Genetic Ascension

If one were to line up all of the Lineages to ever break free of their own, the percentage of them that were big cats was exceptionally high. They were also the Lineages that, because of this, were the least likely to be looked at with suspicion.

The Tiger Lineage, the Panther Lineage, the Cheetah Lineage, the Snow Leopard Lineage—all four of them had joined their Sanctum generations ago by means of leaving another.

This didn’t seem like a big deal because many other Lineages were just the same. In fact, every Sanctum only had to have one thing to be officially recognized as a Sanctum:

The four strongest Lineages. That being the Lion Lineage, the Whale Lineage, the Ape Lineage, and the Serpent Lineage.

So long as these four were present, it would be an official Lineage, and others could join, leave, and merge at will. Well, not quite at will, but according to the rules.

"So... are the big cats all our enemies?" Gwenu asked in a much softer voice. She was supposed to be the senior to Sylas, but she found herself leaning on him all of a sudden.

She realized this immediately, but her pride didn’t exactly kick in. The fact she could recognize this at all was a testament to how powerful her Will was, but it also allowed her to acknowledge that Sylas’ Will and Charisma were on another level entirely.

If he was an E-tier, she wasn’t sure if she would have noticed at all.

"Not necessarily."

Gwenu groaned. "Just pretend like I’m a toddler and explain it to me. These are senior sister privileges. Since I can’t haze you normally since you’re no fun, I’m settling for this."

"They are just the most likely traitors, and it isn’t necessarily all of them. That’s why it’s a good smokescreen.

"In addition, the fact that the Whale, Ape, Lion, and Serpent Lineages have to be the core of a Sanctum for it to be officially recognized as one should mean that at least one of them is in on this."