The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros

Night time.

On the edge of his large king-size bed, Aeric sat, leaning against the cool stone wall of his chamber.

The faint glow of moonlight streamed through the arched window, painting the wooden floors with silver hues. It gave everything a sort of serene view as his room glowed with silvery blue.

Aeric liked his room very much. He had somehow managed to infuse every important room in the castle into his. It was furnished with dark oak pieces polished to a sheen. A plush rug sprawled across the center of the room, its fine patterns weaving shapes of mythical creatures.

He had a couch apart from his bed for comfort, so he didn't need to go to the courtrooms. Above his desk were a row of shelves holding a collection of books, a few trinkets, and an ornate lantern that flickered faintly. This saved him from excessive treks to the library.

And he had a small magic arctic box which was used to store food, saving him late night walks to the kitchen for snacks.

The night was quiet, save for the occasional whistle of the wind through the trees outside.

Beside him on the bed, a plate of bread, honey, and strawberries rested on a tray. He reached for a piece of bread, dipping it into the honey and biting into it as his system interface floated before him.

The translucent blue glow illuminated his face, casting shadows under his eyes. Aeric looked at it with intensity and concentration.

In front of him, the interface displayed a Skill Tree, the branching structure pulsating faintly as if alive. Aeric's eyes gleamed with focus as he studied through the intricate design, eager to explore.

A separate thought entered his mind and for a moment, his attention drifted. He glanced at the window, his gaze softening. Where did Mother go? he wondered. And what did she mean by: "Business of a God's Wife?"

Aeric wondered if it meant that she was going to give herself to his father in the Celestial Love Chamber. His face squeezed at the thought. For some reason, it did not only make him jealous but angry. He didn't want Eros touching his mother ever again.

Aeric sighed, shaking his head. "Stop thinking strange thoughts," he muttered under his breath, turning back to the interface.

---

The Skill Tree spread out before him like a map of his growth. He saw the root which was anchored by [Claim], the Main Skill that came with the God Tyrant Class, defining his unique ability to seize others' skills by insemination and make them his own.

From this root extended several glowing branches, each leading to a vibrant crimson leaf representing a sub-skill he had acquired.

[Insight: Claimed from Erimyra of Moonlight]

[Heal: Claimed from Edna of Elusive]

[Deceit: Self Unlocked]

[Infuse: Claimed from Alzera of Starlight]

[Project: Claimed from Lysandra of Twilight]

'Okay, now to expand my knowledge. If I remember correctly, something should happen if I... ' Aeric tapped on Insight, and the interface shifted. A system message appeared:

[> Insight (Upgradable Sub-Skill)]

[Grants the ability to read the thoughts and emotions of nearby targets.]

Beneath the description, three stages unfolded, each more powerful than the last:

[Tier 2: Insight Expand – Extend the reach of possible targets. Cost: 50 Skill Points.]

[Tier 3: Insight Dive – Access memories and hidden emotions. Cost: 150 Skill Points.]n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

[Tier 3: Insight Manipulation – Influence and alter thoughts. Cost: 300 Skill Points.]

Aeric tilted his head, rubbing his chin. 'Mother of hen! What an overpowered Skill! I wonder how many of this Tiers Erimyra was able to unlock before I killed her.'

'It's good to see that the Skill could grow with investment. However, I found listening to people's thoughts annoying pretty fast. Especially when it happens unexpectedly. It is greatly useful, but adds pressure on me in some situations.'

He moved to Heal, another upgradeable sub-skill.

[> Heal (Upgradable Sub-Skill)

[With Heal you can instantly regenerate torn skin, broken bones, strained muscles, aches and even illnesses of a target]

Its Tiers appeared:

[Tier 2: Heal Minor – Heal broken bones and fatal injuries. Cost: 25 Skill Points.]

[Tier 3: Heal Major – Regenerate lost limbs, beheadings, deathly poisons and severe trauma. Cost: 70 Skill Points.]

[Tier 4: Anti Harm – Never require healing. Cost: 250 Skill Points.]

Aeric whistled softly. 'Now that's something to aim for. Anti Germ… that's very functional stuff. I could activate that before stepping into battle. I wouldn't even need to wear armor. Ha ha! That's ridiculous. I love it.'

Next, he examined Deceit, but its levels were locked and gray.

[> Deceit (Unupgradable Sub-Skill)]

[A twin Skill to [Conceal]. With this Skill, a Player can create false information about their Skills, Divine Core and Attributes rather than simply hiding it].

Aeric frowned. 'No upgrades? Well I guess it's pretty straightforward. I just activate it whenever someone tries to access my Divine Core and see what Class and Main Skill I have. Not much to see. I guess that's the difference between a Main Skill and a sub skill. Since these sub skills I Claimed are actually Main Skills, it makes sense why they're so powerful. Deceit is a real sub skill and maybe that's why it's not even upgradable'

He moved on to Infuse, his eyes lighting up.

[> Infuse (Upgradeable Sub-Skill)]

[Imbue objects or weapons with elemental powers].

Surprisingly, this skill had five Tiers:

[Tier 2: Infuse Duality – Combine two elemental types. Cost 50 Skill Points]

[Tier 3: Infuse Construct – Create temporary elemental constructs. Cost: 70 Skill Points]

[Tier 4: Infuse Maxima – Infuse gigantic objects with elemental powers. Cost: 125 Skill Points]

[Tier 5: Infuse Corrupt – Infuse an already sentient object with an element that takes control of its natural essence. Cost: 250 Skill Points.]

[Tier 6: Infuse Sentient – Grant the infused object limited consciousness. Cost: 400 Skill Points.]

Aeric's eyes widened. 'Infuse Sentient? It grants an infused object limited conscience? Oh wow. Imagine a sword that talks back to me… That'd be something.'

He smiled at the imaginations that appeared in his mind. When he was done thinking of the things he could do, he saw that the next was the Skill he had just [Claimed] from the horny Headmistress.

With anticipation, he tapped on [Project].