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

Meeting Julian again after three years, the subtle resentment that once simmered between them had cooled into something calmer, more grounded. Julian carried himself with a newfound steadiness. Ethan, picking up on the change, decided not to prod or tease like he used to.

"So, the old City Lord finally left Beastfall City, huh?" Ethan asked, cutting to the point.

Julian gave a quiet nod. "You remember the Beastfall Festival from three years ago?"

"Yeah." Ethan's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of memory surfacing. He even had a side quest still sitting in his system log from back then—something about scoring +2000 Human Reputation Points. The details had always been fuzzy. Back then, his plan had been simple: suppress the beast-folk. If things went sideways, well... full extermination was always on the table.

But that was three years ago. Since then, he'd learned to see the nuance. Not all beast-folk were cut from the same savage cloth. The Underworld Hound Tribe and the Greatfang Tiger Tribe, for instance, held tightly to their old ways. The real troublemakers were the opportunistic fringe clans—the ones who allied with humans when it suited them, interbred, and spawned hybrids that now considered themselves superior to ordinary humans.

The irony still made him shake his head.

And then there was the Beastfall Festival itself. He'd missed it entirely, knocked unconscious before he could even step into the arena. By the time he woke up—three years later—the once-in-a-century event had already passed. Rumors said the top prize was a chance to gain access to the legendary Beastfall Pool. For humans, it could break their strength barriers, pushing them to the next Energy mastery rank and strengthening their very bones. For beast-folk, it promised bloodline purification and evolutionary leaps.

Julian, noticing Ethan's thoughtful silence, continued, "Beastfall Festival isn't just ours. Cities like Forgotten City, Clearspring City, and Hurricane City hold similar events at the same time."

"So the old man skipped the festival and went chasing bigger rewards elsewhere?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued.

Julian let out a soft laugh. "You could say that. He left to attend the millennial gathering—the Four Domains Sacred Assembly held in the Sea of Death."

That made Ethan pause. "Four Domains Sacred Assembly? Wait, isn't that... one of those once-in-a-thousand-years things? What's in it for us?"

His heart was already racing. From those Eastern novels he read back on Earth, anything that happened once every thousand years had to come with legendary-tier loot or opportunities. Julian could already see the wheels turning in Ethan's head.

"Come on," Julian said, motioning for him to follow. "I'll explain on the way."

They arrived at Julian's quarters, where the woman Ethan had seen earlier was now awake, rising from her seat beside a sand table covered in miniature terrain models and tokens.

"This is Bongo, my wife," Julian introduced.

Ethan blinked. "Oh… Greetings, Acting City Lord's Wife!" he said with a playful grin and an exaggerated bow.

Bongo gave a small, graceful bow, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "City Lord Ethan, I'll excuse myself if there's nothing else."

"Actually, there is…" Ethan said, just as she turned to leave.

Julian and Bongo both looked back at him, confused—until a loud, unmistakable growl echoed through the room. Ethan placed a hand on his stomach, face sheepish. "You got anything to eat? I swear, I could devour a cow right now."

Bongo chuckled, the sound light and genuine. She turned without a word and headed to the kitchen.

"You really scored with her, Julian." Ethan smirked, then wandered over to the sand table. "Alright, back to business. Spill it. What's the deal with this Sacred Assembly?"

Julian leaned over the table and gestured at the four quadrants etched into the map.

"The Sea of Death is divided into four domains. Each domain has a central city, and around them, large tribes and clans. Every hundred years, each domain holds a Festival. Usually, the bigger tribes dominate the rankings—they've got the resources, the manpower, the backing. And every thousand years, all four domains send their best to the Sacred Assembly. That's where the real prizes are handed out."

"Let me guess," Ethan said, arms crossed, "Beastfall City's been getting its ass handed to it?"

Julian nodded grimly. "Every time. Our teams get wiped out almost immediately. Beastfall City's in the Southwest Domain—our population is a mix of humans, beast-folk, and hybrids. The other three cities? Purely human. And here's the kicker: Hurricane City has allied with the beast-folk tribes and even got them a seat at the Assembly."

Ethan's expression darkened. "Let me guess—Hurricane City's not playing fair."

"They've been propping up the beast-folk, pushing them to take over Beastfall City from within," Julian said. "The only reason we haven't lost everything is because the Sigil of the Wild Legion is still under human control."

His tone turned heavier.

"My mother, my elder brother, and my second brother… all killed more than twenty years ago. We traced it back to Hurricane City."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "How many did your father take with him to the Sacred Assembly?"

"Just two—Old Quinn and Old Hank. That's it. He told me, if you woke up, you'd be the one to choose the participants to go to Hurricane City. And if you didn't… I was to prepare for war. Hold the city until you returned."

Julian's voice carried a raw edge now—less planning, more desperation hidden behind duty. Ethan could feel the pressure mounting.

Then Julian added something that made Ethan pause.

"There's a rule: only those under thirty-five can enter the Sacred Assembly trials."

Ethan let out a low whistle.

"That's stacked against us. Humans take forever to climb the Energy mastery ladder. Beast-folk… they're born halfway up it."

"Exactly," Julian said. "Some beast-folk are born at Sovereign-rank. In thirty years, they can hit Transcendent, even Limbo or Nether-rank. I'm thirty-one, and I only just broke into early Nether."

Ethan frowned. "What about humans? What's the benchmark?"

"Most human prodigies reach late Sovereign by thirty-five. Transcendent before that? That's rare enough to get you recruited by the top factions."

Julian sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "But beast-folk have one weakness. Once they hit Elysium-rank, they face a tribulation. Stronger than anything we face. Most don't survive it."

Ethan crossed his arms. "Then why doesn't anyone speak up? If the beast-folk are clearly stronger—"

"And the trial entrance is in Hurricane City," Julian finished. "They host it, they make the rules. Clearspring and Forgotten Cities wanted access too, so they caved. Each city gets ten spots. The beast-folk get three. Hurricane City gets fifteen."

Ethan slammed a fist on the table. "This whole Assembly is rigged. Why not skip it and let them play their corrupt little game alone?"

"No," a deep voice rang out from the doorway.

Ethan spun around. Uncle Jed stood there, somehow having entered without triggering Ethan's Soul Sense—even though it stretched nearly a hundred meters.

"Uncle Jed?" Ethan stared. "Your strength... it's different."

Jed walked forward slowly, his presence dense and imposing.

"I've recovered my strength back," he said casually, as if announcing he'd gotten a good night's sleep.

Ethan blinked. "What rank are you at now?"

"Guess," Jed said with a grin. "And if you get it wrong, you owe me a few barrels of wine."

"Don't mess around," Ethan groaned. With a flick of his hand, five barrels of white wine materialized and landed with a satisfying thud. "Here. Happy now?"

Jed chuckled. "Good, good. I knew I liked you for a reason." He picked up a barrel and hugged it like a long-lost friend. "This time, I'm not letting that drunk Hank steal any!"

Ethan watched, a strange emotion surfacing. He remembered everything that had happened on the road to Beastfall City. All the close calls. All the moments Uncle Jed had seemed on the verge of death. If Jed had been faking his weakness all along...

Then why had they all nearly died getting here?