A New Beginning I

The air was filled with a sweet morning breeze, the rays of the sun piercing through the intricately laid out trees in neat rows.

Just like these trees, there were also neat rows of young men and women walking through a path in between the trees.

The mood was one filled with expectations and fear, this procession of young men and women barely coming of age currently going up the Ancestral Mountain of the Mortal Branch of the glorious Asmodeus Bloodline.

The count showed hundreds of such men and women as among them, there was a young man with dark hair and languid eyes that didn't seem to hold too much weight to this whole event.

He was the son of one of the two Mortal Branch Leaders- known for his quiet demeanor and introverted nature as even under the limelight of the Four-Link Gem Master as his father, he didn't make any grand moves!

For this, many rumors came and went as even then, he seemed unbothered by them.

This was Alexander Asmodeus.

What people found the most baffling was the fact that the only daughter of the other Mortal Branch Leader, Claire Asmodeus, had somehow been pulled by him to the extent that wherever he went, she would follow.

Even though the two Branch Leaders of the Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline were of the same human lineage, there was still a sense of competition and hegemony as they essentially came from two opposing sides vying for more power.

And yet, as far as anyone saw, these two were the best of friends.

Claire was on the more beautiful side of things, with dark hair that populated most of those of the Mortal Asmodeus Bloodline, but with eyes that shone with a gorgeous blue hue. 

Like all other young men and women around them, they wore simple white robes as they traveled on the path lined up with trees on the Ancestral Mountain.

Claire had a smile on her face as she looked around while speaking to Alexander.

"Everyone else looks tense and worried for the Awakening Ceremony, but you are still as laid back as ever. Are you that confident in the types of Life Sockets you will awaken to?"

Words of utter fantasy left her mouth as their world was a unique one.

A terrifying one.

Extremely vast in nature and filled with a few powerful Bloodlines that were defending the lands under the Banner of Human Lineages- it was a world where the strong ruled.

And all strength related to nothing else but Life Sockets.

When one came of Age, they would be viable for undergoing an Awakening Ceremony as their whole life would change from then!

Alexander mulled the words of Claire in his head before he shook it while replying.

"It's not that I'm confident, but I am simply resigned to whatever the result will be. Nobody can change the results of Awakening as what we all have is Innate to us. So long as I have even a Three-Link Life Socket, it will be enough for me to get stronger and survive against the onslaught of Beasts of Corruption."

It would be enough.

He didn't say the last words as in his shroud of lazy eyes, a fiery light reminiscent to that of his Father flashed.

It would be enough for him to strike back against those who had taken something extremely precious to him.

He had cause to be as tense if not more than anyone here, but at the end of the day, it would not matter.

What he was born with would be it.

And if his father was a Four-Link Gem Master, could he truly be so much worse?

"We've arrived."

He was taken out of his thoughts by Claire's words as he saw the group of men and women barely coming of age arrive at the peak of the Ancestral Mountain.

Each wore the same white robes as him as their faces were filled with tension and worry while they looked around.

The area was flat and filled with white stones, no trees present in this clearing as massive statues of past Gem Masters were erected all around.

When one looked at them, they would notice dazzling circles of light on their chest- these circles being the Life Sockets one gained after awakening their Primal Life Force!

Most of the massive statues of previous Gem Masters had Three-Link Life Sockets, with the more terrifying ones having Four-Link Life Sockets as they were the Gem Masters of their era.

But ultimately, even they fell under the constant grind of the Beasts of Corruption.

They were that terrifying.

Humanity was outclassed by that much as in this day and age, powerful Gem Masters were much needed- especially those with many Life Sockets.

The more Life Sockets one had on their chest at the time of their Awakening, the more powerful they could be.

"Alright! The day has come for the next generation of Gem Masters to rise within our Mortal Branch of the glorious Asmodeus Bloodline!"

Far ahead of the group of young men and women in white robes, a man with a robust body adorned in green robes could be seen.

Beside him, two women holding huge clear white bowls filled with sparkling golden crystals could be seen.

The golden crystals…were the Primal Life Gems that could be found within the Breaches stretched out across their world.

Within the Breaches where Beasts of Corruption were abundant, and broke out of constantly to wreak havoc on Human Lineages.

They were the tools to awakening one's Primal Life Force and reveal their Life Sockets!

"It is Gem Master Azazel overseeing the Awakening Ceremony…"

Claire's eyes were sharp as she was locked onto the dim glow of three circles that could be seen below the robes of the Three-Link Gem Master Azazel.

Alexander nodded while replying lightly.

"From the last reports I peeked at from father, he was paramount in the victory of defending the Northern Front in the recent Breach."

A powerful Gem Master!

His Gem Recipe was one that any lucky Three-Link Gem Master followed- especially those who wanted to be forces of destruction while withstanding the ridiculously powerful Beasts of Corruption.

Among the many resources and treasures that could be discovered within a Breach.

There were the Primal Life Gems used for awakening, and then…there were the Primal Ability Gems.

Ability Gems could be placed in Life Sockets, and they were classified into two categories!

Main Ability Gems, and Support Ability Gems.

A Gem Master with a single Life Socket could only support a single Main Ability Gem.

They were powerful- but their power was limited.

But if one had multiple Sockets, they could augment their Main Ability Gem with Support Ability Gems and explode with tremendous capabilities!

The Gem Master Azazel was one of such powerful beings with three Life Sockets, his Gem Recipe that was favored by many being the Main Ability Gem, [Barbarian Blood], that was supported by the Support Ability Gems [Ironblood Support] and [Energy Preservation Support].

Alexander knew of the Barbarian Blood Main Ability Gem as he had seen it many times brought into the Gem Treasury- this being a somewhat rare but obtainable Gem in the Northern Front that was filled with the Titan Beasts of Corruption.

Its capabilities were as such.

[Barbarian Blood]:: Once anchored in a life Socket, this Ability Gem passively causes one's body to burn with a powerful life force, increasing your physical strength and defenses by a factor of 2. One can also activate the Barbarian Blood in their body and burn it to momentarily increase their physical strength and defenses by a factor of 5. The maximum time to actively burn the Barbarian Blood is 30 seconds, and burning it any longer may result in permanent damage to one's life force.

It was a powerful Main Ability Gem.

Any Ability Gem that gave both passive and active effects was guaranteed to be a powerful one, and the Barbarian Blood Ability Gem covered one both offensively and defensively as it could make one a decent Gem Master!

A decent one.

But if someone had more than a single Life Socket…this was where the true power could be expressed.

With a second Life Socket, one could bind to themselves the [Ironblood Support] and [Energy Preservation Support].

[Ironblood Support]:: Any blood related Ability Gems can be supported to cause any boons granted to be further multiplied by a factor of two.

[Energy Preservation Support]. Any Ability Gems can be supported by this Universal Support Ability Gem. It allows the effects of a linked Main Ability Gem to reduce all resource costs while actively catalyzing the energy production of the body, allowing you to be constantly filled with energy.

Two simple Support Ability Gems.

But when you looked at a Single-Link Gem Master who simply had the [Barbarian Blood] ability or a Three-Link Gem Master who had the [Barbarian Blood] Ability supported by [Ironblood Support] and [Energy Preservation Support]...their ranks and power were tremendously different!

The addition of the two Support Ability Gems alone caused Gem Master Azazel to constantly be filled with valiant levels of power and energy, where he could burn his Barbarian Blood and cut down Beasts of Corruption for hours instead of a mere 30 seconds.

One could become a moving tank of destruction with such a combination of Gems, with it being capable of even facing Tier 3 Beasts of Corruption that could lay waste to entire cities.

'If I can have at least Three Life Sockets. I can use this Barbarian Gem Recipe or a few other viable Gem Recipes…'

Alexander's lazy eyes almost shone with a fearsome light that he kept down as he moved towards the front naturally with Claire.

Others lined up behind them as the Son and Daughter of the two Four-Link Gem Masters overseeing the many City Fortresses of the whole Mortal Branch of the glorious Asmodeus Bloodline had the opportunity to go up first.

Gem Master Azazel looked at the two of them and nodded with recognition, such an action causing some eyes of a few other young men and women in the back to flash with envy and jealousy.

"You all are here today for a paramount moment in your lives- where you will either burn with glory and be a weapon that defends our homes against the foul Beasts of Corruption, or…there is no Or!"

…!

A burst of crimson light burst from his body from his simple shout.

It shook the white severy oneey stood on as everyone of the young men and women stood straight to attention.

"There is only glory, and that is the only thing waiting after your Awakening! Now…"

His green robes fluttered as his bright eyes turned to stare at Alexander and Claire.

Those who would awaken on this day as expectations were high.

It was the start of their journey as Gem Masters!