"Badass, right?" Thaumiel grinned at him. "These divine abilities are nothing to joke about. Never take them lightly; they are both your strength and your greatest enemies!"
"Huh?" Damien was momentarily taken aback. "What do you mean?"
Thaumiel simply shook his head. "Just take what I said seriously. Don't misuse these abilities; I'm speaking from experience!"
Damien fell silent, absorbing Thaumiel's words. He wasn't stubborn enough to ignore the warning,he understood he needed to respect their divine powers.
"Now that you've chosen your abilities, it's time for you to go to Elysium Prime," Thaumiel continued. "But first, I need to give you a few warnings so you won't mess up and embarrass me in front of the other gods."
"First," he began, "there will be 11 Primordial Apostles sent to Elysium Prime, including you, that makes 12 in total. This means all 12 Primordial Gods have chosen their Apostles and are sending them down there. Don't underestimate any of them; each one will be as powerful as you. They may or may not have the same Divine Abilities as you, but the chances of that happening are slim since those old geezers at the Celestial Pantheon will not want their Apostles to suffer!"
"Only 12 Apostles? And what do you mean by 'Primordial'?" Damien asked, confused.
"Yes, only 12 of you! The Pantheon doesn't want to overwhelm Elysium Prime with too many Apostles. Besides, some Apostles are in other worlds completing different missions. As for 'Primordial,' it just means that you twelve are the Apostles of the 12 Original Gods, that's it! I won't explain further; you'll find out soon enough!" Thaumiel explained with a glance at Damien.
He paused for a moment before continuing. "Each of the Primordial Gods has followers and believers in Elysium Prime, so their situation there should be quite favorable, but…"
Thaumiel looked at Damien with pity in his eyes, causing a knot of anxiety to form in Damien's stomach.
"…your situation in Elysium Prime will be quite difficult because all my followers, believers, churches, and organizations have been destroyed. You'll be on your own down there without a proper powerful faction backing you up or providing resources for growth!" Thaumiel's expression was strange when he said this.
Damien's emotions shifted rapidly,from confusion to shock and then disbelief. "What do you mean all your believers and churches have been destroyed? What happened?"
Panic surged within him; anyone in his position would feel similarly overwhelmed. While other Apostles would arrive at Elysium Prime with established organizations or empires ready for command,complete with infinite resources,he had nothing and would have to fight tooth and nail for every scrap available.
Thaumiel's lips twitched when Damien asked about the past, as if a painful memory had resurfaced.
He cleared his throat and replied, "Don't worry; it's nothing serious. Just some jealous old geezers who ruined everything. But you'll be fine, take your time to grow stronger. Your luck might be terrible, but with these divine abilities, you'll catch up to the other Apostles in no time!"
"Are you sure?" Damien asked, studying Thaumiel intently.
"Cross my heart and hope to die!" Thaumiel declared, making a solemn gesture across his chest.
"That's good!" Damien nodded, though he sensed something was off. It felt like there was more to the story than Thaumiel let on.
Meanwhile, Kaelos stood behind Thaumiel, was shaking with suppressed laughter.
His eyes were filled with sympathy for Damien.
"Poor soul; he has no idea what's waiting for him down there," Kaelos muttered under his breath.
"Alright, it's time for you to go," Thaumiel said firmly. "I'll drop you off at a suitable training spot where you can grow stronger enough to protect yourself. Think of it as your training arc for the next three months."
"Got it!" Damien replied eagerly.
"But listen carefully: there are three Apostles you need to watch out for, never confront them directly!" Thaumiel warned gravely.
Damien's expression turned serious as he focused on Thaumiel's words.
"The first is the Apostle of Time, the second is the Apostle of Space, and the third is the Apostle of Life and Creation. These three will be particularly troublesome,especially the Apostle of Time. Be very cautious around him!" Thaumiel cautioned.
"But wait," Damien interjected in confusion, "if we're supposed to work together against this unkillable being, why should I be wary of other Apostles? Aren't we sort of teammates?"
Thaumiel shook his head slowly. "I can't divulge everything right now, but just be careful around them. The only one you might trust a little is the Apostle of Death and Darkness but even then, tread lightly."
Damien nodded silently in understanding.
"Oh! And don't forget: form your Divine Party as quickly as possible, they'll be an invaluable asset on your journey!" Thaumiel added.
"Divine Party?" Damien asked again, puzzled.
"Followers! You need to recruit followers,but remember that quality trumps quantity," Thaumiel said with an eye roll.
"Ahh! Okay!" Damien grinned as comprehension dawned on him.
"And make sure you find your Apostle Weapon soon too! I won't explain much now; you'll understand once you're down there,"
Thaumiel said while glancing aside and waving his hand. Suddenly, a massive purple swirling portal appeared before them, warping space with its intense energy.
He gestured for Damien to come closer. Swallowing hard, Damien stepped toward the portal, feeling an inexplicable pull on his very soul.
Turning to face the grinning Thaumiel, he managed a smile in return.
"Before you step through, I think it's time for a name change. Your old one is rather dull and lacks the flair befitting someone who will be my Apostle!" Thaumiel remarked, eyeing Damien with interest.
Damien fell silent, his expression turning blank. The name "Damien" had been a casual gift from his neglectful parents,one that carried associations of misfortune and misery.
Although the name itself didn't mean anything negative, it felt heavy with all the struggles he had endured. Now, as he prepared to embark on a new life in an unfamiliar world, he realized that his previous identity was hardly something to cherish.
After a moment of contemplation, he lifted his head and smiled at Thaumiel. "From now on, my name is Raizen... Raizen Mal'akhi Arcarnis! This will be my name going forward!"
Thaumiel and Kaelos exchanged glances, their expressions briefly betraying disbelief before they quickly regained their composure.
"So he chose that name again after all," Thaumiel thought to himself.
With a gentle smile directed at Damien, he replied, "That's a great name! I love it!"
Damien returned the smile as he stepped into the portal and began to fade from view.
"One last thing, Raizen. Never reveal that you are the Apostle Of Chaos And Destruction before you have the strength to comtend against the other Apostles. If you do, they won't just kill you....they will unmake your soul".
Thaumiel's playful voice echoed in Raizen's ears as shock washed over him.
"What did you just say?"
But it was too late; the portal had already swallowed him entirely.