Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat!-Chapter 909: A Soul Split and an l

The Trifurcate Spirit technique was incomplete. Ethan only had the first half of the manual, the part most people would consider useless on its own. Still, that was the same portion Alaric had relied on to create his three avatars, so Ethan assumed learning it would not be too difficult. After studying it carefully, he realized that it was not just manageable but surprisingly straightforward.

Simple did not mean safe. One of the required steps involved splitting one’s soul in two, tearing consciousness apart by force. The pain alone was enough to kill an ordinary person. Ethan only had to look at the guy outside, screaming uncontrollably from nothing more than soul needles piercing him, to understand what that process would feel like. Ethan’s own soul had been damaged before, and that agony had never left him. The manual was asking him to slice his soul cleanly in half, which was close enough to suicide that the distinction hardly mattered.

The reason for such a brutal process was clear. A true avatar, according to the Trifurcate Spirit technique, had to possess its own personality and consciousness. Anything else was dismissed outright. The manual even mocked other forms of Clone Technique, calling them cheap illusions and parlor tricks. Avatars created through Trifurcate Spirit could grow independently, and when they merged back with the main body, every bit of their accumulated power would return as well. Ethan had seen this firsthand with Alaric.

There was a limit, though. The main body had to be strong enough to handle the merge. Otherwise, the backlash could tear it apart. That was why Alaric had never recalled his final avatar. That copy was too powerful, too obsessed with battle. Calling it back would have killed him.

Ethan’s first avatar, however, was different. The thing outside shared his origin and essence. He could absorb it directly, take its consciousness, and reshape it into a proper avatar without splitting his soul at all. Compared to the rest, that was the easy path. Any additional avatars could wait until later.

Time passed without Ethan noticing. His awareness slowly rose from the depths of the Trifurcate Spirit manual, and the moment he opened his eyes, a faint ripple of energy spread outward before vanishing. He froze, stunned. This incomplete technique contained traces of the Law of Life. Only traces, barely the surface, but enough to make his heart race. If he ever found the rest of the manual, he was certain he would touch something far greater, something tied to true creation itself. From that moment on, he treated the technique with a level of seriousness it had not earned before.

This was not just a method for creating avatars. It was a way to create life.

"Boss? You awake?"

Blackie’s voice pulled him back to reality. He had clearly woken up much earlier.

"How long have you been up?" Ethan asked.

"A while. I’m not sure how long, but you should probably check on that guy."

Blackie pointed toward the corner near the wall, where a faint hissing sound repeated over and over. Ethan turned his head and saw the thin stream of soul energy he had left running, still condensing needles and slamming them into a seven-colored light shield without pause. He snapped out of it and withdrew the command. The river of needles vanished instantly. Blackie waved his hand, and the seven-colored shield faded away.

In the corner, a figure sat curled up with his knees hugged to his chest. His hair was a mess, his head drooping forward, eyes unfocused. He looked completely empty.

"Damn. Did I break him?" Ethan muttered.

He had no idea how long he had been absorbed in the manual. If Blackie had been awake for a while, that meant the needles had been going nonstop the entire time. Blackie had probably woken up, seen the situation getting out of hand, and thrown up a shield to keep the guy alive.

Ethan walked over, spoke and nudged him with his foot. The man flinched hard and slowly raised his head. The instant he saw Ethan standing there, he panicked.

"AHH, no, please, no—" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

He scrambled backward, pressing himself against the wall as if he wanted to disappear into it. Ethan clicked his tongue.

"Shut up. Stop screaming. I asked you something. Have you had enough?"

He nudged him again with barely any force. The man reacted like he had been struck and immediately fell silent, nodding as fast as he could.

"You some kind of puppy? Use your words. I asked if you’ve had enough."

"Yes. Yes. I give up. No more needles. I’ll do whatever you say."

His voice cracked, on the edge of tears, assuming spirits could even cry.

"Good," Ethan said. "You’re with me now. I eat meat, you get the broth. Understand?"

He kept his voice harsh, even though he was barely holding back a grin. Blackie, watching from the side, knew exactly what Ethan was doing and had to turn away before he burst out laughing.

"Y-yes. Got it."

"Good. Now merge with me. I’ll use Trifurcate Spirit and build you a new body. A real one. Flesh and blood."

Ethan grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him closer. The spirit offered no resistance at all, letting himself be dragged like an obedient tool.

---

"Damn it. I’m starving. Those two idiots better not be dead."

At the peak of the southern ice fields, deep inside the forbidden zone, a massive black dog lay sprawled beside an ancient well, grumbling as he rolled onto his side. His stomach growled loudly.

"I should’ve gone with them. I can’t even get back to the demon realm without that kid."

The Infernal Hound forced himself upright and stared down into the black well, regret gnawing at him. This body was not his true form. When he arrived in this world, its natural order had condensed a temporary vessel for him. Even if this body was destroyed, it would not matter as long as he stayed close to Ethan. The mark on Ethan’s arm would let him return to his real body in the demon realm.

The problem was that Ethan was not here.

That meant he was stuck.

Still, something about the well bothered him. He stared into it for a long time and saw nothing, yet the feeling only grew stronger. He turned away, considering leaving the area entirely and heading toward human civilization to find something decent to eat.

Then something happened, a figure shot out of the well at high speed.

The Infernal Hound snapped to attention, ears standing straight up. His eyes locked onto the figure as he opened his mouth to speak, then stopped short.

"Who the hell are you," he demanded, "and why do you look exactly like that kid?"

The figure noticed him at the same time and stared at the black dog with open curiosity.

"Huh?" the newcomer said. "What kind of creature are you?"