I picked up the cup, gently swirled it, and starlight drifted by.
"It seems to be some kind of energy liquid." Lancelot's eyes flickered, then he took a small sip.
"This effect!"
The feedback from within his body made Lancelot's eyes widen. He sensed that his energy level seemed to have been optimized at a fundamental level, albeit by a very small margin, but it was still an extremely valuable improvement.
Without further hesitation, Lancelot downed the liquid in his glass in one gulp.
With a bang, it was as if a ball of fire erupted within him, his pale golden skin instantly turning crimson, and arcs of electricity crackled and leaped across his body.
Zyra and Mona exchanged a glance and both smiled.
After a long while, Lancelot's condition finally calmed down.
Vermila, who was standing next to her, had fallen into a coma at some point.
"What is she doing...?" Lancelot frowned.
"The intense energy shock caused you to lose consciousness, but it's nothing serious. You'll be fine after a good night's sleep," Mona said gently.
Lancelot was relieved.
"You seem quite concerned about this little girl. What, you've taken a liking to her?" Zyra teased.
Mona maintained her smile, but her gaze subtly focused on Lancelot's face, as if waiting for his answer.
"What are you talking about? I brought her here, of course I don't want anything to happen to her. Besides, she's my friend, someone I fought alongside. Isn't it normal to care?"
Lancelot explained casually.
And he was telling the truth; he really had no other intentions towards Vermila. To Lancelot, she was just a little kid.
The boy's answer brought a barely perceptible sigh of relief to Mona and Zyra. As for why they felt relieved, that was a question for them to answer.
"Did you gain a lot from this seclusion?" Lancelot calmed his agitated breathing, looked at Mona, and asked casually.
"It's alright," Mona said gently.
Zyra pouted. "What do you mean 'not bad'? You almost died, okay?"
"It's not as serious as you make it out to be." Mona glared at her best friend, seemingly blaming her for saying something she shouldn't have.
"Oh, what's the point of hiding it? The kid's going to find out sooner or later anyway, so we might as well tell him now and let him know who our real enemy is." Zyra waved her hand, seemingly carefree, but her words revealed a deep trust in Lancelot.
Mona shook her head helplessly, but did not stop Zyra.
Seeing this, Lancelot sat up straight. He knew that what he was about to hear was top secret, even within the vast Crimson Alliance.
"First of all, let me introduce you to my best friend, my best sister, and my prospective boyfriend, Mona Wiggins!"
Zyra spoke, she naturally put her arm around the slender waist of the beauty beside her.
Mona shifted her body uncomfortably a couple of times, but seeing that it was to no avail, she had no choice but to let it be.
Lancelot's attention, however, was not on that; it was on Mona's name.
Or rather, it's the surname "Wiggins".
As far as he knew, Wiggins was the surname reserved for illegitimate or adopted children of the Ross Family, one of the three major Fax People families.
Perhaps many other people or families in the Alliance use this surname, but considering the bond between Mona and the Blood Clan, and the fact that Zyra specifically introduced Mona's name at the beginning of their conversation, Lancelot is certain that Wiggins is the surname exclusive to the Ross Family.
"You are... the adopted daughter of the Ross Family?"
Lancelot frowned and asked.
As for why she wasn't an illegitimate child, it's simple: Mona is Ability Energy. As everyone knows, Blood Clan cannot awaken Ability Energy. Furthermore, Lancelot didn't sense even a trace of the Blood Clan bloodline from Mona.
"Yes!" Mona nodded slightly, her expression complex.
Zyra chimed in again, "What adopted daughter? More like a tool."
"You can't say that. After all, it was my family that raised me," Mona explained gently.
"Pah!" Zyra suddenly stood up. "You'd be better off not mentioning it; now that you've brought it up, I'm even angrier."
"What do you mean by 'raised you'? I think they practically ruined you. You're a natural-born SSS-level Ability Energy. If the Ross Family hadn't suppressed your growth, with your talent, you would definitely be a Demigod by now."
"As for the debt of gratitude for raising you, let's not even talk about that. Even without the Ross Family, the Alliance's public sector would have been responsible for your upbringing. The Ross Family simply took control of you first."
Zyra growled indignantly.
Lancelot was taken aback and looked at Mona, "You're actually an SSS-level potential Ability Energy?"
He knew, of course, that Mona had great potential for Ability Energy; otherwise, she wouldn't have reached this level.
Lancelot's original expectation for Mona was only SS level, at most a minor upgrade.
Unexpectedly, Mona has SSS potential.
Although it's only a difference of one level, just like the difference between Demigod and Epic, the difference between an SSS- Ability Energy and an SS+ ability is like heaven and earth.
The former can grow into Demigod with very little effort, while the latter has a very low probability of breaking through to Demigod status, less than one in ten.
With such extraordinary talent, it's no wonder that the Ross Family coveted it.
But what's strange is why the Ross Family would suppress Mona's growth?
Shouldn't nurturing such a genius into Demigod be an even greater asset?
A look of confusion appeared on Lancelot's face.
Zyra glanced at him at the opportune moment. "Right, you're wondering about this too, aren't you?"
"Let me explain the situation to you, and you'll understand..."
Then, Zyra began to recount the events in detail, while Mona looked somber.
After hearing the whole story, Lancelot basically understood what was going on.
"I see!"
It all stems from greed and selfishness.
To talk about Mona's experience, we must first start with her transformation from Demigod to a true God Level life form.
According to the Transcendent ladder established by the Astral Realm Spellcaster Association.
Demigod belong to the Tier Six.
Tier Sixteen, Low-Rank Demigod.
Tier Seventeen, Mid-Rank Demigod.
Tier Eighteen, High-Rank Demigod.
In the Elven Plane, High-Rank Demigod are already the most powerful force, but there is still a very long way to go before they become God Level beings.
This path is called [Divinity Sublimation].
Only by achieving complete Divinity Sublimation can one ascend to the rank of True God.
High-Rank Demigod who have reached the stage of Divinity Sublimation are also known as Peak Demigod.
Demigod at this stage are essentially between the Tier Eighteen and Tier Nineteen.
Because it is in a period of intense transformation, although it is very strong, its condition is extremely unstable. If it is not careful, all its previous efforts will be wasted.
Therefore, Peak Demigod are generally very restrained, avoiding action whenever possible, and will seek various methods to help themselves get through the [Divinity Sublimation] stage.
The Blood Clan were originally a medium-sized Transcendent race in the Elven Plane. Later, during their pioneering work, they stumbled upon technological data and a large amount of related resources from an alternate-plane technological civilization. They then cooperated with humans and established the Crimson Alliance.
From then on, riding the wave of the Alliance's rapid development, the Blood Clan clan's strength also expanded rapidly.
In particular, the four Blood Ancestors, who had already reached the Demigod realm, successively entered the stage of Divinity Sublimation with the accumulation of massive resources.
The Ross Family worships the Second Blood Ancestor.
This Blood Ancestor's path is [Slaughter].
The first few steps went smoothly, but later, the terrifying killing intent became unbearable for the Second Blood Ancestor, so he had the idea of relying on external objects.
Since I can't bear the urge to Slaughter myself, I'll find someone who can and transfer that urge to kill onto them through special means.
And so, Mona became that person.
Mona possesses Ability Energy called [Dark Rose], which is an extremely powerful life-saving ability.
The Dark Rose itself grants its host extremely strong physical regeneration abilities (it can easily regenerate severed limbs), as well as an innate affinity for dark elements, resistance to negative energy and abnormal states, and a lifespan that is extended a hundredfold.
Even more outrageous is that the Dark Rose itself has twelve petals, each of which represents a life.
In other words, in addition to her original one life, Mona has twelve extra lives, making a total of thirteen lives.
To resist murderous intent, one needs high abnormal resistance, a resilient soul, a strong will, and sufficiently vigorous vitality.
Mona is born with all three of these qualities.
Without a powerful soul, it is impossible to generate SSS-level Ability Energy.
As for strong willpower, that can be cultivated from a young age.
Therefore, the moment he learned of Mona's existence, the Second Blood Ancestor decided to obtain the little girl at all costs.
At that time, because the relationship between the Blood Clan and humans was still harmonious, the Second Blood Ancestor easily obtained Mona through some means.
Of course, at that time, Mona's Ability Energy potential had not been fully revealed, otherwise the human side would never have allowed the Blood Clan to succeed.
Once a fact has been established, humanity can only accept it with a heavy heart.
That being said...
In order to establish a sufficiently strong causal relationship, the Second Blood Ancestor adopted Mona and raised her with great care as if she were his own daughter.
Although the process was very painful, young Mona was always grateful for her father's upbringing and guidance.
Until one day, the Second Blood Ancestor revealed his fangs to her.
Once the causal link between father and daughter was strong enough, the Second Blood Ancestor began to suppress Mona's strength, keeping her at the mid-stage of Epic Tier Three. Then, he began to transmit his pent-up killing intent to Mona through the causal channel.
From that moment on, Mona's life was plunged into darkness and despair.
The pain of killing on the path of Slaughter, the murderous intent that arises during the stage of Divinity Sublimation, is hundreds or even thousands of times greater than that of slow slicing. This intense pain is felt from the body to the soul at all times.
It's easy to imagine what Mona went through.
The intense pain and torment made Mona want to escape.
However, the Second Blood Ancestor, who had lived for thousands of years, had long been on guard against this move.
Using a seed that had been planted in Mona's soul, the Second Blood Ancestor actually managed to give birth to a second consciousness in Mona.
In short, the Second Blood Ancestor split Mona's personality.
Her original personality is the gentle Mona we know today, seemingly capable of encompassing everything, dignified and elegant, and even when experiencing unimaginable suffering, she still faces life with a smile as warm as a spring breeze.
The second personality is a crazed executioner, Slaughter, and extremely eccentric female madwoman.
This personality was named Mo Li by the Second Blood Ancestor.
Normally, the second personality is dormant. Once the Second Blood Ancestor is activated by special means, Mo Li will instantly seize control of the body and soul and unconditionally obey the Second Blood Ancestor's orders, while Mona will be powerless to resist.
It was through this method that the Second Blood Ancestor maintained a firm grip on Mona.
Originally, as time went by, the Second Blood Ancestor endured the trials of Divinity Sublimation time and time again, and his strength became more and more powerful. Mona had almost lost the idea of fighting against her adoptive father.
However, changing times always bring new opportunities.
As friction between the Blood Clan and humans intensifies, the human elite are considering striking first.
Upon learning of Mona's existence, a super-powerful human took advantage of the Second Blood Ancestor's slumber to bring her out and used special methods to sever the connection between the Second Blood Ancestor and Mo Li.
Originally, a human Demigod suggested simply erasing Mo Li's consciousness, but Mona refused.
The long-term companionship led Mona to develop deep feelings for her other personality, Mo Li, and without realizing it, she had come to regard this personality as her younger sister.
Erasing Mo Li's consciousness would be tantamount to killing her own sister, so Mona would certainly not agree to it.
In fact, Mo Li had already come to regard Mona as family.
In that Endless world of darkness and blood, two consciousnesses are each other's greatest solace.
"In other words, our ultimate enemy is the progenitor of the Ross Family, the Second Blood Ancestor of the Blood Clan, Peak Demigod who controls the Dao of Slaughter?"
Lancelot's throat bobbed involuntarily. Even in his previous life, a powerhouse of the Second Blood Ancestor's level could have slapped him to death.
Besides, right now, a Mid-Rank Transcendent kid like him could be killed a dozen times over with a single breath, right?
"Uh, well... we have helpers too, don't we?" Zyra's eyes darted around, and her voice trailed off, sounding somewhat weak.
"If you want to back out, that's fine," Mona said softly, her beautiful eyes full of seriousness. It was clear that she didn't want to force Lancelot.
Zyra opened her mouth, but in the end she just sighed dejectedly and didn't say anything.
Lancelot looked at the two beautiful women in front of him and suddenly burst into laughter.
"Judging from your expressions, do you think I'm the kind of person who's afraid of death?"
"Although the enemy is quite strong, they are nothing to me. Don't worry, I will fight alongside you."
The brilliant light shining through the glass reflected on the carefree face of the young man, bringing an indescribable warmth.
Even the usually carefree Zyra stared at Lancelot for a long time.
The tenderness in Mona's eyes was almost overflowing.
In the two women's view, Lancelot's words were just an excuse; what did he mean by "it's nothing"?
In the entire Elven Plane, the Second Blood Ancestor is among the top-ranking powerhouses.
In reality, for Lancelot, the Second Blood Ancestor was nothing special.
His greatest enemy is Astral Realm civilization. In the face of a power of that size, let alone Demigod, even ordinary gods are just small fry.