When the plot-skips players into the game world

David was clearly quite curious about Aiwass.

Just yesterday, having just emerged, George said Aiwass needed rest and didn't allow David to disturb him... So David quietly endured until the next morning.

After finishing his morning training and breakfast, he went to find Aiwass immediately.

Aiwass sat in his wheelchair, looking out the window at the winter courtyard. Servants had neatly cleared the fallen leaves, and a white Gryphon was repeatedly running and flying with its daughter.

Emily obviously hadn't mastered the Gryphon's innate skill of manipulating the atmosphere like plucking the strings of a harp. Her sprints and flights stirred up visible storms and produced loud "bang bang" noises, ruffling her own feathers.

Another Gryphon beside her was even faster—it could disappear in a blink and reappear just as quickly. Not only was its fur not the least bit disheveled, but the whole process was very quiet without stirring up storms, not even causing the small tree branches nearby to sway.

"That's the Gryphon's innate skill," David spoke, noticing that Aiwass seemed quite curious, "Dad says that if humans could achieve a third-level Storm Affinity or higher, perhaps they could do the same."

"What about you?"

Aiwass turned his head, smiling warmly, "Is your Path characteristic Storm Affinity as well?"

"No, mine is Affinity for Lightning."

David shook his head, saying honestly, "Dad said that if I were a Warrior or Swordsman, I could do as I please. Because the advancement ritual only imparts Path characteristics that are a good fit for us, and if we follow our hearts, we won't be weak. But I will be a soldier, I am to go to battle. And it will be the most fierce, the most brutal part."

"For that very reason, any choice that deviates even slightly from the core could reduce my chances of survival. So, Dad has given me a clear set of requirements for promotion... including what abilities I can use in the ritual, what I can't; which Path characteristics I can choose, and under what circumstances I can choose some and not others..."

David complained, "I've memorized them for a long time, it's very complicated."

Aiwass said softly, "Your father is doing this for your own good."

His Excellency the Guardian holds his son in very high esteem.

Generally speaking, it's hard for higher-level Transcendents to value their offspring so much...

After all, when the desire of the Path overflows, "having a child" has become the most standard, and also the simplest, way to relieve it. And in this era, the ceiling is too low; it's too easy to reach the limit.

Once this concept takes hold, or even just the knowledge of it, it becomes difficult not to see children as tools to protect oneself.

Because the primary purpose of having children is no longer love, nor tradition or legacy, but to ease one's own stress.

Thinking this, Aiwass asked, "Do you have any other brothers or sisters?"

"No."

"Mister Knight" sounded quite regretful about it, "Actually, I would really like to have a cute little sister. John's sister is very cute, always following him around, speaking in a baby voice... Ah, John is my classmate."

He explained offhandedly.

But then he sighed again, "But Dad and Mom said they are very busy, and taking good care of me is already their limit. If they had another child, their attention would be divided between two, and neither would receive enough love, focus, or home education."

"So at least while Dad serves as Guardian, he doesn't intend to have another child. But I actually wouldn't mind having a brother or sister... Having someone to play with, to train with would be pretty nice."

David dreamed about a future that was uncertain when it would arrive.

But he didn't know what his parents had sacrificed for him—George had been the Guardian for a long time now, likely stuck at level 49 alongside Meg. In other words, his Path pressure had been building up for a while.

Having another child would significantly alleviate the pressure from the Path he was feeling.

And in the situation where David was not opposed to it, even looking forward to it, there was no need to deal with internal family conflicts.

Yet, to ensure David could enjoy complete love and attention, receive wholehearted education and guidance, they preferred not to take the excuse.

Of course, there's also another possibility... that the Guardian's moral standards were too high, and he felt that availing himself of it would make the process of childbirth too utilitarian and give the newborn a utilitarian purpose before being born.

So he'd rather endure the pain and anxiety of Path pressure than discharge this vigorous desire.

...Regardless of the reason, it was quite remarkable. Read the latest on empire

Especially in an era where upper-level Transcendents had several, if not a dozen, children each, such a sentiment seemed ever rarer.

"He's right."

Aiwass sighed, speaking solemnly, "When you reach the fourth Energy Level, or even the fifth one day... you'll understand the sacrifice he's making now."

It wasn't difficult.

For David, who had reached the second Energy Level at fifteen, advancing to the fourth level was a certainty.

The world's level cap would open up in just over a year at most, and that was without any unforeseen circumstances. Now things had developed with some deviation from what Aiwass remembered, and Aiwass had the premonition that "the known future would arrive earlier or later".