Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 51

Chapter 51: The Path to Strength

Meanwhile, within the towering fortress inside the Gates of the Underworld…

At the topmost platform, overlooking the grand gates, stood a figure clad entirely in ornate black armor. The figure’s body was completely hidden beneath the metal, save for two sharp eyes peeking through the helmet’s visor.

“What a foolish child,” a voice that sounded neither male nor female murmured.

Just as Ethan’s foot was about to graze the barrier, the armored figure raised a hand with a casual flick.

Boom!

Ethan’s body jolted violently before being launched into the air. He soared backward, the world around him a blur. The misty staircase, the fields of Ethereal Blooms, the black lake, the Blood Abyss, all of it zipped past him as he hurtled uncontrollably.

He shot through the shimmering gap in the waterfall, the very one he had entered through.

Then, all went dark.

—

Ember City General Hospital, ICU

Ethan lay motionless in the intensive care unit, his body unnaturally still, connected to an array of machines.

Outside the glass window, Lyla stood vigil, exhaustion etched into her pale face. For three days and nights, she hadn’t slept. She simply remained there, staring at Ethan’s lifeless body through the windowpane.

“Miss Silverwood,” a young nurse approached her, holding a clipboard. “The head physician wanted me to inform you… Mr. Carter’s body functions have almost completely shut down. There’s minimal brain activity, and his heartbeat is barely detectable. At most… he has one day left.”

The nurse hesitated before handing Lyla the clipboard. “We need your signature here.”

Lyla’s trembling fingers took the clipboard. Her eyes blurred with tears as she read the bold header: Critical Condition Notification.

Her chest tightened. She’d cried so much over the past few days that she thought she had no tears left. But seeing those words, fresh streams began flowing down her cheeks.

She stared at the signature line, pen hovering over the paper. Her hand shook so violently that the pen pierced through the page. She couldn’t bring herself to sign.

A single teardrop fell, landing on the paper with a soft plop.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, she steadied her hand. Just as the pen began tracing the first stroke of her name, a loud, droning noise pierced the air.

“Beeeeep—”

The machines in the ICU began blaring alarms, their red lights flashing urgently.

“Call the doctors! Hurry!” Lyla shouted, shoving the clipboard into the nurse’s hands before rushing to the window, her face pressed against the glass.

Inside, chaos erupted. Every monitor in the room flashed red, the heart rate monitor displaying a flat green line.

The doctors arrived quickly. Too quickly, it seemed, as they exited just as fast.

Lyla turned to the lead physician, her tear-streaked face brimming with desperate hope. But the man shook his head solemnly.

Inside, the medical staff began shutting down the equipment. The flatlined monitors were turned off, one by one. Ethan’s body was covered with a white sheet, signaling the end.

“You can go in and say your goodbyes,” the lead doctor said softly before turning to leave.

But as he did, a series of shrill screams erupted from inside the ICU.

“Ah—! Ahhh—!”

Everyone froze.

Lyla clamped a hand over her mouth, her wide eyes glued to the scene before her. Then, without hesitation, she burst through the door, rushing inside.

“What… how is this possible?” the doctor stammered, rushing back in behind her.

Ethan sat upright, dazed, his upper body exposed as the white sheet fell away. His eyes, once lifeless, now gleamed with renewed clarity.

As Lyla threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably, his gaze softened. Slowly, he reached up and stroked her hair.

“Don’t cry,” he murmured. “See? I’m fine now.”

“You scared me! You scared me to death!” Lyla cried, burying her face into his chest before fainting from sheer exhaustion.

Ethan blinked, startled. Before he could react, the lead doctor stepped forward and quickly checked on her condition.

“She’s fine, just passed out. Poor girl hasn’t slept or eaten for days,” the doctor said, shaking his head. “Get her on a bed, hook up a nutrient IV, and let her rest properly.”

The nurses hurried to follow his instructions, gently taking Lyla from Ethan’s arms.

“Mr. Carter,” the doctor said, turning back to him with a look that made Ethan shudder. His gaze was unsettling, like a starving man eyeing a steak.

“Uh… is something wrong?” Ethan asked warily, feeling an inexplicable urge to cover his chest.

“We need to run some tests,” the doctor replied, his tone far too eager.

—

Three days later, Ethan was finally “released” from the hospital.

Yes, released.

In those three days, the doctors had poked, prodded, scanned, and examined him to within an inch of his life. They seemed ready to cut him open and study him under a microscope.

In the end, the results were baffling: not only was Ethan perfectly healthy, but his physical condition was comparable to that of a world-class athlete in their prime.

He walked out of the hospital with a clean bill of health, but not without a newfound appreciation for the word freedom.

Lyla was still weak from the ordeal of the past few days. Her body was fragile, her steps unsteady, and she clung tightly to Ethan’s arm as they made their way back to the villa. She hadn’t let go of him even once.

“I’ll take you to your room so you can rest,” Ethan said gently, glancing at her pale face.

“Okay,” Lyla murmured softly.

Once she was settled in her room, Ethan ensured she was comfortable. The doctors had been clear, she needed proper rest and nourishment to recover fully.

With Lyla resting, Ethan finally had some time to himself. It was just past noon, and he still had the entire afternoon before he could log back into Ethereal.

His mind drifted back to Morzan’s cryptic words just after he was hurled out of the Gates of the Underworld:

“Your soul has grown too strong because of the Ethereal Blooms. Your body, however, hasn’t kept up. Strengthen it, or the imbalance will cost you.”

Ethan had learned a lot from that brief conversation. The currents of energy from the VR capsule had been gradually enhancing his physical body. Still, Morzan had warned that the process wasn’t enough. Ethan needed to bridge the gap between his powerful soul and his mortal body through rigorous physical training.

Determined, Ethan hopped into the car and drove to a fitness equipment store, returning with bags full of gear and supplies. He wasted no time setting up a makeshift training area in the villa’s spacious living room.

He strapped a ten-kilogram weight vest to his torso, feeling the immediate strain on his legs.

“Let’s see how far I can push this,” he muttered.

Hands clasped behind his head, Ethan lowered himself into a squat, then rose slowly.

One… two… ten… twenty…

By the time he completed fifty squats, there wasn’t even a hint of fatigue. Frowning, he grabbed four additional weights, increasing the load to fifty kilograms.

One… two… ten…

At twenty, his legs trembled under the strain. Sweat poured down his face, his breaths coming in short, ragged bursts.

Grabbing a nutrition shake from his earlier purchase, Ethan downed it in one go, resting for a few minutes. The fatigue quickly faded, replaced by a renewed sense of energy.

“Again,” he said to himself, lowering into another round of squats.

Despite the grueling effort, Ethan found himself impressed by his stamina and strength. Not long ago, the so-called “Ice Queen,” Celeste Hawthorne, had written him off as worthless, a title he now intended to erase entirely.

In his past life, he had suffered alone, powerless and abandoned. But this life was different. He had Lyla by his side, a happiness he had never known before. He would protect it at all costs, both in the real world and in Ethereal.

And then there was the Underworld. The strange warmth in that voice still lingered in his mind. It was unlike anything he’d ever felt before, filling a void he hadn’t realized existed. He had to uncover the truth, about the voice, about what had happened in the Underworld, and about the powers Morzan hinted at.

“Strength is the only way forward,” Morzan had said.

In that brief return to Ethereal earlier, Morzan had revealed another unsettling truth: the game was far more than just a virtual escape. Hidden forces, powerful individuals, and secret factions operated in both the game and the real world, and they would stop at nothing to exploit its resources.

If Ethan wanted to survive, he had to grow stronger. Otherwise, he and those he cared about would be nothing more than stepping stones for others.

“One… two… three…”

In the living room, Ethan’s labored breathing echoed with each rep.

To him, this wasn’t just physical training, it was a battle of will. It was why he had been able to complete the grueling quest, ‘The Angel’s Salvation,’ in the first place. The monotony of repetitive movements didn’t bother him. He had always had resilience. Before, he lacked talent. But now? Now he had both.

“Eighty… ninety… one hundred…”

Sweat dripped onto the floor. His legs screamed in protest, every muscle burning. Yet his powerful soul kept him moving, its strength bolstering his will.

“One hundred and ninety… two hundred!”

With a guttural roar, Ethan’s legs gave out, and he crashed onto the floor with a loud thud.

He lay there, gasping for breath, staring at the ceiling as his heart pounded in his chest.