After calming himself down, Ethan opened his status panel.
Name: Ethan Blank
Status: Lord of the Blank Estate
Aptitude: Warrior [D]
Rank: Middle Advanced Knight
Partner: 2
Children: 5
Ability: Bloodline Convergence – 2nd Stage [SSS]
Ethan’s eyes stopped when he saw the new lines appear below. He focused on them, and several lines slowly formed in front of his eyes.
Bloodline Convergence – 2nd Stage:
1. Forms a connection with people sharing the same bloodline.
2. Can be used to trace others sharing the same bloodline.
3. Allows the user to draw the combined strength of the entire family.
Note: Can be used once a year.
Ethan stared at the panel that made his eyes glowing faintly. The first and second points were already good, but the third one made his heart beat faster.
It was incredible.
He closed his eyes and tried to feel the new ability. He sensed a faint thread of power connecting him to his family. It was warm and alive, like tiny sparks running through his blood.
He understood that if he used it now, he could draw their combined power and reach the level of a late-stage Advanced Knight.
It was not overpowered yet because his children and family were still weak, but once they grew stronger, this ability would become terrifying. Their growth would directly raise his strength too.
"This second stage is already amazing," Ethan muttered with a faint smile. "I can’t even imagine what the third stage might do."
Excitement burned in his chest. Everything he had gained today was beyond his expectations. To higher-ranked warriors, these rewards might not seem much, but for him, they were life-changing.
He clapped his hands together and stood up, his face firm. "Alright, Ethan. Now’s not the time to relax. I should get moving."
After having a warm meal with his wives and children, Ethan took a short rest. The laughter of his family filled the hall, but deep inside, his mind was already running with new plans.
Once he finished eating, he cleaned up and stepped outside, calling for a meeting with his blacksmith team.
.......
Soon, a group of burly men with soot-covered faces and heavy beards gathered in front of him. The air smelled of metal and smoke.
Among them stood Otlo, a short dwarf with thick arms and a proud look in his eyes.
"My Lord," Otlo said with excitement, "do you have a new creation in mind?"
Ethan nodded slightly. "Yes. Take a look at this."
He spread a folded piece of paper on the table. The men leaned closer, curiosity flashing in their eyes. They were all loyal men, bound by contracts and trust. They knew well that betraying Ethan meant death, but his fair treatment and generous rewards had already earned their true loyalty.
"It looked like a huge crossbow,"one of them muttered.
Otlo’s eyes widened the moment he saw the drawing. "Huh... this is not a crossbow... it’s a ballista!" His voice trembled slightly with excitement. "And not an ordinary one, either."
Randall stood at the side and whistled. "Looks fine to me."
Otlo snorted. "What do you know? This is a masterpiece!" He turned to Ethan. "My Lord, where did you get such a design?"
Ethan smiled faintly. "Let’s just say it came from a reliable source."
Otlo pulled a chair and studied the drawing carefully. The design was simple but elegant.
The ballista could fire ten bolts one after another or all at once after reloading. It was efficient and deadly. But soon, his brows furrowed as he noticed the strange runes carved into the mechanism.
"My Lord," Otlo said slowly, "about these runes..."
Ethan raised his head. "What about them? Is there a problem?"
Otlo hesitated, rubbing his beard. "Not exactly a problem, but these symbols are... unfamiliar. I’ve never seen such runes before. We’ll need to test them carefully, or something dangerous might happen."
He looked at the paper again and felt a shiver. It wasn’t just a weapon—it was a piece of magical art hidden under a simple form.
After a long moment, Otlo clenched his fist. "My Lord, leave it to me. I’ll make sure this becomes a true work of art."
Ethan smiled softly. "I expect nothing less from you, Otlo. But before that, I have another task."
"Just say it, my Lord," Otlo replied eagerly.
Ethan leaned closer. "I want you to help build a furnace that can maintain a controlled temperature—hot enough for a human to sit inside without dying."
The entire workshop fell silent.
Randall almost jumped. "What? My Lord, are you serious? That’s madness!"
Ethan looked calm. "It’s not madness. I need it to craft something important."
He gave a short signal to Otlo, and the dwarf immediately understood. Otlo nodded slightly without asking further questions.
Randall frowned but noticed Ethan’s eyes and stopped himself from pushing.
He sighed and shook his head. "Alright, fine. I’ll trust you on this."
Ethan turned toward the blacksmiths. "Alright then, get to work. I’ll handle the rest."
Everyone bowed before heading off to their tasks. The sound of hammers soon echoed through the estate again, the rhythmic clangs filling the heavy air.
....
But outside the walls of the Blank Estate, peace was beginning to break.
A shadowy group crept slowly across the land, unseen and cold.
In a dimly lit room far away, a man stood over another person sitting on the ground. The atmosphere was heavy and suffocating. The man’s hand glowed faintly as he pressed it on the forehead of the other person.
A dark mist seeped from his palm, twisting and spreading.
"GYAAAH!" The person screamed in pain as black energy crawled over his skin like living smoke. His eyes turned dull and lifeless as the light in them fading away.
A deep silence followed. The man’s lips curved into a grim smile.
"Good...Good.."
"With this we can gather more people..And our first goal is to replace that Priest."
The faint scent of death filled the air, and the darkness continued to grow.