Genesis Sync

"With what?" Sarah asked in confusion.

"With rebirth,” John replied. “Having your character reset to level 1 and starting over from the starting village is risky. Sure, you may get extra stat points, but is it worth sacrificing what I am sure is already a fairly high level for you?"

"Yes, it's not a problem for me. If it was before I broke up with that snake, then I may have had a hard time deciding, but now I have no problem going through with rebirth, though it also depends on what the final result is after adding the last drop of phoenix blood."

"Maybe it was a good thing that you broke up with him then; now that you're single, you can chase your own dreams and follow your own path," John said as he offhandedly ran his hand through his hair.

Sarah’s eyes widened as she stared at John; only now that he moved his hair to the side did she realise that if he got a decent haircut, he could turn out fairly handsome. He would in no way compare to some of her exes, but those same ex-boyfriends had taught her that looks weren't everything.

"You know you should really get a haircut; you look much better when you show your face," Sarah said with a giggle.

"Nah, too expensive," John replied with a laugh, causing them both to chuckle.

***

"Wait, are they flirting?" Red Rose suddenly asked.

"It certainly looks that way," Fire Empress said with a smile. "Honestly, I’m quite surprised Sarah actually managed to pick a good one this time. This John Michaels is quite the catch in terms of his intelligence, while also not being too bad to look at ."

"Mother!" Red Rose remarked as she gave her a scandalised look.

“What? Why can you give an opinion on him while I can't?” Fire Empress asked with a teasing smile

“Because I’m not married,” Red Rose replied.

“I’m not even going to comment on that remark,” Fire Empress replied before turning to Tia. "Tia, may I speak with him?"

Tia looked at her for a moment before saying, "Though I have not quite finished yet, I would like to hear your conversation with him; you may proceed, empress."

“Thank you,” Fire Empress replied. "Mr. Michaels, can you hear me? This is Empress Alexia Bristle; Tia has permitted me to speak with you."

"What can I do for you, Mrs Bristle?" John replied in a calm voice, catching both women and Sarah by surprise.

"Hoo, Mrs Bristle, it seems he does not recognise our position, Mother." Red Rose remarked while showing a mixture of interest and respect in her eyes.

***

"First off, I would like to apologise on behalf of the imperial family for our failure in protecting you from this injustice you have received," Alexia stated.

"While I am grateful for your apology, it is not really fair for me to blame you for what others have done. You may be the ruler of the human race, but I’m not so foolish as to believe that you know everything that is happening in your borders,” John answered before adding. “Isn’t that an advisor's job? I would suggest you take a careful look at each of your advisors from now on."

There was silence for a moment before Alexia sighed. “As ruler of the human race, it is my responsibility to make sure all my citizens live as comfortable a life as possible, especially the children, and, on that part, I have failed in my duty. But mark my words, I already planned to perform a cleaning of the Dawnscape City’s government officials.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

I will also conduct investigations into my own advisers as to why this matter never reached my ears before now. On a last note, I should thank you for not accepting Tia's offer of punishing our race however you wish and even going as far as requesting she does not punish the innocent. On this, you have my gratitude."

John’s only reply to her words was to nod and so she continued, “As both an apology and as a way to show my gratitude, I invite you to come live here in Eclipse City and will prepare suitable accommodation for you.”

John was silent for a moment before he asked, "Why would you want me to live in the capital?"

"Citizen records show that you have never left Dawnscape City, most likely before because you did not have the means or the money to do so. I am offering you a chance at a fresh start, and since Sarah was already on her way back to the capital, you can travel with her.”

“That’s true,” Sarah said with a smile.

"That still does not answer why you're making me this offer."

"Because you are wasted where you are,” Fire Empress replied. “You're far too smart an individual to be stuck doing menial labour all your life. I believe that if you got the chance to enter Genesis, you would be very successful there, and it makes me want to see that. Also, I hope that by doing this and more, I can mend your dislike of our race.”

Everyone was silent for a moment, giving John time to think before Tia spoke up again. "I approve of this, and if you agree, I will even grant you a special opportunity in Genesis."

"A special opportunity?" John asked as he saw Sarah’s eyes widen with shock and excitement.

"Correct. Upon entering Genesis, you will be required to go through the basic introduction village like everyone else; however, I will grant you a special opportunity in said village. However, whether you take hold of this opportunity and make it your own will be down to you alone.”

“You need to agree to this, John,” Sarah said in excitement as she grabbed his hands. “A special opportunity is something Tia has only given out a few times since Genesis’s inception. You can count on your fingers how many times it’s happened and still have most of them left over.”

John didn’t respond and simply looked down at Sarah’s hands that were holding his own. {So soft.}

Sarah followed his eyes before quickly letting go and saying with a blush, “Sorry.

“It’s fine,” John replied. “It’s really that big of a deal?”

Sarah nodded. “While I can’t say what the opportunity will be since it’s different every time, I can tell you that every individual who has managed to claim the opportunity Tia granted them has gone on to be some of the strongest players in Genesis.”

John nodded in understanding before asking, "Even if I was willing to agree, would I be able to find work in Eclipse City?"

Before Sarah could reply, Tia spoke up once again. “That won't be necessary. Included in the human race's punishment will be a clause stating that Dawnscape City has to pay you all the financial support they missed for the past eleven years. Also, from my announcement onward, you will automatically receive two per cent of all earnings Sanders Incorporated makes from any of its endeavours."

There was silence once again; while John was surprised, he would be receiving all his missed financial support in one lump sum. The women were all shocked that he would receive two per cent from the future earnings of one of the human race's biggest companies.

Two per cent may sound like a small amount, but when you consider what a corporation that had outlets in each of the five major continents made daily, it was a huge amount.

“Why two percent from Sanders Incorporated?” Sarah asked in confusion. “I don’t want John to receive less, but shouldn’t it technically be from Sanders Property?”

“That might normally be the case, but it is unknown how many other people on Atlantia are suffering similar circumstances to what John Michaels received,” Tia replied coldly. “I am doing this as a warning to everyone; as per the Genesis agreement, children are to be allowed to live their lives. If an incident such as this happens again, both the people responsible and their race will suffer far more severe consequences than here today.”

“Understood, Tia,” Fire Empress replied.

Sarah smiled at John before happily saying, "John, with that two per cent income from Sanders Incorporated alone, you never need to work another day in your life."

"Really? It's that much?" John asked in surprise.

“Yup, now you can enter Genesis.”

"How?" John asked before pointing to his access band that still lay on the bed.

"That won't be a problem. I will authorise the immediate update of your access band to the latest model. If you decide to move to Eclipse City, the update will be conducted there." Tia announced.

"Very well, I guess I have no reason to refuse everyone's generous offers."