From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

If it hadn’t been for Byrne asking him to pass through that gateway, Erik would never have dared to cross over, instinctively feeling it was something not to be touched.

During the years he lived within the Fischer family, Erik had always been filled with gratitude and admiration for Byrne.

He was not only his family head but also a teacher and almost like a father.

Because he did not grow up in Nasir Town, Erik had almost no memory of his grandfather, Old Ramon; he was only on good terms with his father, Hugh.

When he learned of his father’s death, Erik felt as if the sky had collapsed, his mind went blank, void of the desire to think any further.

Then, he was taken away by the people of the Fischer family, stayed in the orphanage for a short while, and was subsequently brought away by Mr. Byrne.

Erik, who had lived all his life in a remote village, couldn’t understand many things about Nasir Town and instinctively feared a great family like the Fischer’s.

Fortunately, after coming to the Fischer family, he didn’t need to understand much. He only needed to learn about various medicines and the properties of Extraordinary materials as requested by Mr. Byrne, practice mixing potions, and help Mr. Byrne with miscellaneous chores.

Mr. Byrne was a very gentle person, much kinder than his father, who had been a blacksmith.

He also possessed a lot of knowledge and was always very composed. On the rare occasions that Erik made mistakes, he would just show a helpless smile, never resorting to any harsh scolding.

Gradually, the image of Mr. Byrne began to overlap with that of his father in the depths of Erik’s heart.

He was acutely aware that his departed father was nowhere near as gentle or learned as Mr. Byrne, yet both men were equally important to him.

“Let’s go, Erik.”

He was startled, jolted from his thoughts, and saw Mr. Byrne gazing at him with a smile.

“Okay!”

Erik nodded hastily in reply, and followed the people of the Fischer family through the Gate of Calamity, while he also stole a glance at Darren’s figure.

He actually envied Darren, who was born with the Fischer family’s Bloodline, while he could never truly become Byrne’s genuine offspring.

But Erik was merely envious; he harbored no jealousy whatsoever, instead hoping that Darren as Byrne’s son would grow up smoothly.

Otherwise, the emotionally invested Byrne would surely be particularly saddened.

Everyone except the fearless Irene held their breath in silence, passing through the Gate of Calamity one by one, with ten-year-old Darren following at the end.

He was afraid of the despair and fear that the gateway brought, but still clenched his teeth, silently reminding himself to be strong, to become a man who could protect his sister, to become like his father.

In the end, Darren closed his eyes and rushed through.

“We’re through!”

After getting past the Gate of Calamity, Darren saw the figures of the others and let out a sigh of relief.

Then, instinctively, his gaze was drawn to his surroundings—everywhere was scorched as if it had been blasted by Blazing Fire for several days and nights, a ghastly, charred landscape.

What place was this?

Darren felt fear rising from within him and had to forcibly endure it.

“Prepare for battle!”

He suddenly heard his father, Byrne, who stood in front of everyone, bellowing.

“Darren, don’t wander off; stay right beside me.”

Aunt Irene stood by him calmly, responsible for his protection, while Uncle Chris, expressionless, extended his hand and pointed out the position of the enemy immediately.

Darren stared in shock as creatures that resembled reanimated corpses crawled out of the scorched earth, black and covered with burning ashes, eyeless yet with gaping mouths, screeching as they charged toward the group.

He felt utterly tense, too nervous to move from his spot, watching the people of the Fischer family engage in battle with the creatures.

Even the still-youthful Erik was fighting using the Power of Consecution of a “Craftsman,” while he himself was useless.

If only I could be of some help. I’ve promised my sister many times that I would become someone who could protect her!

For the first time, the thought “It would be great if I had strong Extraordinary power too” crossed Darren’s mind, growing rapidly intense.

Even with such thoughts, he could only stand by and watch the battle from start to finish.

The scorched-earth corpses were completely unaffected by fire, but they could still be destroyed by regular attacks. Although their fire-resistant capabilities made it quite troublesome for Byrne to deal with, with Chris there, the few people from the Fischer family ultimately finished the fight unscathed.

Darren noticed that Uncle Chris was very powerful. The blades he wielded in both hands emitted silver light, and each strike vanquished a creature!

Of course, it was actually his own father who was the most formidable!

He admired his father immensely, always finding a sense of pride in being a member of the Fischer family and the son of Baron Byrne.

According to the people of Nasir Town, his father had risen from a commoner to a knight, and then from a knight to a true nobleman, almost single-handedly lifting the Fischer family to its present state. Everyone spoke of his father with deep respect.

Darren silently vowed to himself that he would definitely become a man like his father!

After dealing with those monsters, Byrne finally breathed a sigh of relief. As expected, it was a “calamity”; they could each disregard fire!

“Thank goodness for Chris, things would have been tricky if it were only me,” he mused.

He fell into deep thought.

Facing monsters that were completely unafraid of flames was undoubtedly a huge weakness for him; he had to find a way to improve.

However, more important than this, the next matter to attend to was the “Blood Awakening Ceremony”.

Irene took a deep breath, feeling some excitement, knowing it was her turn to take the stage.

The ritual to activate latent bloodline powers was nothing short of a miracle!

And for her to manifest the miracle of the Lord of the Lost was a wonderful thing indeed.

Irene recalled the mysterious knowledge in her mind, bit her finger, and began to draw a complex temporary altar on the ground with her fresh blood.

The traces drawn on the ground combined to form a complex pattern that was identical to the intricate brand on the backs of the hands of Fischer blood relatives.

“Darren Fischer, Erik Ramon, come forward,” she said slowly.

After she finished speaking, Darren and Erik stepped forward without hesitation.

The two boys, one younger and one older, widened their eyes, both appearing very nervous at the moment. This experience was something they had never had before.

Irene began to chant, and then continuously took out Extraordinary materials she had brought from the present world, one by one casting them into the temporary altar.

The materials needed for the “Blood Awakening Ceremony” were “phantom flower,” “purple blood worm,” “soul crystal,” and “dragon crystal stone.”

Because there were two people undergoing the ritual, they had prepared double the amount of Extraordinary materials in advance.

The blood-drawn patterns on the temporary altar began to emit a red glow, like boiling blood flowing, and those Class 1 and Class 2 Extraordinary Materials turned into faint specks of light and vanished in an instant!

Irene prayed with absolute devotion.

“Great Lord of the Lost, please bestow upon us the strong powers contained within our bloodlines, guide the Fischer family to change the old world, and seize the power that should not be held!”

The blood-colored patterns on the ground boiled more intensely, and Darren and Erik immediately felt a stabbing pain throughout their bodies.

Just as they were about to cry out instinctively, the pain suddenly vanished, and then, Darren and Erik felt as if they could sense their own blood, discovering a warm current flowing throughout their bodies.

In a daze, Darren and Erik seemed to see their ancestors, but the vision was extremely vague and unclear, only the whispers in their ears were clear enough.

“Children of giants,” “The world is about to be destroyed,” “Andersen,” “Awakening”…

They could not comprehend what they were seeing and hearing.

The power of Bloodline was awakened within Darren and Erik!

It was like a Mysterious substance truly existing inside their bodies, something Bloodline Knights found difficult to clearly describe to others, yet they could always feel it.

If Spirituality were like a serene lake in the depths of the soul, then the power of Bloodline was like streams coursing through the body, with the life force in the flesh always flowing, never truly ceasing.

That was the Extraordinary power that had been passed down through the bloodlines!

Although Darren and Erik had not yet had the chance to increase their bloodline power through training and consuming Magic Potions, their bloodline powers had truly shifted from latent to manifest.

The source of Darren’s bloodline power was the common magic beast “Blazing Fire Lizard Spirit,” endowed with the power to control flames and a robust life force, while Erik’s bloodline power source was the high-level magic beast “Brass Earth Dragon,” renowned for its astonishing defensive power.

Both boys had huge joy evident on their faces, the two, one young and one a bit older, were incredibly excited. Without a doubt, what happened to them was a miracle!

The two boys knelt down, continually praising the great Lord of the Lost.

Darren, who had been previously filled with fear towards the Lord of the Lost, now gradually transitioned to pure awe.

For many years, it was common knowledge that bloodline powers were innate, and that there was no way to acquire them later in life. Yet now, this common knowledge was shattered!

Just as spellcasting talent and Power of Consecution were compatible, bloodline powers and Power of Consecution could also coexist.

For a long time, the Fischer family lacked true Bloodline Knights with control over bloodline powers, but now that had changed!

Byrne couldn’t help but smile, a sense of longing also bubbling up within him.

Even if his own generation’s prospects were limited, as long as the Fischer family continued generation after generation, sooner or later, they too could become one of the top families on the continent.