Chapter 588: Seeds

There were many emotions running through Julius’s head when he examined each of these seeds. He had heard from Freya that Authorities were the simple seeds that would start him on his path, but he hadn’t been expecting something quite like this.

Perhaps he should have.

He let out a shaky breath and inspected each seed with care.

Please select one of the following Seeds of Authority.

• Seed of Scorching Flames
• Seed of Undying Verdant Life
• Seed of Shattering Force
• Seed of Unwavering Resolve
• Seed of Spatial Chaos
• Seed of Phoenix’s Ruin
• Seed of Ruinous Embodiment

Julius looked over each option and identified which one was which. They weren’t labeled, but he knew in his soul which seed was which. The Seed of Scorching Flames was bright orange-red. It felt like standing next to a campfire on a cold winter night. It warmed his soul, but he also could feel its stinging heat threatening to burn him just as easily as it comforted him.

The Seed of Undying Verdant Life was intriguing. The dark green seed flickered like a beautiful emerald when hit by the light in the window. It felt both simultaneously bright and full of vitality, but also had touches of death and despair.

On the other hand, the Seed of Shattering Force was more one-dimensional. The seed felt oppressive and powerful. Sheer strength and force radiated from its light-blue surface. Julius had a feeling that he got this particular seed because of Cain’s influence.

The names were too close to be coincidental.

The Seed of Unwavering Resolve was by far the most different of all the seeds. Unlike the others, which promised power, he didn’t get that feeling from this seed. The seed was almost colorless and didn’t have any swirling or pulses of power. It felt like a stalwart pillar of calmness and patience. As if nothing could make it bend or lose its composure. Just for this reason alone, he was tempted to take it.

He enjoyed feeling its unwavering will and calmness. But he held back and continued to look at the remaining seeds.

The Seed of Spatial Chaos was a weird one. He didn’t get many feelings when he bent to look closer at it. It was constantly fluctuating, never staying still. It acted just how its name would suggest. A chaotic thing that moved along the whims of space.

However, it was the last two that really caught his attention. It was quite apparent that these two were of a different caliber than the rest. Just the surges of power he felt radiating from their surfaces were drastically different from the other five seeds.

The Seed of Phoenix’s Ruin was a deep crimson red, with slight hues of blue and green along its edges. He felt profound waves of life and fire. He already knew why he had been offered this option. His healing skill has long been a staple of his and arguably the reason for his immense combat strength at his tier. It was the sole reason why he was still alive. There had been countless things that would have killed him if not for the overpowered healing skill.

The most recent event was still quite fresh in his mind. It was the closest thing to a true death he had experienced so far. Just for this, he wanted to accept this seed as his choice.

However, along with life and fire, he felt something else. Something very dangerous. He suspected that was the ruin aspect.

To be fair, the next seed didn’t sound very kind either. The Seed of Ruinous Embodiment was by far the most powerful of all the seeds. Its black surface, flickering with blood red, was pulsing with unrestrained power. He was feeling oppressed just by looking at it. The seed was practically salivating as it sat among the other seeds. Julius suspected that if not for certain restrictions, this seed would have consumed the other seeds without hesitation.

Its need for destruction and ruin was so powerful that it was almost blinding. It was also influencing him the longer he stared at it. He could feel his own hunger for power and destruction slowly growing.

He tore his gaze from the seed with an annoyed growl upon realizing that he was slowly reaching out to the seed already. It was an insidious little thing, just like his crown.

He rubbed his chin as he stood back and examined all of his seeds. He wanted to immediately discard the first five options just from the power they exuded. However, he remembered the words of the notification.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

A seed is not a judgement—it is a beginning…

What you plant today defines the direction of your path…
But it is how you live that decides what it ultimately becomes.

It was obvious that just because he chose a powerful seed, it didn’t mean he would become all-powerful. It also meant that just because he chose one of the first five seeds didn’t mean he couldn’t improve them and become stronger than he would have if he had chosen the latter two seeds.

A good fit. That was what mattered the most.

On another unrelated note, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was how many options other people received. He had received seven options, but he suspected he had been offered only the first five because of his concepts. All of them were related in some way to at least one of his concepts. The only concept that was clearly represented was his Concept of Sharpness.