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

Ethan flipped his palm and pressed the glowing orb directly into Grandmaster Quinn's open wound.

Sssss—!

The moment the light touched flesh, a violent hiss erupted. Thick, oily black smoke poured from the injury, coiling like snakes in the air. A vile, rotting stench surged outward, instantly flooding the room.

"Fuck—!" Markham was the first to react, bolting out the door like a spooked horse, nearly tripping over his own feet.

The others grimaced, recoiling instinctively. Matriarch Whitmore flicked her wrist with practiced grace, summoning a sharp gust of wind that wrapped around the noxious fumes and hurled them outside like a tornado in miniature.

Markham, having just skidded to a stop halfway down the hallway, turned back—and took a deep, relieved breath.

Right as the expelled stench slammed straight into his face.

Gag—!

The unlucky guy choked violently, eyes bulging, then rolling back as he collapsed in a twitching heap.

No one paid him any attention.

Every eye in the room was locked on Grandmaster Quinn. His ashen, black-tinged complexion had begun to shift, the deathly color gradually giving way to pale, fragile white.

Bobby gasped, nearly sobbing with joy.

Evelyn stepped forward, raising her hand and releasing a faint golden mist that drifted over the old man's body like a breath of dawn. She closed her eyes, assessing his condition.

Ethan, using this skill for the first time, asked nervously, "Well?"

At first, Evelyn's expression brightened—but then it darkened like a cloud passing over the sun. She met Ethan's gaze, voice steady but grim. "It's not fully purged. This toxin... it's vicious. Even a trace remnant will mutate upon contact with blood, regenerating more poison than before."

Ethan's brow furrowed, his thoughts darkening. What kind of ruthless bastard would create something like this?

"Again," he growled, raising his hand without hesitation.

"Energy Fusion—Nature's Cure!"

This time, he pushed harder. The orb glowed brighter as he activated his Energy Fusion Technique, drawing from deeper reserves to amplify the healing skill.

Hummm!

Behind him, the tree phantom shuddered violently. A wave of emerald light exploded outward—then reversed in a breath, rushing back toward Ethan like a returning tide.

Every plant in the courtyard reacted at once. Flowers bloomed wildly, vines crept up walls, and even the smallest blades of grass surged upward—then all of them withered in an instant, their stolen vitality spiraling into the pulsing energy wave.

Ethan froze, alarmed. He'd never seen that happen before.

But there was no time to dwell on it.

A dense orb of condensed power now pulsed hotly in his palm. He hurled it straight into Grandmaster Quinn's wound without hesitation.

He noted, even in his haste, that the old man already looked a bit weaker after the first detox.

"Energy Fusion—Rejuvenation!"

"Energy Fusion—Healing Touch!"

"Energy Fusion—Lifebloom!"

"Energy Fusion—Wild Growth!"

Five amplified healing techniques shot forth in rapid succession, each leaving trails of green-gold light.

The final Wild Growth skill didn't stop at Grandmaster Quinn—it flared out, washing over Matriarch Whitmore, Aunt Melody, Samuel Wynn, and two others nearby. Six people in total were enveloped in its glow.

The effort nearly dropped Ethan. His vision blurred, and he staggered as the phantom tree behind him flickered and dissolved, retracting painfully into his body.

Shit. He hadn't realized how much more energy Tree Form consumed compared to Bear or Panther.

Melinda caught him just as he swayed sideways. "I've... done all I can," he rasped, collapsing into a nearby chair.

Every muscle screamed. His skull throbbed with leftover agony from the Frostpool effect. Only the icy clarity it left behind kept him from blacking out completely.

"Thank you, Ethan!" Bobby's voice was thick with gratitude, near tears.

Ethan waved weakly, too drained to speak.

"Ah—my leg!" Samuel Wynn, who'd been leaning heavily on his grandson for support, suddenly stood straighter. He took a cautious step forward. "Still hurts, but... it's working!"

Aunt Melody and the others inspected their own injuries, trading stunned glances—each wound was noticeably improved.

Then came the shift.

The room's collective gaze turned and burned into Ethan. His skills were nothing short of miraculous.

Cough! Cough!

The sudden, rasping noise drew every eye. Grandmaster Quinn, who had been moments from death just minutes ago, was now stirring.

The stares aimed at Ethan grew even more intense.

This was the same ruthless fighter they'd seen dominate the arena. Yet here he was, pulling a man back from the brink of death with pure, unfiltered healing energy.

His abilities shift with each transformation, someone realized, awe written across their face.

Kiara watched Ethan closely, her expression unreadable.

"Grandfather—!" Bobby took a step forward—only to freeze as another figure suddenly lunged toward the old man, sobbing uncontrollably.

It was Bryan, Bobby's half-brother.

Bryan, who had stood silently through everything—until now.

Bobby's outstretched hand hung awkwardly in mid-air as Grandmaster Quinn chuckled and patted Bryan's head. "There, there. I'm fine now, you silly boy."

"The poison is completely gone," Evelyn announced, rising slowly to her feet. Her brow was furrowed in wonder. "But what's incredible is... all his old internal injuries have healed too."

She looked at Ethan like he'd just rewritten the laws of nature.

The room's atmosphere shifted again. The awe turned to hunger. The stares grew... predatory. Like wolves sizing up a wounded stag.

Ethan suppressed a shiver.

"However..." Evelyn's voice turned uncertain. She frowned slightly. "Grandmaster Quinn's energy core is completely empty. I'm afraid he'll..."

The mood in the room plummeted like a dropped stone.

"Look at your faces!" Grandmaster Quinn barked suddenly, his voice unexpectedly strong. "What, did you expect this young man to regrow my shattered core too?"

Gone was the calm, cerebral chess master. In his place stood a former street brawler, full of rough energy and raw fire. Though his power was gone, his spirit burned brighter than ever.

Ethan blinked, realization dawning. The old man had been conscious the whole time.

"Grandmaster Quinn..." Aunt Melody began, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Ah, enough of that!" he grunted, waving her off. "I'm done with the Quinn family's damned politics. How about I retire to your bamboo grove, eh?"

Aunt Melody's eyes welled with tears. "Of... of course."

Earlier, Grandmaster Quinn had saved her life by detonating his own energy core to repel Seamus Zane fatal strike. Without that sacrifice, she would have been crushed in an instant.

"Yay! Now Grandmaster is fine, we'll have three people at home!" Kiara clapped her hands, oblivious to the heavy mood hanging in the air.

"Kiara," Aunt Melody said gently, stroking the girl's hair. "Call him 'Grandfather,' not 'Grandmaster Quinn.'"

Kiara blinked. Her large eyes lit up. "Okay! Hello, Grandfather!" she chirped brightly.

The old man's face softened. "Good girl..."

Just as the room began to settle—

Aunt Melody took a deep breath. Her next words dropped like a boulder into still water:

"He... is your real grandfather."

Silence.

Then—

"WHAT?!" Grandmaster Quinn shot upright so fast he accidentally smacked Bryan in the face with a banana peel.

Matriarch Whitmore, who'd been about to speak, snapped her mouth shut with an audible click.

Even Ethan, slumped in his chair like a dead fish, stiffened visibly.

Well... that escalated quickly.