Chapter 144: Emir

"You’re joking, right...?" Kaelen asked, but trailed off on seeing the unapologetic expression on his mother’s face.

"Kaelen, everything that’s happening now is all because of humanity. They’ve accumulated so much enmity that the moment that timer is up, this world will be the first to be attacked. Humanity brought this upon themselves, and the only way to protect and ensure you live long is to take humanity out of the picture. If their enemies come and see there are no survivors, there will be no more bloodshed. Only then can you live out your life peacefully while the rest of the world tear at their throats. This is the plan I have for you, my son. Everything I’ve done is to ensure your safety, and the only regret I have is that I can’t be with you, Kaelen."

Kaelen was too stunned to speak, but he understood. As much as her actions were morally questionable, it was valid in her perspective: wiping out humankind because their existence alone posed a threat to every living thing in that world.

As much as her ambitions were dark, Kaelen couldn’t see himself questioning her ideology.

Rather, his actions had just put a countdown above their heads. As long as humanity existed, everyone would die.

Kaelen never truly cared about them; the only problem he had with the entire situation was...

"Are these same people behind Evolution Online?" He asked calmly.

Kaelen didn’t care who was at fault here. If these people were truly the victims, he’d go with Mom’s plan. But if they were the same people behind Evolution Online... now that was a different case altogether.

"Behind Evolution Online?" His mother repeated the question like she was trying to find the best answer to give him.

This made Kaelen frown. "Mom, who are those behind Evolution Online?" He changed the question.

"Those? Evolution Online wasn’t created by a faction or organization. You can’t ask about the origin of Evolution Online without asking about the origin of time, space, and creation itself. Be they immortals or mortals, we’re all just victims of the cruel system."

Kaelen’s frown deepened. "What’s that supposed to mean...?" He suddenly trailed off as it clicked with him. His eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "Are you saying the people pulling the strings from the shadows... are players?"

"Kaelen, you can’t beat the system. Even those at the top can’t. There’s the legend of an Empress who once tried ten thousand years ago. She marched across the universe with the greatest army ever recorded in the history of creation. She wiped out 20% of the universe’s population in that march, but this incurred the wrath of the creator, who stepped up for the first time and left her crippled and useless for the rest of her life. Her allies left her behind to save their heads, and she was left discarded and broken, never to be heard of or seen again."

"Why are you telling me this?" Kaelen’s brows furrowed slightly.

"As much as the legend was probably made up, I don’t want you to make the same mistake. If you must have enemies, they should be in your league. Believe me when I say this, if I had the chance, I would’ve willingly fought on humankind’s behalf. Your father made this mistake and disappeared like he never existed. We don’t have to fight them if there’s no chance of winning. There is no glory in death."

Every word that came out of his mother’s mouth only raised more questions for Kaelen, to the point that it became hard to focus on a single one.

"Mom, do you realize the people I just fought now were after you for your bloodline?" He asked with a serious expression. "How do you expect me to back down when your life is on the line?"

Jessica smiled warmly on hearing his words. "It doesn’t matter, Kaelen. I don’t have much time left. They’ll stop once I’m dead."

Kaelen frowned. "You said the Atreus bloodline ability is succeeded by their successor..."

A bittersweet smile played across Jessica’s lips. She knew where Kaelen was going with that. "You don’t have to worry about any of that. The Founding ability is only succeeded by female offspring, which is why the Atreus are made up of only women. Male children are forbidden in order to keep the bloodline pure, and you’re actually the only male descendant of the Atreus family. Everyone knows this, which is why they didn’t come for you all this while, so you don’t have to worry about any of that. It’ll soon be over, Kaelen." Jessica said as she rubbed his hands.

Kaelen was silent for a moment. "One last question... why are you stopping me from finding the ingredients to craft the immortality potion for you? Do you want to die that much?"

Jessica shook her head. "Believe me when I say this, but if it were that simple, I would’ve gathered the ingredients for myself a long time ago."

"Mom, do you realize I made over 12 quadrillion evolution points from destroying the tutorial world?"

Jessica’s eyes widened slightly, and she smiled proudly and ruffled his hair playfully. "That’s my son. But I’m afraid, the path to immortality isn’t one where even such numbers can help you. It’s not just about strength, it’s about time. If I let you go now, you might succeed. But by the time you return, I might’ve been gone for over a century or more."

Kaelen frowned slightly.

"Just like time zones operate here, the same law applies to every world. Some are living in the future, some in the past, yet we’re all in the present. If you ventured into a world that is ten years ahead of Akkad, ten years is removed from your timeline. Even if you were to spend five minutes in that world, you’d return to this world ten years in the future."

Kaelen’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t argue. He finally understood, and all she needed to do from the start was to tell him the truth.

As much as he wanted to save his mother at all costs, he’d come to realize that his hands were tied... except he had done the exact same thing she did, through the method she just mentioned.

As much as it was dangerous, it was worth considering. But Kaelen wasn’t just about to put her into another fit of depression again. She’d cried enough for the day.

They spent the rest of the day talking, of course, and reminiscing about past memories till Jessica fell asleep on his shoulder. It was only then Kaelen exhaled softly.

He carefully carried her to her bedroom and laid her down on the bed.

He watched her sleep for a moment, before he planted a kiss on her forehead and was about to leave, when she suddenly grabbed his wrist, muttering his name in her sleep.

Kaelen couldn’t make out what she was saying, but smiled as he tucked her hands back in and quietly left the room.

He didn’t want to leave just yet, so he pulled his hood over his head and stepped out of the suite to find Susan. The hallway was dimly lit, and there was no one around.

Kaelen decided to retrace his steps along the path Susan had guided him through, when the lights along the hallway suddenly began flickering.

Kaelen initially thought it was the wind, when he realized there were literally no windows across the hallway where a strong wind could blow from, and he had closed the large doors on his way out.

This made him pause in his steps as he began suspecting something was off, when all the lights suddenly flickered off, plunging the entire hallway into darkness.

Kaelen frowned deeply and immediately activated his [Sharp Senses] to scout his surroundings, when the lights suddenly came back to life and everything seemed to have gone back to normal.

His Sharp Senses also told him he was the only one on that floor, with his mother sleeping inside, but he still decided to look over his shoulder to double-check.

The moment he did, he froze on the spot.

Standing—no, sitting across the hallway from him was a woman with dark purple hair sitting in a wheelchair, and another whose face was covered with a scarf standing right behind her.

Kaelen blinked once, then twice to be sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. They weren’t. But looking in that direction with his Sharp Senses, there was absolutely no sign of life there.

This immediately set off all his danger senses, as at this point, he didn’t need to be told these people weren’t of his world.

Unlike the woman whose face was covered with a scarf, the purple-haired woman had an amicable smile playing across her lips the entire time.

"Hi, Kaelen. It’s nice to finally meet you."

Kaelen didn’t reply immediately.

The fact they knew his name could only mean they were here after the Universal Announcement and knew exactly who he was and where to find him.

"Who are you and what do you want?" He asked, keeping his voice calm.

"My name’s Emir. I’m going to go straight to the point; I can help you save your mother and world... if you’re willing to come with me."