Alexia
After getting used to my new mix-up of skills, I raise each of them to at least level 4. Then I immediately depart out the first emergency exit I find on my map and begin making my way back towards The Retreat as quickly as I can. A process that proves easier than expected thanks to the most recent benefit Quantum Displacement has. The one that lets me choose to keep or discard my momentum before teleporting.
A very beneficial bonus while I’m flying.
I continue teleporting through the air for a couple hours, teleporting thousands of meters at a time until I eventually arrive at Ethan’s island, the man flying up to stop me.
“How’s Astrid?” I ask right away, making him snort in amusement.
“She’s fine,” Ethan answers, making me sigh in relief. “If you’re curious, there’s someone I’m sure you want to meet with at the nearby molten island.”
I blink before frowning and tilting my head slightly as I ask, “Wait, the Dimensional Champion is here? But why would he be there?”
There isn’t anything of worth on that island. Just a bunch of magma with a couple Tier 1 dungeons. Not even a Tier 2 dungeon on it.
Although I think there was a couple fire magical ore that I saw when passing by.
Wait, I feel like I can sense them… oh, right. There was that Legendary Feat.
“He’s there with your sister, if you’re curious,” Ethan says, a faint grin stretching across his face. And those words immediately set me on edge as I ignore the dragon and begin teleporting over towards the magma island without hesitation.
What I find when I arrive though has me freezing in place. Or rather, falling down since I stopped teleporting.
Eventually I crash land onto the island, but I ignore that as it doesn’t hurt. Instead I continue staring at the man I recognize as Gramps, albeit with some differences. Like his glowing red eyes. And the snakes growing on his body. Yeah, the snakes are very new.
But other than just him, I’m even more shocked by the massive egg made of magma next to him. And the only reason I can tell that it’s some sort of egg is because I can sense an energy source inside of it.
One that I recognize very well.
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I identify the egg.
{Astrid Knight – Class: Shadowblade – Hydra/Shadowborne Hybrid – Level 231}
I stare for several seconds at the ID before eventually glancing at Gramps and asking, “What’s happening to her?”
He just grins and says, “She’s becoming a hydra!”
I stare some more.
He grins back.
Eventually I just shrug and walk over to the man before giving him a light hug and stepping back.
“Not going to question anything?” he asks, sounding both amused and as if he was expecting this.
“Not really,” I answer. “I always knew you were hiding things from us, and the Quantum Architect pretty much hinted at you being well-known across the universe. So it makes sense that you might be a Class S species.” I turn to look at the egg holding Astrid. “As for what you’re going now, I’m guessing Astrid was up for it since she’s like this, and if it’ll make her stronger, then I’m all for it.”
“As laidback as always,” Gramps mutters before he pats my head. But I quickly try to swipe his hand away, only to fail when I realize that he’s quite a bit stronger than me physically. So I just teleport away and let out a huff of air. Which only makes him laugh as he says, “I missed you girls.”
I don’t say anything for several seconds before muttering, “I missed you too.”
We both begin watching over Astrid for a while before I eventually ask, “So how are you turning her into a hydra anyways?”
He glances at me with a raised brow as if saying ‘now you ask?’ before he proceeds to answer while staring at Luna who is on my shoulder, “As you may have guessed, I’m the real Knight of the Crimson Score. And those rumors about me experimenting to create true Class S species weren’t exactly baseless.”
I look at him with a raised brow of my own.
Right. I remember now.
Rumors had broken out that the Knight of the Crimson Score was experimenting on monsters and death row criminals of the worst order in an attempt to turn lower Class species into Class S species. But no one gave it much thought since everyone thought it was impossible.
“Well, turns out it’s possible for a couple Class S species to do that, if you have their blood,” Gramps answers with a shrug. “Those Class S species whose initial racial skill includes regeneration are the only ones that can have someone become one of them.” Then he scratches his chin for a moment before glancing at me and adding, “Please don’t tell any other hydras about this though.”
Right. They wouldn’t be very happy if they knew he had a method to turn a random person into a hydra.
“Oh, and it can’t just be anyone that I turn into one either,” he adds, canceling out my last thought. “They have to have a C or higher affinity with the magma element at the minimum. Preferably higher.”
I frown at that before looking at Astrid again and saying, “She barely had a Class C affinity for magma. Will she be okay?”
“Yeah, you girls are the exception,” he answers, making me turn to look at him again. But he doesn’t say more.
My eyes narrow a little.
No, I’m not letting you off just like that.
“Do you mean because our mother is the Devourer?” I ask, making his head swivel around to look at me with shock plastered across it. “Yes, I know. My memories are coming back now that I’m immune to status effects. So answer my question please.”
Silence fills the clearing for several seconds as I frown at the man who basically raised me and Astrid on his own. Meanwhile he stares back in shock.
Not letting you off at all.
Not without answers about our mother.