Frozen Snake

'''Alright. The method is exclusively for you. It comprises eating a Heart Core. A being with another kind of body would not support the intensity of the Stellar Energy stored in a Heart Core, but your body is perfect for this. And to eat a Heart Core... you first need to find an Ascended, divide his chest into two halves, and take his Heart Core out. It is easy, is it not?'''

Ethan was left speechless. He could not explain how his seemingly innocent and eccentric master could have this cruel method to speed up the awakening of his ability. In the first place, he could not understand how he would get a Hearth Core.

'Master, how am I going to get the Heart Core from an Ascended if I am only an Apprentice? I will get killed.' Ethan tried to make the Sovereign change his mind. He really appreciated having a master and being royalty in a remote galaxy, but this method was suicide for someone as weak as himself. He could not even threaten an Ascended's life with a gun, what is more, killing one only by himself. Even if he could, he did not want to kill someone for a selfish decision as getting stronger.

'''My disciple, you do not have to kill an Ascended yourself. Since you live in a new-established galaxy, your civilization will go to war soon. Just find out a dead one. Even if the corpse does not have a Hearth Core, it is enough if they are still whole. The Stellar Energy accumulates in the flesh, muscles, and bones. Cook and eat an Ascended, and you will absorb a bit of the Stellar Energy. It will not be enough for you, my disciple, but it is the best remedy while you are finding a Heart Core.''' The relaxed explanation made Ethan forget the peculiar personality of his master, who was a few hours ago talking about his accomplishments and attractiveness to women. He even got the feeling that he did the right choosing him as his master, ignoring that this one was explaining to him how to eat a member of his own race.

Following this, the Sovereign also explained the means of how to absorb a Heart Core. After a while, he finished explaining all about the risks and warned him to be careful, then he severed the connection with Ethan.

Ethan got accustomed to having a second voice in his head so much time that he felt uncomfortable at the sudden silence. He did even forget what he was doing before meeting his master, leaving the lake's bridge, and heading home to rest. The few swans who were observing him since he was still for several hours were joyful to see him leaving, turning their feathers into a metallic color and proceeding to brawl between themselves.

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On Earth, the human race was so used to being on the top of the food chain that they forgot their own origin. For this same reason, they never thought about the chance of other animals absorbing Stellar Energy and getting Ascended. This reality caused innumerable rumors to be born, as an alligator as large as a mountain or a pig which could shape-shift into a human. Most of these rumors were overly exaggerated, but not every one of them.

The Earth Alliance was concerned about the rising of Ascenders not belonging to humanity. During the one-year silence from the government, the army created a Special Extermination Force composed of elite Ascenders, with the goal to find and kill future threats for humanity.

This could seem like a simple job, but the army had to recruit new members each month to replace the fallen ones on duty. Each month, the number of special soldiers missing in action or killed was rising, showing how hard the cleansing duty has become. But the discovery of the gateway on the North Pole and the invasion of an alien civilization forced the Earth Alliance to use almost all their human resources in the war, decreasing their efforts in controlling non-human Ascenders.

Now, humans were no longer standing as the predominant race in the world.

In the past, the human race surpassed the other species thanks to technology. But after the arrival of Stellar Energy, technology became irrelevant, losing the advantage humanity had over the rest of the world.

Due to the harsh environment of the wild, predators at the bottom of the food chain were used to starving or being devoured by stronger predators. It was these extreme conditions that forced them to absorb Stellar Energy and nurtured their advancement to Ascended. This phenomenon caused a breach in the food chain, affecting the ecosystem with the rise of new peak predators.

Thomas Wilberg was the captain of the Special Extermination Force. He would be fighting in Canada against the vanguard of the Golden Civilization, but he was a valuable asset for one of the biggest families on Earth. After the war broke out, his position as the leader of the strongest squad was revoked, and he was sent to the Earth Alliance's Headquarters with the duty of cleansing non-human Ascenders.

"Wolf, did you detect any trail?" asked Thomas while opening his mouth to exhale all the air out of his lungs. He already spent an entire week in the Amazon forest, trying to find an Ascended non-human. Sometimes even spending the whole night awake. He could be an Ascended, but he still needed some rest to recharge his stamina.

The government of Brazil reported a month ago the sighting of a frozen boa constrictor endangering the Amazon's ecosystem. The priority of the case was urgent because of the immensity of the Amazon forest. A late answer would endanger the diversity of the ecosystem, making new non-human Ascenders to appear.

But the low number of personnel and the growing sighting reports made the Special Extermination Force arrive too late. Without a clear trail, the team had to depend on the Ascended called Wolf.

"Nothing, Captain. I would suggest heading West to encompass more territory." Wolf was a key member of the Special Forces. His shape-shifting ability could turn him into a wolf, a splendid tool to trace targets. His wolf's form could also perceive the changes on Stellar Energy around the surroundings, making him an essential component in this team.

While heading in the direction recommended by the explorer, Thomas could not help but complain in his mind about his bad luck. He would be fighting in the war, defending his homeland from the alien's invaders! His dream was to become a war hero, becoming a role model for every Ascended.

"Stop! Eagle has seen something!" called Radio. Radio was the Ascended in charge of communication. He could link his mind to another person, making them able to communicate. His ability could seem weak at first, but he also could use a limited mental attack to confuse his target.

"Radio, ask him what his eagle's eyes are seeing!" ordered Thomas while parting from the group. Thomas, apart from being the captain, was also the Ascended with the most offensive ability. His fire ability was highly destructive, but it was hindered in a place like a forest. However, due to the abundance of rain, the Amazon Forest was always covered by moisture. This made his flames have a lower temperature, but at least he would not burn the entire forest.

Thomas checked if he was far enough from the group, taking a lighter from his pocket and turning it on. Immediately, a bright yellow flame appeared on the top. Thomas passed his hand above the lighter, the fire shaking and turning into a bright blue color. After acquiring the blue color, Thomas exercised a fine control over the flame, expanding the azure fire all around him.

"Eagle is reporting! He can see a frozen river ten kilometers from our position. Orders, Captain?" Asked Radio, seeing Thomas surrounded by flames. He resembled a God of Fire who just descended into Earth.

Radio himself was tired of being in this forest. He preferred the cold mountains of Norway to be in than this land full of bugs and dangerous animals. As the Ascended in the team with the least combat strength, he tried to stay focused all the time to avoid dangers. This made him mentally exhausted, his ability also forcing him to deplete the remains of his energies.

"Wolf and Radio, stay back and protect each other back. Radio, communicate with Eagle. He is going to fight alongside me." ordered Thomas with a calm voice, his eyes mirroring the movement of his flames.