The Bloodline System Chapter 1661 1661: Link The Essences

The deities had reclaimed their throne, ruling over existence just as they did 100,000 years prior... unrestrained, absolute, and completely indifferent to the agony they inflicted.

Mortals were reduced to slaves.

Divine labyrinths became the prisons for entire civilizations.

Worlds were extinguished on a whim, sometimes simply because the gods "disliked the hue of their heavens."

The powerful were forced into gladiatorial combat for the amusement of the heavens.

Souls were dismantled and torn apart merely to satisfy divine curiosity regarding their inner workings.

The Resistance had ceased to exist.

The Alliance was no more.

The Mixedblood Organization had crumbled into nothingness.

Jack, the most formidable Mixedblood to ever live, had been erased so utterly that even the lingering energy of his soul was turned to vapor. The rest of the MBO met their demise shortly after.

Even the greatest of their warriors failed to reach a level of power that the gods would consider a mere "inconvenience."

The Overseer, the solitary figure capable of maintaining balance, had turned his back on his responsibilities. His daughter had been saved, and that was the extent of his concern. Following their reunion, he fell into a deep silence. He turned a deaf ear to the screams of the cosmos, leaving the deities to roam free.

Nocturnis, the father of Falco, took a twisted pleasure in torturing the surviving humans from Earth. Knowing they were the favorites of Gustav, he viewed them as his personal playthings.

Entire cities were crushed beneath his fingertips.

He cast people into alternate dimensions to serve as toys.

Survivors were hunted like animals for sport.

Earth was now nothing more than a fractured crescent of rubble orbiting the sun. Three colossal fragments drifted through space, occasionally grinding against one another and sending metallic rain down into the remnants of the atmosphere. This ruined cradle of the human race had become a mere playground for the divine.

Despite the chaos, Gustav did not return.

He was unable to.

He was gone.

For months, the group clung to their faith... until that hope turned into a weight too heavy to bear.

In the meantime, their hidden sanctuary had expanded.

What began with ten survivors grew to twenty, then a hundred, and eventually three hundred.

Humans, extraterrestrials, children, and elders from various races Gustav had befriended—along with those who had only heard legends of him—sought refuge. Some stumbled upon the star by chance and were granted entry. Others were saved by the efforts of Endric and Xanatus. A few were brought in on the brink of death by E.E. and Elevora, who risked everything to scout the outside world.

This pocket dimensional star had evolved into a miniature society. Small cities were built from salvaged materials, where families resided in clusters.

However, regardless of their growing numbers, a shared despair filled every heart.

The belief that any being in the galaxy could challenge the deities had vanished.

They were surviving, but they were not truly alive.

Everyone understood that this sanctuary could not remain concealed forever. If a god ever caught its scent... everything would end.

---

They met once more in the primary chamber, a massive crystalline arena filled with seating. The room hummed with a soothing warmth, a lingering effect of the original energy Gustav had channeled into it.

But on this day, the warmth provided no solace.

Their voices were filled with resignation, exhaustion, and emptiness.

Endric stood in the center, the dark circles beneath his eyes making him appear much older than his actual years.

Xanatus supported himself with a cane.

Ria’s hands were plagued by a constant tremor.

Sersi’s appearance suggested she spent every night in tears.

A mask of perpetual anxiety was etched onto Elevora’s face.

E.E. had grown gaunt and grim, his sense of humor completely extinguished.

Aildris sat in a trance, barely noticing his surroundings.

Falco, still in the process of healing, had dark veins pulsing beneath his skin—the price of overextending his powers to keep them safe.

And Angy remained silent.

Far too silent.

"We cannot continue like this," Endric finally declared.

E.E. let out a sharp, mocking breath. "What do you suggest? That we march out there and be slaughtered like the rest?"

"We have attempted to strategize," Elevora added with bitterness. "We considered attacking their cosmic energy source, uniting every awakened bloodline, or utilizing dimensional compression weapons—but nothing works. NOTHING has ever worked."

"Is there any chance of approaching the Overseer?" Sersi asked in a fragile voice.

Ria responded with a dark, hollow laugh. "The Overseer turned his back on the universe the moment he got his daughter back. He doesn't care. Furthermore, he was the one who gave Nocturnis the chance to kill Gustav."

A heavy, hopeless silence filled the room.

"But shouldn't Gustav have returned? Doesn't he possess that... bloodline that allows for resurrection?" Xanatus asked, bringing up IYSOP.

"Yes, but unfortunately, he was struck down during the ritual... a moment when all the powers he held were dissolving and reforming. Nocturnis struck at the exact moment he was vulnerable..." Endric shook his head as the agony of the memory washed over him.

Falco’s voice trembled as he spoke, "We are only delaying the inevitable. The deities will find this sanctuary eventually. It is only a matter of—"

"Stop." Endric’s voice wavered. "We cannot surrender."

"Why not?" Aildris whispered softly. "What is left for us to fight for?"

Endric opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out.

He looked at his friends—once so vibrant, so hopeful, and so resolute—and could no longer recognize them.

They had all changed... and he couldn't find it in himself to blame them.

"I'm... going to step out for a moment," Angy said suddenly.

The group turned toward her, but she only managed a faint, small smile.

"I'll be right back."

She departed quietly, and no one moved to stop her.

None of them realized they had been watching her fall apart for months, as she drowned in self-blame and hidden secrets.

She entered a private bathroom within the sanctuary, and the second the door clicked shut, her mask of composure crumbled.

Her breathing became labored as her eyes welled with tears.

She dropped to her knees, clutching the edge of the sink, and began to vomit violently.

Her body shook with the force of her retching while tears flowed down her face.

When the spell finally passed, she remained hunched over, shivering and gasping for air as her hair clung to her perspiring skin.

A dull, persistent ache throbbed in her abdomen.

With a shaking hand, she pressed gently against her stomach.

The slight bump beneath her touch pressed back, causing a sob to erupt from her throat.

Her reflection in the mirror was that of a ghost—hollow eyes, parched lips, and trembling hands.

"Why..." she whispered. "Why did you leave us...?"

Her fingers tightened their grip on her belly.

"Why did you leave me?"

Her strength failed, and she slid to the floor, resting her forehead against the cold tiles as muffled sobs shook her entire frame.