As soon as he said this, Landor felt like an idiot. Of course, Daren didn't understand the implications of such a skill. He was an ignorant kid who had never left the village. As his guardian, it was his job to educate the boy.
He took a deep breath to calm himself down and said, "Daren, you must listen to me very carefully."
Daren also quit his sulking after hearing Landor's tone. Landor continued, "Daren, remember when I told you how Plant Anima Users are very respected?"
Daren thought a bit, trying to remember the conversation and then nodded. He said, "Yeah. You told me that we give back to the earth instead of taking from it. But that takes a certain amount of strength to achieve."
Landor nodded and said, "Exactly. Well, there was one thing that I hadn't told you. Even though it is extremely rare, some Plant Anima Users sometimes get that ability in the form of an Anima Skill, which makes the nature of this ability… permanent. Because normally, we can only do this when we are cultivating. As a result, such people are extremely sought after by any organisation worth its salt."
Daren replied excitedly, "So the skill isn't useless?"
Landor shook his head and replied, "It is not. But you must never reveal it until you have the strength to protect yourself, or you have joined an organisation powerful enough that it is capable of protecting you. Because as things stand right now, you are just a weak kid from a weak village."
"Oh," replied Daren as realisation dawned on his face. He had gotten his wish. He had obtained an extremely powerful Anima Skill, but he couldn't ever tell anyone about it. He looked at Landor and asked, "Then what do we tell the Village Chief? Won't he ask about the Anima Skill I got?"
Landor replied, "You're right. He will be extremely curious, especially after seeing your Anima Tattoo. We need to think of something"
"Anima Tattoo?" Daren asked. Landor told him about the tribal beliefs of the Reed plains. Then he said, "We need to think of something that is believable. Let's target the physical changes in your Anima."
Daren replied, "Maybe a passive skill that strengthens the roots?"
Landor replied, "No, while he may not be as knowledgeable about plants, he is not an idiot. Hmm… I got it! The fruits. It's a completely new ability. First of all, don't tell anyone your Anima Skills. They are best kept secret. And if you have no choice, just say that the skill is… Um, let me think… Violet Blood Berry. Yeah, that sounds like an actual Anima Skill"
Daren nodded seriously. He understood that Landor wouldn't be making such a big deal out of nothing. He just wasn't that kind of person. He didn't like overcomplicating things. Daren said, "I promise, Uncle Landor."
Landor replied, "Good. Now that is done, we need to talk about your Body Anima."
Daren said, "About that, I don't think that I want to absorb any Origin Bead for the Body Anima. I want to wait until I've reached Level 40. That way, I would be able to absorb older Origin Beads, and the effect would be greater."
Landor sighed, "You can't do that. You are not the first Gemini User to think that. But no matter what, the results were the same. They all died. Their bodies exploded. The luckier ones didn't die, but their Anima literally broke, crippling them."
Daren asked in horror, "Why?"
Landor replied, "Balance. If one of your Anima absorbs overwhelmingly Origin Beads, it would become too much stronger than the other Anima. Once that balance breaks, the result will be gruesome."
Daren sighed and wiped the cold sweat that had appeared on his forehead whilst imagining his body being ripped apart from the inside. Thankfully, he had Landor to stop him from doing such idiotic things.
Landor chuckled, breaking the ominous atmosphere, and said, "Listen. Right now, you have two options. You either go the pure physical route. That means strengthening your body and absorbing Origin Beads that increase your base abilities. That includes strength, speed, vitality, etc. It may sound underwhelming at first, but do not underestimate this path. It is just as strong as the other one."
"The other one?" asked Daren. Landor nodded and replied, "The elemental route. You choose an Animakin with a strong affinity to a particular element for your first Origin Bead. After absorption, it changes your Body Anima from the inside by granting an innate elemental affinity. Some even consider it a minor evolution."
Daren's eyes glowed in excitement for a second before he calmed down and said, "That sounds dangerous."
Landor smiled and said, "Good catch. It can be dangerous depending on the specific element. That is why most choose… How should I say, body-friendly? elements such as Water, Earth, and Life. Some even choose Blood."
"Then why doesn't everybody just choose the physical route? Sounds much safer. And you said that it is just as powerful as the elemental route." Daren asked curiously. Landor replied, "Because while the physical route is powerful, it is also extremely slow.
It is difficult to find suitable Animakin, and it only becomes powerful in the later stages. So both routes have their pros and cons. One is slow and steady. The other is fast but dangerous. In the end, you are the one who has to make the decision."
Daren became silent as he began thinking. He immediately ruled out the physical route. He was going to join the hunters on their hunts when he and Landor returned to the village. He didn't have the privilege of going slow and steady. And yes, although his tree Anima had gotten powerful, he didn't want to take any chances. But which element should he choose?
After not being able to decide the elemental he should fuse, he looked at Landor and said, "Uncle Landor, I want to follow the elemental route. But I can't decide which element I should choose."