Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat!-Chapter 355: Unveiling the Past

The boundless desert, with its searing heat, shimmered with wavering mirages. A massive sealed tent stood pitched in the middle of that vast emptiness. Outside, a solar panel leaned against a post, soaking up the relentless sun. A fair distance away, an advanced outdoor air conditioning unit hummed steadily.

Anyone who stumbled upon the scene might have thought they were tourists vacationing on Earth, rather than survivors scraping by in the Sea of Death.

Inside the tent, Ryan, Dot, and Dot’s mother were enjoying the cool air drifting from the vents. Each of them held a thick slice of ice-cold watermelon, biting into it with audible satisfaction. Dot’s eyes curved into little crescents as if this moment—watermelon, fresh air, a brief reprieve—was the most wonderful thing she had ever experienced.

They’d even indulged in the luxury of rinsing their faces and hair with clean water, a rare blessing in the desert.

As they ate, Ethan couldn’t help glancing at Dot’s mother from time to time. Aside from her slightly darker skin, her features were strikingly elegant. He shifted uncomfortably, then decided to break the silence.

"Uncle Jed, this thing... is it yours?" Ethan pulled the Bloodline Map Fragment from his pack and set it gently on the table.

Uncle Jed’s body went rigid. His hand lifted as if to touch it, but halfway there, he stopped. He pulled back and exhaled slowly.

"It used to be," he said, his voice rough.

"Tell me about it," Ethan urged, curiosity piqued.

Uncle Jed hesitated, searching for the right words. After a moment, he nodded.

"The Bloodline Map was split into five pieces," he began. "Four are hidden across the cities of the Sea of Death. No one knows where the fifth ended up."

He paused, his eyes fixed on the fragment.

"This piece originally belonged to the Forgotten City. I took it when I fled. Eventually, Tribe Leader Butcher found me half-dead and brought me back to his camp. But when I woke up, the map was gone."

Ethan frowned. "You think he took it?"

"I did, at first," Jed admitted. "Butcher always denied it. He said he hadn’t found anything else when he rescued me. And... he treated me kindly after that. Gave me food, a place to stay. Over time, I let it go. Maybe I just grew too tired to care."

His gaze turned distant.

"For years, I followed the Butcher Tribe as they migrated. I’d set up camp, hunt, look for water. That was my life—until yesterday, when you showed up and turned everything upside down."

He didn’t say more about who he really was. Something told Ethan that Uncle Jed’s past was more complicated than he let on. But if he didn’t want to talk, Ethan wouldn’t press.

Just as the story ended, a cold, metallic voice echoed in Ethan’s mind.

[Ding... System Notification: Main quest triggered—Blood King’s Trial: Gather the Map Fragments. Bloodline Map Fragment 1/5. Reward: Bloodline Mystery Clue ×1.]

Ethan rubbed his temple. A clue as a reward? What kind of lousy prize is that? He sighed inwardly.

’How long will this trial take? Collecting all five fragments? That’s absurd. The fifth one is missing altogether, and the others are in the hands of the Sea of Death’s most powerful factions. Even if I get three more, that’s still only four pieces.’

He exhaled and looked at Jed. "Uncle Jed, do you know where exactly we are in the Sea of Death right now?"

Jed shook his head. "Hard to say. In this desert, maps are precious. Usually, only a tribal chief has even a rough regional chart. The Butcher Tribe’s map... probably burned up in that fire last night."

Ethan clenched his jaw. Great, he thought. No map, no positioning device—just endless dunes. Perfect.

At least he still had supplies. If they ran out, he might not last long out here.

"If we keep heading west," a quiet voice interrupted, "we’ll reach Beastfall City in about seven days."

Dot’s mother had been silent until then. Now she sat with her back straight, her expression calm.

Uncle Jed looked up sharply. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Without warning, she rose from her chair, stepped forward, and slowly sank to her knees before Ethan.

The motion startled him. He jumped to his feet, but she pressed her palms to the ground and lowered her head.

"Clearspring City’s Nora Vance thanks you," she said firmly, "for killing that beast—Tribe Leader Butcher."

Her forehead touched the floor with a hollow thud. Ethan hurried over and tried to pull her up.

"Wait, Nora—please—"

He faltered, unsure how to address her. Miss Nora didn’t feel right, not when she had a child as old as Dot.

Uncle Jed stepped closer, his eyes wide. "You... You’re from Clearspring City? The Vance family?"

She looked up, her face composed. "Yes."

Ethan glanced between them. "Then how did you end up in the Butcher Tribe? You even married a Butcher?"

Uncle Jed’s tone carried a mixture of surprise and something like respect. Ethan realized the Vance family must hold some serious influence.

Nora’s mouth curved into a bitter smile. "Fate plays cruel tricks on people."

She sat back on her heels, her voice steady despite the rawness in it.

"Eight years ago, I argued with my father. I was too proud, too angry. So I hid in a caravan leaving Clearspring City for Beastfall City. I thought I’d prove something, I don’t even remember what anymore."

Her hands curled into her skirt.

"But on the ninth trail, we were ambushed. Bandits. They robbed everything—our fresh water, supplies. The escorts thought their reputation would protect them. They didn’t even bother to send scouts ahead. Arrogance killed them."

Her gaze turned flat. "They were slaughtered. And I was hidden in a water barrel. When they hauled it back, Dot’s father was the one who opened it."

Ethan listened without interrupting.

"He didn’t give me away," she said quietly. "He helped me hide. He told the others he’d found me during a hunt. I was so desperate, so afraid. Even though I hated the Tribe Leader, I knew running would mean dying alone in the desert."

Her voice faltered for a moment.

"So I stayed. He was... kind to me, in his way. After a year, I stopped fighting it. I accepted him. And in time, I gave birth to Dot."

Ryan let out a low sigh, shaking his head. "So the Butcher Tribe used to be bandits."

"Yes." Nora looked at him with a weary sadness. "But I don’t know why, after you arrived, Tribe Leader Butcher never took the raiding party out again."

"Heh." Uncle Jed snorted softly. "Maybe he thought he could play the good man at last. But I’d bet anything this migration was headed for Beastfall City. He hid my fragment and dragged me along because he already had a buyer in mind."

Ethan frowned. "Why do you think that?"

Uncle Jed’s eyes flickered. "Anyone who knows the legend understands: when all five map fragments are united, you can claim the greatest treasure in the Sea of Death."

He paused, letting the weight of it sink in.

"But there’s a catch. To open the treasure’s location, you need the bloodline power of the five families that guarded the fragments. Tribe Leader Butcher must have known. His tribe was once powerful enough to learn secrets like that."

[Ding... System Notification: Side quest triggered—Open the Bloodline Treasure Gate.]

[Ding... System Notification: Main quest reward updated—Blood King’s Trial reward changed to: Bloodline Treasure.]

Ethan nearly choked. ’This system is toying with me.

So if Uncle Jed hadn’t said a word, you’d have let me believe the reward was just a "clue?" And when I finally gathered all the fragments, you’d pop up to announce, "Oh, by the way, you also need the bloodlines. Good luck!’

His jaw tightened.

’What if I’d killed one of the families by mistake? Then the gate would be sealed forever. And now you’re changing the reward like it’s nothing. As if I need your permission to take the treasure once I open the gate myself.’

He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, trying to calm the frustration clawing at his chest. Ever since he arrived, the once-reliable Ethereal System had become more exasperating by the day. Either the rewards were insulting, or the instructions deliberately vague.

And as if that weren’t enough, he hadn’t heard a single word from Morzan. He’d called for him dozens of times, but there had been no answer.

A soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Benefactor... are we going to Beastfall City?" Nora’s eyes searched his face, hopeful.

He forced himself to breathe, to set the irritation aside.

"Nora... just call me Ethan," he said gently. "Are you sure that heading west will take us there?"

In this endless desert, wandering without direction was as good as a death sentence.

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