"Who are you? I feel a sense of familiarity with you, like…" Ethan's voice faltered, his tone tinged with confusion as his glowing eyes locked onto Nethrix. There was an unspoken connection, an echo of recognition that he couldn't quite place.
Nethrix's smirk widened, and he slowly lowered himself onto the scorched ground, the blackened stone hissing faintly under his weight. "I am Nethrix," he said, his voice calm yet brimming with authority. Then, with a faint chuckle, he added, "But more importantly… I am also family." His proud smirk deepened as he watched Ethan's reaction.
"Family?" Ethan repeated, his brow furrowing. He lowered himself to the ground, his ethereal wings folding slightly behind him as he studied the enigmatic figure before him. "Are you… something like my ancestor?"
"You're quick," Nethrix said with a low laugh, leaning forward slightly. "Quicker than I expected. Unlike these two idiots." He jabbed a thumb in the direction of Kael and Dri, his expression twisting into one of irritation. "For all their supposed wisdom and strength, they're maddeningly slow to grasp the obvious."
Kael's crimson aura flared faintly as his blood blade crackled in response to the insult. "Watch your tongue, Nethrix," he growled, his golden eyes narrowing. "We're not the ones intruding and throwing around cryptic nonsense."
Nethrix waved a dismissive hand. "Spare me your theatrics, Kael. You're all muscle and no subtlety. And you…" He turned his piercing green gaze toward Dri, whose golden eyes were cold and calculating. "For all your observing and scheming, you still failed to realize what was right in front of you."
Dri's jaw tightened, but he said nothing, his focus shifting briefly to Ethan, who remained quiet, lost in thought.
Ethan finally broke the silence, his voice cutting through the tension. "So you're my ancestor," he said, his tone steady despite the storm of questions swirling in his mind. "What does that mean for me? For us?"
Nethrix leaned back, resting one arm on his bent knee. "It means you and I share a bond, a legacy," he explained, his tone softening slightly. "I am the root, the origin of the power that flows through your veins. What you've tapped into—the runes, the transformations, even the eye on your forehead—it's all a fragment of what I once wielded."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "And why are you here now? Why show yourself after all this time?"
"Because you called me," Nethrix said simply, gesturing toward Ethan. "Whether you realized it or not, your awakening sent ripples through the void. I felt it. And I came to see for myself what kind of heir you've become." His expression turned serious, his voice gaining an edge. "You've inherited my power, Ethan. But power alone is meaningless without understanding. Without purpose. I'm here to ensure you don't squander what you've been given."
Ethan met his gaze, unflinching. "And what if I don't want your help? What if I want to forge my own path?"
Nethrix's smirk returned, though this time it carried a hint of approval. "Good," he said. "You should forge your own path. But don't mistake independence for ignorance. There's a fine line between stubbornness and stupidity, boy. Learn from those who came before you, or you'll end up as nothing more than another forgotten name in the ashes of history."
The tension in the chamber remained palpable, but Ethan's expression softened slightly. For all of Nethrix's arrogance and cryptic remarks, there was something genuine in his words—a sense of pride and an unspoken desire to see Ethan succeed.
"So, what do I have to do?" Ethan asked, his tone laced with equal parts determination and curiosity.
"Mm… nothing," Nethrix replied with a nonchalant shrug.
"Huh?" Ethan blinked, his glowing eyes narrowing in confusion.
"What? You thought you had to do something?" Nethrix tilted his head, feigning innocence.
"Isn't that the norm?" Ethan retorted.
"Not for beings of our status," Nethrix replied casually, brushing a speck of nonexistent dust from his dark robes.
"You mean you're stronger than Kael and Dri?" Ethan asked, glancing at the two figures, who were clearly irritated but remained silent.
Nethrix let out a low chuckle. "You can't compare us. I could kill them with just a sneeze."
Ethan stared at him, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and exasperation.
"I know it's hard to believe," Nethrix continued, his smirk widening, "but it's the truth. Anyway, you've already got all the support you can get. There's no need for any stupid tests or unnecessary rituals."
"I don't get it," Ethan admitted, his brows furrowed.
"The system," Nethrix said plainly, leaning back slightly as if he were recounting something mundane.
"You mean…" Ethan trailed off, a flicker of understanding dawning on his face.
"Mm," Nethrix confirmed with a nod. "The system was given to you by us."
"By us? You mean there are more ancestors?"
"What's the name of the system?" Nethrix asked, his glowing green eyes locking onto Ethan's.
"Ancestral Line System?" Ethan answered tentatively.
"Correct. It is tied to your ancestry. Let me start from here." Nethrix shifted his position slightly, his tone becoming more serious.
"My actual name is Radar Spike Smith, from the word Smith, as in a blacksmith, though other beings who don't know me personally call me Nethrix, meaning Death. What I just gave you now is the Blessing of Death—the Necromancy affinity. To understand Creation, you must first understand Destruction. Death is a part of that cycle."
Ethan's eyes widened, but he remained silent, letting Nethrix continue.
"That was just by the way," Nethrix said, waving a hand dismissively. "The system—this 'Ancestral Line System'—was born out of necessity. As more generations came and went, our bloodlines began to dilute, and much of our power was lost. So, we—your ancestors—devised a way to reignite and reawaken our dormant bloodlines in our descendants, no matter how diluted they became. This way, you wouldn't suffer too much under the trials of the world… wherever you might be."
Ethan leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "And it worked?"
"Not entirely," Nethrix admitted with a bitter laugh. "There were… complications. Variables we didn't account for. The gods, for one. Stupid, egoistic idiots. Although we were stronger than them, they still managed to throw a wrench into our plans. At one point, their meddling nearly cost us everything, including Big Bro's first daughter and his golden emissary."
Ethan tilted his head. "Big Bro?"
"You don't know him, yet. You probably know the golden emissary as Zark Arkwright von Erendale. Zark, to most. And the Empress, the voice of the system? She's his creation too, though she doesn't have a name. She almost died as a child, so Big Bro never named her."
Ethan frowned, processing the weight of Nethrix's words. "So, Zark and the Empress… they're tied to the system?"
"Yes," Nethrix confirmed. "My wife, Keira, and I managed to infuse their souls and essence into the system itself. They're its core. The system's primary purpose was to locate anyone with at least 30% of our bloodline, integrate with them, and awaken their dormant potential. That was step one."
"And step two?" Ethan asked, intrigued.
"The system would then issue quests and trials, not just to strengthen the chosen descendant but also to help their subordinates awaken their latent bloodlines. Ideally, those subordinates would carry traces of our lineage as well."
Ethan nodded slowly, the pieces beginning to fall into place. "And Fate?"
"Ah, that bitch," Nethrix spat, his tone venomous. "Fate saw what we were doing and decided to interfere. She altered the course of events, slowing your progress significantly. By now, you should have reached Master-level in your world. Instead, you're still lagging."
Ethan clenched his fists, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "And you couldn't stop her?"
"No," Nethrix admitted, his expression darkening. "Fate's power lies in her subtlety. Even Big Bro and the actual Empress, his wife couldn't do much against her influence. But it seems…" His smirk returned, faint and dangerous. "It seems Fate has taken a liking to you. Her meddling, while infuriating, has finally allowed us to meet. Perhaps there's more to this than even she anticipated."
Ethan met Nethrix's gaze, determination flaring in his glowing eyes. "Then what happens now?"
"Now?" Nethrix grinned. "Now, we turn the tables. Fate played her hand. It's time you played yours. You are no longer a pawn on her chessboard, you've moved up the ranks."
"So, what kind of beings are you and the other ancestors?" Ethan asked, his brow furrowed with curiosity.
"We are Primordials," Nethrix said, his tone shifting to one of pride and gravity. "Beings just below Existence itself. Though, frankly, you wouldn't fully grasp it. Just think of us as entities who can obliterate solar systems and create them with a casual wave of a finger. A bit of an oversimplification, but it'll do for now."
Ethan blinked, struggling to process the magnitude of that statement. "Not exactly easy to wrap my head around, but I'll... take it as that."
"Good enough," Nethrix said with a smirk, leaning back slightly.
"So," Ethan ventured, his mind racing, "are all the Primordials family?"
"Most of them, actually," Nethrix replied. "The rest are either trusted allies or close friends. Let me give you a glimpse into the family tree. I'm the Primordial of Death, second only to DEATH himself. My elder brother, Big Bro, is the Primordial of Balance. Then there's Brother Lith—he's the Primordial of Light. And there are many more—each as integral to the fabric of existence as the next."
Ethan's mouth hung open slightly, his mind a mix of awe and disbelief. "That's... a lot to take in," he admitted before pausing. "But I do have a question."
"Ask away, my favorite descendant," Nethrix said with a mischievous glint in his glowing green eyes.
"What happens to them?" Ethan gestured toward Kael and Dri, who stood silently nearby, their expressions unreadable. "They're already dead, so... will they—?"
"Oh, them," Nethrix interrupted, his demeanor shifting instantly to one of deep seriousness. The air around him seemed to grow heavier, and his gaze turned sharp. "They only have two options."