’s a chance she’ll worry about what having a third-tier mind will be like and decide she doesn’t want it. Much easier to focus on the part where she might be able to awaken connect. It’s not like it’s a lie either; just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t for her.
Yeah? Remind me again how you got your apostle, would you?
Kind of does to me actually, but fine. And your priestess and your oracle then?
Woah woah woah now, take some personal responsibility here, Ben thought up with a grin. Those were the actions of your apostle. As the god, you’ve gotta either stop the things done in your name or accept the blame for them.
That reminds me, did Cheele succeed in taking over his crime family?
<... Yes, he did.>
Good for him. Send him my best, Ben laughed in his head while focusing on the other still there.
“And Toltho, how are you feeling about things? You’re officially the third-highest connect holder in the faith. Well, arguably tied for third, but Sachel’s became a part of her plant magic, so it doesn’t really count. Anyway, you’re doing okay with this training?”
“Mmh, it’s certainly intense, but it’s worth it,” the leader of the demis nodded. “Even if it’s hard, how could I not use such a valuable resource?”
“That’s the spirit. You make sure you take your break like I said, but after that, come by when you feel like it. I’ll turn you into a contender too before you know it, maybe even get you one more awakening.”
With Toltho holding complex mind, their training together had progressed it to the ninth level, letting Ben see what that skill would have normally looked like if it hadn’t been interacting with all of the others in his head and he wanted the demidemon to raise it for the same reason he wanted Valaria to get her mind to the third tier. Whatever changes came with it would almost certainly imprint on his mind, strengthening his skill and hopefully bring him closer to getting a level to it as well.
Which means I just need to find a good contender for raising parallel thought and focus to the third tier too, although focus holders don’t seem to grow as fast from my input as the other three skills do so that might be harder to pull off. Still, whatever mind gods I can help make, the better.
With a few more words shared between them though, Ben let them go, each of them having their own tasks to do, with Ben’s put on hold as his own set of notifications rang out in his mind, bringing a bright grin to his face.
And it looks like when the kids are done today, I’m going to have to go on a small trip.