Imperial Throne

Chapter 13: On Bloodlines

From a bird's-eye view, the Withered Wood Forest appeared as a vast expanse of black earth, starkly contrasting with the dark red hue of the eastern Red Soil Territory, which resembled dried blood. The two terrains formed a striking juxtaposition.

Thus, all demon hunters entering the Red Soil knew they had arrived at a place of death upon seeing this black land.

At this moment, seventeen individuals were advancing along the edge of the Withered Wood Forest, the red earth of the Red Soil Territory gradually receding behind them.

This group of seventeen was the squad led by Burton, disguised as demon hunters.

Walking ahead of the others were Ion and Akar.

Their journey was driven by a clear purpose. As they traversed the eastern Red Soil Territory, they avoided combat with magical beasts unless attacked.

Even when forced to fight, they only collected the most crucial material, the heart, and discarded the rest, causing Ion and Akar considerable heartache.

However, this high-efficiency approach allowed them to reach the Withered Wood Forest in just a day and a half. In fact, if they had been on horseback, the journey from Red Soil Town to the forest's edge would have taken less than a day.

But horses, with their noise, easily attracted swarms of magical beasts. Moreover, the beasts' aura could drive horses into madness, leading to chaos.

Therefore, seasoned demon hunters never rode horses in areas teeming with magical beasts or their nests.

...

Upon entering the Withered Wood Forest, Burton's demeanor became noticeably more cautious, shedding his earlier sense of urgency.

He even engaged more frequently in conversation with Ion.

"Was the Armored Demon Rabbit you saw at the ruins large?"

"Does the size make a difference?" Ion, unfamiliar with such knowledge, seized the rare opportunity to ask questions.

"The Armored Demon Rabbit is a third-tier magical beast; did you know that?"

Ion earnestly shook his head.

This gesture caused Burton to frown in confusion. "You're already a Bloodline User, and if I'm not mistaken, a first-tier [Flame Hound]. But why are you completely unaware of such... basic knowledge?"

Ion had no reason to hide the truth. He used the excuse he had previously discussed with his sons, explaining the origin of his bloodline ability.

He mentioned that he was in Red Soil Town because he couldn't afford the materials to create a Bloodline Potion, so he had to gather everything himself. In doing so, he discovered the profession of demon hunting.

However, due to his limited understanding of magical beasts, he suffered several setbacks, prompting his decision to stay in Red Soil Town.

Burton nodded in understanding at Ion's explanation.

"Bloodline Users without any backing do have a tough time. That's why many choose to serve a lord," Burton remarked casually. "You and your son are quite fortunate. Even though the [Flame Hound] bloodline isn't rare, not everyone can successfully awaken it."

Despite Ion's expression showing appropriate relief, his heart sank. He realized that Burton had no intention of recruiting him and his son.

Bloodline Users were often referred to as "Bloodline Nobles" for a reason.

Even a first-tier Bloodline User could attract offers from any lord. For wild Bloodline Users, pledging allegiance to a lord was usually the best option , unless they harbored strong ambitions to achieve higher status through their own efforts.

Ion wasn't foolish.

From Burton's tone, he could tell that while Burton didn't look down on them, he also didn't consider Ion and Akar's strength noteworthy.

This often indicated that the person had a significant background or had already made a deal with Hughes.

Burton was unaware of Ion's cautious nature, having only interacted with him for two or three days. After briefly discussing Bloodline Users, he returned to the topic of the "Armored Demon Rabbit."

"Tier three is a significant threshold for both humans and magical beasts," Burton explained. "When we become first-tier Bloodline Users, we automatically gain a corresponding bloodline ability. Some bloodlines offer two or three different options, while others provide only one. For instance, the Kingdom's Military's [Violent Bear] bloodline, though only first-tier, offers two abilities to choose from."

"Your [Flame Hound] bloodline, despite being a second-tier bloodline from the start, only grants one bloodline ability."

"Does that make a difference?"

"Of course," Burton nodded. "First-tier signifies the manifestation of bloodline ability, while the second-tier represents its enhancement."

"The [Violent Bear] bloodline, upon awakening different abilities, can be further enhanced at the second tier. For example, if the activated ability is [Frenzy], the second tier can choose from bloodlines like [Bloodthirsty Hound], [Charging Boar], or [Minotaur]. These effectively reinforce the [Frenzy] ability, boosting strength or speed. With enough luck, [Frenzy] might even evolve into new abilities like [Bloodthirst] or [Sprint]."

"This way, at the third tier, even more bloodline enhancements become possible."

"But the [Flame Hound] is different. Its bloodline ability is fixed. The first-tier always grants [Blood Flame], and upon advancing to the second-tier, it only slightly enhances strength and speed, without any other variations."

"No other variations?" Ion was suddenly alarmed, thinking of his two sons. They had also used the [Flame Hound Bloodline Potion], yet what they awakened wasn’t the [Flame Hound] ability, but [Flame Demon Hound], with even the first-tier manifested abilities being entirely different!

Burton didn’t know this. Seeing the brief flash of shock and dread on Ion’s face, he simply assumed Ion was distressed over the mediocrity of the [Flame Hound] bloodline ability.

"Actually, there's no need to feel too upset. A second-tier bloodline is still better than a first-tier. The [Violent Bear] bloodline, for example, requires a trial of death to ascend to the second tier, if you fail, you either become a monster or die on the spot. The [Flame Hound], in contrast, poses no such risk before reaching the third tier."

At this point, Burton gave a conclusive summary: "To put it plainly, bloodline advancement is a process of continually optimizing your inherent bloodline. If you can ascend to the sixth tier, a unique bloodline will be born within your body."

"A unique bloodline?" Akar interjected at just the right moment.

He gazed at Burton, who wasn’t much older than him, with an expression full of admiration and thirst for knowledge, this greatly stirred Burton’s desire to show off.

"Those who reach above the sixth tier develop a bloodline imprint within them. From then on, any children they have will naturally possess an affinity for that bloodline’s abilities," Burton explained with a smile.

"Bloodlines are incredibly complex. No one has mastered them entirely. Even if two people take the same path in bloodline advancement, they may end up with completely different bloodline abilities. There's a saying that bloodlines are influenced by the Potions used, life experiences, and various environmental factors such as climate."

"So, does that mean there are many types of bloodlines?"

"Of course," Burton nodded. "The four most perfect bloodlines are the Primordial Four Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind. If someone possesses one of these, it's much easier to awaken the corresponding bloodline. For instance, the root of the [Flame Hound] is the Fire Element bloodline. So, if someone has the Fire Element bloodline, a single dose of the [Flame Hound Bloodline Potion] is enough to awaken the [Flame Hound] bloodline."

Then, Burton suddenly burst into laughter: "But I doubt anyone with the Fire Element bloodline would willingly choose to awaken [Flame Hound]."

"Are there others besides these four bloodlines?"

"Of course," Burton said casually. "Lions, dragons, tigers, nearly all kinds exist. And each can be subdivided according to the Four Elements. Ultimately, all bloodlines trace back to the core elements, which is why we call them the ‘Four Extremes Bloodlines’. From that, we derive the ‘Eight Golden Bloodlines’ and ‘Twelve Silver Bloodlines’ the so-called Golden Blood Nobles and Silver Blood Nobles."

Hearing this, Akar’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm, feeling his very blood boil.

Even Hughes and the other non-bloodline soldiers listened with awe and longing.

But Ion furrowed his brow.

"Sir Burton, you mentioned that the same bloodline advancement might lead to different unique bloodlines. So what if two unrelated people awaken the same bloodline...?"

"Hahaha." Burton laughed before Ion could finish.

His laughter wasn’t mocking, but rather joyful, as if recalling something amusing.

"I once asked my grandfather the same thing. And guess how he answered?"

Ion and Akar shook their heads.

"‘Four Extremes Bloodlines’ refers to Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind. Now think about what I just said," Burton grinned. "All bloodlines stem from the Four Elements. And the resulting ‘Golden Blood’ and ‘Silver Blood’ guess what they represent?"

Everyone fell into deep thought.

Soon, Akar spoke up, "They’re types!"

He quickly added, "Like lion, dragon, tiger, types like that!"

Burton looked surprised but nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Golden and Silver Bloodlines are categorized by type. Each type can be subdivided further. Take the Dragon Bloodline, there are twelve classifications. Under the ‘Four Elements’, each has three subtypes. For example, Red Dragon, Flame Dragon, Ice Dragon, and Frost Dragon all fall under the Golden Dragon Bloodline. Red and Flame Dragons are Fire Element, while Ice and Frost Dragons are Water Element."

"I see," everyone nodded in understanding.

But Akar fell into even deeper thought.

Burton, growing fonder of Akar’s perceptiveness, asked, "What’s on your mind?"

"I’m wondering if bloodlines are unique," Akar replied with a troubled look. "There are twenty Golden and Silver Bloodline categories. But what about the Four Extremes? They're the root, how could they be further divided?"

Burton’s expression turned complicated.

Akar’s insight had clearly exceeded his expectations.

After a moment, he sighed and slowly said, "Yes, bloodlines are unique. Only when one becomes extinct can a new one be born. It’s said the Spirit Hall has a ‘Sacred Bloodline Codex’ that records all the bloodlines in the world. If a bloodline’s name fades, it means that bloodline has vanished from the world."

"Then… are any of the Four Extremes Bloodlines still around?"

"Only Water and Wind remain," Burton shook his head. "The Fire Element bloodline officially went extinct a hundred years ago. Earth Element bloodline vanished even earlier, at least a millennium ago."

At this, everyone fell silent.

"Now, back to the Armored Demon Rabbit," Burton resumed after a pause. "The third tier is considered a watershed because even second-tier Bloodline Users must undergo bloodline overlay advancement at this stage to gain new abilities. Most people obtain an entirely new bloodline ability upon reaching the third tier. Only rarely does their existing ability evolve."

"Think about it: between a Bloodline User with two abilities and one with only one, who’s stronger?"

The answer was obvious.

Burton didn’t wait for a reply. "That’s why both third-tier Bloodline Users and magical beasts are called Lords. For us humans, gauging strength requires combat. But magical beasts are more straightforward."

"The bigger, the stronger?" Ion asked.

"Not entirely accurate, but close enough," Burton nodded. "That’s why I asked how big that Armored Demon Rabbit you saw was. If it’s our size, we’ll need to find another. That’d be a fourth-tier beast, far beyond our capability."

Ion thought for a moment, then said uncertainty, "When I saw it half a month ago, it was about this big."

He gestured to his waist.

"Then we’re fine," Burton nodded. "I’m well prepared. It won’t be difficult to handle."