"Do you want help with the war against the sea monsters?"
Leviticus did not even pretend to hesitate.
"No. But I will not them attack the ship you're in. I've been prolonging it on purpose."
Veneri's eyes narrowed. Parasphlen and Biolumine, who had taken up guard positions near him the moment the private discussion started, both looked shocked at that. Biolumine stayed in cat form but looked like she was one second away from turning into a problem if Leviticus made the wrong move. Parasphlen floated nearby with a sharp, suspicious glow, clearly not buying any of this at face value. Veneri didn't object to their caution. If Leviticus decided to turn this into a trap, then the two of them would tear him apart first and ask questions later. Veneri was perfectly confident he was stronger than Leviticus anyway when he had Parasphlen and Biolumine. So if anything ugly happened, he was not particularly worried.
Fortunately, Leviticus didn't seem malicious.
Leviticus noticed the guarded atmosphere and gave an exhale.
"The war is the only thing keeping life interesting here. Sure, people die but stagnancy is worse. If a civilization stays too peaceful for too long, it rots from within. Comfort makes people soft. Soft people destroy themselves without needing an enemy."
Veneri stared at him for a moment, then gave the faintest nod. That part, unfortunately, made sense. That's why he told his daughters to always keep the civilians of the ORS endure trouble.
"The war shapes them and forces adaptation. The five strongest Immortal Factions in the Immortal Anchor didn't give up their armies for the hundred-year conflict and I'm one of them, so I had to find another way to make sure my people are active. That Prism Madonna really is something. I'm actually glad I didn't send my armies."
Biolumine's whiskers twitched. Parasphlen made a suspicious little sound that might have been a cough if she had lungs. Both of them hid their amusement badly enough that Veneri noticed.
Veneri's face remained neutral but on the inside he was already entertained by how completely Leviticus had missed the obvious fact in front of him. Apparently not even the Timeless Realm had bothered to tell him that the monster he was praising had been standing in front of him for this entire conversation.
Leviticus changed the subject with a more practical tone.
"When someone is sent into the Immortal Anchor, their Divinities are sealed by the ruler of the realm they're in. My Water Divinity was sealed too. It took me decades to get it back. I had to climb into the top ten strongest immortals before the seal loosened enough for the realm to recognize me again. That's the requirement for most people. Reach the top ten strongest of any realm and the realm starts giving back the proper keys. That means if you want your Divinities unsealed naturally, you'll have to reach that level. It also means the Divine Anchor becomes harder to avoid."
Veneri gave him a flat look.
"That's not exactly comforting."
"It's not meant to be. For now, I can break the seal on the Water Divinity for you."
Leviticus stood from his chair and stepped behind him. The chamber they were in was quiet, dry and sealed from outside interference. It was a private chamber within Atlantis, probably chosen because it had no water in it and would therefore make the process easier. Veneri remained in a lotus position on the floor while Leviticus placed one hand against his back. Parasphlen and Biolumine immediately got close ready to pounce if the slightest thing went wrong. Veneri did not stop them.
Leviticus's palm began to glow with Divine Energy.
The sensation was immediate and strange. It felt like a lock inside Veneri's soul had been struck open with perfect force. Something deep inside him cracked and a surge of Soul Energy rushed in response, flowing through channels he had not fully touched in ages. The release was clean and violent at the same time, like a dam breaking after too long under pressure.
The Timeless Realm itself noticed the breach and immediately tried to force the seal back into place. It tugged hard enough that the room seemed to warp around him. The realm rejecting the force of unlocking the seal. Leviticus felt it too and clicked his tongue.
"This Time Trial really doesn't want you using your Divinities."
He had not done this in a long time but the instinct was still there. His body and soul recognized the moment with exact familiarity. Without hesitation, he activated the Pentarch Technique.
A version of Veneri emerged from him, standing to one side as the technique split the structure of his being into another manifestation. This one carried the Water Divinity and the moment he stabilized, the Soul Energy faded. The strain reduced. The seal had been broken and the result was better than even Veneri had expected.
Leviticus blinked. For the first time in the conversation, he looked surprised. There were now two Veneris in the chamber. One was the original and the other had cerulean hair and eyes, carrying the Water Divinity. The two of them looked at each other for a while, both equally shocked by the sudden success. Biolumine immediately ran over to the original Veneri, still in cat form, and looked him over with clear concern.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. That was rough."
Then he looked at the Water Pentarch and actually smiled. Leviticus stared at both of them for a second, then gave a low, impressed breath.
"So that's what your Supreme Technique does."
"You expected something else?"
"I expected complexity, not a perfect version of you."
"It's a Supreme Technique."
"Still, your Water Divinity feels weak."
Veneri's original self gave him a blank look.
"Weak?"
"For a Hydroborn, yes. Why haven't you used it properly?"
"Because I never needed it. I had other Divinities."
Leviticus's expression changed.
"You're a Hydroborn and you never tried to use your Water Divinity?"
"I used what mattered."
"Do you even know the true power of the Hydroborn?"
"No. My mother never taught me Hydroborn capabilities. She doesn't even like the ocean anymore because she doesn't want to be queen of the oceans. She never bothered to teach me much beyond the basics."
Leviticus slowly looked up at him, clearly appalled by this revelation. He sighed deeply and shook his head.
"This is worse than I thought."
Veneri's Water Pentarch stood off to the side, watching both of them. Leviticus pointed at Veneri with one hand.
"You are a Royal Hydroborn with a Water Divinity and you never thought to push it?"
"I had other powers. Do you know how many I have?"
Leviticus stared at him like that answer offended the ocean itself. Then he shook his head and laughed once under his breath, though this time there was no amusement in it.
"You're wasting your own abilities. No, I don't think wasting is the right word. Listen carefully. I'm going to teach you how to become a true Royal Hydroborn."
That got both Parasphlen and Biolumine to go very still.
"You're serious."
"I've never been more serious. You've been living like a powerful outsider who happens to be Hydroborn. That is not the same as being a Hydroborn at full depth. If you really want to know what your bloodline can do, then I'm not going to let you keep sleeping on it."
Veneri looked at him for a long second. The corner of his mouth twitched just a little. That was actually useful. The Water Divinity was the only Divinity he had no idea how to use. Even in Regnum Musicae, it was very hard to use it because he didn't know how. He was never taught. He could only summon water on his palms and through his Codex.
"You're going to stop wasting your Hydroborn inheritance."
"And you're going to teach me?"
"Yes."
"Fine. Teach me."
------
The Water Pentarch stayed in Atlantis.
The original Veneri returned to the ship with Parasphlen while Biolumine remained with the Water Pentarch and Leviticus. That arrangement made immediate sense to everyone involved. The original body could keep enjoying the voyage and handle the civilian side of things while the Water Pentarch stayed behind to learn what his bloodline could really do. Biolumine was staying with the Water Pentarch too and Parasphlen had gone with the original Veneri, which meant both bodies had their own safeguards.
By sunset, Water Veneri and Leviticus were standing on the surface of the ocean itself. Far off in the distance, the Cornvelia ship was already moving away. The original Veneri stood somewhere on deck, waving back toward them before the ship drifted farther out of easy sight. Biolumine, in manta ray form, swam around the vessel, making the passengers on board point and stare with delighted shock. Even from here, Water Veneri could tell the ship's guests were enjoying the spectacle of the giant divine sea creature circling them.
For a while, the two of them just stood there on the water's surface.
Water Veneri looked calm. It was still him, just in another body. That was the strange but useful part of the Pentarch Technique. He wasn't someone else. He wasn't a clone in the ordinary sense. He was still himself, split cleanly into a different body and a different function. The mind stayed connected. The instincts stayed connected. The underlying self stayed the same. Leviticus seemed to find that interesting because after watching the ship disappear into the sunset, he turned toward Water Veneri and asked the obvious question.
"How are you handling being in different places at once?"
Water Veneri gave a faint shrug.
"It's not hard. It's still me, just in a different body."
Leviticus nodded slowly, as if that answer confirmed something.
"Useful. That means we can start properly."
"What's the first lesson?"
Leviticus sat down first, right on the surface of the ocean. Water Veneri followed. The water around them held easily under their weight. Biolumine was still circling the ship in her manta ray form. The passengers were still excited, which amused Veneri a little.
Leviticus crossed his arms and began without delay.
"The first lesson is to understand the Hydroborn. In every sentient planet in the universe, there are usually two original races. One comes from land and the other comes from water. Water is fundamental to terrestrial life, even when a civilization forgets it. For Spheraphase, the original water-born race is the Hydroborn. The original land-born race is the Elves, created by the World Tree."
That was not new information to Veneri but hearing it laid out this cleanly made it easier to connect the structure.
"The first races of a world are linked to its origins. That matters. They can harness powers related to where they came from even when they're somewhere else. We're in the Timeless Realm right now but Hydroborn can still use the water here because water is part of our origin. Most aquatic races can't just manipulate water in any world without trouble because their relation to it is local or conditional. The first aquatic race can. That's one of the core advantages. There's more. The first oceanic race gains access to Aqualyes."
Veneri's brows rose.
"Aqualyes is a Primordial Element."
"Yes."
"How can they create it?"
"Because of origin. The first original races of civilization in a planet get certain advantages tied to that civilization's natural order. For the first water races across the universe, one of those advantages is Aqualyes. That's what allows them to use any water type in any part of the universe."
He lifted one hand and condensed the ocean in front of him into a sphere. The sphere was blue and unnaturally heavy-looking. It hovered in Leviticus's palm.
"That's Aqualyes. Hydroborn can form it by condensing water properly."
Water Veneri stared at the sphere and felt its weight even from a distance.
"That's heavy."
"It is. For a Royal Hydroborn, the effect is stronger still."
He let the sphere vanish and continued with the lesson.
"Hydroborn can also understand oceanic creatures and oceanic races. That matters more than people realize. It's part of why Hydroborn have always been tied to the sea. We can breathe underwater. That one's obvious enough. We can also shift into oceanic race forms if we want to."
That made Water Veneri tilt his head.
"Any oceanic race?"
"Most of them, yes. If a Hydroborn wants to become a siren, a merman, a crustacean, a reef humanoid, something else, they can. But there's a rule. One form can be chosen permanently. If you choose a form, that becomes your oceanic transformation for the rest of your life."
"So you can only pick one."
"Exactly. I chose siren. Male siren, specifically."
That got Water Veneri's attention for a different reason.
"Siren are androgynous. They can switch gender to give birth or help others become expectant. When I came to the Timeless Realm, I chose a male siren form. It made the Siren Queen feral for me. Best decision I ever made."
Water Veneri snorted.
"You're telling me that like it's a lesson."
"It is a lesson, Choice matters. And no, you do not have to choose an oceanic race at all. It isn't mandatory. It's only an option."
The Hydroborn didn't have to become something else to be complete. They could, but they didn't have to. Leviticus moved on after seeing his relief.
Another advantage: Hydroborn could materialize water.
"That's important Most oceanic races with water manipulation can move or shape water that already exists. Hydroborn can create it. We don't need to rely on water being present. We can generate it ourselves. Lastly, we get stronger when close to bodies of water. The ocean is our best environment. For you and me, right now, we're basically unstoppable here. Aqualyes is also useful for alleviating body issues and energy regulation. For a Royal Hydroborn, it's an extra benefit. For you specifically, it should help even more because your body responds to energy in very high volumes already."
Water Veneri considered that and nodded slowly.
"That's really good. So when does the lesson start?"
Leviticus's expression became a little more serious.
"Though I need to warn you, I didn't want to involve you in the war before. That has changed. If I'm going to teach you properly, then by the end of it you need to be able to kill the sea monsters alongside me."
Water Veneri didn't flinch. He just looked across the water for a second, then back at Leviticus.
"How long will that take?"
"Decades. Maybe centuries."
"I have time."
Leviticus studied him, then seemed satisfied by the answer.
"And your original body?"
"He can survive without the Water Divinity, just as he always has."
"Good. That means we can focus properly."
Biolumine, now far enough out that she had likely finished her show near the ship and was circling back, swam through the water in manta form before turning back to Atlantis. Veneri smiled as the shop was finally too far for him to see it. He was going to learn more about being a Hydroborn.
And, if Leviticus had his way, he would be a great Hydroborn and master the Plenituse Technique even better. Even though he could never break to the Grandmaster level, he could make his techniques even stronger.