| LegionPothIX |
Let's directly compare VMC's definitions with that of standard multiclassing, since that's what you're implying should be done.
"Instead of gaining the abilities granted by the next level in your character's current class, he can instead gain the 1st-level abilities of a new class, adding all of those abilities to his existing ones. This is known as “multiclassing."
That's how standard multiclassing is defined. It doesn't state in this definition that you gain class levels. Only that you gain the abilities of the first level of that class.
It goes on to be clarified in an example given for multi-classing, that you add the two classes together for the purpose of calculating their statistics.
Now, let's see what variant multiclassing has to say:
"This optional system allows a character to trade out half her feats in order to gain the benefits of a secondary class."
Note, the benefits of a secondary class are defined in the standard multi-classing description, that are later augmented here.
"These rules enable characters to gain many of the benefits of multiclassing without sacrificing advancement in their primary classes, [...] Under the standard rules, multiclassing can lead to a wide disparity in character ability. With this system, each character can choose a secondary class at 1st level that she trains in throughout her career, without giving up levels in her primary class. "
This tells us that we calculate the effective class level, and derived statistics differently, but we still are multiclassed into that secondary class. Moreover, that our class level for our primary class is not adjusted, and that we are explicitly progressing in the secondary class as well.
"It is probably a good idea to use either this variant system or normal multiclassing, but it's possible for the two systems to be used together."
This tells us that the two multi-class options are regarded with the same weight and depth. Unfortunately we don't have a Paizo printed example of this variant multiclass option that we do for primary multiclass.
And, if we excluded that example of primary multi-classing, there would be literally no reason to believe that a primary multi-classed character counts as the number of levels invested in the class. Since the definition only states you gain the abilities.
With that being the case, there's no reason to believe you don't count as the class of your level for the powers your granted unless explicitly stated otherwise.