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

The eyes of the cunning old foxes in attendance darted subtly, each of them lost in their own tangled thoughts. Standing behind the City Lord was a young woman—Gorr's Niece—who frowned slightly as her gaze lingered on Ethan. A strange light flickered in her eyes, uncertain and measuring.

Ethan stepped forward to stand beside the City Lord, his thoughts mirroring the unease of the others. He couldn't make sense of this old man's intentions. There was no visible malice—even when Ethan had deliberately provoked him earlier, the City Lord hadn't reacted.

And then there was the girl behind him. Why was she staring at him like that? She had an innocent, almost gentle look—like the kind of girl who'd appear in the daydreams of quiet boys. Hmm... that spatial pouch of hers seemed pretty nice.

"This old man is Regis," the City Lord said suddenly, still gazing out over the city below. "As for my identity, you've likely guessed already. May I ask your name, young man?"

Ethan pulled his attention away from the girl and looked out from the tower. Resting a hand on the stone edge, he peered down. From this height—nearly a hundred meters above the city wall—he could see the chaos unfolding.

The Pincer-tailed Sand Badgers had begun climbing the wall. City Guards were already positioned, forming defensive lines. The onlookers who had crowded the wall earlier had been pushed back to clear the area. Around the base of the wall, a towering curtain of fire—dozens of meters wide—raged like a living beast. It was the first line of defense, and for the badgers to climb, they'd have to force their way through the blaze.

That wall of flame was cutting down the enemy numbers significantly, and the pressure on the defenders had eased. But Ethan knew these creatures. The Sand Badgers were fearless, heedless of pain or death. The fire wouldn't hold them off for long.

From a distance, the city's massive siege weapons launched projectiles into the swarm. Their range was impressive, but Ethan noted the flaw: once the monsters got close, those same weapons became nearly useless. It was a tradeoff—devastating power at range, but dead weight in close-quarters combat.

It reminded Ethan of the old siege tactics back on Earth. In any prolonged defense, supply was king—arrows, bolts, stones... all of them consumables. When they ran out, you were left with nothing but high ground and desperation.

But this wasn't a war against humans. Beastfall City faced monsters who didn't fear height, who saw walls as little more than obstacles. To them, even a thousand-meter vertical drop was a hill to climb, not a barrier.

Then came the question. The old City Lord, calm as ever, turned and asked Ethan what should be done.

Ethan blinked, incredulous. 'You're asking me? How the hell would I know what aces your city has up its sleeve?'

He didn't say it aloud, but the expression on his face said enough. If this dragged on, they'd be fighting tooth and nail on the wall itself. Thirty thousand guards on each side of the wall might sound like a lot—but against an endless tide of monsters, even iron will could be worn down.

A sharp voice cut through the tension.

"Report! Among the refugees at the South Gate—members of the Central Dominion Guard have returned! They've brought back... Priest Gorr's body!"

A messenger burst into the tower, panting, his eyes wild with panic.

"What?" Regis straightened. "The entire Central Dominion Guard?"

The messenger shook his head. "No, only a few... They came back with Priest Gorr's body."

Regis paused for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Send them up."

Ethan's breath caught. Priest Gorr... He was likely the one he had killed. The Central Dominion Guard must have been the ten-thousand-strong force he'd seen when he left the Flaming Cavern. But only a few returned? Had the rest fallen to the badgers?

The old man didn't even ask about Gorr's death. He was more concerned about the soldiers. Strange. And that girl was still staring at him. When she heard about Gorr's death, her look sharpened. Did she know? Could she know he'd killed him? Who exactly was she?

Questions piled up in Ethan's mind.

Moments later, several bloodstained figures climbed the tower. Ethan recognized their battered armor immediately—different from the City Guard. These weren't clad in leather; they wore full iron plate, dented and scarred from brutal combat. He'd sensed them before, back when he left the cavern.

"City Lord..." one of them began, saluting with clenched fists and bent knees.

Regis raised a hand, halting them mid-motion. "No need to kneel. Where is your Commander?"

"Reporting, City Lord," one replied, voice rough, "the Commander has likely gone to pursue the murderer of Priest Gorr."

"Likely?" Regis echoed, eyes narrowing.

"Yes... We found the Priest's body alone. All his attendants, including four maids, were dead. Two hundred and thirty-five corpses in total. Thirty of us took his body and rushed back to Beastfall City, per the Commander's orders. But on the way, we were ambushed by Pincer-tailed Sand Badgers. Only eight of us survived."

His voice cracked slightly. "We didn't fail our mission. Priest Gorr's body was delivered. It's already at Elder Gorr's residence."

"Fools..." Regis snapped, fury flashing across his weathered face. The single word struck like a whip. It wasn't clear who exactly it was aimed at—but Ethan could guess. Thirty Exalted-rank soldiers to deliver one body. Twenty-two dead. Foolish? Definitely.

Ethan studied the eight remaining men. Their auras were all powerful—Exalted-rank. Back then, he hadn't been able to distinguish ranks, but now, he recognized it clearly. That original force had been full of elites. Even Sovereign-rank warriors. Their Commander—his aura had felt... Transcendent.

And still, they'd chosen to fight their way back, dragging a corpse thousands of miles through monster-infested territory. Such devotion bordered on madness. Was it bravery, or idiocy? Ethan couldn't decide.

"You may go and rest," Regis said quietly.

The soldiers saluted once more and withdrew.

As they disappeared down the steps, Regis fell into silence. Then, without a word, he tapped a mark on the back of his hand. A shimmering light spread from his touch, forming a soft membrane that enclosed the platform.

Ethan's ears cleared instantly. The distant roars and the screech of siege weapons faded to nothing.

A soundproof barrier... So now he wants to talk in private?

"Gorr's Niece," Regis said, turning to the young woman. "When Julian left... did Bongo follow him in secret?"

She froze. Her lips trembled. Then she bowed deeply. "Y-Yes, Master... she did."

Regis sighed, expression darkening. She knelt before him, visibly shaken.

"City Lord... Master..." she stammered. "Bongo and the Third Young Master—Julian—they're truly in love! And Bongo is... she's still pure, she hasn't—"

Regis gently lifted her up with a wave of his hand.

"Let's not discuss that now. Thank you... for taking care of her all these years."

The statement made her blink. Even she looked confused.

"Master, you seem to know so much about her... But when I found her on the street, she was eight, same as me. Said her name was Bongo. Couldn't remember anything else. That's why I took her in."

Regis only shook his head again and glanced at Ethan.

"You'll understand... in time."

She said nothing more. Her gaze followed his to Ethan.

"Gorr's Niece," Regis said, voice low. "Do you wish to offer gratitude... or seek revenge?"

Ethan felt his scalp prickle. Both sets of eyes were locked on him now, as if they could see through his skin and into his soul.

"I'm sorry, what exactly do you mean?" he asked, eyebrows rising.

"Young man," Regis said, "do you know her surname?"

Ethan shrugged. "How would I? I'm not a fortune teller."

"My surname is Gorr," the girl said softly.

Ethan's mind went blank. Then—oh, no. He forced a smile. "Miss Gorr, a pleasure. I'm Ethan."

Sweat gathered at the back of his neck. Is this going to turn into a blood feud? Was that Priest Gorr her father? Uncle? Brither?

"You killed Priest Gorr," she said calmly. No doubt in her voice.

"Never met the man. Don't even know what he looked like. Miss Gorr, you're making a very serious accusation here."

Ethan's face was unreadable. His breath steady. His lie... smooth.

She didn't reply. Just patted the pouch at her side. A ripple of energy shimmered, and a creature's head emerged—sharp teeth, wide mouth, and hissing eyes.

Ethan's eyes widened.

The giant mole rat saw him and let out a furious shriek, its mouth gaping like a pit. It lunged—then whap!—she slapped it back into the pouch.

Ow... ow...

The rat retreated in pain, its jaws clamping shut.

"You want revenge for Priest Gorr?" she said to it. "Forget him. This man saved me. From now on... if you dare raise a claw against him... I'll make you suffer a death worse than death."

She wasn't bluffing. Her finger traced a glowing rune in the air. A contract sigil bloomed, ancient and binding.

"I'll make you feel what it's like to have ten thousand ants gnawing your bones."

Ding...

The rune flared to life. She grabbed the rat's claw, sliced it with a precise flick, and squeezed out a drop of blood. It hissed again, terrified now. The contract shot into its body with a flash of light.

And just like that, the oath was sealed.