Amused by the guy who got frustrated by his generous drug offers, Ethan smiled. ‘’Hayley, do you have anything that would knock out a tier-3 for a few hours?’’

‘’Uh, not really?’’ Hayley’s voice sounded behind the wall. ‘’Though if Carl still has some of his Shem, I can cook something real quick.’’

‘’I do. I refilled my stock after we arrived at Miri,’’ Carl replied, throwing a confused glance at Ethan.

Using Beet as a courier in between, Hayley swiftly made a potent potion which Todd gulped in a single swing while looking at Ethan resentfully. Sitting on a lounge chair, already dressed, his eyes turned drowsy pretty quickly and he passed out right after.

‘’What was that about?’’ Liam asked. ‘’I thought you guys were friends.’’

‘’Nah, he is a prisoner with privileges. While I started to like the guy, I don’t trust him even a bit.’’

‘’Rather than imprisoning him, he prefers to bring him along and drug him whenever,’’ Adrian explained.

‘’Well, I guess it’s better than a dark cell?’’ Carl said, looking at the scar-faced Todd who was sleeping blissfully among the greenery like a pirate who had a little too much rum after finally returning to land.

Ethan turned to Liam with anticipation in his eyes, ‘’Let’s get it started,’’ he said before turning to Adrian, ‘’Don’t worry, we’ll have a talk after this.’’

Adrian nodded with a thoughtful look while Liam swam in the middle of the pool and gave his back to the wall, facing Ethan and taking the others to his sides. ‘’Where should I start?’’

‘’The power ranks. Tell us the difference between the people of higher and lower realms.’’

‘’Oh, it’s like heaven and–’’ Seeing Ethan’s instant eye roll, Liam stopped and grinned. ‘’Alright. It’s like this. There are still tiers in higher realms but we don’t divide them as early, mid, or late. Rather, we use the tiers as barriers between the major cultivation realms. Everyone in the lower realms is just at the Mortal rank. For example, you’re a tier-4 Mortal. After you ascend, you’ll become a tier-1 Immortal. After the Immortal rank comes Deity, Demi-God, and God ranks. All have 9 tiers but the difference between them is huge. Killing someone a few tiers above yourself is a great feat and doesn’t happen often. Killing a cultivator above your rank? That’s a sure way to spread your name all around the realm.’’

Ethan sipped from his drink as he listened in full concentration. So, 100 levels between every rank, and the stat increase keeps getting bigger. A breakthrough between major ranks likely comes with a huge bonus as well. Then, they become gods at level 500? Are those just casual names or… ‘’When you say Immortal, you don’t mean that we’ll have endless longevity after our ascension, right?’’

‘’Not quite. You’ll live much longer than the Mortals at that rank but no more than a few thousand years. The meaning of that rank comes from something else. They say that after you reach Immortal rank, you leave an imprint in your soul that contains everything you had experienced before. Even if you die and are reborn later, as long as you become a God, you’ll be able to remember every life you've lived and become an Immortal until that moment.’’

‘’So, reincarnation is also a thing, apparently,’’ Adrian mumbled, looking dumbfounded.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. ‘’Interesting. How about after the God rank?’’

‘’Don’t know what it is called but they ascend once again. This time to the heaven realms.’’

‘’Now we have heaven realms,’’ Fraeya called. ‘’I bet you’re making–’’

‘’But do we leave another imprint in our souls as Deities?’’ Ethan interrupted. ‘’And after the God rank, whatever it’s called, do we remember those lives as well?’’

‘’I’m not sure,’’ Liam replied. ‘’But we do leave imprints at every major breakthrough. So, maybe?’’

‘’And when you say we remember every life, do we get every comprehension we had before? Like instantly getting familiar with some elements and learning every skill we had?’’

‘’I-I don’t know,’’ Liam said, taken aback. ‘’I never thought that much since it’s a long way there.’’

‘’Yeah. Sorry. I got carried away, but if it’s true, those heaven realms must be really interesting.’’

‘’J-Just, how many realms are there, Liam?’’ Carl asked with a frown. ‘’It sounds like ascending from a lower realm doesn’t mean anything. Then, isn’t it best to stay here as a tier-9 and live for centuries without anything to fear?’’

Liam shrugged. ‘’Depends on what you want from your life, I guess. Many people choose that and ascend at old age, but those usually don’t get anywhere in higher realms. Oh, there are 100 higher realms and 9 heaven realms, but I really don’t know much about the nine heavens. Honestly, no one but the big shots knows what’s going on there.’’

‘’You still seem to know a lot,’’ Ethan pointed out, remembering what Travis had said. ‘’I heard that people who come from the higher realms do some kind of an oath and aren’t allowed to speak about it.’’

Liam smiled bitterly. ‘’That’s true, but my case is a bit strange. I was sent here as a punishment and a chance to redeem myself. That’s also why I don’t have any life-saving artifacts or anything. They kinda tossed me through the portal and only threw my gloves behind me.’’

‘’What did you do?’’ Hayley asked, likely perking up her ears.

‘’The day I’d awakened, I burned my clan’s ancestor's hall.’’

‘’Accident?’’

‘’Nope.’’

‘’Sounds like there is a good story.’’ Ethan chuckled. ‘’What did you mean that they send you here to redeem yourself?’’

Liam shifted his eyes. ‘’I, uh, can I tell you before we go to Meteora?’’

‘’Sure.’’ He nodded despite his curiosity and pointed toward the door. ‘’Also, the waitress is coming over. I’ll remove the [Void Mute] for now.’’

The server from before entered the room with their second batch of orders. Starting from the girl’s section, she came near everyone and placed a wooden tray next to them before filling it with all kinds of delicacies. The trays looked like miniature ships and had been designed to hold whatever was inside firmly.

As she was about to finish her work, the waitress noticed Carl peeking at her cleavage and smiled. She leaned even more toward the pool and placed the last food ship next to Carl before speaking with an alluring voice, ‘’We also offer massage services.’’

Carl’s neck and ears started to turn red as he looked at the others expectantly. He hesitated for a second but still shook his head. ‘’Y-Yeah, no thanks. Maybe later?’’

‘’You sure, Carl?’’ Ethan asked, suppressing his smile. ‘’It’s not like we’re talking about something important. You can go enjoy yourself.’’

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

‘’N-No, no. I’m good,’’ Carl replied with reluctance as he focused on his food.

Ethan shook his head with a smile and opened his [Void Mute] again after the waitress left, switching his gaze to Liam who was walking toward the middle of the pool once again while dragging his ship behind. ‘’Caged Worlds. What do you know about them?’’

Liam snapped his head in surprise. ‘’Where did you hear that?

‘’I heard many things in the free cities. I want to confirm those with you and see if you know something else.’’

Liam nodded slowly. ‘’Well, that’s another topic for the big shots. All I know is some rumors. They say that there are a little more than 10.000 lower realms and we keep discovering more. Although the lower realms don’t allow anyone above tier-3, there are some exceptions. If the realm tries to advance to a higher realm and fails, it starts to weaken and can’t fend off the Gods and Demi-Gods off. That’s how a lot of powerhouses of the higher realms managed to conquer some lower realms and claimed them as their own. They call them Caged Worlds. Almost every ruler of a higher realm has one.’’

‘’Why would they want a lower realm? Isn’t the resources here trash to them?’’ Fraeya asked, seemingly starting to believe a little.

‘’That much trash is still worth something. Not to mention, owning a lower realm means a shit ton of soldiers for a single family or an organization.’’ Liam said, glancing back at the wall. ‘’There is a rumor that lower realms hide another secret but no one knows what. Well, no one without some authority.’’

Looks like he doesn’t know about the realm cores or that the newborn lower realms can also be conquered. ‘’How about the Resistance? I heard that there was a big war about a century and a half ago. Do you know what happened back then?’’

Liam’s eyes lit up. ‘’The war that affected all the higher realms? Of course, I do! All these rumors I’m talking about started to spread after that. I heard that a rebel army worked meticulously and placed spies on every influential family for thousands of years while growing in numbers. After the ruling families learned what was going on, they cleaned their houses and attacked their bases simultaneously. However, they still reacted too late, the enemy was already enormous. Almost a dozen ruler families collapsed and all the power balance in the higher realms changed. My clan also became one of the top 3 families in our realm in that chaos. The effects of that war are still going on.’’

‘’So the Resistance wiped out?’’ Ethan probed.

‘’The organization is over. At least that’s what they say. But they had many Gods in their ranks who had managed to escape. They either ascended or hid away, but after the war, everything went quiet on their front.’’

Ethan shook his head with a mocking smile. At least they bit a good chunk before their defeat. Not that it’d change anything. I bet those dozen families that collapsed had been replaced by the next ones on short notice. The important question is, who was in charge of Earth, and what happened to them? Yet, I can’t even say for sure that the Earth was a Caged World. I have to ascend myself and search for clues. ‘’Have you ever heard of Wish Palace? What happened to them?’’

‘’Gone!’’ Liam exclaimed with hand gestures, grinning. ‘’That’s one of my favorite stories. This one was one of the wealthiest and strongest organizations of the higher realms. If the rumors are true, it was single-handedly destroyed by one of the rebel leaders. A man called Gilgamesh. The Immortal King.’’

‘’Gilgamesh!?’’ Ethan and Adrian repeated at the same time in disbelief.

Liam nodded happily. ‘’I know it’s a strange name. It’s probably because his father was a local of a distant Caged World.’’

A strange light flashed in Ethan’s eyes. ‘’And his mother?’’

‘’She was from the higher realms. A member of the family that ruled his old world.’’

‘’Which family is that?’’ he asked with a chilling voice, his eyes turning sharp.

‘’I-I don’t know?’’ Liam said, gulping. ‘’I told you, these are just rumors. Tales people talk in the taverns.’’

Ethan eased his expression and filled himself with another cup of wine. ‘’Tell me more about this guy.’’

‘’Well, other than his name, his nickname is also strange. A God calling himself an Immortal is considered a disgrace, and this guy has no kingdom whatsoever. Regardless, he is one of the most popular people in all the higher realms,’’ Liam started to explain while eying Ethan suspiciously. ‘’Out of the three leaders of the rebel army, he was the only one who survived. Not only that, but after defeating those who came for him, he actually charged the headquarters of Wish Palace. Now, this place isn’t only full of strong Gods but their runes and artifacts are matchless. They say that Gilgamesh killed whoever attacked him, tore down the ancient runes, and even destroyed the secret artifacts of the Wish Palace with his bare hands. He plundered this ancient merchant organization in a single day and disappeared. What he left behind became a target for the vultures. By the time the allies of the Wish Palace came to help, there was nothing but a husk of the organization. Ah, and the countless branches all over the higher realms… which became free take for the fastest.’’

‘Ask him the name Enki.’

Ethan raised an eyebrow. The name felt familiar but he couldn’t remember. Still, as it was rare for Ani to take initiative, he obliged. ‘’Ever heard of the name Enki?’’

‘’Enki? No, I don’t think so,’’ Liam replied with a frown. ‘’Why?’’

‘Why do you ask, Ani?’

‘Something you’d said during your conversation with Katherine had made me wonder about him.’

‘What did I say?’

‘You’d said, ‘You're not going to tell me that the great flood had been caused by a high-level water elemental, right?’ One of the oldest versions of the flood myth can be found in Mesopotamia. In Sumerian mythology, there is a god called Enki, who is known as the god of water, knowledge, crafts, and creation. He is also related to Gilgamesh and a member of the Anunnaki pantheon which I made some connections with Katherine’s stories. However, it’s hard to be certain with only your memories. I could help more if I had the information of my old hive.’

‘It’s alright. As long as we ascend, figuring out what happened on earth will be a matter of time.’ Ethan shook his head. ‘’Just another name I heard in the free cities. He might be a member of one of the ruling families. I was curious if he was any famous.’’

Liam cocked an eyebrow. ‘’Who told you all this? Are there any branch families in the free cities?’’

‘’Yes, but I can’t tell you which one.’’

‘’That’s cool. I don’t really care. But why are you interested in these?’’ Liam questioned, slowly walking toward him as he dragged his wooden ship tray. ‘’I was expecting more cultivation-related questions or maybe requirements to join big organizations. You didn’t even ask–’’

Ethan raised his hand, smiling wryly. ‘’Alright. Keep your distance. No close contact in the pool until the swimsuits become a thing.’’

‘’Swimsuits?’’

‘’I was trying to get information to solidify my fake persona as Voidwalker. You all know what happened with Travis, but apparently, everyone still thinks that I came from the higher realms. So, I need a solid backstory.’’

‘’Oh!’’ Liam exclaimed with wide eyes. ‘’You should’ve told me before! I know a few families with space powers. It’ll fit you perfectly.’’

‘’How about the Inane Cultus? Travis mistook me as one of them before.’’

Liam furrowed his brows. ‘’It could work. I don’t know much about them as they are rather mysterious, but that’s not a bad thing. No one should have much information about them in Elisium.’’

Ethan listened to everything Liam explained carefully and learned that the bullshit cultus was a powerful and solidarity sect. Just like the sects in Misty Peaks of Azora, they also didn’t bother themselves with what was going on outside. Yet, it stood as one of the best cultivation places in the higher realms for more than a million years and many powerhouses were still trying to enroll their youngsters to this day.

Their exchange continued as Ethan learned about names, places, events, and many more until he got a message from Rachel.

‘Ethan, where the hell are you!?’

‘Give her the address and ask what’s wrong.’

‘She said, ‘I’ll be there in 10 minutes. Meet me at the gates.’’

As the time approached, he left his companions who were now chilling on the lounge chairs with towels around them, and went to meet with Rachel. She was wearing her blue and white robes from yesterday but there was an anxious look on her face.

Without any greetings, ‘’Can you open your skill?’’ she said as she looked around and continued after Ethan opened the [Void Mute], ‘’A friend of mine was complaining about not finding Kamilya seeds anywhere. We made an inquiry to the shops we’re familiar with and learned that the Reinhardt family bought them in bulk. This sedative seed is the main ingredient for Heaven’s Benevolence elixir. It’s something like a truth serum. Not really effective for high tiers cultivators but perfect for anyone below tier-5. The Reinhardts started buying these seeds yesterday and they already bought a lot, Ethan. More than enough to make hundreds of elixirs.’’

Ethan nodded thoughtfully. ‘’I see–’’

‘’That’s not all,’’ she cut in. ‘’I asked around how to reach them, like I was considering buying some from them, and found that they were planning a big party. It’s invitation-only and most of the guests are coming from the Union. They said it’s strange because they never heard Count Alexander organizing a party in his home.’’

‘’When?’’

‘’A week from now on.’’