Ria found herself growing more and more sympathetic to Sternon's story. She also felt guilty about feeling anguish about her own situation when she thought about what he must have gone through in his life as a mber of the Evolutionary Army. They were so bad that she couldn't help but feel like a spoiled little child throwing a tantrum in comparison. She didn't even remotely have it bad in comparison to soone like Sternon, who had been through hell and back. Runark was in the sa boat as her, although he didn't profess to feeling as much anguish about their situation in life as much she did.
Hearing his story made her resolve to tell her parents that she loved them and was grateful for everything that they had done for her. "Well, now you're free, so you don't have to feel bad," Ria smiled at him warmly.
Sternon's eyes softened. "Thanks. I appreciate that. It's been a while since soone spoke to kindly."
That made her feel even worse, of course. She couldn't help but think about the story that he had told all of them. After all, her father had appeared in that story multiple tis. Sothing that was quite odd, considering that it was virtually impossible to simply run into her father multiple tis.
Still, she found the recounting of her father in his mories and early childhood to be sowhat consistent with how she rembered him in her childhood. If nothing else, her father was always kind to children and had a huge soft spot for them. He even treated Runark like he was his own son, which he was in so sense, since he was Runark's godfather. He had always treated the kids at the Quarrier's Orphanage quite well too. "I'm surprised that you have mories inherited from your father," Siliscia remarked with a stunned tone. "Is such a thing even possible?"
"You weren't aware of it?" Misha turned towards the elf with a raised eyebrow. "The evosapiens essentially inherited mory through biochemical mory storage from a very young age, which essentially allowed them to inherit parts of their father's mories and skills. This is what separates them from the neo-evosapiens of the rest of the evolutionary species. If you ask ..."
Misha shrugged. "I think that forr Supre Commander fucked over his own people by having them inherit parts of his mories. Ah—"
She paused to look at Sternon with an apologetic expression. "I don't an you. I just ant—"
"No, I get it," Sternon raised his hands reassuringly. "Trust , I feel the sa. If the man were alive, I would choke him alive. He fucked with our identity. And it took a long ti to process the fact that I'm my own person and these mories in my head are just information that I have nothing to do with."
"I think that's a very healthy way of looking at it," Ria remarked with a thoughtful tone. "Though I can imagine that the power doesn't hurt either."
She knew from her mother's example that inherited mories could be a source of great power, making life that much easier. Inherited power could make it that much easier to travel one's path, after all.
"So, I'm curious, what's the Emperor of Water actually like?" Misha's cybernetic eyes sohow managed to convey curiosity. "Is he as strong as they say he is? I've heard rumors that the very fabric of reality warps around his presence, as if he's so divine god who can bend reality to his will."
Ria felt the urge to chip in, but she bit her tongue. She couldn't show familiarity, especially since she had slightly slipped up earlier. Runark also acted the sa, trying to show curiosity as if he had never ever t the Emperor of Water in his entire life.
Sternon smiled as a hint of amazent erged on his expression.
"He's the strongest. I've never felt anything like him in my life, before or after. He's just in a whole other dinsion of power."
Misha's expression grew engrossed. "Damn. I wish I could get a sample of his blood."
Ria turned towards her with a creeped-out expression. "Why do you want a sample of his blood?"
"His blood has supernatural properties, I've heard," Misha muttered. "I bet that if I get a sample of it, I can make massive strides towards achieving pluripotent blood."
"Forget about it," Sternon chuckled. "I bet even a single cell of his body is priceless. I heard he assimilated parts of my father's genetic power and made it his own. You're not going to ever get your hands on him."
"You make it sound scandalous, although..." A mischievous smile appeared on the young lady's face. "He's got this really hot legal luster to him. So I wouldn't mind."
"That's gross!" Ria's expression crumpled with disgust.
She shrugged apathetically. "Chill, it was a joke. You Kandrians really worship him as a god, huh? That's a little creepy, not gonna lie. I think you can appreciate how fine a man is without insulting him inherently. I'm pretty sure he's married and even had a daughter, so soone clearly agrees with ."
Ria stiffened at those words, trying to control her reaction.
"Sternon's right," Runark tried, pivoting off the topic, understanding how risky it was. "The Emperor's blood is going to be priceless. After all, isn't the Samsara Tide essentially poison generated by his body, and it's considered a superweapon that you need a license and authorization to use, right?"
"That's true," She admitted, heaving a sigh. "Oh well, I suppose I shouldn't count on shortcuts. Speaking of the Tide of Samsara. If they do feel the need to use that superweapon..."
She turned towards Siliscia. "Then... you're probably not going to have the opportunity to get your hands on the specin of the manifold tree, if it exists."
Siliscia gulped. "I am aware of that. It's not going to be easy for , but I have co equipped with ans if such an event were to happen." They wondered what that ant.
But, before they could ask, an announcent rang in the bunker.
"The journey to the Strehegeld System and Planet Amadeus III will now comnce."
RUMBLE
They felt a shift as the ship began moving, its inertial stabilizers ensuring objects within the ship experienced a uniform force. The Blood Arc rapidly began accelerating away into the depths of interstellar space before stabilizing in FTL.
"Co on," Sternon got up, gesturing to all of them. "Let's go hang out in the lobby with the other pathwalkers."
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