The Bloodline System (Web Novel)
chapter-1538

Author's Note: Unedited Chapter

The embrace between Miss Aimee and Gustav was warm and familiar. For a moment, the bleak surroundings seemed to vanish, replaced by the comfort of their reunion. Gustav felt a lump in his throat. He hadn't realized just how much he missed her.

When they finally pulled apart, Miss Aimee scrutinized him with her sharp gaze. "You've gotten bigger," she remarked with a tone of surprise. "What have they been feeding you? You almost look like a grown up now."

Gustav chuckled; "And you miss Aimee look a little shorter now."

Miss Aimee pulled his cheeks with a peal of light laughter; "You cheeky little..."

"I can't believe you're here. Everything makes sense now," Gustav said while pulling back slightly to look into her eyes. "This is why you knew so much about the warp demolator and what I needed to do."

Miss Aimee nodded in affirmation; "You're not wrong but there's more to it."

"There is? Hmm..." Gustav had a look of curiosity on his face.

"I'll tell you everything but before that... Bring me up to speed on everything that has happened so far kiddo," Miss Aimee said with a smile.

The landscape of the desolate planet stretched out before them. It was a bleak expanse marked by destruction and chaos. The ground was pockmarked with deep craters, each one glowing with a magma-like light at the bottom, casting an eerie, reddish glow across the barren terrain.

The sky above was a perpetual twilight, heavy with dark clouds that seemed to choke out any hope of sunlight. Not like there was any in the stagnant siterus void.

They were standing at the center of a decayed technological ring, a relic of a once-sophisticated transport system now reduced to rusted and twisted metal. The scent of ash and decay lingered around.

Gustav adjusted his jacket, its edges singed and worn from his travels. He looked at Miss Aimee, who seemed almost out of place in this environment, her presence a beacon of familiarity and strength.

The ground around was a desolate expanse of charred jagged rocks. They made their way towards a particular position.

They found a spot to sit, a flat rock that offered a somewhat comfortable perch. Gustav began recounting everything that had happened in Miss Aimee's absence.

He started from the moment he became a fugitive on Earth. He told her about the false accusations, the solo objectives he had to accomplish, and his struggle on the run avoiding manslaughter.

Miss Aimee listened intently, occasionally interrupting with questions or exclamations of disbelief.

"And then," Gustav continued, "I would have tried to contact you, but I didn't want to be a bother. I figured it was time for me to start taking care of my own problems."

Miss Aimee's response was immediate. She knocked him lightly on the head, just as she had always done when he said something particularly foolish. "You idiot," she said, her tone affectionate but firm. "You should know by now that I will always show up for you. As many times as it takes."

"Ouch," Gustav rubbed his head while smiling "I know, I know. But you've already done so much for me. I didn't want to drag you into my mess."

Miss Aimee sighed as her expression softened. "Gustav, I may not have told you before, you're the one person I'll always look out for. So long as I am around, you don't have to face anything alone."

Her words hit him hard, and he felt a surge of emotions but did his best to hide them. "When did you become so sentimental? Is old age finally starting to catch up?"

"I missed you too, you stubborn fool," she replied while knocking his head again.

Gustav held his head while both of them suddenly burst out in laughter.

It had been too long since they spoke like this. The demon queen and the one person who could make her display an array of emotions that usually wasn't present for anyone else.

Gustav felt a sense of nostalgia. The only difference about this and the old times was their location as well as current level of strength.

"So," Gustav began, his voice echoing slightly in the still air, "You've really been in Planet Humbad all this time?"

Miss Aimee nodded with a look of seriousness. "Yes."

Gustav's eyes wandered over the decayed ring. "It's hard to imagine this place once had life."

Miss Aimee smiled faintly. "Indeed. But things change. Sometimes drastically." She paused, her gaze locking onto his. "Gustav, I was aware when you were branded as a universal fugitive."

Gustav's eyes widened in surprise. "You knew?"

"Yes," she said softly. "Before I could do anything about it, I was accosted by a strange figure on my planet. This figure knew everything about you, your situation, and how things would turn out."

"Who was this person?" Gustav inquired.

Miss Aimee took a deep breath. "They called themselves a Time Candidate."

"A Time Candidate?" Gustav repeated as he recalled Commander Ergril. "Was it a Tark?"

"Exactly," she confirmed. "This Time Candidate told me that I had to follow specific steps to help you. They knew you would be in danger if things played out precisely according to how you plotted them so I played a crucial role in your survival."

"What kind of steps?" Although Gustav could already tell, he still asked.

"They gave me a set of instructions," Miss Aimee explained. "They told me to create a clone of myself to handle things on my planet while I came here to wait for you. The clone took care of all the necessary procedures to ensure you could get here safely."

Gustav stared at her, processing the information. "So that's why..."

Miss Aimee nodded. "I've been here for a long time. I lost track of the days, but I knew you'd make it here eventually."

She looking out at the desolate landscape with a thoughtful expression. "I am meant to lead you to Dimension Six, where the truth about your origin and everything else will be unveiled."

A strange, ominous wind began to blow, swirling dust and debris around them. The wind carried a faint, eerie whisper, as if the planet itself was trying to communicate with them.

"You know where Dimension Six is?" he questioned. "And what do you mean by origin?"

Miss Aimee's gaze remained distant. "I can't explain everything right now. The Time Candidate's instructions were clear—direct you to planet Humbad, and personally lead you to Dimension Six."

"What's in Dimension Six that I need to see? And why do you seem so... evasive about it?" Gustav's suspicion rose.

She turned to him with a smile. "Gustav, some truths are too dangerous to reveal all at once. But once you get to dimension six, you will get the answers you seek."

"Hmm I see," Gustav looked around the surroundings.

"I guess the existence of this place confirms the theory about Planet Humbad's destruction. The Slarkovs lied."

Miss Aimee nodded. "Yes, the Slarkovs' history is tied to this place. Thousands of years of their civilization's secrets lie buried here, crumbling before our eyes."

Gustav's mind reeled. The Slarkovs had always claimed their home planet was destroyed in a catastrophic event, but here he was, standing on the very soil they once called home. The realization that they had lied about such a fundamental aspect of their history was staggering. He always knew but it was another thing to confirm the suspicions physically.

He turned back to Miss Aimee,m. "Tell me the truth Miss Aimee, what am I supposed to find in Dimension Six? What does it have to do with me?"

"Listen kiddo, all I can say is, you will find answers about your past, your powers, and your true purpose and origins of a lot of things. I can't explain much about Dimension Six but just prepare yourself."

The wind howled louder, whipping Gustav's jacket and sending chills through his body. He clenched his fists in anticipation.

"Where is it?" Gustav inquired.

Miss Aimee turned around and pointed in a particular direction.

"Shall we get to it then?" He stated while getting to his feet.

"Are you ready?" Miss Aimee asked him.

Gustav nodded in response while Miss Aimee got to her feet.

She placed her hand on Gustav's left shoulder and they immediately vanished from their spot.

Gustav and Miss Aimee reappeared before a massively caved-in part of the planet.

The ground was opened up into an immense chasm that stretched as far as the eye could see. The scent of sulfur permeated the surroundings, and a red, magma-like glow emanated from the depths below, casting eerie shadows on the jagged walls of the crater.

Gustav stared into the abyss with a slight look of trepidation. "Is Dimension Six down there?" he asked.

"It's down there alright," she said with a serious tone. "But you need to be very careful while we're descending. Down there is a part of the planet that is extremely fragile. If you channel your bloodline, it could cause the entire planet to split in half."