Imperial Throne

Chapter 6: Resolution

Following Akar's indication, Ion noticed the rusty sword suddenly vibrating violently, causing a jolt of alarm in his heart.

He hurriedly stepped forward to grasp the sword, only to feel an immense repelling force that nearly prevented him from holding onto it, deepening his astonishment.

"Father?"

Yam and Akar called out anxiously but dared not approach recklessly, for they had already observed that their father's bloodline power seemed to be manifesting externally, showing clear signs of losing control.

"It's fine!"

Ion shouted in a low voice, finally ceasing to suppress the bloodline power within him and instead unleashing it fully.

The rusty sword transformed once more into a deep black longsword, as dark as an abyss, allowing him to barely manage to hold it.

However, judging by Ion's continuously trembling right hand, the two brothers could tell that their father had not truly mastered the sword.

The longer Ion held the sword, the more energy he expended. In a flash of thought, he realized something and quickly said, "Bring your ice pot here!"

The two brothers dared not delay and hurriedly brought the ice pot before Ion. Ion immediately plunged the longsword into the ice pot with such force that the expensive pot cracked instantly.

But the family of three had no time to lament the damage. They watched as the liquid inside the ice pot instantly turned into flames, burning along the sword's blade in a reverse flow.

Even after Ion released the sword, the flames continued to blaze fiercely. Strangely, despite the intense fire that even melted the ice pot, the house itself did not catch fire.

Ion's heart was filled with even greater shock.

He had been a Bloodline User for three years. During this time, he had constantly explored his bloodline power whenever possible, so he was well aware of the capabilities granted by the [Flame Hound]'s [Blood Flame]: it was no ordinary fire.

A mere spark could ignite a raging blaze, and ordinary flames, unless large enough, could no longer harm him once his bloodline power was activated.

Therefore, logically, when the [Flame Hound] bloodline potion's flame dripped, his small house should have been set ablaze.

Yet now, the reality contradicted his understanding, leaving Ion deeply shocked.

...

Robin, residing within the sword, paid no heed to the thoughts of Ion's family.

At the moment the [Flame Hound] bloodline potion was refined, Robin suddenly felt a stirring sensation.

The potion seemed to exert an immediate attraction on him, creating an urgent desire.

However, unable to communicate with Ion and the others, he could only use the sword's vibrations to draw their attention.

Fortunately, Ion was not a fool and quickly understood Robin's intent, inserting the sword into the bloodline potion, allowing Robin to successfully draw the [Flame Hound] bloodline potion into the sword.

"Indeed!"

Observing a drop of bright red blood bead appearing before him, faintly emitting a peculiar stench, Robin's expression was no longer one of disgust as it had been upon first sight.

He gently touched the blood bead with his finger, causing it to burst into countless tiny blood-red fragments.

Among these fragments, nearly half were deep red. Of the remaining half, two-thirds were light red and pink, while the final third was deep black.

The foul odor emanated from this third of black fragments.

After a brief contemplation, Robin realized that this third of black fragments was some kind of toxin.

However, he did not understand the specific nature of the toxin or its harmful effects.

The other two-thirds of light red and pink fragments were not actually the bloodline effect of the [Flame Hound].

This portion seemed to act as a binder that neutralized the toxin and bloodline efficacy, allowing the consumer to unknowingly integrate both the toxin and bloodline power into their own bloodline.

With this understanding, Robin immediately grasped why a single bloodline potion could yield ten doses and why consumers needed to use the stimulation method intermittently.

It was entirely to ensure that the toxin fully integrated into the consumer's bloodline.

As for why some people could successfully activate their bloodline while others could not, it was because the efficacy of such a potion was only half, giving the consumer only a fifty percent chance of success.

"This toxin is certainly not ordinary!" Robin muttered. "The decline of the [Universal Bloodline Power] is probably related to the influence of this toxin. ... So what exactly has happened over these years? Moreover, I was clearly sealed back then, yet it seems people continued to use me in battles afterward. Why can't I remember these events?"

A sharp pain suddenly exploded in Robin's mind.

Several chaotic voices abruptly rang out.

"...Return to unity..."

"Great Sin!"

"...Pray for mercy..."

In the next second, these voices became completely disordered and confused.

Immediately after, a series of images flashed abruptly.

Sword guard, scabbard, four-colored gemstones, jade inlays on the sword guard, counterweight at the end of the hilt...

Eight types of components flashed through Robin's mind one by one.

Only then did Robin suddenly realize that compared to when he was first sealed, several parts were now missing from his body!

The sword guard, the pair of jade stones embedded in the guard, and the counterweight at the end of the hilt had all disappeared.

This was far more severe than merely losing a scabbard and the four gemstones on it, which explained his current rust-covered appearance.

However, these were not Robin's primary concern at the moment.

He suddenly realized that his range of activity might not be limited to just within this sword!

A surge of fervor rose abruptly in Robin's heart.

He must find all these components!

...

"Father?" Akar's face still bore a look of sorrow.

Their family had diligently saved money for over a decade to concoct this single dose of the [Flame Hound] bloodline potion, only for it all to come to naught. How could he not feel a pang of heartache?

"This is probably fate," Ion shook his head. "I became a Bloodline User because of this rusty sword, awakening the [Flame Hound]. Now, let's consider this bloodline potion as repaying a debt. ... Later, I'll seek refuge with the lord. In a few years, I should be able to save enough money for a second potion. But..."

At this point, Ion turned to look at Yam with eyes full of apology.

Akar might still have time to wait, but Yam certainly could not afford to.

Having served in the kingdom's army and consumed the [Violent Bear] bloodline potion, he naturally understood some of the rules.

Bloodline potions must be consumed before the age of twenty-five. After twenty-five, the activation probability drops significantly, and once over thirty, it's entirely impossible to activate the bloodline, relegating one to a true commoner.

Yam was already nineteen this year. Saving enough for another bloodline potion within six years would be quite challenging, especially since the White Mountain Territory was not affluent.

"It's okay, Father," Yam shook his head.

"Father, look at the sword!" Akar suddenly exclaimed, drawing both Yam and Ion's attention back to the longsword.

At this moment, a stream of cloud-like flames had suddenly appeared on the dark blade.

The flowing flame resembled molten nectar.

This stream of flame, like a fine liquor, slowly ran along the blade and dripped back into the ice pot, producing a sharp sizzling sound.

As white smoke rose, one corner of the ice pot instantly cracked off and fell to the ground.

That very stream of flame happened to rest in this broken piece of the pot, emitting a rich fragrance and radiating a warmth like sunlight.

The father and sons quickly rushed forward to retrieve the shard of ice.

“Father, it’s not enough,” Akar said, his expression slightly grim.

He had seen with his own eyes the amount when the bloodline potion was first successfully brewed. The amount on this shard, no matter how one measured it, was clearly insufficient by standard.

“Drink it,” Ion said after a moment of contemplation, then handed the shard of ice to Yam.

Trusting his father without hesitation, Yam immediately tilted his head back and drank the flame from the shard.

He had expected his mouth to be burned.

But to his surprise, the flame was not scalding as imagined. Instead, it had a sweet aftertaste and gentle warmth.

As the stream flowed down his throat, a wave of heat spread through his entire body. His blood began to boil, and his heart pounded rapidly. An unending stream of power surged from his heart, flowing into his limbs and bones.

“Father!” Yam gasped.

The next moment, he felt an itch in his throat and couldn’t help but cough.

Instantly, sparks began to erupt from his body.

In the blink of an eye, they transformed into seething flames.

However, compared to Ion’s body being entirely engulfed in flames, Yam’s manifestation was far more restrained. Flames of orange-yellow hue appeared only on his hands.

Yet, the heat radiating from Yam’s hands was so intense that both Ion and Akar were forced to retreat repeatedly. Even with [Blood Flame] burning on Ion’s own body, he could not withstand the oppressive heat.

“Father, I’ve awakened my bloodline!” Yam’s face showed disbelief. “But strangely, it’s not [Flame Hound], it’s [Flame Demon Hound], still a Tier-2 bloodline, but the bloodline ability is [Flame Stream].”

As he spoke, Yam turned his hands palm-up. Flames gathered swiftly between his palms, forming two fireballs the size of human heads.

“The effect is roughly like this,” Yam explained. “I can condense fireballs to throw at enemies, though the range seems dependent on my arm strength. Besides that, I can also attach flames to my weapons…”

“[Flame Demon Hound]...” Ion repeated the name, then turned his gaze back to the rusty sword. “This sword… it’s anything but ordinary! If others learn of its nature, our entire family will be doomed. We must keep this secret.”

Hearing Ion’s words, both Yam and Akar turned solemn.

In an instant, they understood the sword’s uniqueness.

Although [Flame Hound] and [Flame Demon Hound] differed only slightly in name, the manifestations of their bloodline abilities were vastly different!

What that implied, none of the three were foolish enough to miss.

Ion drew out the sword, now rust-covered once more, and was momentarily stunned.

[Two].

The number appeared in his mind.

...

Watching Yam acquire the [Flame Demon Hound] bloodline ability, Robin felt a surge of understanding.

Since awakening part of his consciousness, he had gained some special powers, one of which was the ability to purify bloodlines.

However, this power is currently only applied to bloodlines below Tier-3. He could do nothing with Tier-3 or higher bloodlines for now.

Moreover, this purification wasn’t unlimited.

In his current state, he could purify bloodlines only three times.

After purifying [Flame Hound] into [Flame Demon Hound], only two purifications remained.

Besides that, Robin had mastered another ability: he no longer needed to concoct bloodline potions.

If enough bloodline-capable monsters were slain using his blade, he could absorb their essence and produce a bloodline potion, not the toxin-laced kind currently circulating, but a true potion that guaranteed bloodline activation.

This particular ability, however, he had no intention of letting Ion’s family know for now.

He merely conveyed to Ion the capabilities and limitations of the bloodline purification, along with possible side effects, via mental messages, all while continuing to feign the demeanor of an inanimate object, transmitting a longing for restoration.

...

“We may need to make a trip south,” Ion said after taking a deep breath.

He explained that many components of the rusty sword were missing and that it now sensed one part located in the southern region. So, they would need to head south.

Ion shared the message he had received from Robin with his two sons.

“So… we can still make two more [Flame Demon Hound] bloodline potions? But the potions produced this way can’t be passed onto future generations?”

“Correct,” Ion nodded. “But if the one who acquires this bloodline power dies, and we recover the bloodline energy, then we can regain one use.”

“This might be…” Akar started, then quickly shook his head, correcting himself. “No, this is our family’s chance to rise as Bloodline Nobles!”

“Exactly,” Ion agreed. “Which is why we must go south, not only to search for the sword’s missing components, but also to visit the Red Soil Territory and craft a bloodline potion for Akar.”