God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

"Hmmm..."

Cain raised a brow,

"What? Did you see something strange?"

Seated within a room with dim lighting, Cain appreciated the calm. Outside this room, the entire place was a whole ruckus.

He was currently on Redscale Island, within the camp they had established. Steve and a few others were in charge, and the reason he had come was to pay Steve a visit.

Steve didn't break his gaze, instead speaking as he stared wholeheartedly at the transparent glass with a drop of blood in it,

"Quite frankly, I've never seen anything like this."

He paused for a moment before turning to Cain, a rather curious glint in his eyes,

"You should be at least familiar with the biology of mammals, particularly humans, am I right?"

Cain frowned, then shrugged,

"Of course I am. We attended the same school, didn't we?"

Vincent who was also in the room suddenly spoke, his voice also filled with curiosity and impatience,

"Just say what it is, damn it..."

Steve grinned,

"Well, normally, human blood is comprised mostly of liquid and red blood cells. These cells carry oxygen to every part of the body, allowing for it to function as normal."

Then he squinted, staring at the drop of blood Cain had provided him with.

Just sitting there, the drop of blood was enveloped with a crimson haze, like a smoldering flame. Deep red in hue and radiating a vibrant vitality.

"I don't think there's a more coherent way to explain this, so I'll just go ahead and say it.'

His gaze turned to Cain and he pointed at the drop of blood,

"I told you how the toxin works. It is a magical compound that reacts violently with the oxygen within these red blood cells, basically transforming all the blood in your body into combustible fuel that keeps burning until nothing is left. Usually, the victim doesn't get to that stage because the build up of gases would be enough for combustion already. And yet..."

His gaze already filled with curiosity, almost turned predatory,

"For some reason, Cain, your blood just keeps burning. I don't know how to explain it, but the fuel doesn't run out. And your body seems to have adapted to h

This change rather quickly."

He paused for a moment before giving Cain a strange look,

"You... Were you even human in the first place?"

Cain snorted, "Of course I was... I think."

Then he shook his head, "Regardless, that doesn't have anything to do with right now. Tell me,.will this thing, this {Bloodflame}, will it have any adverse effects in the future?"

Steve swiveled his chair around and focused on the drop of blood again.

He hummed, then shrugged, "I can't say. What I do know though, is that your body and this strange blood have found a compromise. It isn't attacking any of your organs for now, so I'd say you are safe for the time being."

Cain fell silent then Vincent chuckled nervously,

"See? I told you there was no need to worry."

Then he turned to Steve,

"Enough of that for now. How's this place holding up?"

Steve casually waved, his eyes still fixed on the drop of blood,

"What can I say? The same old thing."

He frowned, "That creepy ant Queen has been on a roll. After we left, she and her soldiers conquered a whole portion of the forest to the west and they now control a decent portion of the island."

Vincent frowned,

"Frankly, I'm not quite comfortable with this. Forgive my lack of progressiveness, and I get that they are more sentient than other mutant creatures, but they are beasts regardless. They think more than the other beasts, but if given a chance, they'll tear us apart in seconds."

He turned to Cain, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Cain gave Vincent a glance,

"While I agree with you somewhat, we can't dismiss the idea that maybe beasts can change to become more than their nature allows."

Vincent rolled his eyes, "Come on... Don't tell me you think we've found ourselves some trustworthy allies..."

Cain chuckled. Then he shook his head,

"The Celestial race comprises of two distinct groups of beings; the Celestial Deities and the Celestial Beasts."

Vincent raised a brow, "What does that have to do with anything..."

Steve chuckled, "You obese simpleton... The Celestial Beings are models of perfection. The epitome of power all beings strive towards. Think about it... As we humans get stronger, we slowly try to ascend the ladder of perfection. Where do you think that ladder leads to?"

Vincent's expression turned ugly,

"What the hell did you..."

Then he paused. Slowly, his ugly expression morphed into a frown,

"Wait... Ignoring the first half, I guess you could say the ultimate goal is to become like gods, in a way. Accumulating power, expanding territory, isn't that what you would expect from a being that wants to be a god?"

Steve shrugged then nodded,

"If you want to oversimplify it, then sure. In other words, the end destination of every mutant beast, is the status of a Celestial Beast."

Vincent shook his head,

"Wait a moment. This doesn't make any sense. If what I know is right, then it should be impossible for any being other than one of Divine origins to become a Celestial. One can't make pancakes from sand, right?"

Cain suddenly cut in,

"You might be right about that, but the reality of things is much different. Even if a beast does not ascend into become a Celestial creature, it can come as close as possible. Do you really think creatures like that would remain as mindless, bloodthirsty creatures?"

Then he shook his head,

"But that doesn't matter to us now. All o can say, is that I see potential. The mutant creatures aren't necessarily our enemies."

Vincent threw him a flat glare,

"They are responsible for half our headache right now.

Cain shrugged, "That might be true, but who knows it might change one day. Till then, we'll kill the crazy ones and observe the not so crazy ones."

Steve chuckled, "Besides the super ant colony's recent expansionist activities,bthere haven't been any more changes besides this place growing colder than before."

Cain nodded, "Good."

Then he paused for a moment, "By the way, what level are you at the moment?"

Steve paused then looked up, "Hm? Why do you ask?"

Find your next adventure on empire

Vincent grinned, although one could tell it wasn't a very happy one,

"He plans on reaching Tier 2 as soon as possible."

Steve's face fell,

"What? So soon?"

Cain nodded, his expression turning serious,

"First, I believe the Devils within the City might be preparing something, a nasty reckoning, if you will. If we aren't ready for what might be coming, then we are as good as dead."

Steve was silent. Cain continued,

"And if I've noticed this, there's no doubt the other factions present in the City wouldn't have seen it too. The last time I ventured out from the dome of sands, one group we came across weren't exactly the most friendly bunch. I can only assume the other ones might be the same or even worse."

Steve sighed and massaged his temples,

"The fueds between gods do extend down to the land of us mortals indeed."

His gaze turned sharp, "If we take all you have said into consideration, then it might be necessary for us to get to Tier 2 as soon as possible. However..."

Cain nodded, "You think we aren't ready, right?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Steve nodded, "Because of our need to confront immediate peril happening so frequently, we gain levels faster than what should be normal. A side effect of this, is our lack of adjustment. You might not feel it due to how... unique you are, but most of us are very intimate with this feeling."

Vincent turned away and snorted. Steve smiled and continued,

"A discrepancy between ability and performance. Between skill and execution. You might be ready to take on the challenge, but what about us? If we go with you, we might either become burdens, or you will be dragging us to our graves."

Cain fell silent.

He hadn't considered it that way before.

He did know that his rate of growth and adjustment to his explosive growth was different compared to others. But he didn't think the difference was that great.

Steve continued, "Besides, according to my research, the trial of the Second Order is at least ten times as difficult to complete as the first one. In other words, we should expect the absolute worst."

Vincent scratched his head and suggested,

"So why don't we hold it off, even if it is only for a little while? Gather as much power and consolidate our skill before taking on the challenge doesn't seem like a bad idea, right?"

Cain frowned. Just as he was about to say, something, Steve chuckled,

"I speak mostly for us and not you, Cain. I believe you are more than capable of taking the challenge on your own. If fact, that is what I suggest."

Cain raised a brow, "Really?"

Vincent was equally surprised,

His eyes narrowed, "You damned snake. What are you planning?"

Steve sneered, "Narrow them any more, and you won't be able to see anything."

Vincent's eyes twitched, "You bastard..."

Cain sighed, "So you suggest I should take on the Trial of the Second Order by myself?"

Steve nodded, "Well, not exactly. I believe Eva and Hunter might be willing to accompany you. Maybe Susan and Ignis might be up to the task as well. Speaking for myself, I'd rather just stay here and work on developing my craft. Partaking in constant battle has proven to be terrible for my sleep pattern."

Vincent shook his head, "Don't do it, Cain. Remember the shit we went through in the first one? If the second one is ten times worse, how bad do you think it will be?"

Steve glared at Vincent then gave Cain a smile,

"In the end, it is your choice to make, Cain. So what will it be?"