'Our Tin-Man is a highly advanced bioengineering tool, so it might not have been possible for it to do anything impactful before. But this is right in its domain. It can adjust how the bloodline will affect you, in a way, shielding certain aspects of yours from the bloodline's influence,' said Kael, seemingly back to his jolly self.
'Hey, who have you been calling Tin-Man? I expect some respect, you know. It might not seem like it, but even among the various AIs that were present doing the same task, I was considered the best among them, you know,' said Gizmo.
'And we are supposed to take your word for it, right?' asked Kael mockingly.
'Axel, you need to keep your pet in control.'
'Hey, who are you calling a pet, you pile of junk?'
'Guys, we are still stuck in a hostile environment, remember? Stop acting like children, you two, and focus on the task at hand,' Axel reminded them. Even if Axel said those words, he still liked the lighthearted atmosphere between the two.
'Yup, Kael is right. I can shield the parts of yours that you would like to preserve in your psyche and even stop any horns or wings from protruding—if at all, they are associated with your bloodline.'
'But you know, to be able to change aspects of your personality is a rare thing, so if you want, you can tell me the extent of changes that you want, if any, and I can help you with that. I cannot guarantee success, but the probability of us succeeding is quite high,' said Gizmo.
'No need. What has been done is fine, but I don't want any more changes,' said Axel.
'Looks like one thing is sorted, but what about us going home, Kael?' asked Axel.
'Well, as I said, now you possess the purest of bloodline essence of Lilith. Thus, if I am right, a single drop of your blood will give us access to the space stone that threw us here in the first place,' said Kael.
Axel, hearing Kael's answer, was relieved, as he too believed that Kael's theory was sound and they should be able to go back. Axel's eagerness to return did not stem from his love for home, but he knew that over there, he had better chances of survival.
Axel remembered the crimson stone embedded on the cave's floor in one of the chambers where he was first teleported. He left the bodies on the ground, carrying only Lia's special scale with him.
He reached the crimson stone and, as directed by Kael, let a single drop of his blood fall on the crimson translucent stone. The stone glowed with a vibrant crimson hue, and a load of information on how to operate the stone reached Axel's mind.
'Looks like we will soon be going home, and as an added bonus, that bastard Silas will be getting the biggest surprise of his life,' said Kael, as he, along with Axel, also received all the relevant information.
'Looks like I need to hide certain parts of my mind from you,' said Axel.
'Hey, no need to get so stingy, kid. I work for you, so sharing info with me will only benefit you,' said Kael.
'Guys, before we leave, we need to go back to the corpses of those two,' said Gizmo cheerfully.
'Oh, looks like you figured out the scale, huh!' said Axel.
'Yup, I figured it out, and you are going to like what I have found,' said Gizmo.
Axel started moving toward the chamber where Liam's and Lia's corpses were lying, and Gizmo began explaining to him what he had found out regarding the mysterious scale.
'You remember I told you that the scale was emitting a faint spatial fluctuation, right? Well, turns out the scale is some sort of heirloom of an ancient tribe. I cross-referenced its description with all the data that I had on some of the similar bloodlines/species, but even then, it was very difficult to find its true nature.'
'Now, if you will, with a swift motion, plunge this scale into the back of your hand until it is completely inside your skin, Axel,' said Gizmo.
'What the—have you gone insane?' Axel replied.
'You have to believe me, Axel. It is all going to make sense soon—just do what I just said,' Gizmo insisted.
Axel, hearing Gizmo's determined voice, trusted it and inserted the scale into his skin on the back of his hand. Initially, blood spurted when the skin was pierced, but within seconds, the blood stopped on its own, and the cut on his hand started mending itself.
Axel knew his bloodline granted him powers, but this was too much for him to digest. Still, he was glad that now he had another power to rely on.
The scale was now lodged inside Axel's hand. It pulsated with a low hum and greedily absorbed his blood. Axel was alarmed by the sudden blood loss, but it came to a halt as randomly as it had started.
Again, a load of information entered his head, and Axel was surprised by the abilities of this small scale.
By doing what Gizmo had told him, Axel was now the owner of the scale—until someone killed him, and the scale once again became ownerless.
'Now you agree with me, right? It's awesome, right?' Gizmo asked, eagerly waiting for Axel to be amazed by the treasure that he had helped discover.