Chapter 357: _Hope

“W–We have to fall back.” One of the cloaked witches shook her head, dragging her feet backwards. “This doesn’t feel like—”

Before she could finish… the beast moved in a blur. Her mouth parted. Magic exploded in her chest, gathering in her fingers.

The entire cave went still for a beat.

Only for the witch to realise that the place was tilting around her. Confusion settled in her.

‘What’s the… no.’

It was only when she fell to the ground with a plop and noticed her headless body crumbling to its knees that she realised what had happened.

Somehow the beast had severed her head. Blood sprayed on the cold cave floors like rain. The corners of the witch’s vision blurred.

The last thing she saw was her sister in the craft conjuring a force shield in front of herself. Then darkness swallowed the last of her consciousness.

Meanwhile, the other witch had made a hard shift backwards after witnessing what happened. Horror flashed across her features as she lifted the force shield in preparation.

The beast had disappeared.

But she could still feel it lurking somewhere in the darkness slowly creeping into the—

—Wait.

Her pupils widened a second too late. The ‘darkness’ she was noticing wasn’t darkness at all. It was a beastly shadow covering her from behind.

SLASH!

Another spray of blood.

In a couple of seconds, the witch’s body littered the floor in two pieces after being sliced open horizontally. The claw marks left on her were massive.

They didn’t belong to any normal wolf.

The last thing the witch thought about in her final moments was how they created a monster. The only question was:

Would this unidentified entity even be useful to the High Matron’s cause?

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Elian’s POV

*****

It was only after he saw the dead bodies of the witches skid across the cave floor like discarded rags that he let himself stay still again.

Beside his feet there was a puddle of silver divine water left behind from the sacred pool. Allowing him to take a look at himself.

What he saw was no Omega.

His reflection showed a beast, towering easily past twelve feet with bipedal limbs. Silver fur exploded all over his hulking muscular frame.

And his eyes.

Above his canine-like snout were two predatory eyes split in two different colours. Silver and violet.

‘… This isn’t me getting a wolf either.’ Memories of what he thought were his final moments rushed through his head.

He was meant to be consumed by the other consciousness of the moon goddess. But somewhere during that—his divine soul latched out with equal consuming force.

The last thing he remembered was the deafening explosion that followed. Then his entire body was burning with a searing pain.

He… died.

His body had evaporated out of existence completely. Yet here he was—reborn.

‘I remember what this is.’ He visibly frowned, raising his claws to his face. ‘I’m a—’

[SYSTEM ONLINE!]

Elian’s breath stuttered.

Out of all the times in the past where he yearned for the system’s voice after getting knocked out or getting his consciousness taken somewhere else… This moment easily took the cake.

‘You little bastard!’ he was meant to say that out loud but it ended up remaining a thought. ‘You’re alive too? B–But my former body. Didn’t I—’

[Die?] The system cut in. [Oh, yes you did fruitcake. But you forgot. The system wasn’t imprinted into your head or your body. I’m a part of your very soul.]

As much as Elian’s chest surged with warmth at those words, something clicked. If he truly died then why didn’t his soul either take itself back in time for a rebirth or jump into the nearest living host?

[Your divine essence has gotten closer to ‘completion’ after absorbing the other consciousness. Your current body still carries bits of Elian Ashford that you subconsciously created yourself. Plus, of course the new additions.]

Elian blinked once. Then twice.

‘… You’re saying I recreated my body?’

[Not just that. You evolved it significantly.]

System screens flickered to life before him. Even their glow felt different.

[Here are the host’s stats:]

[Category: Lycan-Omega-Witch tribrid) Strength: 100 Durability: 100 Speed: 100 Regeneration: 100 Senses: 100 Mana Core level: Celestial core Bond resonance mastery: 100% mastery of the skills of each mate. Total Evaluation: Host is beyond the restraints of an Elder Sovereign like Luna Queen Elowen. You’re close to touching the power of a transcendent witch or Celestial sovereign alpha king respectively.]

Elian almost couldn’t believe his eyes.

He was still stuck at his new category.

A tribrid?

Not just any tribrid either.

‘So this beast form…’ his claws furled and unfurled. ‘Lycan. As in THE Lycans? Aeons old ancestors of current-day wolves and—’

[Yes, Einstein. You’re ruining the moment.]

Elian took a few steps forward when an odd feeling swept through him. The world around him suddenly began to seem larger. His brows furrowed as he brought his hands to his body.

No more fur.

Wait a minute.

“Shit…” He was ecstatic feeling himself from his abs, to his chest—and then much lower. “My original body. I’m back! And I’ve got my voice again.”

He’d barely gotten the chance to adapt to his naked form when he sensed something. His senses flared, forcing him to swerve his head in another direction in the cave.

Space rippled there.

Then a crimson portal tore open.

A gentle smile stretched Elian’s lips as someone walked through the portal with uncertainty on his face.

Kyren.

The Rogue king’s eyes immediately scoured the place—those eyes that now shone with something rare. Something dangerous.

Hope.

When Kyren’s eyes locked on him he froze.

“Elian?” He called out, disbelief clear in his voice.

Before the latter could speak the Ascension platform doors at the other end of the cave opened with a sharp ding. Lucian rushed out, clothes torn and body still alive with Celestial Sovereign energy.

“Elian?!” The Alpha King roared. “E–Elian please—Elian?”

As if planned, both men darted to him in a flash. Kyren caught him in his arms first. Yes, he was different. Yes, he was far more powerful now than ever before.

But in the arms of the Rogue king, he suddenly felt small again. Not in a bad demeaning way either.

“You’re alive.” Lucian croaked, joining the embrace with a shaky exhale. “Gods, I thought you died. I–I felt you die, gods damnit.”

Any questions that they had were left for later. Elian hugged them back, burying his face between both their shoulders.

[ALERT!]

‘I don’t care if Solara is about to get hit by a bloody asteroid. Save that notification for later.’

[Ugh, rude. But okay. I guess someone doesn’t want to know that he’s officially… pregnant.]

Elian’s eyes snapped open instantly, pinning on the system screen floating in front of him. Clear as day on it were pregnancy stats.

His initial shock paled in comparison to when he saw the numbers.

‘TWINS?!’