"So, you intend to make this place the final battle ground?"

Max looked at Andriel and sighed as she nodded.

"The Racial Alliance has made the decision…..even though we have gained the upper hand in battle in the upper dimension with humans crossing over, the major threat still looms down here. If the Asura King, Heaven conquer the middle dimension and demons ascend to the upper dimension, no one would be able to stop him."

"We have already sacrificed a lot in all the previous attempts only to be able to seal him again and again...instead of ending it once and for all."

"Even though we have our differences, all the races stood united on the matter of ending this war. As long as the Asura King is dead, the Nether Realm would eventually be forced to accept defeat and if they don't, they will be wiped out…"

It seemed that what Max needed to do, still hadn't changed. He would be continuing with things he was doing…..

"There is one thing, I want to ask…." Max raised his head and looked towards Leviathan. "You said that the 12 Races had decided to send their strongest. Does that mean there are 12 of you here…."

Leviathan nodded as she spoke once again, "Yes, there are 12 links in this dimension and 12 spirits can use them to interfere in the middle dimension."

Max clutched his head. It just went from 5 to 12.

'What is going on?'

"I thought that there were only 5….'' Max spoke.

"According to what I have heard, in the Ancient Era, there was someone named Hephaetus who created the 12 Links…..he still seems to be alive in Upper Dimension…." Andriel was the one to speak. Even she seemed interested in the links which Max had guessed to be the spirit shells.

"Yes, from the records. It seems there were only 12 people who were capable enough to form a contract with spirit.....and the next generation of contractors were all from their lineage." Leviathan backed Andriel.

Max knew that he and the other four he knew were the descendants of the First Human God Arkansas. In that case, it was possible that there were others who were carrying the legacy of the other 11 gods.

"But, there has been a problem….." Leviathan said with a worried look.

"Problem?" Max looked at Leviathan.

"After forming a contract with Lithiya I have come to realise something…the pure lineage of those 12 people seemed to have been lost…..its just a speculation but I think there is a possibility that there might not even any descendants of some of those 12 people at all…"

Max couldn't deny that. There were five Ancient Families. But, if he went with what he heard, there should have been 12 at minimum. There has to be 12 families guarding the 12 Divine Artifacts.

"Why do you think so?" Max still asked her to know the reason behind her speculation.

"When I got into this realm and inhabited the link which seemed to have been a pendant, I was really shocked to see it in possession of a little girl. Your mother was a child back then, there is no way something so important would be with her unless people didn't know what the link was."

"Besides, I immediately tried to communicate with her trying to form a contract. But I failed…..even though she had inherited a lot from her Ancestors, she still didn't have a pure lineage. She wasn't awakened….the same was for every family member of her I came in contact with. It was a small family and they couldn't even hold a candle to Lithiya in terms of her genes..."

"Then how did you form a contract with her?" Max asked in confusion.

Leviathan hesitated hot knowing if sharing it with Max without Lithiya's permission was the right thing to do, but in the end she still decided to tell him.

"Your mother had fair share of trouble. She was raised in a poor family and wanted to earn money for them with her own effort despite being born without any unique talent…..she moved out of her small village at 18 and went looking for a job in the nearby town."

"She worked any decent job that came. Even the laborious one's. Performing several jobs a day working herself out was a routine for her…."

Max could somehow imagine her doing that.

"One day she received a request to serve as a helper for a small group of mercenaries venturing to the jungles you people call Orena…"

Max brows clenched. He had his fair share when it came to know about the world. He had after all lived on the dark side for five years in the trial.

"Despite knowing that it might be dangerous, the innocent girl only thought about the huge sum of money promised…"

Leviathan paused at this point….

"So, she was used as a scapegoat?" Max asked, his eyes calm. But even Leviathan could feel the chill beneath those eyes.

"Umn...when things got messy, she was used as a scapegoat for their escape….but she seemed to have been blessed by her Ancestors…."

"Close to death, with grave wounds all over her, Lithiya finally reached a place where those beasts didn't even dare to step…."

"The Ancient Cemetery…."

"I am not aware of the things that happened there….but the next time I saw her, she had changed…...completely awakened….''

"That is how I met your mother….."

"But I don't understand one thing, if she had awakened why is she so weak physically….why is there only spirit energy in her body and not any other…'' Max asked, unable to make any sense.

"She might have awakened, but in order to train. You must know the way….am I right?" Andrield once again spoke as she looked at Leviathan.

Leviathan nodded.

"It isn't so confusing if you ask me…." Andrield spoke as she seemed to sense Max's confusion. "Its too much of a coincidence if you ask me…..I think that it must have been someone's conscious effort which led to the appearance of the Ancient Cemetery which I am not wrong is a separate dimensional pouch ….if we go by that, it makes sense….the amount of energy spend must have been tremendous….with what little left, I doubt there would be anything left after your mother's awakening…."

Max knew that as well, every action needed energy in the Ancient Cemetery…..if she was right, someone just like Hephaetus must have helped his mother.

"You guys should go and take rest, it's late. I will stay here…" Max decided to let them off as he tried to digest all the information he had received.

''It's fine, I feel relaxed by her side…." Leviathan replied.

Max looked at Andriel who didn't seem to have any intention of leaving as well.

"Don't mind me, I feel relaxed by your side as well…"

Max turned his head, he didn't know if she just enjoyed teasing him or there was any seriousness as well….but for now he had to sort things out in his head ….

He has to find 12 Artifacts now, he didn't know how he would do that….but he has to try at least….

Every era has only five chosen ones...that was what Max heard...but if he remembered correctly, Vali never said that there weren't any awakened among the descendants of other gods.

Was there a reason he didn't clear it, or he was just being irresponsible. Max had no way of knowing....

As for the Ancient Families, there was a possibility that there were a few in hiding or there was a possibility that they had disappeared with time…

Another thing which was troublesome was, even if he did find the 12 Artifacts, there weren't that many people who could use them in the first place…

It was different for them because they were descendants of the Human Gods….but what about rest… there was no one in Ancient families as well….

The possibility of some unique cases like his mother was very less….

They had to have inherited a strong characteristic from one of the 12 Gods and on top of that even pass the Trial of God…..that was ridiculous…

Max knew how tough it was….

In her mother's case, if he assumed that Andriel's assumption was true….then it was more likely to assume that she didn't go through the trial but somehow obtained the acknowledgment of that owner of the Ancient Cemetery.

It didn't seem that it was easy thing to encounter....then was there other way to get the 12 spirits contracted...

There was one option which Max found realistic and unrealistic at the same time….

If the weak humans at the bottom of the food chain went to the top in the Ancient Era, there was no reason why the humans in this era couldn't do the same….

If someone could reach the strength rivaling of one those 12, then they might be strong enough to contract a spirit….

But the only problem was…..were there really that strong people in this era….

Max would have to find out.