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

With the Forbidden skill active, Ethan's body was no longer his own. Even if he had been able to move, he doubted he could have dodged the Infernal Hound's colossal jaws. Now, completely immobilized for six agonizing seconds, he was nothing more than prey waiting to be devoured. His claws, driven by the skill's power, slashed mindlessly at the ancient creature. He could only watch as the monstrous maw closed in, the world vanishing into darkness.

'I've really done it this time,' he thought, panic rising in his chest. 'This beast is going to swallow me whole!'

"You fool! Hit him!"

The Infernal Hound's voice thundered in his ears, so loud it nearly shattered them. Ethan froze, startled—not by the insult, but by the realization that the beast had spoken. If it wanted him dead, why would it yell? At the same time, he noticed the blood mist no longer seeping in. Deprived of its constant aura of vitality, the old monster's decaying body began to collapse again.

The six seconds ended in a flash. Ethan's limbs were his own once more. The withered giant staggered but still clung to life.

"Spirit Embodiment!" Ethan shouted, instinct taking over. The Twilight War Spear flared, unleashing the weapon's hidden skill. In his current form, he could channel sixteen relentless strikes.

"Come on!" he snarled, hurling himself forward just as a streak of light tore open behind him. Without thinking, he dove toward it.

"Ah… die!"

The old monster's body lurched and bulged grotesquely. Ethan's eyes widened.

"Damn it, he's going to self-destruct!"

He didn't look back. The only thing that mattered was reaching the light—a narrow gap the Infernal Hound had ripped open with a guttural snarl.

The explosion came like the end of the world.

Boom!

Ethan barely managed a curse. "I—" The blast swallowed the rest of his words, tearing the breath from his lungs.

…

"Ethan!"

The Dragon Child had seen the Infernal Hound devour him moments earlier. Her roar split the sky as her vast body shot forward in a blur of scales and fury.

"Damn you, Garm! Spit him out!"

The hound ignored her, wheeling its massive bulk away. In the blink of an eye, it streaked across thousands of miles before halting and turning, looming in silence before the Dragon Child, who had already shed her human form.

Her body stretched for hundreds of miles, yet beside the Infernal Hound's monstrous frame she was no more than a coiled worm.

The beast snapped its jaws shut and let out a low, whining bark, one after another, as though pleading.

Blue light shimmered over the Dragon Child's scales, her power gathering to strike. Then a muffled detonation shook the hound's chest, and something small and dark shot from between its lips.

The Dragon Child froze. Her colossal eyes locked on the tiny speck tumbling through the air.

"Ethan…"

Her serpentine body coiled tightly, catching him before he fell away. The moment she drew him close, disbelief carved itself across her ancient face.

Ethan's body was a ruin—bone exposed through torn flesh, blood spilling from countless wounds.

"What happened? Ethan, wake up!"

The Dragon Child's blue light pulsed brighter, her eyes flicking warily back to the Infernal Hound.

"Burp…"

The Infernal Hound actually burped, spitting out a foul mouthful of blood aura. "My time's up… damn it, no more hot dogs!" it muttered, sounding almost sulky. As it grumbled, black smoke poured from its massive frame, curling upward and fading into the air. With its enormous body, the dissipation was slow, like a mountain crumbling away piece by piece.

"Open wide…"

A weak, rasping voice sounded beside the Dragon Child. An instant later, an object the size of a small mountain appeared, releasing an intoxicating fragrance.

"This is all I've got left. Take your time—don't scarf it all down."

The voice was Ethan's.

The two colossal beasts reacted at once, their faces lighting up with excitement like children catching sight of candy.

The Dragon Child shifted back into her human form, supporting Ethan by looping his arm over her shoulder. The Infernal Hound, half-dissolved into smoke, gleamed with hunger as its fading eyes fixed on the airborne mountain of food.

"Haha… you're not bad, human! See you around!" it barked, and inhaled the mountain in a single gulp.

Just as Ethan thought, 'I probably won't ever see you again,' a streak of dark light shot from the hound's forehead, striking his arm.

Sizzle…

The sharp smell of roasted flesh filled the air.

"Ow—ow!" Ethan yelped, clutching his arm as the skin seared.

"Hahahaha!" The Infernal Hound's booming laughter shook the sky, echoing long after its body finally vanished.

"Are you alright?" the Dragon Child asked, glancing at the blackened mark on Ethan's arm. Without waiting for an answer, she steadied him and guided him back.

"I don't think I'm dying, but it hurts like hell…" Ethan groaned. His body was wracked with pain, his strength gone. He couldn't even take on his Tree form to speed his recovery.

"That damn beast even gave me a tattoo. What is this thing? It's ugly!" He lifted his arm, grimacing at the burn.

The Dragon Child's expression flickered—something sharp and knowing in her eyes. Ethan caught it immediately.

"You know what this is. Tell me."

Calmly, she said, "You've been marked by Garm. Which means you'd better prepare more food in the future."

"…What?" Ethan blinked. "What do you mean, prepare food?"

"It's not all bad," she went on. "That mark is a tether. You can summon him with it."

Ethan's eyes widened, his face breaking into a grin. "Really? That's amazing! If things ever get dicey, I can just call the hound and let him tear everything apart. Perfect!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," the Dragon Child snapped, rolling her eyes. "That mark doesn't mean you can drag his true body across dimensions. At most, you'll summon an avatar. And for all we know, it might be nothing more than a scrawny mutt sniffing around for food."

"What?!" Ethan gawked. "You're telling me that glutton will show up in puppy form just for a meal?"

"You didn't seriously think a single brand could pierce world barriers and bring forth his true self, did you? Still, the stronger you grow, the stronger the avatar will be. When you reach a high enough level, you might even be able to call him in his full form."

Ethan grimaced. "Great… so by the time I'm strong enough not to need him, then maybe I'll get him." He let out a weak laugh and shook his head.

By then, they had returned to Bongo's side.

"Is the old monster gone?" Bongo asked. She barely glanced at Ethan's condition, more intent on the question gnawing at her.

"Gone," the Dragon Child replied as she helped him into the array.

The moment Ethan stepped inside, life essence surged into him like a flood. The cool tide of energy rushed through his wounds, dulling the pain, filling him with relief. He sank down cross-legged, letting it wash over him.

"You two keep watch. Once I'm healed, I'll take back those three City Lord seals."

His injuries were the worst he had suffered yet. Even so, he forced the words out, then closed his eyes and slipped into a strange, heavy stillness.

A vision opened before him—something unlike anything he had ever seen.