(Brendan POV)
I may have acted like it was no big deal back there with my senior sisters, but honestly, I'm actually freaking out inside.
I ascended! I'm actually a Divine right now! That means I did not let Master down!
When Master gave me this task, I was actually worried that I would not be able to pull this off.
There was no way I would even dream of being able to do what was essentially creating a bottled version of Master's power on a normal day.
Yet, Master had shown no doubt in my capabilities when He gave me this mission, thus I poured everything I could into making this a reality.
I searched through tomes and went through multitudes of trials and errors, failing multiple times and retrying again and again after every failure.
In that process, I even learned how to break down formations and store them into bottles too, something that might have shaken the alchemy world should I have decided to publish my findings.
Yet, I did not bother with that since it was merely just a stepping stone for me to create multiple formations, something I needed to help me understand what I lacked to create that bottle of Origin liquid for my ascension.
The more I found out however, the more I realised just how impossible it was for a mortal to make one. There were some things that were just not meant to be handled by a mortal and others that were completely incomprehensible too.
There was the choice of granting myself temporary divinity with the other bottles of Origin liquid Master had given me, but I feared I would not be able to hold back the temptation to just use it to ascend right there.
Thus, as much as I hated to admit it, I had to seek help from someone who could help me with the divine part of the equation.
At that time, my senior sisters had yet to ascend and there was only one Divine being that I knew who would help me.
Sylphy…
Yes, I went to that crazy Goddess for help and she was more than happy to help me with it. The only problem was that she expected me to return the favour and there was only one thing she wanted.
With no other choice, I had to… Ugh… I had to go on dates with her and act like we were a couple… I made sure that Master never found out about this.
The good thing was that she was much more in control after Master reinstated her as a Goddess, so she didn't do anything crazy to me like raping me or something.
Although there was that one time where she made me lie on her lap so that she could pat my head.
I would have been totally fine with it except she was making a really scary face while drooling when I laid down on her lap.
Unfortunately, I could do nothing but just endure it since I needed her to provide me with some of her blood that day.
But still, it was thanks to her that I managed to make much more progress with my creation of the Origin Liquid than I would on my own, especially when my senior sisters started to ascend as well.
I already knew that compared to them, I may as well just be a non-Practitioner with how gifted they were and it came as no surprise to me that they managed to ascend so quickly.
And even though I knew the possibility was infinitesimally low, the thought of Master being disappointed in me if I was the only one who failed to ascend was utterly terrifying for me.
Thus I dove back into my research with even more fervour than before, just so that I could avoid such a thing from happening altogether.
But when Master's stalker took Him away from us again, I was once more reminded of my powerlessness as my sisters went to confront her while I could only watch from afar.
Even then, Master was still guiding me by showing the multiple possibilities of the Universe to me, making me realise what else I needed to refine to make my own Origin liquid.
I already knew I was so close and I just needed one more thing to complete Master's challenge, but I did not know what I was missing.
Master's stalker then pointed me to where I could find it and even though I did manage to find what I thought was the last ingredient, Master once again showed me that it was not the end with that night we spent camping.
From an outsider's point of view, it might just look like Master wanted to spend some time away from senior sisters and have a private time with me. But I knew Master's mind worked differently than that.
Had Master not suggested spending the night there, I would have rushed back to brew the Origin liquid as fast as I could. But because Master had made us stop that night, I had time to slow down and think.
Even if I were to create the Origin liquid, it would be no different than the ones Master had given to me. Which meant that if I was to ascend that way, I would be no different than the other Gods.
To stay beside Master, I needed to stand on the same level as my senior sisters, that's why this was not enough. It needed something more, but what?
It wasn't until I started torturing those pieces of trash that I finally knew what it was.
For so long I have been following behind my senior sisters that I have forgotten about myself. Master calling this our 'bro' time was a hint that I should have more confidence in myself and step out from my senior sister's shadow.
I needed to be myself.
Thus, the idea to harmonise my own essence with the crafted Origin liquid came to mind. That way, I would truly create something that was unique only to me.
I needed some extra time to create it but when it was done and I finally ascended by drinking it… The euphoria I felt at that moment was beyond anything I had ever experienced before.
And of course, I took Master's words that night when we were camping seriously. From that day when I met Master while He was masquerading as a student, Master had always guided me in everything I did.
That's why I will always be indebted to Master… And perhaps I'll admit there was just a little bit of a certain emotion mixed in as well.
I am now a God and I can follow my Master wherever He may go.
I am Brendan, God of Brews, Bro of Origin.
