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

Ryan paused mid-sentence.

"What is it? Spit it out already!" Leeroy impatiently urged him on.

"It's probably…" Ryan trailed off again, furrowing his brow.

"Probably what? Stop dragging it out!" Leeroy snapped.

"Probably your uncle…" Ryan shot back.

Ethan nearly laughed. These two had started again. Now it seemed their uncles were about to suffer the brunt of their bickering.

Back and forth they went, cursing at each other.

Ryan hesitated for a moment before continuing, "It has the aura of a ghost, but also the stench of a corpse. I can't really tell what it is. But…"

This time, even Ethan was getting annoyed. Was Ryan trying to get himself punched today, with all this suspense?

Just as Ethan was about to press him, Evelyn chimed in, "A ghost? A corpse? Ryan, did the sun rise from the west today? Normally, you'd be the first one running toward something like this! Why are you running away now?"

Ryan scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "I sensed a King-tier aura from it. I'm not scared, just… cautious."

"King-tier?" Ethan asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, King-tier. I can't tell if it's early, mid, or late stage, though," Ryan replied, misunderstanding Ethan's question.

Ethan, true to his curious nature, decided to ask outright, "Wait, this thing has tiers?"

The three of them stared at him in disbelief.

Evelyn asked, "You… don't even know what tier you're at?"

Ethan hesitated, his face reddening slightly despite his usual confidence. "Uh… no," he admitted.

The three of them were speechless.

For someone this strong, Ethan sure was clueless.

"Didn't your mentor explain any of this to you?" Evelyn pressed.

Mentor? Ethan thought for a moment. Did he even have one? The only person who came to mind was Morzan, that eccentric old man who was always disappearing and reappearing without warning. And whenever he did show up, it was never to explain anything useful.

Ethan shook his head.

"Wow… you're like a stray cat. Completely left to fend for yourself," Evelyn said, giving him a sympathetic look.

Her words struck a chord with Ethan. He quickly turned to her for guidance.

Evelyn didn't hold back. She explained the hierarchy of the supernatural world to him.

The supernatural world was divided into three main categories: Pure Energy Users, Innate Ability Users, and Mutants.

Pure Energy Users, were further divided into three stages: Energy, Soul, and Intent.

Energy Users were divided into three stages of Mastery: Prenatal Energy, Nurturing Energy, Refining Energy.

Soul Users: After gaining energy, they use their energy to nourish their souls, achieving a higher level of spiritual power.

Unlike natural Soul-Wielders, these individuals reinforced their souls through training, avoiding the misfortunes that often plagued those born with such abilities.

Of course, many prodigies began to develop their soul power as soon as they gained Energy. These individuals would advance immediately, gaining a significant boost in strength.

Similarly, Soul Users were also divided into three tiers.

When soul power reaches five or above but below twenty, it's considered the Beginner Tier.

From twenty-one to two hundred, it's the Intermediate Tier.

From two hundred and one to five hundred, it's the Advanced Tier.

Evelyn stopped there and added, "What Ryan mentioned earlier, that King-tier ghost, is on the same level as our Soul Users."

"Oh…" Ethan nodded, waiting for her to continue. But Evelyn stopped there, leaving Ethan wanting more. He was itching to ask about the Intent Users, but she didn't seem inclined to elaborate.

As they reached their campsite, Ethan couldn't hold back any longer. "Evelyn, you didn't explain the Intent Users!"

Evelyn, who was busy packing up her tent, straightened up and looked at him, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Intent Users are more of a legend," she said. "My grandfather mentioned that when a fighter's energy and soul reach a certain level of refinement, they can comprehend 'Intent.' That's the first stage—Comprehending Intent."

"The second stage is Mastering Intent, where you learn to wield it as your own."

"And the third stage is Intent Formation."

"But honestly, no one knows how powerful they truly are. My grandfather said it's been centuries since anyone even reached the second stage of Soul Users, let alone become an Intent User."

Ethan listened calmly, taking it all in. "So, that thing Ryan mentioned—the King-level entity, it's probably just at the Beginner Stage, right?"

Evelyn shook her head. "Not necessarily. Just because human fighters can't break through these limits doesn't mean other creatures can't."

"Alright, let's pack up. We still have a mountain to climb!" Evelyn had already packed her tent and was now helping Ethan with his, which he hadn't even started.

"What the…" Ryan muttered under his breath as he watched Evelyn help Ethan.

"Stop grumbling and pack your bag!" Leeroy said, though he too glanced over at the scene.

"Bro, Evelyn's never helped us pack before…" Ryan complained, pointing at Ethan.

"Well… she's growing up," Leeroy sighed.

Ryan shot Ethan a look that was hard to decipher. If Ethan knew these two were already treating him like a future brother-in-law prospect he'd probably be dumbfounded.

But Ethan wasn't interested, and neither was Evelyn. He was sure of that. The way Evelyn looked at him was no different from how she looked at her brothers. Having lived two lives and experienced relationships, Ethan could tell.

Unfortunately, Leeroy and Ryan couldn't. All they saw was Evelyn treating Ethan better than she treated them, and they'd already made up their minds.

---

Standing at the base of a near-vertical cliff, Ethan tilted his head back to look up. He couldn't see anything beyond the first few meters.

Extending his Soul Sense upward, Ethan found that it hit a barrier at around a thousand meters. No matter how much he compressed his spiritual energy, he couldn't break through.

Something about this mountain felt… off.

"It's not the mountain that's strange. Look at your altitude," Morzan's voice suddenly echoed in Ethan's mind.

"Altitude? Around a thousand meters or so. What does that have to do with anything?" Ethan asked.

"Think of it like being under a lid. Once you reach a certain height, you hit that lid."

Ethan nodded, understanding. "Oh, so it's like some kind of barrier that blocks Soul Sense, right?"

"Heh… it's more than just blocking Soul Sense. You'll understand later."

"By the way, you need to get that girl out of here. She's holding that artifact but can't enter Ethereal. That won't do," Morzan said cryptically.

"Ethan frowned. 'What do you mean?'

No answer. Of course. The old man had vanished again, just like that."