Author's Note: Hello there!
I decided to change the title of the novel if you have noticed. Why? I felt like it. Either way, it looks better. Well then, enjoy!
Back to Lysameria, for the past few days, that dome of Aquamarine has been collapsing. Each time it fell, the ocean reminded everyone exactly what it meant to weigh the world.
Water that had been gentle for millennia turned into a crushing force that pulverized bones and squeezed the breath from lungs in an instant. Then, just before death claimed them, Lysameria restored the dome. Healing followed afterwards and then she did it again.
She stood now at the center of Aquamarine's grand training basin. Her long curly hair drifted weightlessly as she observed them. For days, she had watched them break and she was impressed.
"Dense pressure training results. Let's review."
She turned her gaze first to the Aeterium siblings.
"Anamorsia. You endured five minutes of full oceanic pressure in a single day with no hesitation or instability. You do not possess any weaknesses."
A ripple of surprise passed through the group.
"You only lack endurance time which is solved through repetition. Continue as you are."
Anamorsia nodded once.
"Milliania."
Milliania tilted her head, calm as ever.
"You are not a frontline combatant. You are a buffer. Your survivability already exceeds expectations. Like Anamorsia, you withstood five minutes. You will undergo standard endurance conditioning. Nothing excessive."
Milliania smiled faintly. "That's a relief."
"Leon. Leones."
The twins stepped forward in perfect sync.
"You both understand the Aeterium's capabilities. That alone removes most weaknesses. Leon however, only has one flaw. Your Divinity favors utility. It is exceptional but combat does not wait for setup."
Leon grimaced slightly.
"You will focus on the sword not to replace your Divinity but to ensure you are never helpless while preparing it. After all, you're talented in it."
Leon nodded. "Understood."
Her gaze settled on Adelasta, Elyonari and Narisva.
"You three have so many weaknesses. Adelasta, you have the Divinity of Existence, manifested through crimson flame. Your Divinity leans entirely toward destruction. You are already a Grandmaster with your daggers. Your physical lethality is unquestionable. But as a mage, you are mediocre at best."
That one landed.
"You rely on raw Divinity output instead of structure, control or adaptation. Against enemies who can deflect your flames, you will die."
She stopped in front of Adelasta.
"You will either refine your mystical fundamentals or accept that your role is assassination and close-quarters annihilation. Half-measures will get you killed."
Adelasta exhaled slowly. "Understood."
"Elyonari Mintheris."
Elyonari lifted her chin.
"You have a different problem. Your elemental mastery is near flawless. As a mage, you are exceptional. As an archer, you are a Grandmaster. Like Leon, you have one major flaw."
She waved her hand and illusions formed. Elyonari was summoning her elements then switching to the bow, then hesitating.
"You do not transition between your classes. You commit fully every time. Battle does not allow that luxury."
Elyonari clenched her fingers.
"You must learn to shift roles mid-motion. Casting to arrow. Arrow to casting. Until then, you are predictable."
Lysameria turned to Narisva Starisnova. Even standing still, Narisva radiated overwhelming power of her Spatial Divinity.
"And now, the most flawed among you."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
Lysameria didn't blink.
"You are the strongest Divine of the Third Generation. Your raw output surpasses everyone here and yet, you are inefficient. You do not understand your Spatial Divinity. You brute-force space instead of manipulating it. You lack body-based combat skill, your movements rely only on power and worst of all, you try to be everything. Mage. Weapon user. Defender. Support. You attempt to fill every role simultaneously and in doing so, you dilute all of them."
Narisva opened her mouth—
"Stop. You are too strong to be multitasking. Power like yours demands specialization. You will choose one primary path, either a weapon user or a mage. This does not mean you abandon the other but you must be overly superior in one. Until you choose, your training stops."
Narisva stared at the floor with her fists clenched.
"Think carefully because the wrong choice won't just waste your potential. It will get you killed."
°°°°°°°
Elyonari fed the campfire with controlled flickers of her emerald flames. To them, it was nightfall but since they were at the bottom of an underground city with a lot of bioluminescence, they couldn't tell night from day. They all sat in a loose circle. Lysameria decided to roam Aquamarine while they relaxed.
Leon leaned back first, gnawing on roasted meat with alarming enthusiasm. He let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head.
"I genuinely never thought I'd be sitting around a campfire like this hanging out with three sister-in-laws."
Leones snorted, wiping her hands on a cloth before giving him an exaggerated side-eye.
"Our brother clearly treats marriage like a high-difficulty achievement run."
Leones laughed at that. "I'm shocked how he somehow managed to pull five beautiful women who could each flatten kingdom if they felt petty that day."
Milliania, who had been quietly rotating her skewer, clicked her tongue.
"Hard pass. Relationships are overrated."
That earned her several looks.
"Vastarael ruined the baseline for what qualifies as a 'good man.' The standards are ridiculous now. And since I'm one of the strongest Divines currently breathing, I'm not interested in anyone weaker than me by a massive margin."
Leon blinked. "So that's, like, ninety-nine point nine percent of all men."
"Correct."
Anamorsia smiled faintly.
"I'll just find someone I love eventually so I'm not in a rush."
Adelasta finally looked up. Elyonari turned fully toward the siblings. Narisva stared between them, openly stunned.
"You're all insane," Narisva muttered.
Anamorsia tilted her head, studying her for a moment, then smiled knowingly.
"Speaking of life-altering decisions, have you made up your mind yet? Scythe user or mage?"
Narisva's grip tightened around her skewer as she stared into the fire, watching the emerald flames curl and reshape themselves.
"I don't know. All my life, I focused on using my Spatial Divinity directly through combat and control. I thought that was enough. But Lady Lysameria showed me exactly where I fall apart."
The fire crackled softly as Anamorsia nodded.
"That's why you should be a mage."
Milliania nodded immediately. "Agreed."
Leon raised his bone. "Absolutely."
Leones added, "Zero hesitation."
Narisva looked at them like they had collectively lost their minds.
"None of you even let me finish."
Anamorsia chuckled. "We already know the ending. I'm a mage. My Divinity of Vow and Soul is utility-based. It demands distance and preparation."
Milliania followed smoothly. "I specialize in Soul Energy because I'm a buffer. Direct combat can work but mage frameworks multiply effectiveness."
Leon shrugged. "Soul Vision and off-field attacks. I don't need to be near the battlefield to dismantle it."
Leones followed. "Vastarael and I are neutral across all Aeterium capabilities."
Narisva frowned slightly.
"But you're all Aeterium. Doesn't that mean—"
Leon shook his head.
"Being Aeterium doesn't mean our capabilities manifest the same way. The foundation matters. Focus matters. You're perfect for a mage. Your body's absurdly durable. You have an enormous Spatial Energy reserve and your Spatial Divinity aligns perfectly with your Celestial body. If you go scythe, it's not bad but you're destroying."
Leones nodded. "A mage lets you expand your Divinity better."
Narisva hesitated, then asked quietly;
"Then why is Vastarael both a mage and a weapon user?"
That question made the Aeterium siblings burst out laughing. Leon nearly dropped his bone.
"Oh, that? That's because our brother is a monster. He was trained by two Nexuses as a child."
Anamorsia added, "His foundations were fully set before he was even a teenager. The only issue is that he's not powerful enough."
Narisva stared at them, then laughed softly.
"So… I shouldn't rush."
Anamorsia agreed as she gave Narisva another piece of roasted meat. "Exactly. We're giving suggestions, not orders."
"Thank you."