Chapter 8: Bloodline
Ethan exhaled softly as he slid a thick book onto the shelf. His fate was clear now, unforgiving and absolute: kill or be killed. In this world, in this family, there was no middle ground.
Shaking his head with quiet resignation, he resumed his slow walk through the aisles, eyes drifting over the spines of countless books. Despite his keen intellect, he had never held much affection for books. He had no intention of returning to the library after today.
’After the Awakening, people became capable of drawing Astra from the air into their Astra veins. It’s essentially cultivation,’ Ethan mused, snapping another book shut with a hint of frustration.
’Yet, there are no cultivation manuals to be found. Everyone draws Astra at their own pace, some faster, some more efficiently, but there’s no standardized path. No structured techniques. No classifications like mage or healer either; abilities manifest randomly during the Awakening,’ he reflected, his footsteps echoing softly as he continued down the aisle.
’Everyone in this world is naturally fit, Astra passively enhances the body from birth, strength, speed, stamina, durability, all elevated by default. The Astra veins act as conduits, constantly reinforcing the body. It’s as if everyone here is born a Superman.’ Ethan mused as he walked.
Hours slipped by unnoticed, until Ethan finally came to a stop. His gaze settled on Lyra, standing a short distance away, her presence quiet but unmistakable.
"It seems you didn’t even bother trying to read anything, you just followed me," Ethan said, shaking his head with a sigh.
"I’ve been alive a long time, Young Master," Lyra replied evenly, stepping forward until she stood precisely two paces behind him. "Long enough to have read more books than I care to count."
’Right,’ Ethan mused as he resumed walking. ’The stronger someone is, the longer they tend to live. Shame there’s no path to immortality through cultivation, I might’ve considered it. Then again, I’ve heard that for immortals, boredom becomes their greatest enemy. Maybe eternal life isn’t such a great bargain after all.’
His thoughts drifted from one subject to another, his mind a quiet storm of reflection.
Ethan arrived at the same table where he had last seen the Great Elder seated.