Chương 6: Goodbye Bloodline Gate

Joe found the stat increase satisfying. Thirty new stat points, including ten free points, were a lot to process. It seemed the various ranks of his Class or Profession provided different amounts of points. His Unique Class had given him twenty points, while his legendary Profession added thirty. Oddly, the legendary Profession awarded more than the Unique Class. Did that mean Legendary rarity was better than Unique? He hoped these stat increases applied to level-ups also.

"How strong will I become once I start levelling?" he mused. What truly caught him off guard about his status were the titles, skills, and even a new Race. He was now a High Human. That felt significant, though its meaning eluded him. Even his alignment had shifted to reflect his new Race. The sheer volume of unanswered questions in his mind felt overwhelming. He doubted he'd ever stop adding to the list. He glanced at Kai, who was engrossed in a book titled Tutorial 101. Was that a book on the tutorial?

Before the question left his lips, curiosity nudged him to use his Identify skill. He wondered if it would work. He hadn't tried it on a person yet, though he'd successfully identified objects in the nightmarish hell room. Marvos, however, had been an exception; his Identify attempt on her had failed, showing him only three question marks. Identify: Kai, Human, City Builder Level 1, Architect of the Lost Kingdom Level 1"Architect of the Lost Kingdom. Is that your profession, Kai?"

Kai looked up; his expression masked in confusion.

"How did you know that?"

"I used Identify on you," Joe replied.

"What, how?" Kai leaned forward, clearly intrigued.

"I just focused on you and thought 'Identify.'" Kai tried it himself, and his eyes widened in astonishment.

"It said you are a level one High Human. But how did you know my profession? Identify doesn't show that." It doesn't? Joe paused, taking a few moments before he remembered something.

"I have Advanced Identify."

"I hate you," Hakeem mumbled from nearby.

"And go back. Did you say High Human?" Hakeem stared intently at Joe, his eyes widening as he also used Identify.

"My Race changed while I was being tortured. I think," Joe said with a shrug.

"Tortured?" Hakeem interjected, his tone sharp as he sat up straighter.

"What do you mean?" Joe gave them a concise rundown of his Bloodline test and the relentless, near-death struggles he'd endured. The room fell into stunned silence as they absorbed his words. Hakeem gasped when Joe finished.

"That is brutal. And I thought mine was bad. I just had to kill beasts in a super-realistic VR world. I never even came close to dying." That statement pulled at Joe's curiosity.

"Fight beasts? In VR? What, like Kirito?"

"Dude, don't mention that crappy anime. But yes, it was exactly like that. I spent a whole month cutting down wolves and jackals with my sword. I'm practically Hercules now." Hakeem flexed his arms, which were thicker than they had been since Joe last saw him.

"Whoa, did they also have a gym in there?" Kai said with a hint of jealousy. Kai was no small guy; he was always the most muscular of them. But now Hakeem gave him a run for his money. Hakeem gave a satisfied smile in return. Joe gazed down at his own arms. Noticing that they were also significantly larger than they had been before. When did that happen? His gaze flicked around the room, searching for a mirror or any reflective surface, but found none.

"Well, that is a relief, to be honest," Joe said, steering the conversation back to their discussion about Bloodline tests.

"I wouldn't want my worst enemy to go through what I did."

"I don't know what to say. I feel kinda bad now, as I was cursing your name the whole time I was forced to make sculptures and models." Kai rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine now," Joe nodded. Truthfully, he felt amazing. It was odd; maybe it had something to do with his evolution. Ever since it happened, a strange calm had settled over him, making it easier to accept his situation.

"It was touch and go right at the end there. But the God woman who made me drink all that stuff, I think she sacrificed herself to bring me back from the dead. Or something like that." Hakeem shot up from his seat.

"God woman? And what do you mean by 'bring you back from the dead '?" Oops. He probably shouldn't have let that slip. Judging by the way both Hakeem and Kai stared at him, he knew he had no choice but to explain. So he did.

"Now you're talking nonsense," Hakeem said, shaking his head as he dropped back into his seat.

"There is no way you met a god or even part of one. There is just no way." Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Joe couldn't fault him for not believing. He probably wouldn't have believed it himself without some kind of proof. An idea formed in his mind, and he wondered if it would work. He pulled up his status screen, focusing on his titles, particularly Grace of God, Died, and Revived. Was there a way to display them?

As he concentrated, something clicked in his mind. He could feel it; something had changed.

"Guys, identify me again. Tell me what you see." Kai and Hakeem stared at him for a moment, and then their eyes widened in unison.

"Oh my God," they said together. Joe leaned back with a satisfied smile. He was a genius. An hour later, Joe, Kai, and Hakeem sat immersed in the information books they'd been left with. For the first time in what felt like forever, Joe could relax. His test had been a relentless ordeal, and this brief moment of peace was a blessing. He dove into Tutorial 101, hoping it might shed light on some of the burning questions swirling in his mind about these new changes in his life.

One thing that puzzled him was a subtle shift he'd noticed on his status screen. Initially, he'd had one slot for a Class and two slots for Professions. Now, he had two Class slots and only one Profession slot. He scoured the tutorial book for an explanation but came up empty. Could it have something to do with his Bloodline? Or was it tied to having a Unique Class? It had to be one of those two things. He could ask Marvos when she returned; she was a Bloodline Gate Steward, or… Employee?

He wasn't sure if she had an official title. Hakeem stood up and stretched lazily.

"Hello!" he called out.

"Marvos, are you there? Can we go yet?" He looked around, waiting for a response. After a few silent moments, he sat back down.

"It was worth a try…" he began, but a voice cut him off.

"You cannot leave yet. I won't be much longer," Marvos's voice echoed through the room. The three friends exchanged a look before Kai and Joe returned to their reading. Hakeem, meanwhile, leaned back and closed his eyes. Joe noticed Kai was now engrossed in a book titled Bloodlines.

"Anything of interest?" he asked.

"Does it describe what Bloodlines are? I have a rough idea, but a proper explanation would be nice."

"It does." Kai replied, "It says here. Bloodlines are keys to the soul. They help to unlock hidden knowledge and past imprints that have been passed down from generation to generation. These imprints are the accumulated experiences and knowledge gained by one's descendants that help to shape what a soul is." Kai paused, contemplating what he'd read.

"Bloodlines do not determine what you are or what you will become. They simply help you along the way. A guiding light of sorts." Kai turned his focus to Joe after finishing what he had read.

"I have no idea what any of that meant; I just want to go home." Joe mulled over the explanation for a while. While inside this Gate, he'd started to ponder the importance of a Bloodline and what they were. Kai's description led him to believe they were similar to a spiritual mentor or guide. Imprints of experiences and knowledge… Interesting stuff, he thought.

"This book also reiterates their rarity; every true supreme being in the Multiverse has one. So that's a good thing, I guess," Kai said, lowering the book. He stood and stretched before adding, "I'm feeling a little rusty. I'm gonna jog around for a bit." With that, Kai began jogging along the edges of the room. It wasn't an issue; the room was vast enough to make laps without much effort. When Marvos finally made an appearance, three sets of eyes immediately snapped in her direction.

Silence filled the room as she made her way to her desk. Kai stopped mid-lap and moved toward one of the couches while Joe sat up and placed his book aside.

"I apologize for the delay, Humans," Marvos stated.

"My mistress tasked me with something that needed to be handled before you leave." She placed a bag she had been carrying onto the desk, pulled a ring from her pocket and set it down next to the bag. Joe watched with growing anticipation. Through the transparent section of the bag, he could see a huge crimson egg with black markings across the surface that resembled broken magma veins. It was the same egg he'd seen when he woke up after…

his mind became foggy as he tried to recall the memory of what had happened a couple of hours ago.

"Joe. Please step forward. These two items are for you," Marvos said. For a moment, Joe was taken aback. The egg was his?

"Okay," He replied, standing up and approaching the desk. He picked up the ring first, turning it over in his fingers to examine it. He activated Identify. Identify: Large spatial ring of storage. Simple enough to understand. He slid the ring onto his finger; it warped to fit perfectly. A small tab appeared in the corner of his vision. Focusing on it, he discovered an interface for the storage space within the ring. Inside the storage, he noticed seven books neatly arranged.

Their titles were Tutorial 101, Bloodlines, Multiverse Basic History, The 14 Gods, Empires of the Multiverse, Dao's, and one with a title he couldn't read.

"You will notice that some books have titles specifically for you," Marvos explained.

"These are system-generated books. I don't even know the contents of your storage ring. So please do not discuss anything you see in your ring except for the three books everyone receives. Tutorial 101, Bloodlines and Multiverse Basic History." Joe was relieved she'd clarified that right away. It was the first question he would have asked, so he wisely kept his mouth shut. While looking over the ring's contents, he noticed three additional items alongside the books.

One was the quarterstaff he'd received upon gaining his Class. Another was a token, listed simply as "??" in his storage list, offering no further details. The last time intrigued him the most: a magical stove. Magical Stove: The owner can cook any meal they have learned by infusing this stove with mana. That seemed incredibly useful, Joe thought. After closing the storage screen, his attention shifted to the final item on the desk before him.

He reached out, tenderly touching the bag; it was warm, almost hot to the touch. He glanced up at Marvos, his curiosity growing.

"What is this egg?" he asked.

"It was given to you by my mistress," Marvos replied.

"She instructed me to tell you. Protect the egg with your life; it is your responsibility now." Joe was perplexed. Why would her mistress entrust him with such a task? He also wondered who her mistress was; he felt he should remember… but couldn't. He shook his head, his eyes drawn back to the egg. His excitement started to rise at discovering what lay inside and when it would hatch.

"Yes, sir," Joe responded with a playful salute. He adjusted the bag's straps and slung it securely over his shoulder. Turning to Kai and Hakeem, he grinned.

"Time to go, lads. Are you ready?" Then, addressing Marvos, he asked, "Is there an exit? The corridor we entered through before is gone now…" With a wave of her hand, Marvos conjured a shimmering gateway to their right.

"Good luck with your tutorials. I will be rooting for all of you," Marvos said with a bow and a warm smile.

"Thanks," the three friends replied in unison before grouping together and tentatively stepping through the gateway. Joe gave Marvos one last glance before he disappeared into the shimmering surface. The Bloodline Gate was finally behind them, and they were eager to return to the surface after two long months of confinement. Or so they thought. As they would soon discover, the Multiverse and system Orion 281 had little regard for what they wanted. *** Beep. Exit currently blocked.

Lifeforms moved to temporary stasis pods. ***