Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat!

"Why are you staring at me? Your wife is over there," Melinda muttered, shooting Ethan a sidelong glance.

"Huh? Oh!"

Ethan turned his head dazedly and met Maria's eyes directly.

She immediately looked away, her face flushing red—down to her neck.

"Bro… brother-in-law?" Markham murmured.

"Holy shit… that's a lot to process."

Matriarch Whitmore turned to glare at him, and Markham shut his mouth immediately.

Ethan finally realized what was going on. This was Matriarch Whitmore's way of protecting him.

But to make such a declaration in front of the Noble Eight families… the implications were massive.

".…"

If Lyla found out about this, he was going to have a lot to explain.

But at this point, denying it wasn't an option. Not only would that leave the situation unresolved, it would also be a direct insult to Matriarch Whitmore.

For now, he could only accept it—with a bitter smile.

After the Matriarch's announcement, the family heads fell silent. Their eyes were full of confusion as they looked at Ethan, clearly unsure what to make of it.

Ethan shifted uncomfortably under their gazes.

'What are you all staring at?' he thought. 'Is being a Whitmore son-in-law really that strange?'

Among those present, only two people wore noticeably different expressions.

One was Dominic, whom Ethan had met during the Academic Trials. His gaze was filled with disgust and loathing, mixed with something like pained resignation.

The other was the young girl from the Quinn family, her mouth slightly agape, her expression frozen in disbelief and shock.

Ethan found both reactions strange but kept his thoughts to himself.

"Is that so? Then let's move on to the main issue."

Lachlan Silverwood, finally spoke. Though he'd heard Matriarch Whitmore's explanation, he clearly didn't buy it.

But what could he do if he didn't believe it?

For now, he had no choice. The Whitmore Family's stance made things very clear—if he wanted to touch Ethan, he'd have to go through her.

And that, even Lachlan Silverwood wasn't confident he could do.

So, with some hesitation, the old man shifted gears.

Ethan sneered inwardly, just then, Lachlan shot him another glance.

With a cold snort, he muttered, "As for you—a soon-to-be dead man—I won't pursue this matter."

That did it.

"You senile old bastard," Ethan snapped. "You're the one who's about to die. You and your entire… uh, I mean—your entire branch of the family are going to die!"

He caught himself just in time, remembering Lyla was from the Silverwood family too.

Across from him, Lachlan's fingers visibly trembled. But the old man's tolerance was impressive.

He acted like he hadn't heard anything. In his heart, though, he'd probably killed Ethan hundreds of times already.

The other family heads watched silently, their expressions stiff.

They were thinking: 'Why'd you have to go and provoke him again? You already knew this kid had a sharp tongue.

Why open your mouth if you're just going to get roasted?

Matriarch Whitmore is right there, and you can't beat her. Just keep quiet, old man.'

Now that he'd been insulted again—trembling hand and all—did he have no shame left?

Even Lachlan himself was tempted to slap his own face.

'What the hell's wrong with me today? Why am I acting so petty?'

It had to be that damn brat—he just knew how to get under his skin.

'Fine, I'll back off for now', Lachlan told himself. 'But I don't believe this kid will stay under that old woman's wing forever!'

With that thought, he glared at Ethan.

"What are you rolling your eyes for?" Ethan snapped again. "If you've got a problem, go see a doctor. Don't end up with glaucoma or cataracts… or worse—eye cancer!"

Lachlan stayed silent, likely afraid Ethan would just insult him again. But Ethan wasn't letting him off the hook that easily.

He immediately launched another verbal volley.

Matriarch Whitmore sat quietly with her eyes closed, but her shoulders trembled faintly.

Lachlan was from her generation. He'd never been humiliated like this before. She might have wanted to punch him herself—but with no good reason to do so, she'd restrained herself.

Now, watching someone younger verbally wreck him while he couldn't fight back… that was satisfying in its own way.

"Uh… next, uh… ahem!"

Lachlan's body visibly jolted. He nearly slid off his chair. Clearing his throat to steady himself, he continued:

"Let's discuss the resource allocation issue.

As everyone knows, the production of Energy Cores has been decreasing. This year, there are only forty-two."

He paused after that.

The room fell into a collective sigh.

"So few…"

The head of the Wynn family slapped his armrest, clearly displeased. The other family heads shook their heads and muttered under their breath.

Ethan, meanwhile, was still confused.

Energy Cores? He said there are only forty-two, so were they just believing him? This old man could be hiding some—why doesn't anyone question him?

Seeing the suspicion on his face, Melinda leaned in.

"What do you want to say?" she whispered.

Ethan shared his doubts with her.

Melinda shook her head and explained quietly, "It's true. The Energy Cores are produced in the Silverwood family's hidden territory. But they can't be taken out until they're fully mature.

If they're removed too early, they'll dissipate instantly. And to extract them, the heads of all eight families have to use a secret method together to open the gateway."

Ethan nodded, finally understanding.

No wonder nobody questioned Lachlan's numbers—he couldn't fake them if he tried.

From the way everyone talked, Energy Cores seemed crucial. Like batteries, Ethan thought. They must power something important.

The discussion continued, and it was agreed that each of the eight families would receive one Energy Core to sustain their respective hidden territorys.

The remaining thirty-four would be distributed based on the results of the competition.

First place: seven cores

Second: six

Third: five

Fourth and fifth: four each

Sixth and seventh: three each

Eighth place: two

As for other supernatural practitioners—those not affiliated with the Noble Eight—regardless of their ranking in the competition? Nothing.

Ethan scoffed inwardly. Bunch of cunning old foxes.

During a lull in the conversation, he leaned over to Markham.

"What's the big deal with these Energy Cores, anyway?"

Markham gave him a quick rundown.

The cores weren't just for keeping the hidden territorys running. If extra cores were added to the dimensional nexus, they'd amplify the ambient Magic power, making it easier to train one's energy inside.

Staying in such a place long enough also increased the chances of awakening one's energy abilities. No wonder the Silverwoods had so many energy practitioners.

It all came down to the Energy Cores.

"What happens if a hidden territory doesn't have Energy Cores added?" Ethan asked, his curiosity still going strong.