God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

"Forgive me if the refreshments aren't suitable for your human palates. I try to be observant, but you humans seem to enjoy so many things, it is hard to pin down the common denominators."

Cain raised a brow, "Observant?"

Anathe chuckled lightly, the thin antenna jutting from her head moving slowly.

"In any case, how is it?"

Cain looked down at the platter of assorted fruits and mutant beast meat laid down before him.

Since he had no interest in eating raw mutant beast meat, he decided to focus on the fruits instead.

They were of different shapes, colors and sizes, some as small as berries, with the largest a bit bigger than an outstretched palm.

Picking one up, he brought it to his nose.

'Smells pleasant enough.'

Without hesitation, he sank his teeth into it.

A colorful burst of flavors filled his mouth.

"Delicious."

Anathe smiled,

"I'm glad you liked it."

Cain turned to see Steve muttering to himself as he dug into a fruit as well,

"Interesting. How wonderful..."

Cain grimaced,

'He's lost all his composure.'

He turned back to the Ant Queen. Something about her made them drop their guard around her.

He wasn't sure if it was her pleasant demeanor or warm smile.

He had to remind himself over and over again that she was a mutant creature.

'The only way to fully trust one is a [Body and Soul] contract.'

Although she had shown no hostility so far, he still wasn't buying just yet.

"So, do you have something in particular you want to chat about, Cain?" Anathe asked.

Cain was silent for a moment.

Swallowing a mouthful of juicy fruit, he wiped his mouth clean, then spoke,

"I have a lot of things, really. For starters, I am surprised by the rate at which you and your kin are evolving. To me as a human, it is rather... concerning."

Anathe's smile died down a bit.

She was silent for a moment, then she sighed,

"I can see how that may be a bother. After all, to you, once upon a time, we were nothing more than mindless insects you crushed under your boots. Things of no significance, and therefore, no consequence."

Cain's lips twitched. He wanted to say something, but realized there was nothing he could.

After all, what she said was true.

Ants had been objects of study for as long as humans had been.

Their anatomies, their marvelous physiques, the variety of their species, their impact on the environment, their methods of procreation...

Everything about them was a fascinating research topic.

But outside of that, they were small.

Normal ants were not things to be feared or looked at.

They were so small, they could be crushed beneath a boot, and no one would even know a creature had just been killed.

That was the reality of the creatures that lived beneath the earth.

Their destinies had always been to live beneath those that dwelled on the surface.

Now, in this New World, the playing field had been evened.

More than that, the balance might have even been tipped.

Anathe crossed her long, jade-like legs and leaned against the rest of her stone chair,

"Recently, after going on a hunt with the warriors of my brood, I encountered a terrible beast. After defeating it at the cost of many lives, I was awarded a special elixir by the system."

Cain frowned, "A special elixir? What does it do?"

Anathe smiled, "Take a guess..."

Cain raised a brow, 'Is she teasing me?'

He cleared his throat, then thought about it a bit,

'An elixir that improves intelligence? No, that can't be all. The changes are more than just mental. They are physical too. Then it has to be an Evolution elixir. But evolution is such a broad term.'

He frowned, 'Not to mention it's not just ants that have been buffed up here. There's all sorts of things within the Colony. Evolved lizards, birds, rats, all sorts of things...'

There was one trend with the creatures in the Colony.

There were no evolved forms of larger beasts. They were mostly creatures of the undergrowth and the underground, and avians. Evolved forms of poisonous little critters, slimy reptiles, musky rodents, and even smaller birds.

Cain finally shook his head,

"I have no idea."

Anathe's smile widened a bit as her sharp fingers scratched into the arm rest of the stone chair, leaving deep grooves,

"Then I will tell you. The special elixir mutates the properties of my blood."

Cain's confusion grew even further,

"What does that have to do with anything?"

The Ant Queen leaned forward. A strange emotion in her dark eyes.

In a voice as quiet as a whisper, she spoke,

"By bestowing my blood into another, I can change and manipulate the direction of its evolution. It is now a special property and trait only I possess."

Cain felt his blood freeze.

"That's..."

Anathe leaned back,

"Impressive?"

Cain slowly nodded.

'Change the direction of its evolution? What does that mean exactly?'

Sensing the confusion in Cain's demeanor, the Ant Queen explained further,

"As long as they willingly accept my blood, a lowly rodent, who because of its weak bloodline and low affinity with mana could only be at the bottom of the food chain, will change. It will grow sharp fangs and claws. Its coat of fur will become like a duvet of iron wires, and it will be able to smell the aroma of blood from fifty miles away. It will be able to kill and hunt, and its mind will grow keen and sharp."

Cain leaned back, completely speechless,

"So your blood can turn even the most normal of mutant creatures into super beasts. Is that it?"

Anathe nodded with a smile.

Cain leaned back and folded his hands,

"I see. But it comes at what cost?"

"The blood needed are special blood drops that require a lot of food, energy and effort for me to condense. That's basically all there is to it. So don't be too concerned."

Cain huffed,

"Why use these special blood drops on creatures that are not your kin?"

Anathe paused, then tilted her head, as thought she could not understand,

"Just because they are not kin does not mean they cannot be family."

Cain shook his head,

"No, I'm not buying it. Something's not adding up."

Anathe sighed,

"Well, I suppose you might find it hard to believe. But it is indeed the case. I serve the goddess Haeria, Divine Beast Mother of all things that Crawl above and beneath the ground. She is the mother of all, which makes us all her children."

Cain frowned,

"I see..."

'So it is a Celestial's influence at the end of the day.'

While it was not a bad thing, it still irked him.

"Make no mistake, I do not do it only out of the goodwill of the goddess that fills my soul. The other beasts provide us with food and resources. In turn, we open our gates to them and I grant them the grace of the goddess. Most decide to dedicate their entire being in servitude of the goddess after experiencing it, so you have to be warned."

He had finally gotten his answer, although it had not been exactly what he had expected.

What this meant was that the Redscale Colony was destined for greatness and would soon occupy most of the island in a short time.

This level of growth potential was rather impressive. With even more time, Anathe could very well create an entire country of United Mutant Creatures.

Suddenly, realization struck him,

"I can't help but ask; did you think I came here to request for your blood too?"

Anathe tilted her head,

"Is that not what you came for?"

Cain didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Sure, he came here for help, but not that kind of help,

Cain cleared his throat,

"Indeed, I came here to ask for your aid, but I had no idea you had such special... abilities."

"Then why did you come, Cain?"

Cain's expression turned serious,

"I need your help to defeat Devils. A lot of them."

Anathe was silent for a moment. Then she spoke,

"Devils, you say... How many?"

Cain grimaced, "I don't know. A lot. Much more than you are imagining right now."

Anathe remained calm,

"And how do you reckon I provide such aid?"

Cain suddenly felt nervous,

"I need your fighters, your warriors. A lot of them too."

Both remained silent for a while.

Then Anathe spoke again,

"Why should I offer you aid?"

Cain already had an answer prepared,

"Because of you don't, they'll come for you next?"

Anathe shook her head,

"Don't lie to me, Cain. I have eyes everywhere. Plus, it is not that difficult for me to tell when you lie. Wherever those Devils are is quite a bit far from this place. They won't come here anytime soon."

Cain shook his head,

"You don't get it, do you? You might be safe for now, but that might not be the case a year or two down the line. If you think you are growing fast, I assure you that very soon, the Devils will have outgrown and our classed all of us. Humans and mutant beasts alike."

Cain's eyes narrowed as he continued,

"If you help us now, we can start building a foundation. We will know that the Devil's are not unbeatable, and they can be quelled. I don't have to tell you this as I assume you already know, but in a few years from now, maybe even sooner, we will have a Devil crisis— no, a Devil epidemic on our hands. One far worse than this. At first, I thought it was a war we humans would have to fight alone, but your existence, and the existence of beasts like you has proven to me that it might not have to be this way..."

Silence...

The Chamber was silent once Cain was done.

Anathe remained still, staring at him with a vacant smile.

Cain let out a deep breath he had been unconsciously holding them turned to Steve who had been quietly listening in on their conversation.

"Do you have any other questions to ask, Cain?"

Cain frowned.

He had a bad feeling.

"No. No, that's all."

Anathe smiled. Although this time, her smile wasn't as bright or genuine as before,

"If that's the case, then you can see yourself out."

Cain's frown turned into a grimace,

"You..."

Anathe's smile disappeared completely, leaving a beautiful, yet frigid expression behind,

"I am saying I refuse to give you any aid, Cain."