Chapter 43: The Last of Me (7)

Yet, the mystical shell that appeared, was enough to draw their attention. The eyes of the Third Prince lit up, as his pupils began to glow red, "What sort of bloodline is that? Even through the distance of space, I can feel its antiquity. I have never seen the sort. Rowan has Kuranes blood, no matter how thin it was, yet this new bloodline stripped away every last strand of it. Can you even begin to understand how difficult that is supposed to be? That old hag made sure to imprint herself in every drop of our blood."

The hooded figure choked and coughed, looking around in fear, but he soon settled and answered with an aggravated tone, "I have no idea, but the Singularity is supposed to draw a bloodline intrinsically linked to its host. Do you by chance have Dragon blood in the Kuranes line?"

"How do you expect me to know, some of my ancestors bred like rabbits and were famous for never keeping their third sword encased or their deep caves dry.We could as well have a bloodline connections to even insects."

"Well, that solves our conjectures, doesn't it? The Singularity can access bloodlines from outside the sphere of the gods. Every single user had a new bloodline or an upgrade of their existing bloodline. I have a theory that every single powerful bloodline that exists outside the seven could be traced back to it. But that's not the best part. Keep watching."

They watched the egg shrink and also Rowan discovering the yellow rock, he touched it and vanished for a while before he returned.

The Eyes of the Third Prince flared red as it began to combust, flames poured down his eyes like tears, and he clenched his hands tight. If he could cross that barrier... The boy had proven his usefulness, they now had a key to that place, and that was all that mattered.

"This result is astonishing, if the Singularity is the reason he could enter that place, we have reaped the most benefits. Let's kill him and strip that bloodline from his body, with that key, none of these projects matter." The Third prince said in excitement.

"I recommend caution, do not lose our end goals for a benefit not yet verified. For the moment, there is no proof that he might have reached that place. He may have reached the passage, but could not see the doors. So until we are sure of the true extent of his advance, I will call for temperance in our actions for the moment."

"You are right. Forgive my out burst."

"It's normal old friend. My reaction when I first saw that was worse than yours. I nearly pulled him from the Nexus. Let's continue watching... There are more surprises ahead."

The Third Prince settled and continued viewing the events with a more cool gaze. As he saw Rowans increasing feats of strength, his frown went deeper.

"Without consuming the bodies of Abominations, it's not logical how he is getting stronger, I am no longer at ease with this experiment, I am cutting it down to the last two percent of its proposed duration. We would use other subjects for more in-depth interpretation of the Singularity." The Third prince's eyes slowly turned green, before blazing to blue, his gaze grew deeper, as if he wished to tear Rowan piece by piece and uncover every secret he was carrying."

"My best guess is that it's a spillover from the bloodline he accessed." The hooded figure said, "he might be digesting the benefits it brought, and what supports this hypothesis is the presence of this unique wrapping on his body, he is literally walking with his shell! It must be a Dragon bloodline, but one that is mighty and focuses on body strengthening."

"Huh, so he turns out to be a brute. How disappointing, with his quick mind and clever disposition, I expected him to pick a more energy focused bloodline."

"Well it doesn't really matter anyway, his lifespan was spent when he was being merged with the singularity, and it would, he would need to get to the Incarnation State to elevate his soul, and that would take centuries."

"His Spirit appears to be compelling too, his movements are too clean otherwise. This is surprising, for this Bloodline is incredibly versatile. Which State of Change do you reckon he is on at this time?"

"Peak Legendary, with a foot into the Rift State. Note that it's only been a few hours, and he did not use any Pathways to grow, even without sustenance from the Singularity, his powers keep growing. I would love to see how much more he develops with a stunted Singularity, alas I don't believe his lifespan would be enough. Besides, he cannot grow past the Legendary State, for the only Aether inside the Nexus is controlled by me."

The Third prince grunted in apparent understanding, "Yet I would be more at ease with another subject. Let Augustus satisfy his curiosity, and then we pull the plug." He resumed watching.

When they saw the Axe, the hooded figure scoffed, "Augustus is a fool, and an exceptionally dangerous one. That weapon should have never seen the light of day."

"Ha ha ha ha... You are a funny one, old friend. You are a pot calling the kettle black. He toys with match sticks, and we play with an inferno, you are underestimating Augustus, do not regret it. Besides....."

The Third prince arched his eyes at the display of power that Rowan called down on the Abominations, "That little stunt right there would have drained most of his remaining lifespan. His vitality is impressive, but he has called enough projections to drain ten Rift State Dominators. Such a waste of essence, he wields the Axe as if he is throwing a rock. To waste it on such a pointless move is disappointing, since he won't be consuming the bodies. He is a fool, and even worse he is a sentimental one."

"Yet you are still worried about his development and terminating the project just as it is beginning to bear fruit." The hooded figure laughed.

"I don't like surprises." The Third Prince said, "You have given me enough as it is, with your tampering with the functions of the Singularity. In that case, he should be stuck as a mortal, now with this Axe, he is as powerful as a Rift State Dominator. Even though his abilities are inconsequential to me, I am not in the habit of watching a potential foe grow a foot, when he was given space for an inch."

After the battle and the speech from Rowan that had the Prince smiling in glee, he turned to the hooded figure, "Well, I have drawn my conclusion, but before I tell you, I want to know what is troubling you about these events."

"Well if you must know, what we watched seemed linear, but I expected you to have spotted some irregularities, especially towards the moments he received that new bloodline. You would only notice an error if you check the time stamps. There are specific portions of the missing recordings, somehow my Runes could not record them. This is troubling."

"We are dealing with a Singularity, there are risks that come with an undertaking such as this. Remember, we don't fully understand what we are dealing with here. This is the first trial run, I expect some degree of uncertainties." The Third Prince dismissed the claim. " In three days, we pull the plug."

"I know... Yet, it bothers me. Oh... What conclusions have you drawn."

"Oh... It's a small matter, compared to your lack of accurate data. You see, I can't put my finger on it, but I am certain that this person is not my son!"

"Of course he's not your son anymore. His bloodline has been changed to another, and the only thing linking you to him, is your name."

The Third prince looked at him in surprise, while he muttered, "So intelligent, yet still so dumb." He turned away from the hooded figure and concentrated on the dying woman.

The enigmatic figure slowly vanished into shadows.