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

From the moment Jenny appeared, Ethan did not speak. His posture was relaxed, almost casual, but his attention never left her, as though the rest of the room had faded into the background the instant she stepped forward. The brief exchange she had just shared with Blackfin confirmed what Ethan already suspected. Whatever she was, she was far, far older than she looked.

When Jenny finally turned her attention toward him and posed her question, Ethan simply met her gaze and smiled. It was calm, steady, and entirely unreadable. He offered no reply, letting the silence stretch long enough to become uncomfortable.

Everyone felt it. They were all here for the gold deal, yet somehow this moment had eclipsed everything else. Whatever Ethan said first would define the direction of the conversation, and they all knew it.

When he finally spoke, his words landed like a thunderclap.

"Miss Jenny," Ethan said evenly, "what is your connection to the Divine Sea Temple?"

A wave of confusion rippled through the group. Brows furrowed, glances were exchanged, and several people clearly had no idea why those words mattered. Only Victor reacted differently. His eyes sharpened, his expression tightening as understanding dawned. He alone, having accompanied Ethan into the Merfolk Kingdom, grasped the weight behind that name.

Victor remembered the Merfolk King's warnings clearly. The Divine Sea Temple was no mere organization. It was a cancer embedded deep within the world itself, a parasitic existence that had siphoned Earth's Energy for countless eons. Its presence had stunted Energy across the planet, yet paradoxically it was also trapped in an endless cycle of destruction and rebirth, wiped clean during each great cosmic reset. It survived by storing power, fighting against its own inevitable extinction.

Ethan believed the Temple lurked behind much of the world's unseen turmoil, pulling strings from the shadows. Humans who crossed its path were not simply manipulated. They were recruited, quietly and relentlessly, generation after generation.

And now, standing before them, Ethan suspected Jenny was one such agent, embedded deep within human society.

At his question, a flicker of surprise crossed Jenny's face before smoothing into a knowing smile.

"So you have not only killed their envoys," she said lightly, "you understand what they truly are. A Soul-Wielder of your caliber… I suppose I should not be surprised."

She paused, studying him with open curiosity. Ethan said nothing, watching her just as closely. Strangely, he sensed no immediate hostility from her, no fanatic devotion like the Temple envoy he had slain before.

Seeing that he would not elaborate, Jenny smiled again. "Then let me ask you this. What if I told you I am from the Divine Sea Temple? Would you try to kill me right here, right now?"

She left the question hanging in the air.

Ethan answered without words.

The Source Energy within him stirred, then surged. It spilled outward in a violent rush, but instead of gold or violet light, it manifested as a deep, abyssal black. The air grew heavy, pressing down on everyone in the room like an unseen weight.

Killing intent. That was what most of them felt instinctively. Yet Victor, whose own power had been forged in blood and battle, sensed something different. His aura was crimson rage, raw and ferocious. What emanated from Ethan was colder, deeper, an absolute black that somehow carried the faintest trace of warmth within it. Two opposing qualities intertwined in unsettling harmony.

Victor's thoughts snapped back to the Convergence Sigi that was nowl within Ethan's Mindscape, where amber and violet merged into something greater. At their center had been this very shade of profound black.

'This is it,' Victor realized, his breath catching. 'The true, balanced expression of Source Energy.'

As as someone who understood the First Principle, the realization struck him with overwhelming clarity. Without hesitation, Victor closed his eyes and dropped into a cross-legged meditation right there on the stone floor, utterly oblivious to the tension surrounding him.

"Hm?" Jenny's gaze flicked toward Victor, genuine surprise touching her voice. A moment later, her expression softened into open admiration. "An epiphany at a time like this… impressive. If I were to bring him to the Temple, it would count as great merit. His age does not reflect the depth of his understanding."

Her words were casual, almost conversational, but the meaning behind them was unmistakable.

Ethan rose to his feet in one smooth motion. "So it is true," he said sharply. "You are connected."

The black aura around him thickened, growing denser, almost tangible.

"Big Boss, wait!"

Blackfin moved before anyone could react. In a blur, he threw himself between Ethan and Jenny, eyes wide with desperation as he spread his arms protectively.

Ethan had not actually attacked. He was simply declaring his stance. Something about Jenny still felt wrong to him, or rather, different. She did not resemble the fanatic envoy he had killed. If she were truly loyal to the Temple, why would she lead them into a sealed room like this without reinforcements or hidden traps?

"Blackfin, have you lost your mind?!" Blackie roared.

A sphere of crackling lightning shot from Blackie's hand. It was not aimed to kill. The moment it struck Blackfin, it expanded into bands of searing blue energy that wrapped around him, binding him tightly. With a sharp mental tug, Blackie dragged The struggling man back to his side.

"Brother… please," Blackfin pleaded, straining against the restraints.

"Stay put and shut up," Blackie snapped aloud. Then his voice dropped into a psychic whisper meant for Blackfin alone. Trust the Boss. Watch.

Blackfin froze. His eyes widened slightly as the message sank in. He stopped resisting, though his body remained taut with worry.

Jenny watched the exchange in silence, her expression complicated and difficult to read. When Blackfin was bound, her fingers twitched, and she bit her lip as if suppressing an urge to step in. In the end, she restrained herself.

"Speak," Ethan said, his voice calm but unyielding. The black aura receded slightly, though it did not disappear. "Out of respect for Blackfin, I will hear you out."

Jenny let out a soft laugh, and the oppressive tension eased just a little. "You should know," she said, "that if not for Finny, you would not be standing here at all. This fifth floor has been complete for fifteen years. Aside from Henry, you are the first outsiders ever allowed into this room. Do you know why?"

Ethan did not hesitate. "You are hiding from the Temple," he said flatly. "Planning to betray them?"

He paused, then added, "Tell me something else. Does the Divine Sea Temple have many Soul-Wielders?"

As the final question left his lips, the black aura around him vanished entirely. The killing intent faded as though it had never been there, replaced once again by that calm, measured smile, sharp-eyed and assessing, as if he were already weighing her answer before she spoke.