When they arrived at the infirmary door, they found a weary Aidoneus sitting in front of it.
Sol, out of breath, asked, "Mr. Aidoneus, Magni—is he okay!? Is he alive!?"
"I don't know, Sol. Ms. Selkis is doing her best, but his condition is dire. It would be a miracle if he survives. By the way, have you seen Han or the others?"
"No. We just returned from our mission as well. We were looking for you to give our report."
"And? Was the mission successful?"
"Yes. The Centaurs will keep their territory. In five years, they will migrate to another region designated for them. The number of newborns in the herd was high; they decided not to leave the area to protect them."
"I'm glad to hear that. Congratulations, kids. You've completed your first mission. Now, I want you to go to the classification department. You have your pagers with you, don't you?"
"Yes."
"Good, hand them over for classification. They contain the data recorded during the mission. Your heart rates, charts of the hormones secreted by your brains, and a few other things. After these are analyzed, your National Threat Class will be determined. This classification will help us when assigning you to future missions."
Sol and the others did as Aidoneus said and went to the classification department. The room was filled with all sorts of devices; these were for testing physical, mental, and spiritual competencies. Where they performed the tests, they ran into Han and the others. They had already completed their tests and had been classified. Sol's team's classification was also completed in a short time, and the results were entered into the system. Along with the other students, the classifications were as follows:
Magni: Grade: N/A Potential: N/A
Sol: Grade: B Potential: S-
Luna: Grade: C+ Potential: A-
Han: Grade: B- Potential: S
Neptune: Grade: B- Potential: S+
Urania: Grade: C- Potential: B+
Amor: Grade: D+ Potential: B
Diana: Grade: D Potential: B-
Hekate: Grade: D- Potential: B-
Aurora: Grade: C+ Potential: B+
Gilgamesh: Grade: B+ Potential: A+
Eris: Grade: B- Potential: A
Prometheus: Grade: B- Potential: S+
Hermaios (X): Grade: A- Potential: S-
Hercules: Grade: S- Potential: S
Erebos: Grade: B- Potential: A-
Vitharr: Grade: A Potential: S-
Gullin Tanni: Grade: A- Potential: S-
Skadi: Grade: A Potential: A
The results were surprising. The research assistant told them not to place too much importance on their potentials as they were only estimates. Power levels were measured through training, missions, and the combat they would engage in during tournaments. The missions Cosmyth users were sent on usually consisted of mythological creatures, other Cosmyth users, and large-scale threats.
With their levels determined, the class went to the infirmary to be near Magni. Selkis was working tirelessly. No one was allowed inside. Their teachers, Mim and Mina, came running to the scene. Aidoneus opened the door for them. He was drenched in sweat; there were burns on his hands. Mim thrust an old parchment into Mina's hand. "Hurry, Mina, seal it!". Magni's condition was critical. Once the two entered, the door closed again.
The amount of venom in his blood was dozens of times higher than the dose that could kill a normal human. It was a miracle he was even alive right now. Magni was trapped inside his own mind. He could see what was happening but could not intervene. His arms moved on their own, throwing punches; his legs cramped, and his body shuddered. Suddenly, he found himself in front of that house where he had spoken with his father. This time, it felt different. It was as if he wasn't supposed to be here.
Bjorn was sipping his beer by the pier. He set the glass down, rose from his seat, and turned around. Their eyes met. There was astonishment on his face.
"Magni! No, no, no! You shouldn't be here," he said, approaching Magni.
"Father?"
"How did you get here? When did you die?"
Magni couldn't make sense of it. Had he really died? No, he hadn't. He was alive. Selkis and the others were working to heal him. Weren't they?
"Father, calm down, I—"
"WHO! WHO KILLED YOU!?" Bjorn roared. Dark clouds covered the sky.
Magni grabbed his father's arms. "Father! I'm not dead, calm down."
"Then how are you here?"
"Where am I?"
"Valhalla... I didn't expect to see you here so soon. How old are you?"
"Father, we spoke just a few months ago, didn't we?"
"What? I've never seen you before. I only knew it was you because you resemble my younger self."
"Then who was the person I spoke to in my dream that night?"
"I don't know. But it wasn't me." The massive man paused. He looked deep into Magni's eyes.
"You look like me. You've grown into a fine young man."
"How did you die, father? If that person I spoke to wasn't you, I want to hear the truth from you."
"How much did your mother tell you?"
"That you stayed behind for us and fought the gods."
"Hmph, she didn't tell you everything, did she, Demeter? The people I fought that day were not gods."
"What? Then what did you fight?"
"Zeus and Olorun. Do those names sound familiar to you?"
"I haven't heard of Olorun, but of course I know Zeus. One of the Creators, right?"
"Yes."
"Wait, does that mean you..."
"I fought against the Creators. You really have no information about your father, do you?"
Magni was thoughtful. His mother had truly told him almost nothing about his father. Was his father really Bjorn, or was this name a lie like everything else? He studied the man before him carefully. Their outward appearances were similar.
At that moment, Magni realized something. Perhaps his life was composed of one big lie. The only person he could trust regarding his father was his mother, and even she was lying. The son asked his father a single question:
"Are you really my father?"
The big man's blue eyes grew hazy. His gaze was tearful. He had seen the son he couldn't see in the afterlife, right here. He placed his right hand on Magni's shoulder. He pulled him close and embraced him. Magni didn't know what to do when he saw that 2-meter-tall man breaking into tears on his shoulder. He hugged his father back. A father could only do this if he were alone with his child. Men may appear emotionless and indifferent; in reality, they choose this path to avoid reflecting external pressure onto their families and loved ones. A father does not show his feelings for his child, a child does not tell his mother everything so as not to upset her, and a man in love does not tell his troubles to his beloved. They protect them in their own way. In their own way...
Bjorn said in a shaky voice, "Yes, Magni. I am truly your father. And you are my son."
"I'm glad to hear that. There is so much I'm unsure of and want to ask you, father."
"Of course, anything you want."
Magni was thinking about which of the questions crossing his mind he should ask. His name, questions about his mother, his powers... He decided to ask about his mother.
"Father, what is my mother really like?"
"Your mother? Ah, Demeter. My beautiful flower. She is quite kind, patient, and a good person. But she is a woman who knows how to put her foot down when necessary. She is a very good keeper of secrets. I told her things for her to tell you when the time comes. She will give you your first letter when you turn 18. Do not lose that letter, and do not pressure your mother to give it to you early. Other than that, your mother is quite a skilled healer. What else do you want to know?"
"What about these powers I use? Is this your Cosmyth?"
"Cosmo- what? What? Powers? Don't tell me you... No, but it's too early for that. You shouldn't have awakened them yet."
"Them? Do I have powers other than lightning?"
"Can you only use lightning? In that case, you aren't at your full potential yet. Good. I didn't want you to receive those powers this early."
"Why not?"
"Because the power of the gods might be too much for your body. How old are you, anyway? I asked earlier, but you didn't say."
"17."
"Hmm... You're younger than I expected. I was expecting you to awaken your powers in your 100s."
"100s? Father, I'd be dead by the time I reached that age. Besides, at what age did you awaken yours?"
"152."
"Are you joking with me, father? A human life lasts 80 years, maybe a little longer."
"Who told you that you were entirely human?"
"What do you mean? Am I a Half-Breed?"
"Yes. Ah, Demeter, did you seriously not tell this boy a single word?" Bjorn muttered to himself.
"Then what race am I besides human? What race is there that wouldn't be reflected in my appearance?"
"You are half—"
Before Bjorn could finish his sentence, Magni felt a pain in his chest. When he blinked, he was in the infirmary room. Aidoneus was holding him by his arms. To his right was Mim, and to his left were Mina and Selkis. His whole body was aching. Everyone in the room looked terrible; exhaustion was written on their faces. When Aidoneus saw his student open his eyes, he let go of his arms and took a deep breath. Magni turned his eyes to his left. Mina and Selkis were equally relieved.
"I...". He didn't even have the strength to speak. At least he was alive. The infirmary staff and the others had managed to remove the effect of the poison. It had been a very difficult and equally exhausting task. The teachers were going to take the rest of the day off; in short, all the classes for today were canceled. Selkis told Aidoneus to inform the class but not to let anyone in. The teacher opened the door and stepped out.
The first-years waiting in front of the door gave all their attention to Aidoneus. The teacher said happily, "Magni's condition is stable. He will live." The class could finally relax. Urania, Han, and Sol were very happy. Their friend, captain, and rival was alive. Han asked when they could see him. Aidoneus said they should ask Selkis. He also asked them to take Magni's pager to the classification department.
They went to the classification department as a group. They handed over the device and waited for the result. After all, their friend would want to see his own result when he fully regained consciousness. After waiting for a long time, Magni's classification was added to the database. Sol asked why the process took so long. The officials had reviewed the data five times from the beginning. They thought there was an error. When Han and Neptune looked at the screen where the data was displayed, they understood what was happening.
Magni: Grade: B+ Potential: "Error!/Undefined!"