September 6th, 903 AUC

I woke up in an unfamiliar, large master bedroom and bed, taking a moment to recall that I already moved house.

"Right. After I decided on the house, Demosthenes quickly arranged the move. He even prepared the furniture... of my previous furniture was considered by him to be substandard, so he either let the servants use them or sold them."

Also, Moein was manumitted post-haste. However, I gave him the 50,000 I got from Vel and Protus, and he would use it as a startup fund to become a traveling slave merchant, as we discussed.

On the one hand, he would utilize his talents to acquire, train, and sell slaves, earning money in the process, and would retain certain talents he uncovers. On the other hand, he could build an intelligence network. As for his safety... I doubted anyone could do anything to him.

I then got up and checked the Life Essence I acquired overnight.

"3,000 points? Is this a 1,000 average increase, or is it a one-time thing?" I wondered, naturally hoping it was the former.

"Ruff." Cerberus, who saw me, got up and greeted me.

"Good morning, Cerberus." I smiled and petted the pup.

"Kuu..." Cerberus closed its eyes and wagged its tail.

Just then, the door was gently opened, and the half-dwarf steward, Demosthenes, entered.

"Ah! Good morning, Young Master. I see you are awake. Good." Demosthenes smiled.

"Good morning, Demosthenes," I replied.

"Young Master, we have a long day ahead, so let me help you get ready," Demosthenes said.

After washing my face, brushing my teeth, and putting on a fresh change of clothes, I had a small snack before following Demosthenes to the atrium, where a retinue of servants waited around the rainwater pool.

There were 20 men and women, their ages varying greatly. The youngest of them was barely 14, while the oldest was over sixty. Their apparel was also diverse, with one even wearing a toga.

"Young Master, these will be your new servants. They were all selected by the imperial family, and they are extremely loyal." Demosthenes introduced.

"Hail, Domine! We are here to serve!" The servants spoke, saluting me.

"Hm... Can I interview them?" I asked Demosthenes.

"Of course, Young Master. If someone displeases you, we can replace them." Demosthenes nodded.

I nodded and walked to them, asking the name of each one, their occupation, and their experience. Of course, what I focused on was their loyalty. And as I expected, all of them had double allegiance, and I was unsure to whom exactly. And while they were obedient to me, that was all.

But on the flip side, none of them had ill intentions toward me... at least for now. That might change after they receive an order, however, so I decided to remain vigilant.

"Are you satisfied, Young Master?" Demosthenes smiled and asked.

"I am." I nodded, not being fussy about it.

"Good. Then, second on the list is testing your Aura and Magic qualifications. Please follow me, Young Master." Demosthenes said and led me to an inner room, where he presented two chests.

Opening the chests, I saw two crystal balls, one red and one blue.

"The red one is for Aura, and the blue one is for Magic. Please touch them, Young Master." Demosthenes said with a solemn look.

I nodded, already knowing the result as I touched the red crystal ball. A dim light appeared.

"That's... tier 5 Aura Qualifications... Barely salvageable, given your young age." Demosthenes said not overly disappointed.

And then, he pointed at the blue crystal. "Please test your Magic Qualifications next, Young Master."

I nodded and touched the other crystal... and it remained unlit.

"Tier 7 Magic Qualifications... I am afraid you are not fated with Magic, Young Master." Demosthenes shook his head.

"I assume that a smaller number means higher qualifications?" I inquired.

"Yes, young master. Tier 1 is the highest, while Tier 7 is the lowest. Without Tier 1 qualifications, it is a fool's errand to reach Peak Gold Realm. Of course, this is merely the most basic requirement. You also need a strong affinity to Aura... otherwise, you would have to rely on powerful medicine, which is unfeasible normally. We have ways to enhance your qualifications through medicinal baths and elixirs, but it takes years. Tier 5 is already the limit, and anything above is considered a lost cause. Only divine intervention can help." Demosthenes apologetically said.

"It is fine. For me to use Aura is already a blessing." I smiled and said.

Demosthenes nodded and spoke.

"I shall make a report about this to the Emperor. For now, we will focus on your studies. It is not your fault, but I believe you are sorely lacking the knowledge you need." Demosthenes said.

"Thank you. I do like studying, but I never had the chance." I genuinely said.

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.

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The rest of the day, I studied under a Greek tutor named Sosigines, who started teaching me from the beginning. But since I already had Intermediate and Advanced skills, I understood what he taught, but I still pretended to be a beginner.

And then, after eating lunch, I had a long medicinal bath prepared for me, which lasted for three hours, and drank a disgusting potion. Honestly, the process was actually pretty uncomfortable. It felt like countless needles were pricking my veins.

However, there was an effect.

 

[Aura Realm: Copper 0(0/9,995)]

 

I don't know what the heck they fed me, but it worked. At least, my Aura Qualifications marginally improved. At this rate, it would take about 5-odd years to have perfect qualifications.

However...

 

[Magic Realm: Copper 0(0/999,995)]

 

It would take centuries to reach the peak at this rate!

This just made me wince. Due to this, I had no hope of obtaining a Perfect or Epic advancement, which greatly conflicted with my urge to improve my foundation!

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but lament.

"If only I could use Life Essence to improve my qualifications... Wait, now that I think about it... I never tried?"

With that thought in mind, I immediately tried focusing on my Magic Realm.

"Medallion... can you improve my Magic Qualifications?"

However, to my disappointment, nothing happened.

"Hah... damn. How about Aura Qualifications?"

And again, nothing happened.

Frowning, I gritted my teeth and requested something out of the box.

"Hey, can you heal my Qualifications?! You can at least do that, right?!"

Suddenly, I received unexpected messages.

 

[9,994 Incomplete Aura Pathways detected. Restore? Cost: 9,994 Life Essence.]

[999,994 Incomplete Magic Pathways detected. Restore? Cost: 999,994 Life Essence.]

 

"Hah??? It works?!"

After being stunned for a moment, I wanted to burst out into laughter.

"No wonder! NO WONDER! The so-called qualifications are just an indicator of the completeness of the pathways. Even one missing would double the energy requirements, and I was missing 999,999 for magic! Good gods above, my qualifications are FUCKING HORRIBLE! And this also explains why everyone's Physical Qualifications are perfect, since there are no pathways to begin with, just regular physical damage. But thanks to the Medallion, I can make up for everything. Sure, it would take over a year of accumulation, but it is doable!" 

Once again, I realized just how powerful the medallion was. It could even turn an idiot like me into a prodigy... And this raised a question.

"Should I fake that I received a divine blessing from one of the gods? Would it anger them if I used their name in vain?"

The gods were undoubtedly real. It was just that they rarely intervened with mortal matters. However, moments of divine favor WERE possible. Thinking of this, I considered which god would let me borrow their name.

"Libitina is an impartial, minor goddess. She wouldn't be believable. Fortuna is too fickle and unpredictable. Minerva... might agree, but I have zero connection with her. And Hercules... Yeah, he would likely punish me if I borrowed his name in vain, likely making me undergo a few labors or just striking me with lightning. I guess Mars is my only option. He is connected to death, and I am an ex-gladiator. And since I am an Imperial Champion Aspirant, he would probably turn a blind eye as long as I promise to bring destruction on the enemies of Rome..." 

Thinking about this, my eyes glinted as I offered a silent prayer.

"Mars, please forgive me."

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September 14th, 903 AUC

I went with Demosthenes and a middle-aged body servant named Evelthon to the temple of Mars for prayer. Demosthenes didn't find it odd at all, considering I was a gladiator and soon-to-be Imperial Champion. Mars was already my patron in every right, so it was proper to offer my prayer.

As it happens, today was also the anniversary of this specific temple, so it was a good date to visit.

Once I arrived there, I spoke with the head priest.

"I would like to donate 10,000 denarii to this temple and pray for Mar's favor. Please continue your good work." I smiled and said.

"Mars bless you, young man! With such a powerful body and heroic character, Mars would surely favor you!" The head priest's old face blossomed.

Demosthenes merely frowned slightly but didn't reproach me. It was my money, after all, and donating money was never a bad idea when wanting to gain a god's favor.

And so, I went to Mars's large statue and knelt, clasping my hands. Mars did not only embody the battle aspect of War, but was also the most masculine deity, symbolizing male virility. I knew my talents perfectly aligned with everything he stood for, so I made my vow.

"Mars, I vow to kill many powerful enemies on the battlefield in your name and the glory of the Roman Empire, and I vow to prove my masculinity by bedding the most powerful female creatures after I turn 18, since I don't want to be a sex addict yet, so please forgive me for using your name as my safeguard."

After this prayer, I looked at my points.

 

[Life Essence: 28,053]

 

"That would be enough for the Aura part."

But just when I was about to start-

Hum*

Suddenly, a red baptising light shone from the statue's eyes, shining upon me. I heard many shocked exclamations around as a comfortable warmth rushed through me, and I felt a tingling sensation on my back. At the same time, a powerful, masculine voice entered my mind.

"I am Ares, later known as Mars by the Romans, God of War, Masculinity, and Frenzied Battle. I have seen you for a long time and judged you worthy, Vibius. You embody battle, death, and untapped virility, which is everything I seek in a champion. Not only will I cater to your humble wish, but I shall also bless you, completing your broken qualifications and awakening the potential you were reluctant to develop, while respecting your wish to remain chaste until 18, but no more. Bring glory to my name by destroying the enemies of my believers, fighting powerful foes, and conquering the most beautiful, powerful, and sexual of women in bed. That is your calling, and that is what you shall do."

Recovering from my shock, understanding dawning upon me, I spoke.

"I will, my god." I solemnly vowed as I accepted the baptism.

After a certain amount of time, the baptism ended, and I stood up. For some reason, I felt shorter, and my clothes felt loose.

At the same time, I heard several messages.

 

[Foreign energy infusion detected... Detected as a non-harmful blessing. Monitoring...]

[Due to the Energy Infusion, Aura Pathways are being completed.]

[Due to the Energy Infusion, Magic Pathways are being completed.]

[Due to the Energy Infusion, your talent, Aesthetic Body, has awakened and is rapidly upgrading.]

[Due to the Energy Infusion, your talent, Breeding Bull, is receiving a sealed energy infusion.]

[Aura Pathways have been fully restored.]

[Magic Pathways have been fully restored.]

[Your Talent, Aesthetic Body, has upgraded to the Gold Realm talent, Adonis's Ideal Body.]

[Due to the sealed energy infusion on Breeding Bull, you have become temporarily impotent. As it is aligned with the host's wishes, it will be permitted. This energy infusion will unravel itself when you turn 18.]

[You gain the blessed mark of Ares(Mars), the Greek(Roman) God of War, which will be tied to your vow to him.]

 

"Hah... Well. THAT happened..." I thought before looking around, only to find everyone looking at me with worshipful, awe-filled eyes, and some visiting women were even dazed and blushing.

"Hoh boy... I hope this wouldn't get me in too much trouble..."