Time passed swiftly, and in that interval, Aethan was able to seal the cracks in his core and resume cultivation.
He was still a Gaseous State First-Circle Sorcerer, and he needed to reach the peak of that State before he reached the Eclipse Sect.
Being in the Gaseous State of any Circle meant that you were just beginning the said Circle; being in the Liquid State meant you were halfway into that Circle, and being in the Solid State meant you were at the peak of that Circle, or nearing it.
Aethan was a Gaseous State First-Circle Sorcerer, so he was amongst the weakest Sorcerers in the world.
Cultivation made one strong, but no one believed you had truly started Cultivating until you at least reached Gaseous State of Second-Circle Sorcery. This was because anyone beneath the Second-Circle could be killed as easily as any mortal by those in the Second-Circle and above worth their salt.
There were rare geniuses though, who could fight above their Circle, but so rare were they that they might as well not exist.
Aethan hadn't seen a Second-Circle Sorcerer in action before, so he couldn't affirm that claim.
'What if the First-Circle Sorcerer was a Dual Elemental Sorcerer, and their two Elements perfectly countered the Second-Circle Sorcerer's Element or Techniques, wouldn't they be able to defeat them?'
Aethan remembered asking his father and brothers this question, and their answer was certainly interesting.
'The gap between a First-Circle Sorcerer and Second-Circle Sorcerer is wider than you think it is,' his father had explained.
'A Gaseous State Second-Circle Sorcerer is five times stronger than a Solid State First-Circle Sorcerer. Also, even if the attack power of the Solid State First-Circle Sorcerer is five times stronger, they wouldn't still be able to defeat the Second-Circle Sorcerer, because of one thing,
…their Totembeast.'
The answer was something that lingered in his mind for a very long time, and his interest in Totembeasts was piqued.
'What is a Totembeast?' He remembered asking that question too, to which his brother, Orien, replied.
'A Totembeast is a creature a Sorcerer binds to themselves to boost their magical and physical capabilities,'
'Totembeasts vary by Circle just like humans, but they also have a grade system, separating the ones with abilities surpassing their Circle, and the ordinary ones. See it like their talent level.'
The list wasn't long, it was easy to remember and quite intriguing.
"Common, Uncommon, Rare, and three more unknown grades," Aethan mumbled, scrubbing the dirt off his body with a rough sponge.
"Father has a Rare Grade Totembeast, which he said was an Earthbound Dragon," Aethan said, chuckling lightly. "That explains why his physique is overly packed with dense muscles."
Aethan remained quiet for a while, his thoughts swimming through his mind as steam rose from his body, curling overhead.
"Only Second-Circle Sorcerers and above can bind a Totembeast to themselves," he said all of a sudden, the smile on his face widening.
"My strength increases with every Blood Essence Extraction, giving me more power than any First-Circle Sorcerer, so I have an advantage over most."
Aethan dropped the lather filled sponge, activating the enchantment on the wall to let water pelt down on his skin.
"Besides, I'm a Battlemage," he added, gales of wind and streaks of lightning forming around his body, snapping through the steam and splitting droplets of water. "A unique one at that."
It wasn't uncommon for a Sorcerer to be purely a warrior, without having Elemental abilities backing them, and it also wasn't uncommon for a Sorcerer to fight using Elemental abilities and enchanted equipments.
Those who used both Elemental Magic and enchanted equipments —either close combat or long ranged— were known as Battlemages.
Aethan was a Battlemage, so was his father, eldest sister and brothers. Only his older sister, Selene, and their mother were purely Mages.
This didn't mean that Mages or Pure Warriors were weak though. In fact it only made them more adept at controlling their Element(s) or mastering their Martial Arts and their various techniques. They had more time to focus on it, unlike Battlemages who practiced both Magic and Martial Arts.
Merek had taken the path of a Knight earlier on when he was tested to not have an affinity for any Element, but only for Aether.
Down the line though, he developed an intimate affinity for Metal, so much so that when battling in an area having large amounts of Metal Aether, or Metal itself, he could fight two States above himself.
This wasn't the same for all Battlemages. Merek was just unique when it came to Metal Magic.
Thinking of Merek, he was supposed to arrive the day before, but he was unable to due to a Dungeon gate opening up directly on the route he took.
Quickly clearing it though, he was able to get back home and meet his family after a long while.
Merek arrived on a Nightmare Horse, the chosen steed for all calvary riders in the Order of the Black Lance. He didn't use his Totembeast as usual, but no one really minded this, his Totembeast was quite disturbing to look at after all.
Merek was very excited to see his brother after a long time. His demeanor switched from the galant and stoic Knight he was, to a caring big brother. This behavior didn't match his chiseled jawline, sharp facial features, imposing black armor and bulky build, but he didn't mind.
He wasn't as large and stocky as his father, but he was built powerfully. His muscles were defined, and his black armor clung to his body, accentuating his shoulder length black hair.
He towered over Aethan, his firm hands clasped around Aethan's shoulder to shake him lightly… or maybe calling it lightly was an understatement from Aethan point of view…
His neck almost snapped!
Aethan's eyes squinted in pain, but he bore through it without letting out a sound.
His brother, used to the rough and tough bastion he was located, handled his brother like any other Knight. Aethan and their father had to remind him multiple times, before he finally controlled his strength, lest he accidentally snapped Aethan in half.
After all the pleasantries were concluded, they got down to business.
Darion had stayed home for a very long time because of Aethan. But now that he was leaving for the Eclipse Sect, he would also have to return to his Guild… the Bloodborne Syndicate.