The fairies reluctantly agreed, under the condition that Gavin would release their binding after 100 years.
With that settled, Gavin turned to the young woman who had helped him so much—freeing him from the seal, assisting with the ritual formation, and even persuading the fairies to cooperate. Though she claimed to be his cousin, he realized he didn't even know her name.
"Cousin, what should I call you?" he asked.
She met his gaze and answered, "I am Valerie Whiteember."
Gavin hesitated, then asked, "Then… who am I?"
Memories stirred—he recalled her calling him Lucaius.
Valerie nodded. "You are Lucaius Haeser."
Gavin thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I've been calling myself Gavin."
She smiled slightly. "That's fine. It's difficult to get used to another name. You can introduce yourself as Gavin Lucaius Haeser." Then she gestured toward the sky. "Now, let's go."
But Gavin wasn't ready to leave just yet. "I need to tell my believers first."
Without waiting for a response, he spread his wings and took off, flying toward the gathered tribe members. They were still kneeling, except for the envoy from the Nine Lakes Tribe.
Hovering above them, Gavin spoke. "You may all stand."
The tribe members slowly rose, gazing at him with awe and devotion.
Gavin continued, "Tribe members, I am leaving."
A wave of whispers and murmurs spread through the crowd. Before their panic could grow, he reassured them, "Do not worry. I have set up a powerful ritual magic to protect the tribe—it will keep you safe from Golden Rank threats."
To further ease their concerns, he gestured, and a massive earth wolf stepped forward.
"My servant, Lycan, will remain here to guard you."
The tribe members bowed deeply, murmuring their thanks and prayers.
Just as he finished speaking, Gavin felt Valerie's power wrapping around him.
"Now, let's go." Her voice was firm, and before he could resist, they soared into the sky, flying above the clouds toward the north.
In just five minutes, they were above a human camp. Gavin immediately noticed that the camp had changed since the last time his clone, Lycan, had visited—it had expanded, now covering the entire plateau and the land below it.
Frowning, he turned to Valerie. "Why are we descending into the Wright Family's camp?"
Valerie replied smoothly, "We cannot fly directly home. Some of my followers are in this town."
Gavin nodded, but as they descended unnoticed under the cover of midnight, something felt off. The guards patrolling the camp even glanced their way, but they couldn't see them at all.
They landed quietly in the garden of a villa on the plateau. Valerie strode toward the house, and Gavin, sensing the presence of hidden figures in the shadows, shrank down into a small bat, fluttering behind her.
His sharp eyes scanned the darkness—there were people lurking inside the villa.
But they weren't human.
Not entirely.
Something about them felt familiar, yet not the same as him.
He whispered, "Who are they?"
Valerie answered without stopping. "They are my servants. Vampires."
Gavin narrowed his eyes. "Vampires?"
"Vampires are those we transform with our blood magic."
As they approached the front door, Valerie flicked her hand. The door swung open on its own, and she stepped inside. Gavin glided in behind her, the door silently shutting once they were inside.
She made her way to the sofa in the living room, sitting down with a natural grace. Gavin, still in his bat form, landed on the table in front of her before shifting back to his humanoid form.
He wasted no time. "You said my space transmission and inheritance were interfered with."
Valerie nodded. "Yes. The space transmission connecting the Blood Plane to our territory on the Main Plane has never failed before. Not once. But with you, something went wrong. After we attempted to divine your location, we found… nothing. It was as if you had disappeared entirely. If not for the Blood Lotus connected to your life force remaining intact, we would have assumed you were dead."
Gavin frowned. "Who could have done this?"
Valerie's expression darkened. "To hide you from us? Only a god would be capable of something like that."
The mention of gods sent a chill through Gavin. Before awakening in this body, he had never even considered dealing with divine beings—now, he was tangled in something far beyond him.
"A god…" he murmured, before looking at her sharply. "Does our race not have a god?"
Valerie sighed. "We do. Our ancestor—our creator—is a True God. But you were lost just a few years after the Zerg Invasion ended, three thousand years ago."
Gavin leaned in slightly, listening intently.
She continued, "During the war, our Ancestor and most of our higher-ranking elders were either gravely injured or killed. The wounded ones fell into deep slumber to recover… and they still have not awakened."
Gavin absorbed the information, his thoughts racing. "Then how were you able to find me?"
A part of him remained suspicious. This woman, claiming to be his cousin, had said he had been missing for three thousand years.
Valerie answered, "More than three months ago, our diviners suddenly sensed your presence on this continent."
Gavin's mind clicked. That was the exact time he had awakened in this body.
He asked another question, suspicion lingering in his voice. "Can a Half-Step Golden Rank of our race even survive for three thousand years?" He paused, then added, "When I woke up three and a half months ago in that seal, I had no memory."
Valerie shook her head. "Our race is long-lived, but even for us, surviving that long at your level would be impossible. The only explanation is the seal—it must have preserved both your body and soul, freezing you in time until you awakened."
Gavin studied her for a moment before asking, "Then… how long do we actually live?"
He couldn't help but glance at her—a woman who looked no older than her early twenties, yet claimed to be three thousand years older than him. Even if he added his past life, she was still ancient compared to him.
Valerie explained, "We reach adulthood and advance to Golden Rank at the same time. From there, our natural lifespan is 1,000 years. Upon reaching the Legendary Realm, our lifespan increases by 500 years for every rank we ascend."
Gavin frowned, deep in thought. "Then, if we grow stronger as we age… why don't I feel my cultivation progressing naturally?"
Valerie's expression became puzzled. "You said you were at Half-Step Golden Rank when you awakened. But now… your realm is only at Intermediate Bronze Rank, while your spirit has already reached Golden Rank. What happened?"
Gavin sighed. "When I first woke up and received my inheritance memories, my cultivation felt… unstable. It became murky, as if it was stuck, like I would never advance to Golden Rank without massive external help. So, I made the decision to destroy my own cultivation and start over. But in doing so, my spiritual power advanced to Golden Rank instead."
Valerie nodded, then suddenly placed a hand on his bat-like head. "Let me check something."
A second later, her eyes widened in astonishment. "Let me try again."
She placed her hand on his head once more. Then again. And again—four more times, each time with an even more bewildered look.
Gavin finally asked, "Is something wrong?"
Valerie exhaled slowly before answering. "I checked your age… and according to our race's growth cycle, you are only 97 years old."
Gavin blinked. "Ninety-seven? Humans would consider that barely ten years old!"
Valerie nodded. "Exactly. In our race, 100 years equates to a human turning ten, and we reach adulthood at 180 years old. By the time you reach 100, your cultivation will naturally advance to Silver Rank."
Gavin smirked slightly. "So even if I stop cultivating now, I'll still reach Silver Rank in three years?"
Valerie's expression turned serious. "Yes, but don't waste time. Your mental age has already surpassed adulthood, and while your body is 97 years old, I can't determine the true age of your soul."
Gavin hummed in thought before glancing at his bat-like form. "Alright, so I shouldn't stop cultivating. But tell me—how do I change back to my human form?"
Without a word, Valerie retrieved a black leather-bound book from a space bracelet and handed it to him.
"Take this," she said. "Drop your blood on it, and you'll receive the full inheritance of our race, along with the knowledge you need."
Gavin took the book, pricked his finger, and let a single drop of blood fall onto its cover.
The moment his blood touched the surface, the book flashed brightly—then dissolved into pure energy, surging into his body.
Before he could even react, memories flooded his mind, filling every corner of his consciousness with knowledge of his lineage, his abilities, and the true nature of his transformation.