Chapter 354: The Blessed Part 2

"The Gates are not a punishment, but are a blessing from the Lords."

Aisha slowly raised one hand.

"They have granted countless people supernatural abilities and given humanity the opportunity to become something greater than it was before. As a race, we have evolved over millions of years, and this isn’t the end."

She paused.

"This world will be reshaped into one suitable for the Great Ones."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

’The Lords...’

Just at their mention, his heart raced, and his body seemed to react on its own, his mana stirring and his beast tattoos flaring. The others all sensed it, and even Greg felt a chill run down his spine, but Ethan managed to suppress it.

He took a deep breath before breaking down what she had said so far.

Aisha certainly knew how to sell a lie.

’She could be a damn good salesman. The slimy bitch makes it sound like they’re creating some kind of paradise when they’re actually trying to destroy the world for those higher beings.’

Aisha continued speaking.

"For years, we, the Blessed, remained in the shadows, watching as the world changed around us."

Her expression hardened for the first time.

"That time is over."

"This is our formal announcement to the public and to every government and Titled Faction across the world."

"We are here to stay."

Her smile returned.

"And we will dismantle anything that stands in our path."

The words were delivered so calmly that somehow they sounded even more threatening.

"We welcome all who wish to join us, and those who prove themselves devoted will be rewarded with numerous blessings."

She leaned slightly toward the camera.

"We will even grant Titles to the most devout among you."

Mark frowned.

"Can they even do that?"

"Probably not." Ethan wasn’t convinced. "But either way, it’ll draw people in."

He was right.

There were millions of people around the world, like Ethan and Mark had once been, who would give almost anything for a taste of that power. If Aisha could convince even a fraction of those people that the Blessed could give out Titles, they would have followers pouring toward them.

Then Aisha’s expression changed, her calm smile changing into something colder.

She stared directly into the camera.

"By the end of this year, this world will be inhabited only by the Blessed."

Her smile slowly returned.

"For the Great Descent can’t be stopped."

The broadcast abruptly cut to black, and silence filled the bar.

For several seconds, nobody spoke, all while Ethan’s hand remained around his neck.

-

The Blessed’s announcement had sent shockwaves across the world.

Every major news channel had been hacked and replaced with the same broadcast, translated into countless languages so that no matter where someone lived, they could hear Aisha’s message.

Greg had replayed the broadcast for them, and it was clear from his expression that the situation was far more serious than any of them had initially realised. The entire world was talking about the Blessed, and Ethan and the others had been completely unaware of it.

’No wonder there weren’t many people crowding outside the bar.’

With two A Ranks and a B Rank gathered in one place, Ethan would have expected hundreds of people to be waiting outside just to get a picture. There were still black suits stationed around the area, but even they wouldn’t have been enough to completely keep the public away if word had gotten out.

Yet there had barely been anyone.

The Blessed’s announcement had overshadowed everything else.

Still, after hearing the entire broadcast, Ethan’s only reaction was, "That’s the bitch that bit me."

Though internally, he was still digesting everything.

’She really is still alive.’

Rather than fear or disappointment, Ethan found himself smiling.

’Looks like we’re going to get a round three, too.’

Elara noticed the smile immediately.

She elbowed him in the side, her lips forming a small pout as she glanced toward the gorgeous, tanned woman still displayed on the screen.

"Are you really smiling at her?"

Ethan looked at her.

"Of course not. And don’t worry, she’s hot, but she still has nothing on you."

Elara’s pout deepened, though the faint colour appearing on her cheeks betrayed her reaction. Meanwhile, Greg silently took another swig of his beer, not nearly as relaxed as the others.

His eyes shifted toward Mark, looking him up and down.

Greg had never seen Mark listed as a Titled individual, and nothing in the official records suggested that he should possess such an oppressive aura. He had done his background check on Ethan long ago, in which he had read about Mark.

A supposedly ordinary, untitled man with his fair share of run-ins with the law, but he turned it around.

Yet something about him was off.

The reports Greg had received from Arkansas only made things stranger, especially the part about him appearing to have some kind of unique constitution. If Greg had to bet on it, the man before him wasn’t untitled.

But the real question was whether he was Titled either.

Greg didn’t press them on it.

Whether Mark was a rogue Titled, someone newly awakened, or something else entirely didn’t matter right now. As long as Ethan, Elara, and Kaela continued cooperating with the Association, Greg could work with them.

That didn’t mean he planned on taking his eyes off Mark, who conveniently was the man closest to Ethan. For now, however, there were more pressing matters, which the others picked up on.

"For you to have come in person, it must’ve been important," Kaela said.

She reached over, snatched Greg’s beer from his hand, and took a drink from it without asking.

Greg stared at her.

"We’re literally in a bar. You could have just-"

He stopped himself with a sigh before refocusing on the matter at hand.

"I’ve received the report from my men about what happened in Arkansas, but I don’t recall hearing about an Aisha other than when you asked me about her."

His eyes shifted toward Ethan.

"And now here she is, publicly announcing herself as the representative of something called the Blessed."

He paused.

"That drug they can produce has already been given numerous names, but after today’s announcement, Blessing is likely the one that’ll stick. We have been having more and more reports of its usage around the country, and even internationally."

Ethan and the others listened quietly as Greg continued.

"The golden chalice marking has also begun appearing more frequently. It’s the same symbol used by the people producing those drugs."

They nodded along.

But their calmness only drew more suspicion from the suited man who sat among them...