1624 The Parting Gifts. I
For the next months, as word of the newly developed cultivation system spread like wildfire throughout the territories of the Federation, a tide of excitement and anticipation washed over the populace.
Tales of the one hundred children who had been the first to receive the groundbreaking genetic modification, and their remarkable abilities to absorb and transform neutral energy into elemental power, fueled the imaginations and ambitions of many.
The Federation issued a formal request for more participants, seeking people between the ages of eleven and twenty-one, those who had not yet committed to the traditional bloodline integration system, and those who possessed a natural affinity rating above 75%.
This criteria aimed to ensure the pure growth of the cultivation system, focusing on those most likely to benefit from and contribute to this revolutionary advancement.
For many, this was more than just an opportunity for their children; it was a chance for their entire lineage to rise to prominence, to be part of a pioneering movement that would shape the future.
Thus, parents and guardians looked at their children with new eyes, seeing not just their offspring but the potential heroes and leaders of the coming age.
Investments were made, savings spent, and resources pooled as families prepared to send their eligible children to Earth.
The planet, once a symbol of desolation and destruction, was now the beacon of humanity's next great leap forward.
As the Federation managed the massive influx of applicants, the importance of a controlled and ethical approach to this new power became clear.
Guidelines were established, and mentors were appointed, each tasked with ensuring that the cultivation system was a boon to humanity, not a path to its downfall.
Felix knew that he could have chosen even bloodliners to obtain the new cultivation system since it was established to be working on both Noah and Olivia, but he rejected the notion.
He understood that if he shared that the cultivation system could work on even bloodliners, the planet would be overrun by hundreds of billions of bloodliners from everywhere at once.
So, it was best to leave them assuming that it could work only on unawakened children until he left.
Time went by and before long, the year was about to finish as only a week was left.
Felix visited Zosia's office in the new federation's temporary headquarters in New York after its demolition.
"How is it going?" He asked the moment he emerged from a void rift.
Zosia was used to his sudden appearances by now and wasn't too surprised...She gave him a wry smile and said, "They keep coming nonstop by the thousands...We sure give birth like insects."
Felix chuckled and said, "That's our primary strength."
"At this point, I don't see it that way." Zosia sighed, "You are about to leave and people keep sending their kids even after we halted accepting the recruitment. Close to five million children are waiting in the planet's orbit. What do I do about them?"
"You can reverse engineer the genetic sequence and find out how to replicate it artificially." Felix smiled, "You already know the correct pronunciation of the technique and how it's written."
"Are you saying we are allowed to continue the implementation after you leave?" Zosia's eyes widened in surprise.
Since Felix never brought up this subject and she had no idea that he was planning to leave forever, she never bothered to think of going over his head and running the process without his involvement.
"Yes, I will be gone for a long while and this mission will fall on your shoulders." Felix narrowed his eyes seriously, "Just be careful and take it slow, if bloodliners learned that the cultivation system would work for them too, chaos would befall the federation."
"I promise you, I won't die," Bodidi replied with an assured tone.
"But, you will get fat."
"That's a given." Bodidi nodded with a deep creepy grin.
Everyone's eyelids twitched.
Felix shook his head and ignored this helpless foodie. He turned to Olivia and gave her a gentle smile.
"Little Oli, I know that your dream was to live in peace with your loved ones, nothing more, nothing else. Unfortunately, that dream proved to be the hardest to achieve even for me." Felix pulled a spatial ring from his finger and pushed it slowly into her index finger. Then, he said, "At the moment, all I can bestow upon you is this garden."
The moment Olivia glanced at the spatial ring's interior, her breath was stolen away from sheer shock and amazement.
It was a pocket dimension nestled within the confines of an expansive spatial ring, stretching for hundreds of kilometers...There, lay a breathtaking garden, a veritable den of the cosmos.
It became a living tapestry of vibrant colors and ethereal fragrances, where the rarest known and unknown natural treasures flourished in harmonious abundance.
Towering trees with luminous leaves whispered ancient secrets, their branches heavy with fruits that shimmered like stars.
Exotic flowers bloomed in a kaleidoscope of colors, their petals as delicate as the fabric of reality, releasing scents that could revive the weary and inspire the despondent.
Meandering pathways, lined with iridescent moss and gemstone pebbles, invited onlookers into deeper exploration, leading them past crystalline streams and tranquil ponds where mythical creatures played.
Here, every plant, every stone, every droplet of dew was a treasure, a marvel of the universe, collected from the farthest reaches of space and time!
"I...I can't accept this...This is too much!"
Olivia swiftly tried to pull away the ring from her finger, but Felix held her hand gently and said, "Your worth to me can't be measured even with a hundred of such gardens. So, please, accept it and tend to it...It will make me happier."
"I..."
Olivia was left at a loss for words as she stared at Felix's eyes...They were as sincere as they could get, which made her tear up a bit, having a strong feeling that this might be the last time she would ever see him.
So, she fought against her shyness and hugged him as tightly as possible while sniffling in silence, not saying a single word.
Felix showed a little smile as he patted her head like the old times, remembering his youthful days with her and how he always pranked and bullied her, yet, she never left him be alone...
She became one of his closest family members and Felix always considered her as his little sister.
So, he became genuine when he remarked that the garden was worth tens of empires combined, but was nowhere close to her worth to him.
After a short while, Olivia let go of Felix and delivered him a head nod while holding onto the ring, seemingly giving him her word that she would take care of it as her life depended on her.
Felix laughed and left her be...He turned to Noah and his chuckle faded away after seeing his serious eager expression.
It became enough to tell him that Noah hadn't changed his mind in the past year from his journey to the spirit realm.
'He is as stubborn as you.'
Fenrir shook his head, clearly, not too pleased with Noah's decision...But, as his master, he respected his choice and would did not get in his way.
"Guys, please give me and Noah some privacy." Felix requested.
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