Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat!

What Regis revealed confirmed what Ethan had sensed earlier: the strange aura was real.

"She's my grand-aunt!"

Ethan, still lost in thought, froze at Regis's words.

"What? She's your grand-aunt?" Quinn blinked, baffled.

Hank, who had been waiting for an opportunity, burst out laughing. "Damn, old man, that's a smooth move. Your grand-aunt ends up becoming your daughter-in-law!" The jab almost made Ethan choke. Hank had once been Regis's rival in love; although their relationship had mellowed over time, he would never pass up a chance to needle him.

Regis sighed, glaring helplessly at Hank. "You think I wanted this? I tried to stop it more times than I can count. But my grand-aunt's situation is… complicated. Every so often, she undergoes something like rebirth, a kind of nirvana. Each time she's reborn, she loses all her memories. In truth, she might be older than even my master. When my master entrusted her to me, he suspected that something powerful—something dangerous—was sealed inside her."

His gaze dropped to Bongo, lying unconscious on the ground. Regis looked weary, his voice heavy with regret. He had never imagined that Julian, his own son, would one day win Bongo's heart. If she hadn't accepted him willingly, the power inside her would have erupted and consumed her.

With only one son of his own, he had feared that if Julian grew too close to Bongo, things would become complicated. He had hoped to avoid exactly this outcome, never imagining that, in the end, he had created the very situation he dreaded. And yet, in some twisted way, his plan had worked. He had always known Dana was a child of misfortune, and Bongo's presence had shielded her from endless suffering. But now, his fears had come true: he, as the father, had dropped an entire generation.

Ethan's expression was difficult to read. Looking down at Bongo, he wondered if she truly was some timeless, ageless being, something far beyond human. Yet speculation would have to wait. The pressing matter was the Blood Clan energy within her. How could it be triggered? Would it only awaken when her life was in danger?

Ethan had come here chasing the Blood Clan's secret, but could it be that Bongo herself was the final key—perhaps even the final boss?

And then there was Uncle Jed. Ethan still refused to believe that Jed had truly perished. He quickly pulled up his quest panel. The mission remained incomplete. The reward—immortality, the Divine Ability he had once sought within the Blood King's castle—still beckoned him.

The thought made him pause. Dana's condition was almost like resurrection itself: a cycle of life, death, and rebirth. His mind flashed to the old legends on Earth, where it was said that alongside dragons lived a divine bird that burned and was reborn in fire. The Phoenix. Could Bongo carry the bloodline of such a creature?

It was only speculation, but he couldn't shake the idea.

Checking the time, Ethan realized the eight-year period of his quest was nearly over. It was time to finish what he had started. Before, he had been unable to conquer the four cities due to a lack of mobility—he and Uncle Jed alone couldn't seize City Lord sigils. Now, things were different.

Currently, the forces of Hurricane City possessed three of the sigils. Ethan held only the Sigil of the Wild Legion. If he could claim Hurricane City's three, the quest would finally be complete. Then, all of this would not have been in vain.

And with the Shatterstar mech under his command, the endless Sea of Death was no longer an obstacle. Once, traveling from Beastfall City to Hurricane City had taken him two grueling months. Now, Shatterstar carried him the distance in mere minutes, a thousandfold increase in speed—and he had not even pushed it to its limits.

As his mind worked through these plans, he glanced at the three old men bickering loudly over a bottle of wine and realized he hadn't eaten in ages. Smiling faintly, he pulled food, drinks, and fine wine from his pack, setting them out to share.

"Ethan…"

The voice that suddenly stirred in his mind was both familiar and distant. His heart leapt. With a thought, he summoned a white tiger into existence.

"You're awake!"

The beast shimmered, shifting into the form of a man. Ormund.

"Just woke up," the white-haired warrior said with a faint smile.

In the battle before Hurricane City, Ormund had taken grievous wounds to shield Ethan. Despite Ethan's desperate healing spells, Ormund had fallen into a coma that lasted more than a year. Too many people had left Ethan during that time; to see Ormund return filled him with raw joy.

After resting a short while, Ethan decided it was time to move on. The Dragon Child still had not awakened. She must have absorbed the so-called Essence of Life from the Illusionary Qilin tribe and regained much of her strength. That explained how she had sensed the danger here, come rushing, and saved Regis and the others.

According to Regis, after their return to Beastfall City, a Saint-ranked powerhouse had appeared. Without the Sigil of the Wild Legion, Regis had been forced to rely on his mastery of the city's protective barriers to stall for time. Even then, he would not have held out long—until the Dragon Child arrived. With one swipe of her colossal tail, she had obliterated the Saint-ranked intruder and split Beastfall City itself, tearing open the sealed land below.

What truly annoyed Ethan was that, with the Sigil of the Wild Legion, he could have teleported here directly. But Beastie, naïve as ever, had only told him to "go check below," offering no details. He had wasted precious time blundering through a bottomless pit. The City Lord's mansion, at least, remained safe thanks to Regis's barrier magic. As for why the Dominion Guard had been stationed there, Regis suspected it had something to do with Bongo.

With a thought, Ethan activated the Sigil of the Wild Legion. Light flared, and in an instant, everyone but the Dragon Child vanished from the sealed land. They reappeared in the courtyard of the City Lord's mansion.

Julian, Blackie, and Micah were resting there after their clash with the Dominion Guard. Julian lifted his head the moment they arrived, spotting his father—and then, his eyes fell on the unconscious Bongo. His heart clenched. He rushed forward and gathered her into his arms.

"Regis, looks like…" Hank started with a grin.

Before he could finish, a fist like a sledgehammer smashed into his nose, sending him reeling.

Julian froze, bewildered by his father and Uncle Hank suddenly trading blows. But he had seen this before and thought little of it. He simply held Bongo closer and helped her to sit down, his expression full of worry.