Maxi leaned forward, gripping the edges of his chair. "Okay, then… how do we actually use our blessings?"
Tangen, who had been lying dramatically on the ground, suddenly sat up like a vampire rising from its grave. His small red stars swirled around him as he opened his eyes. With a smirk, he grabbed another piece of yellow chalk and began writing.
"Alright, blessings work in three ways," he said. "It seems like three is the gods' favorite number or something. But whatever—here's how they work."
Tangen tapped the chalk against the board, listing them one by one.
"First, we have Permanent Blessings. These are usually given at birth. You don't get to choose whether you accept them or not. If a god decides to bless you, you're stuck with it for life. But there's a catch—you also have to take on characteristic or personality traits of the god who blessed you because they want to view you as their child. If you refuse… well, let's just say the gods don't take disobedience lightly. Luckily, you get to choose which traits to adopt."
Maxi frowned slightly. The idea of being bound to a god's will from birth didn't sit well with him.
"Second,"
Tangen continued,
"there's The Choice of Blessing. This happens if you've already awakened your blessing, and another god decides they want to bless you. This time, you do get a choice. You can either accept or deny it. If you accept, congratulations! You've got another god watching over you, expecting you to act like their favored child. If you don't obey them, they'll punish you. If you refuse the blessing, nothing bad happens—well, except for the fact that the god might start hating you, depending on the situation."
Maxi raised an eyebrow at that.
"Sounds risky."
Tangen just grinned.
"Oh, it gets better. The third type is Non-Permanent Blessings. These are temporary. A god might bless you for a specific moment or a set period of time, and after that, poof—it's gone. No long-term obligations, no divine expectations."
Maxi nodded, processing the information. Then something caught his attention.
"Wait… you mentioned 'awakened blessings' earlier. What does that mean?"
Tangen chuckled.
"Ah, I figured you didn't know about that yet."
Maxi smirked.
"That's why I have you, human book—uh, I mean, teacher."
Tangen raised an eyebrow but let it slide. He was too lazy to scold Maxi for his ridiculous nickname he gave to him. Instead, he extended his right hand, the one wrapped in purple bandages. Instantly, thousands of tiny red stars flickered into existence in his palm.
"This,"
Tangen said,
"is my awakened blessing power. See, when you awaken your blessing, you unlock its true form that was given to you by your god. It manifests based on the gods who blessed you at birth. Their influence shapes what your power becomes, sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes in massive ways, but they don't change the main function, for that function was all based on the person. The power you receive also adapts to your strengths and weaknesses."
Maxi's eyes lit up with excitement.
"So… my blessing will take my abilities into consideration?"
"Exactly," Tangen confirmed.
Maxi's mind raced. If his abilities and weaknesses were factors, then maybe—just maybe—his body's frailty wouldn't be such a problem.
"How does the awakening happen? Do I have to reach a certain age? Drink a potion? Fight a god?"
Tangen burst out laughing, shaking his head.
"No, no. It happens when children turn five years old. The process is performed by a mage who has been given the blessing to perform the ritual—not the blessing of the Oldest Gods themselves, just the permission to carry out the ceremony."
Maxi's entire body froze.
Five years old.
His body was five years old. His mind was… complicated. He had memories of being older—at least twenty. But that wasn't the issue. His birthday had already passed. Months ago, in fact. And yet, he hadn't heard a single word about a blessing awakening ceremony.
Tangen noticed his expression and chuckled. "You're confused, aren't you? You're five, but there's not a single rumor about a mage performing the ritual for you. That's because…" Tangen leaned in slightly, grinning. "Your father said you were too weak. He ordered them to wait until you turned ten."
Maxi's jaw dropped. A cold fury rose within him as his hands clenched the armrests. His veins bulged from the sheer force of his grip. His own father had delayed his blessing awakening.
Before he could process his rage, Tangen hopped out of the table and strolled over to him. Leaning in close, he whispered,
"You didn't hear this from me, but I overheard your mother talking to your father about it first. She was the one who suggested it."
Maxi's world stopped.
His anger drained away, leaving him feeling hollow and empty. He tried to speak, but his voice came out weak.
"...What?"