The Ancient Genes

The chaos had finally calmed down. The express car was slowly moving towards the capital despite the wear and tear it had to endure due to the fights.

"Wait!" Max exclaimed and everyone stopped.

"What's wrong?" Stark asked with raised brows.

"I want to walk." Max spoke as he got off the golemn for some reason. 

Stark shook his head and allowed him to do what he wanted. Besides, it didn't look like anything was going to happen to Max anytime soon.

Max looked at the door leading towards the next cabin. He had felt something. Something hard to put in words.

He moved and the rest followed behind.

When Max opened the door and walked in, his eyes met another pair of aged eyes. It was an old man dressed in white who had been sitting on one of the seats all along.

Time seemed to have paused for a second before Max finally turned his calm gaze away and headed towards Lear.

Stark entered behind Max and turned his head to look in the direction which Max was looking at.

His gaze met with the old man and a complicated expression appeared on his face.  He still slightly bowed in respect and the old man smiled.

"Pak!"

Max slapped Lear's back as he asked, "You look fine!"

"Ahh!! It hurts who was that?!!" Lear turned his head in anger and Lora who was sitting beside did as well. 

When they saw the state which Max was in, their face froze. Lear felt ashamed of his actions. He was shouting for a wound like that and here this half-dead looking guy was standing with a smile on his face.

Lear immediately got up from his seat allowing Max to have it before calling the staff.

"I am surprised that you are alive…" Lear said as the staff member arrived.

The lady who had arrived in the uniform of staff turned pale looking at Max's condition. She immediately ran away to call the doctor as it was just beyond her level of treatment.

"Oh! Yeah...I didn't tell you. This old man save-" Lear's words paused as he noticed that the old man had disappeared in thin air.

"Where did he go?" Lora asked in surprise. She was sure to have seen the old man a few seconds ago but the seat was empty now.

"Move aside! Let me have a look…"

The staff lady rushed back with the doctor on board.  The doctor looked at Max and frowned. He then took out a shiny concoction from his bag.

"Is it an elixir?!" Lear asked in surprise.

Elixirs were rare. They were medicine induced with mana and only people with a healing element could concoct them. 

Even though water, wood and light had healing properties as well. They were quite low in healing. 

Only a variant with an unnatural degree of healing power could earn the title of a healer.

But the number of healers were so less that these elixirs were only available to huge organizations and people with large pockets. How Lear wished that his family could recruit a healer as well.

"Old man please give me an elixir as well. It hurts a lot." Lear spoke with a painful expression on his face and the old man's face twitched.

Lora on the other hand couldn't help but giggle.

The old man looked at Lear with a fake smile as he replied, "Sorry Sir. It's only for patients in critical condition."

He didn't dare to act rude. This was the VIP cabin who knew what would happen to him if he hit the wrong bucket.

Even the message from headquarters had arrived that they were allowed to use every elixir on board as long as they could save the lives of the people in the VIP cabin.

The moment the concoction was applied on Max'a wound, he felt a gentle stream of mana flowing in through his wounds which was consumed by his spirit energy.

The spirit energy reacted to it and began to revolve around his wounds as well. Max felt the healing force being stronger than earlier which gave him a pleasant surprise.

'I wonder if I could use the healing element as well…' 

But soon, he shook his head. If he wanted to have such a strong healing force, he would need to combine Fire, water, earth and light probably.

Right now, he couldn't even combine two of his elements, much less four. Not to mention that he still had no idea about the light element.

….

Night came…

Max sat beside Stark on his seat while Lear was in his front sleeping dead tired. The lady and her child were beside Max on the other side.

"Did you know who that old man was?" Stark suddenly asked.

"..."

"I know you are not asleep." Stark further spoke.

The lady on the side was too close. She could clearly hear them talking. She looked at Max who suddenly opened his eyes.

"It was not the right time. Meeting him right then wouldn't get me what I want." Max spoke with a calm look in his eyes.

"Sigh! He is your grandfather, Max. He might not have identified you. But you did. You shou-"

"Isn't that the problem here?" Max interrupted. "The fact that he couldn't even recognize his own grandson." 

Stark didn't know what to say. He wanted his disciple to get his family back. He didn't want him to look like that. But he seemed to be lacking words to defend his stance.

The lady beside seemed to have heard something which she shouldn't have.

She looked at Max with a complicated look in her eyes. She couldn't clearly understand what was going on but it was clear that he was going through some family problem.

Max could feel her gaze and turned his head around with a smile.

"Sorry, I let my lights on." Max said as he switched off the lights above his seat. "You can sleep now."

….

Capital Orca, Ovens House.

"They failed?" James asked as he closed his book and looked at his servant, Avonadel standing in front of him.

"Yes, Master. It seems some Strong Mages were travelling on the express car with fake identities." Avondale replied. These strong mages were none other than Stark and the old man in white.

Stark was not using his real identity since he wanted to keep his track hidden. He was supposed to be doing the task assigned to him by the Elder's council. But he didn't and had been on search for Max. Hence he had to use a fake identity.

On the other hand, the old man, Max's grandfather was traveling for some personal plans and didn't want anyone to know about his whereabouts.

"Anyways it's good for us. Two of the Stars failed. We will use this chance to weaken their position as stars." James spoke as a smile leaked out on his face.

….

Two days later….

The express car had finally arrived at Capital after a lot of ups and downs.

Max exited the station with Lear. Stark seemed to be in a hurry as he left immediately.

"Let's take a tour shall we?" Lear smiled.

….

On the other side, an old man in white clothing walked out of the station as well.

A luxury vehicle was parked at the VIP parking lot. An old butler stood near the vehicle and greeted the old man on his arrival before opening the door for him.

"Welcome back, my Lord."

"Was it the same person my lord?" the butler asked as he got in and started the vehicle. His family had been the butler for Edwinson's house for generations. He was no different than a childhood friend to the old man.

"Well, I didn't find him in Orena. But I did meet him." The old man said with a smile.

He had visited Ishtar because he had heard that a group of mercenaries had sighted a kid in the Orena there, along the borders.

He had his doubts that the river flowing through Arcane might have a connection with Ishtar and so he decided to give Ishtar a visit.

Even though he didn't find Max in Orena, he ended up finding him in the express car.

"How was the little master?" the butler asked with a smile.

"He has gone on his mother. But he still has our trademark family nose." the old man laughed.

But slowly, his laughter toned down and he sighed.

"Only if he had the power…" the old man had missed Max in action.