[Luxury Car Bonus Chapter!: Courtesy Of Dear Reader Mana_Of_Void]

"Ha! You little brat, no really, how are you?" Simon asked with a wide smile.

Seth sighed. "Not really good, actually. I need to get going. I have to meet with a few of my friends located in different safe zones."

Simon’s brow furrowed. "Ah, I thought the people that came with Maya earlier were your friends."

"Huh? What people?" Seth inquired. Not to talk of others — Seth didn’t even know Maya was here.

"I sent for them... see, speak of the devil." Simon spoke lightly.

"Seth!" Maya wailed as she rushed to put him into her embrace.

"I heard all that happened. Don’t worry, I know one day you can stand up to them and get back what’s yours and even more. But please, don’t ever try to fight them back for now." She begged, tears streaking her chin.

"Ah, don’t worry. It’s already dealt with. I’ll never give them trouble if they won’t give me." Seth patted her back as he consoled.

Maya’s head perked up, her eyes bright. "Really?"

Seth patted his chest, assuring her. "Trust me."

Only then did she sigh in relief. She recalled something and spoke.

"Yes, Seth, your friends are here for you." She stepped aside, revealing four figures behind.

"Hahaha, big brooo!" A huge figure came crashing toward him, arms wide, scooping Seth into a bear hug.

Seth rolled his eyes.

’This guy.’

Though he acted like this outwardly, in his heart he felt happy. Not only did he save himself the journey, but seeing that these guys were already okay was a relieving joy.

One had to recall the last time he’d seen them was during his battle with the Charm Beast, and even then they weren’t in their right senses.

He had always worried about how they were faring, but seeing them hale and hearty was a relief.

He nodded in greeting toward the rest, smiling. He didn’t waste time they didn’t have and unleashed a barrage of information on them — everything from how evolution works to the Origin Realm.

Elaine had wanted to complain that he didn’t even rest before he started delivering such information, but the more she listened, the more enamored she became.

X Cells? Life evolution? Origin Realm?

Seth’s words felt surreal. Never in her life had she ever considered that she would experience such wonders.

Her heart palpitated, expectation and longing flooding her mind.

From the side, Simon listened in, and the more he heard Seth speak, the more astounded he became.

Unlike the teenagers, Simon was a 46-year-old man. His conception of reality had already become rigid.

Deep down, though, he understood things would change. He always assumed some things would still go back to relatively normal.

But the things Seth spoke about were not normal in any sense.

It proved a whole new layer of reality had presented itself for them to explore.

Things couldn’t go back to normal. Or maybe even if they did, Simon himself could never go back to normal.

Seth’s innate pride and confidence were mostly attributed to Simon.

He was a man that loved control. He wanted to be in control of his own destiny. All this time he saw the peak of the world.

He knew he could get there — in fact, being there was inevitable — but he took his sweet time doing so just because he wanted to.

But now the ceiling was gone, raised to a much higher threshold than he could ever fathom.

And this time, he wanted to see that ceiling again. He wanted to see where the peak of all this lay.

A fire lit in his chest. This power — he wanted it!

"Okay guys, there’s one more thing I wanted to tell you," Seth continued.

Everyone’s ears perked up, eager to listen some more.

Then Seth began to tell them his theory about human limitless potential.

Everyone’s eyes went wide. While what Seth said was shocking in itself, didn’t that mean they’d have to always throw their lives into danger to grow?

"You guys have to understand, this isn’t Earth of the past. Your life will always be in danger," Seth reminded.

And their eyes lit up. "Indeed!"

Seth was right. This human passive trait was indeed terrifying, especially in a world like this.

Only God knew how many humans were falling into near-death scenarios every day since the apocalypse.

"Good. Now let’s get to your life evolution. I have a serum that, if diluted in the right quantity, can help everyone ascend — except for Maya." Seth summoned his newly purchased Cosmic Nectar.

Everyone stared at his hand, swallowing hard.

"Wait, why am I not allowed?" Maya pouted.

Seth chuckled. "It’s because you’ve not yet reached your stats limit yet, silly."

"Hmph!" Maya kicked her head away while snorting.

Seth turned to his father Simon. "Dad, are you up for it?"

Simon’s eyes glowed, glued to the Cosmic Nectar Seth waved in his hand.

Licking his lips, "Yes, yes, I’m in."

Seth got cups, diluting one one-hundredth of a drop into each glass.

He pushed them toward his friends. "Oh, and there’s something else." He turned to the four.

"I’ll be trying to anchor your minds to my will, so that I can use that as a bridge to bring you with me to my location in the Origin Realm," he explained.

Then he turned to Simon. "Dad? Will you come?"

Simon didn’t even have to think it through as he shook his head. If he came with them, with Seth’s strength he’d instinctively want to depend on him.

And that would lead him down the path he avoided the most — being a liability.

Plus, as his father, Simon himself had to be strong. If he wanted to reach that ceiling he longed for, he needed power.

Power he would gain with his own hands. "No worries, son. I’ll take care of myself and leave my location to fate."

Seth didn’t try to persuade him. How could he not know what his father was like?

"Good. Okay, let’s not waste any more time then." He clapped.

And all five individuals took the glass cups and downed their contents in a single gulp.

Origin essence simmered...