“… Is that so…”

Ryu continued to eat, not responding very much to this. If there was anything to be impressed or shocked about, it wasn’t that others knew about the Chaos Plane, but rather that of all those who knew, it was a group that had been here the shortest.

How is it that the Martial Gods who originated from places unknown, could be aware of the existence of an entire plane that was news to Ryu just a few years ago?

One could say that it was because not many cared enough to actually study Essence as much as the Martial Gods had, but this was ridiculous. Essence was among the most important energies in all of existence, how could it not have been researched many times over?

This told Ryu something very important.

There was someone of great intelligence within the Martial Gods, maybe multiple someones. And whoever this person or group was, their advancements and research was beyond anything Ryu had ever seen. That was the only possible explanation for all of this.

However, Ryu also had a feeling that this was something Isemeine most definitely wouldn’t know about.

Whoever this person or this group was, Ryu would bet a lot that they were responsible for the transfer of the Martial Gods from their world to this one. And, they were most definitely the backbone.

If Ryu was running the Martial Gods and he was very much aware that he and his people were outsiders to this new world he was entering, what would he do?

He would probably make it seem like their people weren’t very united, splitting up his four branches to target tasks that were seemingly not related at all. He would have lax rules on marriage and Bloodlines, ensuring that his people would integrate as quickly as possible. He would snuff out his greatest threats as quickly and efficiently as possible before laying low for millions of years. And, most importantly, he would keep the true masterminds of it all hidden from the public eye so that no one was the wiser.

Now… Didn’t that sound very familiar?

Ryu ate the last of his food, his expression calm. Little Gem had slipped into his robes, her little head poking out as she rested.

Ryu stroked her fur, a strong, controlled pulse of Chaos Qi entering the little one’s body.

It swept through her small frame and slipped out her nostrils, taking with it a large, sweeping mass of impurities.

Little Gem burped, sticking her little pink tongue out and shifting slightly in her sleep. This time, she rested even more comfortably than before.

“… That… A griffin?”

Eska only now seemed to recognize the little beast in Ryu’s arms. Such a realization left her absolutely stunned. This was, quite frankly, the last thing she would have ever assigned to the little bundle of white following Ryu around.

For one, Griffins were much larger even upon birth. Secondly, some might have had white fur and feathers, but none would be so pristinely white, especially not their Sovereign Jewel. The color of their Jewel was supposed to denote power and strength, as did the color of the feathers that formed the crown atop their heads…

Simply put, she had never seen a Griffin like this.

Back in her day, the Sky God Era, there had already been a shift from the Ancient Beasts to the Era of humans. After being hunted down and chased away, there were a small number of experts that managed to get their hands on the number two ranked World Pupils of the Griffin Clan.

Back then, the World Pupils had been ranked number one and could only be produced by stealing it from a griffin and it was also then when Heavenly Pupils began to manifest within humans. It could be said that the World Pupils were the origin of almost all Heavenly Pupils in existence!

To see a baby griffin here, how could Eska not be shocked? What was more shocking was that she wouldn’t have noticed at all unless Ryu allowed her to. Otherwise, the bundle of white would have been nothing more than a puppy with wings to her.

“This is just… An obscene amount of luck…” Eska said softly.

She didn’t lose control of her emotions almost ever. Even during her days long romp with Ryu—a time where she had no choice but to admit that he was a very fast learner—she hadn’t allowed even those emotional highs to fry her mind.

But this… it felt different. It was like she was watching a bright and open road get wider and wider. Something she felt might have only had a 0% chance in the past might be creeping toward 0.1%, a difference that was absolutely massive to a Sky God.

Would you rather no chance of completing something? Or a 1 in a 1000 chance?

“Eska.” Ryu spoke.

“Yes?”

“You’ll be Isemeine for now. In fact, if it’s possible, allow her to take control of her body again while being aware that you can kill her at any time.”

“You… Are you sure?” Eska looked toward Ryu, her eyes having regained their calm. “In my opinion, it is important to let you grow on your own. If you cannot do this, it won’t be possible for you to ever become the Sky God you need to be. So, I am inclined to let you do as you please.

“However… I hope you understand that we have bet quite a lot on you… I have bet quite a lot on you. If you plan to do something foolish, please reconsider.”

Ryu didn’t mind Eska’s words, in fact he took them quite calmly.

“Is it foolish? Maybe so. But, it has a purpose to it. As much as I learned through you and Isemeine, I still know too little. And, I won’t lie and say that I have no desire to see my wife after so long.

“Isn’t there a saying that goes perfectly with this? Keep your friends close… And your enemies closer.”