The Ancient Genes

"What do I do?" Erina frowned as she looked below into the basin. She was supposed to be meeting with her Great Grandma here, but this was nothing like that.

"Hmmn?" Erina suddenly seemed to catch the shadow of a figure down below on the land near the water body, just around the forest.

"Hello!! I am here!!!" Erina screamed as she waved her hand. But, either the person didn't see her or just pretended not to.

She knew this wasn't helping her. Hence, she decided to use flames to attract this person's attention.

Erina immediately clasped her hands together, and her mana erupted in flames which began to take the shape of a huge avatar. But, before it could actually form, the water from the waterfall extinguished it.

The scene dumbfounded Erina. Her flames could burn even underwater, and yet these droplets of water which were just shooting towards her because of the rocky terrain wall had actually extinguished her flames. This was just too hard to believe.

Erina couldn't help, but walked towards the edge and put her hand out towards the falling water. As soon as the water touched her hand, a cool sensation passed through her hand. This water seemed to carry some strange kind of energy.

As soon as this energy came in contact with Erina, it immediately suppressed her mana which was oriented towards the fire element. It was like it had met it's natural enemy, and a fight began in between the two.

"What is this?!" Erina hurriedly pulled her hand, and immediately activated her powers, engulfing her hand in flames to ward off the cold energy.

"Is this all you have in you, lady? The life ahead will be much more harder." A voice suddenly rang in Erina's ear, startling her.

"Who is it?" Erina asked as she looked around, but there was no one.

"Look below.."

Erina's eyes immediately widened, and she focused her attention back towards the unclear figure below.

"Look carefully, the flames of Crimson blood burns differently…:" The moment those words rang out, a spark seemed to lit up in the figure's hand.

The next instant, the figure pointed its hand ahead, and waved it into an arc above.

"Whoosh!"

The pillar of flame shot out of the figure's hand, and slashed the waterfall into two columns. A single stream line of gap had opened in the waterfall with water completely evaporating at the place where flame pillar slashed.

The flame passed right in front of Ariana's face as she saw the waterfall being split into two.

There was not any intense fluctuation, or tremendous power in it. Even Erina could feel a warmth which flames usually possessed. And, yet these seemingly gentle flames had the power to eliminate the cold energy within the waterfall that her aggressive attacks were useless against?

She couldn't help, but stand there in daze trying to burn every sight of it into her memory. There was a natural reaction coming from deep within her body on feeling the warmth of the flames.

When Erina finally broke out of her daze and looked below, the figure was gone, and her situation remained no different.

'The Crimson Blood burns differently…' Erina muttered the figure's words in her mind as she looked at the waterfall. She felt that the person definitely was the Matriarch.

She didn't know if it was some kind of test or something else, but she didn't care at this moment. She really felt an intense urge to replicate the scene from before. Besides, it wasn't like she had anything else to do while being trapped here.

"Flare!"

Flames lit up on Erina's hand as she looked at the water, and tried to remember the warmth she had felt in front of the flames of the Matriarch.

Her eyes were closed as she entered a focused state, unaware that her flames had begun to flicker in a strange manner as she continuously hacked it against the water from the waterfall.

Both the flames and Erina's body seemed to be undergoing a change under the effect of the Cold energy from the waterfall.

….

Down below…

The water was crashing in the basin below before flowing into a stream and going deep into the wilderness.

At the side of the stream was a path which went into the forest, and if one went further ahead, they would find themselves in a clear patch of land.

The surrounding of this place was filled with different types of rare plants and treasure which had accumulated pure energy of the environment. Even Mana crystals which were very rare in the outside world had formed huge crystal pillars around.

In the middle of this patch of clean land was a small house. It was a clean and well built cottage. One, that everyone would like to have to spend their vacations close to nature.

At this moment, one could see an old lady around her 60s or 70s walking towards the Cottage while another similar lady sitting at a chair on the porch of the cottage.

"So, early?" The Old lady on the porch asked with a smile. "How was she?"

"Seemed to have taken after you. Emotional, and strong willed, not the best, but not bad as well," The Old lady replied with a smile. This lady was the Matriarch of the Crimson House.

As for the other old lady, she was the younger sister of the Matriarch, and also the last surviving member of Starfall House.

"Why do I feel that you are looking down on me?"

"It's because I am.." The Matriarch replied with a laugh, making fun of her sister.

"Hmph! It's a good thing that she didn't take after you. We already have trouble with one mean person like you in the family, another one might spell doom for us." The Younger Sister retorted.

The two of them continued to bicker like children before breaking out into laughter.

….

Workers District, Ocien.

A girl leisurely walked around the street. She looked to be around her 20s, and had a frail figure.

'Is it even going to work?'

This person was actually Rihanna.

Just as Max had asked, she had been carelessly walking around with no particular aim in mind.

Just like that, she entered a restaurant.

But, who knew that she would end up hearing something very interesting.

"I can't believe they just fired us without any reason!!" One of the guys seemed to be complaining in anger.

"Tsk! It's not like it only happened in your factory, even mine did the same!!' Another guy slammed his fist on the table.

"Hmmn..but you said that they fired you guys in the hundreds.. Where are they going to recruit so many people to fill the gap from? With the Competitions coming to Ocien, there is a lack of workers, everywhere and your companies are firing people? Have they gone insane?" The third guy asked in disbelief.