The Ancient Genes

Max laid on the green patch of grass while staring at the sky. He knew how close to death he had been this time around.

"That was close.."

A voice entered Max's ear, and he couldn't help but agree with it, "It sure was.."

But, the moment he responded like that, he felt a sharp glare, and realized his mistake. Once he turned his head slightly to the side, he saw Andriel standing there glaring at him. Sera was in her arms, sleeping while the Shadow Leopard cubs which had fully grown by now came beside Max to lay down.

"What did you think you were doing?" Andriel asked him with a frown on her face.

"I know, I was wrong.." Max couldn't argue with her. He had his mother, Sera, Andriel and the others in his spirit world. Dying meant taking them along probably. Although he believed that the Spirit world might continue to exist, Andriel had insisted that it wouldn't and she and others would die for sure.

Max didn't know if she was stating the truth, but he had to take it as such when he couldn't confirm it.

"How long was I out for?" Max suddenly asked as he looked at Andriel. It had only been a few minutes since he woke up, and entered his spirit realm.

"One day.." Andrielyreplied with a sigh as she came and sat down by Max's side.

Max's face twitched upon hearing that. This was really going to get annoying. Even after thinking so much, things didn't go exactly the way he wanted. But, it was his fault, he indeed had lost his cool there.

There was another thing that Max was forgetting to count in all of this. The people whom he was trying to trick, weren't on his level at all. It was obvious that even a little variant could cause an event which would make him lose control over everything.

"She has been sleeping a lot lately.." Max looked at Sera, and spoke. This really was odd. And, he indeed had been missing her presence lately.

"She must be about to advance, and enter the next stage. This is how the Fairy's advance. I bet the time she wakes up for real, she wouldn't be a child any longer," Andriel said as she looked at the little girl. At first she was just hoping to see how the adult Sera would react to her presence, especially after finding out that Andriel had been her babysitter. But, now, she was indeed feeling attached to the little girl.

This was an odd feeling for Andriel. She had never felt much of an attachment to anything, but after meeting Max things had changed. She felt that her whole world had flipped, and she was able to feel emotions that she had never felt until now.

"You two, bring her back to Levi.." Andriel place Sera on the back of one of the cubs, and the two took her away.

"Well, then should we get started?" Andriel suddenly sneaked a little closer to Max, before getting onto his laps.

"You are not going to spare even an injured guy?" Max asked with a smile as he rolled his arms around her and embraced her like a man hugging his wife after a tiring day.

"What have you taken me for? I am just trying to pass my life force to you in order to heal you faster.." Andriel suddenly bit onto Max's neck in her little revenge.

"Ouch..but will you be fine?" Max couldn't help but ask. He remembered that her condition wasn't good.

"It's fine, I have been healed long ago..." Andriel assured him with a smile. But, this only made Max's face to turn a little dark.

"Healed long ago?" Max suddenly separated a little from her, before looking her into her eyes, "If you were healed long ago then what was with me not being fully healed for this past whole week?"

She had actually been fooling him for the entire week..no the entire month..

"T-That…" Andriel suddenly found herself lacking in words. "I-I was just saying it so you don't feel bad. I actually just healed yesterday.."

There was no way in hell that Max was believing that.

"Anyway, that is not of importance right now. You need to heal quickly…" Andriel immediately changed the topic, and Max couldn't deny her. He didn't have time to waste hoping to recover at a normal pace.

….

"This kid is a monster.." The Matriarch spoke as she looked at Max lying on the bed unconscious. They had brought him here yesterday, and she didn't think that he was going to make it.

The Second Matriarch was especially devastated looking at Max's feeble condition. Even the Supreme Healer of the Family had to raise her hands up. She had said that Max was already at the stage where external things weren't going to work. He had gone below to the point and could only depend on himself now before she could start to treat him.

It was like hanging on a cliff with you pinky. Only death awaited you unless there was a miracle.

But, a miracle had taken place. It was as if Max had stubbornly held onto the cliff with all his might, not only refusing to let go, but even pulling himself up little by little.

The scene had really left even the Supreme Healer in shock. To be honest, she wanted to say that Max was a lost cause and won't make it. But, looking at the Second Matriarch she couldn't bring herself to be so blunt.

And, now she was happy she didn't..

'This kid is a monster…how can someone survive that..' The Women couldn't help but look at Max, and then step up to check up on him once again while the Matriarch and Second Matriarch observed from the back.

"Hmmn.." The woman's eyes suddenly widened when she felt Max's body recovering, and the rate at which it was trying to build itself. It was not slow. After all, normally one can't easily sense the recovery rate unless one puts their concentration on it in order to try to sense it. But, she didn't even need to do that. That itself told how ridiculous this situation was.