A few days had passed, and Darin continued to feign a slow recovery from the poison, though in truth, he was already in peak health. During this time, he had learned more about the Barrar family—their Lord was a nobleman of great renown throughout the entire capital.
Barry had used his secret sources to gather extensive intel on the Barrar family and explained everything to Darin in detail. The Lord of the Barrar house was a 186-year-old ascended warrior, a formidable figure. The family also housed three surpass-level warriors, while the younger generation boasted three additional three mortal level warriors. Although Barry wasn’t completely certain of the family's power hierarchy, it was clear they were incredibly strong, wielding considerable influence and authority over the capital. Even the Emperor showed them respect.
When Darin compared the strength of the Barrar family to his own, it became painfully evident how powerless the Meyes family was. The Barrar family was a powerhouse, while the Meyes family lacked any superpower holders or warriors. In their prime, they had never been a warrior family; instead, they were known for their business acumen, powerful connections, and aristocratic sway over the region. But those skills had died with the previous head of the family, leaving Darin alone and vulnerable.
Given everything he now knew about the Barrar family, Darin was puzzled. Why would such a powerful family be after him? The Meyes family was weak in comparison—it didn’t make sense. What could they possibly gain from targeting him? The more he thought about it, the clearer it became that the only solution was to grow stronger. Word would eventually spread that he had survived the poison, and when that happened, others would come for him. If he didn’t gain power quickly, his death would be inevitable, and the Meyes family would collapse with no heir to lead.
The problems before him seemed insurmountable, but the greatest threat was to his own life. He could feel the danger closing in on him. It was pure luck that his new powers had manifested just as he was on the brink of death, healing him and rendering him immune to the poison that had nearly killed him. He had tested this immunity several times by drinking the doctor's poison-laced medicine sip by sip, hearing the now-familiar notification in his mind as the poison was nullified each time.
A voice in his head told him to act quickly, it was his intuition. Darin soon ordered Barry to gather more information and explain the power ranks and hierarchy within the kingdom. He needed to understand where he stood and how to rise through the ranks, for only then could he protect himself and his family's legacy.
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Barry arrived to explain things to Darin. He began, "There are five ranks every warrior must progress through. The first rank is Rogue Warrior, followed by High Warrior, then Mortal Warrior, Surpasser, and finally Heavenly Warrior. The strongest rank is Ascended Warrior. In the entire kingdom, there are only four Ascended Warriors—that’s how rare and valuable they are. As for Heavenly Warriors, there are roughly 25 to 30 in the kingdom."
Darin cut him off abruptly, irritated. "I don't need the basics. Just tell me the fastest way to get stronger."
The room fell into a tense silence. Barry was momentarily taken aback by the directness of Darin's question. After a brief pause, he answered thoughtfully. "The quickest way to gain power is through inheritance. Only Surpassers and warriors above that rank can pass down their powers and knowledge to the younger generation. This transfer, known as inheritance, allows all their strength and experience to be passed on."
Darin mulled this over. It sounded like an ideal way to quickly gain strength, but there was one glaring problem: he didn’t know any Surpassers. And even if he did, convincing one to transfer their inheritance to him would be nearly impossible. It seemed an impractical solution at best.
Still, with his life on the line, Darin knew he had to find a way to get stronger, one way or another. Time was running out. He didn’t even have a proper assessment of his own strength. He knew Barry was strong, but exactly how strong remained a mystery. Darin doubted Barry had the power to protect the Meyes family from every threat, though he was confident Barry could handle minor threats.
But the Barrar family was far from a minor threat. They were one of the most powerful families in the capital, renowned for their strength. While they weren’t excessively wealthy, they still had a fortune that dwarfed Darin's family's resources. He was well aware of the enormity of the challenge before him. The situation demanded action—he couldn't continue pretending to be sick and hide in his room forever. Eventually, people would come for him, and when they did, they’d try to take his head.
Yet, one question continued to gnaw at him: Why was the Barrar family targeting him and the Meyes family? It didn’t make sense. It was as if a lion was chasing after a rat, when it could easily hunt larger prey like deer. Unable to find an answer, Darin decided to set the question aside for now and focus on his next move.