The Ancient Genes

"Wait! This is the gift you have been asking for father all this time?" Wilson asked with a frown.

"Yeah, I thought he had it with him. But, even he couldn't find it…" Erina replied with a slight smile. ​​

«Axel: Does this mean that she is the owner of the spirit shell? I thought you had to fully awaken and possess a first grade energy...»

Axel was right. Even Elly and Lisa hadn't fully counted their first grade energy and brought it under control.

Elly's power were definitely not limited to healing. Max was sure about it. On the other hand, Lisa was still touching the surface of the Darkness element and still had to conjure the Light element.

Max could only think how terrifying it would be when she would be able to combine both the elements.

Even Max who had great affinity with Elements might not be necessarily a match for her in the two elements.

Not to mention, conjuring these types of Variant elements was extremely difficult as Max couldn't figure out just how the major elements had given birth to it…

He had been lucky to obtain the power of darkness with Lisa's help…

So, Max couldn't think his Erina would contract the spirit when she wasn't even half the way like Lisa or Elly. I

«Ruler: I guess we will have to pay your home a visit...»

«Axel: Well, the fourth event is in Ocien, it will not be that long before we reach there..»

«Mark: What are we going to do with the spirit shell? I don't think she has any plan on returning it...»

Everyone's eyes moved as they looked at Erina still hugging the weapon and it indeed looked like she didn't have any plan on returning it.

"Give it back to me, you can't keep it…" Wilson said as he looked at her.

"Why? It's mine…" 

And…...she refused.

«Lisa: You can't expect a girl to give her mothers belonging to you especially when her mother has been in that state all while…»

Everybody went silent upon hearing that. 

Max looked at Lisa and could see the sadness which she was trying to hide under that silly smile of hers.

She didn't spend much time with her mother just like Erina and could relate to her.

«Axel: I feel bad snatching it from her like that….how about I tranquilize her...»

Everybody gave him a look.

«Axel: What? At least she wouldn't see it happening in front of her eyes….Don't tell me you all will let her keep it...»

«Wilson: What if she is the owner?»

«Axel: That is a big claim...»

«Wilson: If my mother is from an Ancient Family like you think, then she must have known about the spirit shell...do you think she will just say something that important without any backing to it...»

«Axel: What if it was just a way of passing down the artifact?»

«Ruler: That won't make sense….why pass something so important to an incapable girl who had just awakened… » Max couldn't find the logic in it.

«Wilson: I felt flashes and a familiar feeling when that thing stabbed me….»

«Axel: Yes, I think you are right...she might be the owner. Let me stab her and check it out….»

Wilson glared at Axel and he went silent.

«Ruler: Blood might be the link here...»

On the other side, Zenith looked at Eren and couldn't help but mutter with a frown, "What is wrong with them? Are they in some kind of cult?"

"What do you mean?" Eren asked in confusion.

"Just keep a look on them...you will see that even though they are quiet, their eyes suddenly turn all at the same time and sometimes their face's twitch…."

"Is this some kind of ritual? They are creeping me out."

Eren tried to observe and couldn't see a thing. After all, everyone's vision was not as clear and wide as Zenith. This guy was something else.

"You are imagining too much...I can't see a thing…" Eren said as he waved his hand.

….

Erina wasn't giving the weapon back and in the end, Wilson took her out to tell her the truth.

He informed her all about Neo and that their mother might not have naturally fallen sick. That the weapon was an important lead for them and they needed it.

Wilson deliberately didn't pull any words because he wanted her to know that not every person in their family was kind. She should make up her mind and avoid that soft stance towards all the family members…

Erina's face indeed scrunched up in an unsightly manner. But there was more anger than sadness to it….

This was her mother after all…

Wilson was sure that this would definitely give her sister a much needed change.

As for the matter of using her blood, this place wasn't right. They decided to do it after getting out of the competition.

Hence, in the end Erina reluctantly handed over the weapon.

….

"Leader, are you sure it's here?" Norek asked as fire and ice shot out from either of his hands freezing and burning the swarm of bats flying towards them.

"It has to be...the swarm of blood eating bats all fly towards this place before dawn….it is most likely to give offerings to their Lord. The Horde Commander had to be here...." Nathan replied confidently as the group of three continuously moved trying to avoid any fights they could.

"Target in sight…" The wind mage suddenly spoke as his spell detected the enormous creature.

"Good! Remember the plan….I will pull that thing away...you guys detonate the nest...you have to destroy the nest at all cost....only then can we truly enrage it... " 

Norek and the Wind Mage, two split up with Nathan as they began to put their plan in action.

….

"Hmmn….finally, I have managed to fix this thing….it took longer  than I expected it too…" Valko smiled and was extremely proud of himself.

But when he walked into the surveillance room, his face twisted in horror looking at the different footage which was being played on several screens.

There wasn't a single one in which he couldn't see a menacing beast. He clearly saw the device in one of the footage which signified that this place was being used for an area securing mission.

One needed to use the device to confirm their identity after killing the Beast Lord and only then would the Academy of identified players receive the points.

"I must get to the terrace and shoot out the emergency flare, I have to let them know…"