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

Ethan's expression darkened at Nora's account. He turned to her, his voice calm but firm. "Don't worry. Once we've handled things in Beastfall City, we'll head to Clearspring City together."

Nora blinked, clearly surprised by his decisiveness. "Okay," she murmured, nodding slowly.

Clara, walking behind them, shifted her gaze between the two, then lowered her head in silence. Something stirred in her eyes—uncertainty, perhaps.

"What exactly needs handling in Beastfall City?" came Uncle Jed's voice from the rear. His spear cut through the air as he held back a fresh wave of Pincer-tailed Sand Badgers. Despite the intensity of their retreat, he still found time to talk. "What are we sorting out?"

"We're taking it," Ethan replied flatly.

"Oh!" Uncle Jed let out a short grunt, either having misheard or not fully processing the weight of the words. But the women—Nora and Clara—exchanged wide-eyed glances, both stunned into momentary silence.

Just as one of them opened her mouth to respond, Uncle Jed suddenly gasped, almost theatrically. "Taking what city? Beastfall City?"

His voice was a little too loud—and it triggered another surge of sand badgers. The group momentarily faltered, scrambling to push forward as the beasts closed in again.

Ethan glanced back at the old man with a lopsided grin. "What's with the dramatics? Getting old? Losing your edge?"

Uncle Jed was caught off guard, mouth opening and closing as he struggled to come up with a response. Ethan's smile faded slightly. That was… bold of him. When had he started talking like this? He realized it wasn't just his words that had changed—it was him.

Ever since he'd taken down that pure-blooded beast… something in him had shifted. The fear, the caution—that had all burned away. He was no longer the man who weighed every risk. Now, he moved forward. Head-on. Always.

Was it arrogance? Ethan frowned to himself. No… it wasn't that. It felt more like a freedom he hadn't known he was missing. In Ethereal, there were rules—endless restrictions. Back in reality, the law kept him tethered. But here, in this wild, brutal place, power ruled. Here, he could finally unleash the instincts he'd spent a lifetime suppressing.

He thought of Lyla, and the edge of his smirk softened. If only she were here. Instinctively, his eyes flicked back toward Nora and Clara—only to find both of them staring at him.

He cleared his throat. "Ahem… Uncle Jed!" he called over his shoulder, eager to shake off the awkward moment. Once he got a grunt of acknowledgment, Ethan added with a grin, "If you're too chicken to take the city, we could just hijack the Clearspring City convoy. How about that?"

The women froze.

He wasn't talking about some small family caravan like the ones Nora had run away with years ago. This was the annual convoy—the one Clearspring sent to support all three major cities in the region. It wasn't just food and water they were moving—it was an entire year's worth of essentials, compressed into spatial items. Five vehicles held those supplies, enough to feed Beastfall City through another dry season. The rest were for guards and staff.

And Ethan was casually talking about stealing them?

Nora's cheeks flushed. Was he… doing this for her? Because of what almost happened?

Clara's nose scrunched. This guy's a smooth talker. Probably just saying whatever it takes to impress a woman. Taking cities, hijacking convoys… what next? Uniting the Sea of Death?

She scoffed quietly—unaware that Ethan had already claimed exactly that.

Uncle Jed, meanwhile, had finally registered the idea. His eyebrows shot up as he roared, "Damn it, if you're serious, then let's do it! And if I back down, I'll take your name and use it for shame!"

Ethan chuckled. "Good! I'm speeding up—try to keep up!"

He surged forward, but didn't go full sprint. He still had to pace himself for the women—especially Nora, who was carrying a child. But even after a short burst, he noticed both Nora and Clara holding their own. They were winded, sure, but not slowing. He glanced at them again, this time with a flicker of admiration.

Minutes passed. The storm didn't let up. Then, Ethan's eyes narrowed.

No wonder the convoy had been sending up distress flares. He'd seen at least three so far—and Beastfall City hadn't responded to any of them. That was the moment Ethan made up his mind. If they were abandoned, then the supplies might as well go to someone who could use them. He wouldn't waste it.

"Ethan, what's the plan?" Uncle Jed asked, eyeing the terrain ahead.

There was a gathering of beasts—at least a dozen Alphas—and one towering figure. A Pincer-tailed Sand Badger, at least seventy or eighty meters tall.

A king.

A Boss-level creature.

Ethan's eyes locked on it, rain streaking across his face. "First, we deal with the monsters. Then the people."

His tone was cold. Ruthless.

Nora bit her lip, unease prickling in her chest. Clara blinked, stunned. He's really going to do it…

"Nora… they're not joking, right?" It was the first time Clara had spoken directly to her. And she'd even called her "Nora," just like Ethan did.

Nora smiled at her calmly. "How did you meet Ethan?"

Clara was thrown off. Why was she answering with another question? It made her feel… small. She glanced at Ethan, then began recounting the journey that had brought her here.

Ethan, of course, heard every word. He rolled his eyes internally. 'This old man and I are out here turning beasts into mulch, and you two are having story time?'

With a sigh, he resigned himself to slaying everything in front of him.

As Clara finished her story, Nora gave her a long, thoughtful look. Clara squirmed slightly under the scrutiny. Then Nora leaned in and whispered, "He didn't even ask why you were following him, did he?"

Clara blinked. She thought back. 'No… he really hadn't.' She shook her head.

Nora's expression softened. She leaned closer. "Girl… maybe he's interested in you. Want me to play matchmaker?"

"Huh!?" Clara stopped mid-stride, face burning crimson. She stood frozen in place.

Nora quickly tugged her arm. "Come on, don't stop now."

Even Ethan tripped up ahead, almost twisting his ankle. He glanced back with a grimace. Widows these days were something else… Matchmaking already? He threw Nora a look that landed somewhere between disbelief and amusement.

'If I didn't have Lyla, maybe I would have…'

His eyes slid down to her rain-soaked clothes, and Nora instinctively crossed her arms, glaring back at him.

Clara watched the exchange, utterly confused. What's… their relationship, exactly?

Still, Ethan seemed… decent. And Nora—Nora was gentle, kind. If they were together… maybe it wouldn't be so bad to—

Her thoughts stumbled. 'Wait, what am I thinking!?' She wiped the rain from her face, scolding herself silently. 'What's wrong with me? I used to hide from men… now I'm fantasizing about joining one—and with a woman no less! Ugh!'

Nora saw the emotional chaos play across her face. She looked away, and for a moment, her gaze lingered on Ethan. A quiet, inexplicable sorrow stirred in her chest.

"Mommy… no more monsters! We're out!" Dot suddenly chirped in Nora's ear.

Nora looked around. Sure enough, the swarm had broken. The Pincer-tailed Sand Badgers had stopped their pursuit. They'd regrouped—but none dared cross the invisible boundary Ethan had cut through them.

Ethan slowed, his breath heavy. "Uncle Jed, take a breather. Stay here and guard them."

Uncle Jed opened his mouth, but Ethan raised a hand.

"I was just joking earlier," he said with a grin. "I'll take care of the rest of the monsters first. Then you can come."

He patted the old man on the shoulder. "Safety first, yeah?"

Then he turned to the three women. Without waiting for a reply, he reached into his storage and pushed something into Uncle Jed's mouth—a corn bread bun.

He stepped toward Clara and Nora. "You don't like Cornbread, right?" he said to Clara. "Then eat this." He handed her something warm.

To Nora, he gave the same. "You too."

Without ceremony, he brought out two roasted sausages and stuffed them into their mouths. Dot, peeking over Nora's shoulder, sniffed and wrinkled her nose.

"Uncle Ethan! I want some too!"

Ethan reached out and gently stroked her rain-matted hair. "Dot is still little. Big sausages aren't good for you just yet. When you grow up, I'll make you as many as you want. Deal?"

He handed her a packet of noodles instead. "Let Mommy cook these for you. Be good, okay?"

Then, with a wave of his hand, a tent appeared over them, shielding them from the rain.

Nora and Clara stood there, sausages still in their mouths, oddly frozen. Both women stared at Ethan in the same moment—and something changed in their eyes.

Ethan, catching their stares, frowned. "What?"

He sighed. Women…

No time to think about it. He still had work to do.

After placing a few strange items—strange to Clara, anyway—on the ground just outside the tent, he turned and walked out alone, twin Cornbread buns in hand, toward the looming shadow of the battle ahead.