Genetic Ascension

Chapter 2289: Den [Bonus]

[Bonus thanks to BobTheEngineer <3]

Gwenu and Khan felt like they had been hit with a sledgehammer. They couldn't quite believe what they were hearing.

Just the Demi-God Plane alone was enough for them to feel like their worlds were warping and twisting around them. But now, it felt like they didn't even know how to look at Ekear directly.

They had always had a great amount of respect for their eldest disciple brother. Even with all of Sylas' feats, he just didn't spend enough time around them for them to grow the same attachment.

They had been with Ekear since they were children, and Gwenu especially had basically betrayed her family and mother to choose the path of Scorpions. When she came, the only family she had were these three here.

She had quite a fondness for Sylas too. He reminded her a lot of their master and she hadn't minded giving up her position to call him elder brother too.

But Ekear was still number one in her heart in that respect.

But right now… it felt hard to even look at him the same.

Ekear smiled a bit bitterly, but then adjusted his bearings.

"You two don't need to look at me like that. Master has known all this time, but do you see him treating me any differently? In the future, you all will be Gods too. So long as you follow me, you will certainly reach that level. I promise it."

Their eyes shone bright, only the slightest hint of hesitation within them.

"Can you… at least give Sylas the option?" Gwenu asked softly.

Ekear frowned a bit. The problem wasn't with Gwenu's question, it was more like… he didn't like Sylas all that much.

Sylas had done a great job in saving their master, stopping him from having to reveal too much and potentially be punished by the Nethum Clan. But by the same token, Sylas never called their master by a proper, respectable title.

He was from a God Clan and he never showed the slightest bit of disrespect to Gralith. Gralith was the man he respected the very most.

Who was Sylas to not show that same level of decorum?

Ekear felt a slight discomfort in his chest that he pressed down. He took a breath and exhaled.

The real reason he didn't want to do this, though, was because he knew exactly what Sylas' answer would be. That man would never follow anyone else, regardless of the potential reward. His Pride was too strong.

So Gwenu was essentially asking him to hand out an olive branch the person on the other end would surely burn. That was like asking him to stick his face out to be slapped.

He really didn't want to do that.

But when he looked at Gwenu's pleading expression, he took a deep breath and exhaled again.

"Yes, I can ask him," Ekear said.

Gwenu suddenly smiled brightly and Khan exhaled his own breath.

"I will ask him," Gralith said calmly.

Ekear blinked in surprise and looked toward his master. There was a hint of gratefulness in his eyes, but it quickly became sharper and more focused.

"No, master. I will do it. If you ask, he may very well accept because it is you. But he needs to understand what it truly means to accept. The Nethum will not accept any situation that disrespects its bloodline. If I brought him up without him understanding this, it would only be as good as ending his life."

Gralith paused for a long while and then nodded.

Ekear nodded in return.

"Alright. Let's return, now. Right now, your bodies are too weak to withstand the Demi-God Plane. We will have to complete this well before the Sanctum rises."

Gwenu and Khan's bodies began to fade away.

Soon, it was only master and disciple left.

Ekear took a deep breath. He still remembered his conversation with Gralith all those months ago. Gralith seemed sure that Sylas was more talented than he was. But… Gralith knew nothing about the Demi-God Plane, and certainly knew even less about the God Plane.

Soon he'd be able to show his master what it meant to have Nethum Blood running through his veins.

He was still the eldest disciple brother here.

**

Demi-God Beast Heaven. Mesmeryx Den.

The mating ball of Serpentes was quite a sight to behold when they were the size of mountains. It was even more mesmerizing when they shimmered in gorgeous silvery scales that reflected the sunlight with a rainbow of colors.

Every one of their movements shook the world they resided on, and it was only made all the more obvious why they were so caught off guard when the aura of a God descended from above.

From the depths of a mountain, their queen sensed the quaking and shot out, her wings spreading wide as she basked in the sun. However, her face was marred with heavy notes of worry.

—

[Quest Received]

—

The queen's eyes widened when she saw this.

This wasn't a normal quest, it was one bestowed not by the system, but by a god.

Her eyes glittered with excitement, her tail swaying with fins that caused hurricanes thousands of kilometers away.

"Sylas Grimblade… where have I heard this name before…?"

She blinked in confusion. With her memory, it was impossible that she wouldn't recognize a simple name. Was someone messing with her mind?

No. That was also impossible. Even a God would have difficulty messing with the mind of a Mesmeryx. Reality already bent to her whims, she was too resistant to such things.

But right now, it didn't matter. A God of Serpents had given her a task. No, he had given them all a task.

How could she turn her nose up at it?

Across the Beast Heaven, countless species of Serpentes received the very same Quest, all promising large and endless numbers of rewards.

It was deep in the mountains of the Mesmeryx that something interesting was happening, though.

A familiar woman opened her eyes. Unlike the other Mesmeryx, only her lower half was that of a serpent. Her upper half… was that of a Clypsian.

Her pupils slitted with a light of curiosity as she observed the queen from below.