"Doesn't he have any fear? That's a flame attribute Ascendant."
"I bet he's filled with fear all the way up his throat." A young girl with her hair in a ponytail whispered.
"I only pity him. Didn't he think of the consequence of marking himself by a flame Ascendant..."
Ethan listened to all the comments around him and thought to himself.
"I just might have messed up. Are the illusion Ascendants that weak in this world?".
A low guttural sound of pure hatred cut through the murmuring crowd. Darrel had scrambled to his feet, prepared to continue his assault.
A young woman standing alongside the various representatives with glowing eyes that almost caused a distortion around them, as if they were burning immensely, moved in a burst of heat that looked like compressed plasma.
Now standing behind Darrel with her hand resting firmly on his shoulder, stopping him from moving with barely any effort at all.
Darrel stood motionless; he noticed he couldn't feel his body at all.
She spoke the next moment, with her voice a low whisper. "Control yourself, boy. The Phoenix Clan has no use for flames that can't be tempered."
Her words were for Darrel, but her burning gaze was fixed on Ethan. He had publicly humiliated a potential recruit, a boy with strong fire affinity. She wasn't the least bothered by Darrel but instead was totally furious at the insult she felt towards her Clan.
Unknown if it was the influence of their affinity, but Ascendants have always developed temperaments similar to their affinities.
The grudge was already planted, but she made no move against him at this moment.
The agreement between the temples was supreme in her soul.
In another flash beneath her feet, she moved back to her spot among the Temple representatives. The air crackled with a new kind of tension. This was the moment that would define their lives.
One by one, They introduced themselves and their temples.
"Yelena Pel, Mystic Rank Ascendant, representing the Phoenix Clan of unyielding light and flames. We only accept fire and Light affinities."
"Randel Moraves, Mystic Rank Ascendant of the Moraves family. Creation, Water, Wind, Earth, flames, lightning, Darkness, Blood, and Space affinities only. Thank you." His sharp-featured gaze swept across the youths.
"ZERO Temple". This individual was covered in a dark robe from head to toe that looked like it was moving and absorbing what little light was around it. He gave a chilling, simple speech about embracing the true nature and ended with "Darkness, Blood, Death, Destruction affinities only."
A man with purple silky hair and a crazed look on his face introduced himself. "Amon Gepes, Mystic Rank, I'm with the Veil Weavers. Masters of illusion.
Illusion and earth affinity only."
The Beast Temple representative looked bored and only said a couple of words: "There's no reason for my introduction; none of you have a beast affinity. Today was just a waste of time for me."
The Scry Temple representative chose to keep quiet as she waved to the final representative to continue....
Finally, the last representative stepped forward. He was an unassuming man in simple grey robes, His face calm, his eyes holding an intense depth, and he spoke with an eerie calm.
"I am Kaelan of the Aeltic Order." His voice effortlessly captured the silence of the room.
"Space, time, creation, illusion, fate, and beasts affinities." And he stopped speaking after that.
Ethan, who had cleared his mind of all thoughts, began to go through his options, considering the information and reactions he noticed from every temple representative while they spoke.
"The Moraves family seems like a pretty big deal. First, the silence when the girl from the Moraves family was called, and when the Moraves family representative spoke, I saw various reactions from the other temple representatives. The Phoenix clan is already off the table because they only take light and fire affinities into their ranks."
"I think that leaves five more temples: The illusionists, the beast temple, the Temple representative that refused to speak, the ZERO temple, and the Aeltic Order."
"Tsk.... Temples that'll accept an illusion affinity are only three: the Illusionists, the Moraves family, and the Aeltic order."
I barely have any information on any of the Temples, and I'm only going along with what I've observed so far.... that's not good."
Ethan kept racking his brain for answers, and there it was again, the sharp pain at the side of his head.
Grunting, he held his head while breathing heavily, then mumbling...
"Shit.... if I have to feel this pain every time I access a memory, I'd rather be wiped clean, start new."
"How do I even build a tolerance to that kind of pain?"
Focusing back on his environment, he noticed that the selection had already begun while he was lost in his thoughts.
"Of course, Darrel was chosen by the Phoenix temple." He mumbled with cold eyes focused on Darrel, now standing behind Yelena of the fire temple.
"If what I just remembered from Ethan's memory is true, then the Aeltic order has never been known to select any affinity with a Godly patron but is feared terribly by the other temples." Ethan continued his thought process while the selection continued.
"That doesn't make any sense. Leo's a God, or probably Godly essence and domains don't solely belong to Gods."
"Makes more sense that way, but with what happened while I was on the array, I think the illusionist won't be the best choice."
His decision solidified as he weighed the Aeltic order against the Moraves family.
"I'd better go with the Aeltic Order... family feuds have never been favorable to a transmigrated character in any web novel, with all the plotting and scheming. I'd rather not face all that yet."
He took a deep breath, ready to step forward and present himself to the unassuming man, Kaelan, but he was a fraction of a second too late.
"The Moraves family chooses.... Ethan Alerion."
"What the..... I just arrived in this world; please let me breathe just for a little bit." Ethan screamed in his mind...
His blood ran cold as he looked at Randel Moraves, who had a sharp glint in his eye that spelt trouble.
He was going to refuse. He had to, considering the secret he discovered while he was being ascended in the altar, and the bet that God's essence might be tied to Gods after all, because Leo's last words have been stuck in his mind.
"Never mention my name when you get there."
"If Leo's a God, and considering how Gods are worshiped, I don't see a reason to hide.
But if he's hiding himself, it's understandable that he wouldn't be known as a God."
Ethan straightened his small frame, the weight of his decision settling on his shoulders as he prepared to speak.