The Empyreal Gem Master

The appearance of a Five-Link Gem Master.

It was news that spread rapidly, and one that energized any City Fortress it was spread to under the banner of the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline.

This was because, in all the lands that the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline protected, there wasn't a single Five-Link Gem Master!

Such talents appeared rarely and were all within the Ascendant Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline.

Mortal Branch. Ascendant Branch. 

All Four Human Lineages had such a distinction as the tremendously powerful Gem Masters that were the hope of Humanity to stand against Beasts of Corruption that could wipe out entire City Fortresses within a blink of an eye stemmed from the Ascendant Branch of the Four Human Lineages.

But today, Claire appeared and made an exception.

Alexander observed the bustle of activities still playing out as after the Awakening Ceremony where Claire showed her Life Sockets, everything afterwards seemed like a blur.

She was taken away by her father right after as Gem Master Azazel hurriedly finished the rest of the Awakening, and only 4 Three-Link Gem Masters appeared as the vast majority had either two Life Sockets or a single one.

Such results would have been average for any other time, but of course, there was nothing average with the emergence of Claire's Awakening.

With all the attention spread elsewhere, Alexander had taken the time to go down the Ancestral Mountain and enter the carriage he arrived here in, motioning for the Butler his father had assigned to him to return home.

Home.

Past the neatly lined trees, one could barely see the outline of a massive obsidian wall that surrounded everything.

The Wall of one of the bigger City Fortresses under the banner of the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline.

A Capital City Fortress- Carthage!

It was filled with structures built to withstand the earthquakes that regularly occurred from the eruption of Breaches, with buildings rising up into small skyscrapers and castles to show a mixture of the advancements they had made in technology while utilizing the resources from the Breaches.

Exquisite carriages pulled by horses like the one Alexander was on were rare and reserved for those with a little more wealth, the roads stretching out across the Capital City Fortress of Carthage filled with people moving about to make their daily living.

The passage of buildings and houses across the busy city center was all a blur for Alexander, the shops selling Primal Ability Gems, Weapons of Corruption made from Beasts of Corruption, and many more things not even landing in his eyes as he continued to inspect himself.

As he continued to inspect the Nine pointed star on his chest! 

He didn't even feel the half-hour ride until it arrived at the massive gates of the Mansion of Branch Leader Julius, the guards with vibrant two Life Sockets shining on their chest saluting Alexander as he went past the gates and into the mansion within.

Past the garden filled with verdant grass and gorgeous flowers. Past the maids and butlers moving across the three-story mansion.

Alexander went past all of it to arrive in his room as he ignored the shocked gazes and whispers of everyone he passed who saw only a single glow on his chest.

He shut the door to his room and took his white robe off to view himself in the mirror. 

With simple white briefs remaining on him, His fair skin looked pale in the mirror as his chest…it looked like it had a massive tattoo of an Enneagram.

Of a Nine pointed star!

It glowed with a simple white light that would make it somewhat discernible even if he wore clothes.

As he was looking at it…

'Is it not just a bit too bright? I don't want all the gazes to turn in my direction every time…'

He thought this.

And as if the Enneagram could hear his thoughts, it began to dim to the point that it could barely be seen- even its branding on his chest barely showing as if he had never awakened!

…!

His eyes opened wide as he paused.

And then moments later, based on his thoughts, the Enneagram brightened and dimmed as he wished, with his final action being to dim it greatly to the point that it could barely be seen!

But he could still see it with extreme details as he continued studying it and confirmed a few things.

At the pointed ends of the Enneagram on his chest, he could see faint circles of light.

And in the center of the Enneagram, there was a slightly larger faint circle of light!

"..."

These faint circles caused his heart to beat with a heavy light of fear and excitement.

Was it actually possible? Was it what his thoughts were leading him to believe?

A Variant Life Socket.

Something that would most commonly be defective!

If it was real.

If…what his own brain was telling him about it was real…

He controlled his breathing.

He put his white robe back on as on the side of his bed, there was a table with a communication device to speak into and a round black button beside it.

He pressed it as he spoke calmly.

"Butler James, is my father in his study?"

His words were light as they traveled quickly. 

And in a short period of time, a reply came.

"Yes, Young Master. He has been expecting you."

"..."

His father had been expecting him?

His eyes remained placid as he walked out of his room, across a long hallway filled with paintings of old men that had long since passed.

He went to the other side of the sizable mansion and passed a few maids and butlers that bowed to him as soon enough, he was in front of two doors painted gold, crimson flames burning on their very center.

He knocked.

"Enter."

A cold voice boomed from the room as Alexander pushed the doors open, walking in while nodding to the aged Butler with white hair who bowed towards him with a smile while leaving through the open door behind him.

Once this door closed, the darkly lit room came into focus as one could see a black rectangular table made of exquisite materials at the very center, an authoritative seat that almost looked like a throne behind this table as the figure of a single man was seated on it.

The same dark hair as Alexander.

The same dark eyes and a face that showed charm and ferociousness.

A face filled with wisdom and age as on his chest, four dazzling Life Sockets could be seen.

The one at the very center burned with crimson flames as this being, his father, Gem Master Julius- he continued perusing through the many papers on the table as he spoke out without even raising his head.

"A Variant Life Socket?"

A question of affirmation.

Of course, his father had already been notified of everything the moment it occurred as he was somewhat surprised he wasn't curious enough about the rise of the Five-Link Gem Master that was Claire to go see her.

"Yes, Father. A Variant Life Socket."

He replied calmly and with respect as this was their relationship.

Since that day, everything had changed as the words they exchanged were very short and precise.

At this moment, his father raised his head and looked at his son, his eyes not showing any emotions as he asked once more.

"How can I help?"

…!

Simple words.

But they were exactly what Alexander wanted to hear as he replied while staring straight at his father, who seemed to be squinting his eyes to see the Life Socket on his chest.

"I need to enter the Gem Treasury and see which Gems will fit me best. If I have your permission…"

"Gems?" His father's eyes shone sharply as he picked up on the words he said.

Gems.

Plural.

Why would anyone need multiple Gems if they had a single Life Socket?

Did his Variant Life Socket have something nobody yet understood?