The Bloodline System

Author's Note: Unedited Chapter

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"They still have over a day left so nah," Gustav responded with a disinterested tone.

Siefiling did not completely understand what he meant but he could tell that the statement meant that Gustav and Endric weren't willing to step down.

< "How unfortunate. How will you help them if you are not together?" > Seifiling questioned.

"What do you mean by…" Before Milox could get to complete any sentence, he suddenly noticed that everyone had vanished from sight.

"What in the world is this again? Where is everyone?" He wondered out loud with a look of frustration.

Unfortunately, there was no answer as he was the only one present in this location with the spacecraft. Even the cauldron-sized head they had taken captive was nowhere to be found as well.

"Could he have separated us?" Milox's eyes widened as he came to a realization. 

…

Osiark found herself standing on a rocky ledge, surrounded by an otherworldly landscape. Large boulders of various shapes and sizes dotted the terrain, their rough surfaces shimmering under the pale glow of artificial lighting emanating from above. It seemed as if she had stumbled upon a hidden chamber of sorts.

As her eyes adjusted to the eerie illumination, Osiark noticed that the rocks were not merely stationary objects, but rather a mesmerizing dance of colors and patterns. Some stones glowed with soft iridescent light, while others pulsated in vibrant hues. The tranquil ambiance of this mysterious place washed over Osiark, filling her with a sense of wonder.

"Hello? Everyone?" She yelled but there was no answer. 

'Where am I? Where did everyone go?' She cautiously stepped down from the ledge, her curiosity driving her deeper into the space. 

With every step, the rocks beneath her feet seemed to respond, changing their hues and patterns to match her movements. It was as if the rocks themselves were alive, harmonizing with her presence.

'Both beautiful and eerie at the same time but I must not forget why I am here,' Osiark slapped herself gently to pull herself out of the shimmering delights that seemed to dull her senses.

'How do I get out of here?' Osiark wondered after walking for a while without seeing any other thing than boulders and shining rocks around.

At this point, she knew she was still within Seifiling's space vessel but understood that she had been separated from the others.

'He can do this too?' The separation had taken them completely by surprise and now she didn't know how to get to the others.

She still maintained speaking in her mind because it had been established that Seifiling could see and hear every location within his space vessel.

Unfortunately, the mind link Gustav initially created for them to communicate through had most likely been deactivated or was out of range since she couldn't hear the others.

Osiark paused her movement and jumped to the top of a shimmering boulder so she could have a better visual of what lay ahead.

….

"Hmm? Separation?" Vilax voiced his surprise while looking around.

He also happened to be in an unknown location.

In the heart of this enigmatic realm, one could find a series of water bodies scattered about, reflecting the rays of an unseen sun. These bodies of water varied in size and shape, some shallow and others deep, but all possessed a peculiar quality: their depths were home to an array of lush vegetation, and a sparse lineup of weird-looking trees.

These trees, with their gnarled branches and twisted forms, appeared as if they were dancing underwater, their leaves swaying in a silent rhythm known only to the depths.

But this wasn't all… some trees could be spotted protruding from the surface of these water bodies. It turned out that some of them grew long enough to poke their top through the surfaces, making the location look even more eerie.

Vilax's senses were instantly captivated by the sight before him. The air felt charged with a tingling energy. With each step taken closer to the water bodies, the enchantment seemed to grow stronger, urging them to explore further.

Vilax approached the nearest water body, cautiously reaching out to dip his hand into the cool, crystalline liquid. 

To his astonishment, the trees beneath the surface seemed to come alive, their branches swiftly reached out.

Swwhhiiihhh~

A sharp blade of frost suddenly swept across the air, slicing a huge chunk of the branch before it could reach Vilax.

"What are you doing? Don't touch it," Sersi had appeared out of nowhere to drag Vilax away.

Scrreeeiiiiii~

Loud screeches rang out as more branches began to shoot out of the water bodies nearby, chasing the two fleeing figures.

"Sersi… how are you here too?" Vilax questioned with a tone of confusion as he kept getting pulled away.

"Run first, chat later," Sersi stated.

Vilax nodded and they kept running as fast as their legs could carry them.

Soon they were out of range for the branches to reach. Although the environment was filled with more weird-looking water bodies, they seemed tranquil compared to the ones behind.

Vilax guessed he must have triggered their reaction by dipping his hand into one of them. He decided to avoid the water bodies from thereafter. 

He still had a mixture of curiosity and wariness on his face because of how the trees growing out of the water bodies looked.

The branches of each tree were adorned with peculiar fruits and shimmering foliage that seemed to glow with a soft, ethereal light. 

As curious as he was, he wouldn't go near the water bodies anymore so the mysteries of the glowing fruits would remain uncovered. However, he could sense strange energy within them.

"How did you know not to touch the waters?" Vilax questioned as he and Sersi continued trekking north.

"I can sense something alive at the bottom of every water," Sersi answered.

"Thank you," Vilax said in appreciation. Although he felt he could have handled that himself, he was still grateful.

"You are welcome. Let us find Gustav and the others," Sersi voiced in response.

Vilax's eyes lit up with suspicion but he kept walking as well.

….

"Hmm," Endric opened his eyes and was greeted with an unexpected sight.

Before him stood mountains that defied the laws of gravity. They floated sideways and upside down. These majestic peaks hung suspended in the peculiar space, casting eerie shadows upon the land.

But that was not all.

As Endric looked down, he discovered that the ground beneath their feet was no ordinary land. It glowed with a vibrant light, painting the grassland with shades of ethereal green. Each step they took sent ripples of luminescence through the air, creating a dance of illumination around his path.

However, despite the bewilderment that could easily overwhelm any person, Endric stood tall and confident. 

"Oh, I see," Endric muttered while his forehead emitted a glow.

As Endric kept stepping forward, he soon realized that even though the surroundings were unconventional and disorienting, there was a strange sense of harmony in the extraordinary world. Whispers of enchantment filled the air, urging him to delve into the heart of the mysterious realm.

With each passing moment, his senses became heightened, and their awareness sharpened. 

The location may have seemed beautiful but he could tell that it was more of a prison. There was no telling what he would find here.

"Are you that frightened of my brother and I helping the Ozis?" Endric voiced out loud after pausing his steps.

Unfortunately, there was no answer even after he stood in place for more than a couple of seconds.

'I guess he doesn't easily get triggered. Anyways, I need to get out of here,' Endric said internally while taking steps forward.

'It is sealed,' Husarius answered internally.

'Not for long. He must have taken the others to different places as well… hmm… this might get troublesome,' Endric thought while his eyes emitted a silvery blue glow.

Fwwhoosshh!~

He charged forward in the next instant.

….

Within an endless expanse of darkness, a being stood still exuding an aura of might and exuberance.

"You should know better than to use such cheap tricks on me. Although it might take a little while, I will certainly get out of this," Gustav's voice boomed loudly, causing the place to quake.

Just like the situation with Endric, there was no answer. Gustav smiled before stepping forward.

Wings sprouted out of his back and he proceeded to lunge forward with incredible speed.

Fwwooommsshhh~

An indescribable force of energy blasted across his surroundings as he left a visible line in this expanse of darkness. Gustav was moving with such an incredible speed, yet it looked like he wasn't moving at all due to the darkness all around.

Minutes into flying, Gustav began to slow down and finally stopped to land somewhere.

'With that speed, I would have gone round the earth a couple of times…' Gustav knew that despite the immense size of Siefiling's space vessel, it wasn't as large as the entire earth so there had to be another explanation for what was going on.