Talking to the Grand Elder.

We stopped in front of a building I had seen before because it was relatively close to the city center. It was a large building made of white stone with marble and some golden and similar tones. It had a beautiful style and resembled Greek architecture like an acropolis with Ionic columns.

Henry stopped in front of the stairs and looked at me. "I'll go up to here, Alex. Come train with me at the barracks later."

"Okay," I smiled back at him and shook hands. After saying goodbye, I went ahead to open the gate.

It was a large place, and he directed me to go to the Great Elder's room. I soon stopped in front of the door. Luckily, there were small cute golems along the way that showed me the path. When I asked Henry before, he said that golems are used by the race for various purposes, not just for protection and attack, but also for cleaning and other functions.

I knocked lightly on the door and heard an ancient voice from inside. "Enter."

Opening the door, I saw an elder sitting on a mat in a meditative position, wearing robes similar to a Tibetan monk's in orange colors. He had silvery blonde hair like the race's, but with deeper color in some parts. He also emitted an impressive natural pressure, reminding me of my encounter with the other two gods. Despite his aged appearance, he had a commanding presence.

"The... the young one of our race has awakened. Pleased to meet you, child. I am the Great Elder Min. Do you have a name?" He smiled gently and motioned for me to approach.

I followed and sat in front of him, with Ron sitting on my lap and Aqua still in my pocket. "I do, Great Elder. My name is Alex," I said respectfully, knowing he was a person of high status who had probably lived a long time.

"Good, young one. You must have heard about our race from the universe (status screen), right?"

"Yes, there was an explanation."

"Well, as you may have seen, our race's role is to prevent the collapse of the Universe and stop dimensional beings from causing great destruction. We do not always move against other dimensional beings, only when the threat exceeds a certain level. Sometimes, the gods we are associated with may make requests. In the other hall inside the town hall, there are both requests from our race and, rarely, from the gods. Generally, it is very rare, and only we Elders will specifically speak on it. You are not obliged to fulfill their requests; we are allies and we help, but we are not part of their religions. Moreover, you already seem to have an affinity with one or two gods. Be careful with that, as gods are complicated beings. Furthermore, we are one of the people with the most freedom."

He spoke with a serious expression, his gaze seemingly piercing through everything.

"Okay," I responded with the same seriousness and took the opportunity to ask something I was curious about. "Can I ask something?"

"Sure," he replied kindly.

"How many Elders does our race have?"

He was surprised for a moment but soon answered. "There are a few. The position of Elder requires a certain minimum level of strength and existence, as well as the need to take on certain responsibilities. Some, as Henry may have told you, are in the research center or academic center, others in the library, and a few protect the Barracks. Not many, as increasing existence is not easy and can be risky at a certain level, and not everyone desires it. Additionally, since our race is immortal in age, not all are born with the talent and motivation for it. As for me, I achieved this position by election along with a specific strength. There are only two Great Elders, and the other is my wife, who holds a special duty."

I nodded, curious while listening to some of Henry's explanations. "Well, now I want to show you something. Give me your hand."

I did as he asked and extended my hand. "Close your eyes." At that moment, I felt his energy or mana entering my body, feeling as if we were moving even though we weren't.

When I opened my eyes, we were in the middle of space, in a curious bluish-purple and dark place. I was fascinated by the sight but snapped out of it when I heard his voice.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes..."

"Our dimensional magic is powerful and beautiful but also dangerous." He turned his hand, and I could see his mana in golden, purple, and blue hues forming mirrors or various portals. In each portal, I saw different images.

One looked the darkest of all, another like absolute ice, another a mountainous world with fire and lava everywhere, another with lightning and storm clouds, another a world of white clouds bathed in light, others with black and gray smoke and an aura of death, another with pink and purple hues emitting intriguing and peculiar mana, another with golden and purple clouds and flying animals, resembling a place of dreams and nightmares, and many others appeared.

"Our race's dimensional magic is very peculiar. By using its powers, we can sometimes connect with dimensions, utilizing their energies and capabilities and even other processes and means. But it's something we must be careful with as it's an uncertain and volatile process. You should avoid using it until you acquire sufficient knowledge and strength. Of course, traveling to dimensions and the main world should not be a problem, but avoid using anything beyond spatial magic."

"I bet young Henry has already told you, but the library and academic center are good places to learn, and the barracks will also be useful, especially for you who use weapons."

"Very well," I said. When he finished talking, we returned to the room.

"Now, before I let you go, you should come here these days. I will help you train a bit with your spatial magic and teach you the basics to assist you, okay?"

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Mission: Basic Race Training

Objective: Visit the Great Elder until he understands enough and learns the basics of how to use your spatial magic and some dimensional concepts.

Reward: Improvement in spatial magic manipulation and knowledge of dimensional magic. +6 intelligence, +8 wisdom (due to title effect, points are doubled). Skill: spatial bomb (Unique).

Description: As a new member of the race, it is important to have notions of your unique magic. Otherwise, it will become dangerous, and you could get stuck during a journey or destabilize space and dimension.

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"Okay, I accept." He smiled gently and said, "Good, let's begin."