In order to further increase his chances of finding Zenonia's Khaos Gate, which should be hidden in the Magus Academy's Darkness Institute, Emery would need Annara to tag along. Her time at the institute would likely be of great help.
However, now that the bat girl was subordinate to the Ouroboros faction, she could not undertake such a task unless without permission.
"So, princess, will I get your permission to leave?"
Unexpectedly, Silva looked slightly dejected hearing Annara's words. It seemed their relationship was indeed closer than he had expected, evident from the words she spoke next.
"You just came back. Do you really have to go again?"
Just like Emery, Annara was also a little surprised to see her reaction, which prompted her to glance at the former and ask, "Is it really that important?"
"Yes it is." He replied firmly.
The Khaos Gate could potentially be a solution to his dark soul, which was now still the biggest drawback to his strength.
He couldn't shake from his mind the possibility that the gate was lying vulnerable somewhere at the Darkness Institute would be discovered by some lucky stranger. Therefore, it was better to look for it as soon as possible.
Silva's reluctance couldn't help Annara feel uneasy, "If you really want me to stay, I will. Just say–"
"No, it's okay. You should go…" She quickly said. "I only wish I could come as well, that's all."
Those words made Emery heave a sigh of helplessness. Unfortunately, she needed her daily treatment, hence she could not leave the Ouroboros.
"That's settled it then. But until then, you all should stay here a few more days until the gene serum is ready."
After they carried out the examination, Silva once again became a fine host and took Emery and his pack on a tour through some of the best of what the Ouroboros had to offer. The group were taken to enjoy the sights of the bustling metropolis, its stunning nature and unique inhabitants.
The six young half-bloods: wolves, bat and serpent, got to know each other better through this span of time. In particular, to Emery's surprise, Silva showed great interest in Morgana and the two seemed to hit it off quickly.
Seeing their hands intertwined with each other made Annara approach Emery. With a giggle she whispered in a teasing tone. "I have to admit your luck is indeed legendary. I am now convinced you are the protagonist of this story."
Their time was filled with joy as they had so much fun together. Unfortunately, that was cut short because Silva had to go. The Serpent Princess could only accompany them for a few hours, since she had to return to her medical tube.
Every day, whenever the pack visited the facility, they would also be given the latest serum, which would increase their gene percentage that the Ouroboros experts had managed to come up with.
Thanks to that, their improvements were tremendous. In just a short span of three days, Tatyana and Andrei managed to gain an 18% and 16% increase, while Morgana had an 8% increase, which was staggering considering her bloodline.
All three received a massive boost to their strength, before their body started to resist the serum giving fewer and fewer progress.
Unfortunately, different from the other three, the Ouroboros renowned experts seemed to have no way of helping Emery.
None of the serums they'd given him for the past three days had affected his genes.
It was just like the old wolf Warwick said. Now that he had reached the Rank 9 limit, he wouldn't be able to get much effect from potions anymore.
"My apology, we just don't have much understanding of rank 9 genes." The expert said apologetically to Emery.
The only way for progression was through sheer cultivation of the body, both physically and mentally, which meant it might take tens or hundreds of years for him to break to Rank 8.
Of course, they might be able to concoct something that could help him if they used the [Ancient Wolf Blood]. However, not only would it take an unknown amount of effort and time, Silva might also need it later. Thus Emery rejected the idea.
Meanwhile, in hopes of learning more about the Rank 9 blood gene that rarely came by, the Ouroboros experts asked Emery to provide a large quantity of his blood. Not only for research, they also needed it to enhance the clone bodies they prepared for him.
Since these people had done a lot for his pack, Emery had no reason to refuse the request.
After escorting Emery and his pack out of the facility, Silva made her way to her treatment room and once again entered her medical tube.
It was at this moment that a figure came out from the shadows. Someone who Emery knew very well. Bob the Frog, the expert who was said to be away.
When he appeared, all the Ouroboros experts present gave their respect to the man and quickly showed him the data they had been studying. A frown could be seen on his face as he read the data in his hand.
"The new gene doesn't work, does it?" Bob said with a long sigh.
"I am afraid not. The new mutation has changed the gene completely. Now it has even less compatibility than before. It can't be used on the princess."
The frog hybrid heaved a deep sigh upon hearing such a conclusion. As he looked at the beautiful girl lying inside the tube, he couldn't help but drop a tear. Without saying anything else, he left the place in despair.
*****
Emery stayed in the Ouroboros for five days, it was a pleasant experience for him and the pack. Now that there was nothing else the group could do on the planet. It was time for him to leave.
It was also at this time that Silva was finally willing to speak to him privately. She took him for a walk in the garden outside the palace.
After walking for a while, Emery saw her suddenly take out her storage ring. From it, she took out a metal emblem he immediately recognized. When she gave it to him, as soon his hand touched the emblem, he heard a female voice.
<How long do you plan on keeping me here? Get me out of here!!>
It was the emblem where he stored the spirit soul of a certain dark elf, Lyanna Darkmoon.
When he looked at her with a confused look, with a smile, Silva said, "I was just keeping it for you. Now I'm giving it back because I think you might need her for your journey."
Hearing those words, Emery quickly thought about using Lyanna as a way to gain information about Ezekiel and Talaro – the two other Khaos Champions. With that thought, he gratefully accepted the emblem back.
This made Emery suddenly remember something. He reached for his storage ring and took out an item as well. It was a sword with a pearly white blade, [Gentle Sword] – Silva's sword.
The girl was smiling as he held the sword. However, just as he was about to give it to her, she shook her head and said, "You should keep it for me. I will not even be able to use it with my current condition. It's such a waste to store it away."
Nodding his head, Emery said, "Alright, I will hold it for you until you get better."
The words seemed to affect her mood. Emery could feel the white-haired girl seeming to be hesitating about something. In the end, after they had walked for a while, he decided to ask what was bothering her.
"What is it? You can tell me anything."
Hearing those words, Silva stopped in her tracks. Emery could hear the sound of taking a breath before she turned around and looked into his eyes saying, "I wonder how much of your memory has returned?"
"Most of them, I think... Why do you ask?"
Silva paused for a moment, organizing her thoughts, before saying, "I can't help but wonder why you still haven't talked about returning to Earth. After all, that's what's always been on your mind before."
Those words took Emery by surprise. With a sigh, he replied.
"You're right. Most of my memories about Earth still haven't come back to me. But that doesn't mean I decided to forget about it. In fact, I hope that going back to the Magus Academy will be able to provide me with more information on how to get back to Earth."
"I see…" She said, obviously having a lot on her mind.
Once again, Silva turned quiet and walked a few more steps before saying, "What about your memories of… me…?"
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