From the tip of his horn to the end of his tail, Bill had frozen in place. There was no outward sign that anything had changed, except for a glimmer of silver light emanating from his fur and his symbols. There was also no sign of Bill stirring. His body was laid on its side, as though he had fallen asleep on the spot.

Dollar knelt beside the grec, his eyes calculating as he scanned Bill’s body for anything abnormal. He could see Mitsy’s eyes moistening with panic, but then they steeled as her adventurer’s training kicked in.

Good. If she’d panicked, I’d have been disappointed. Dollar thought. In his opinion, panic had rarely helped solve problems.

“He’s breathing,” Dollar said.

It was hard to see, but Dollar felt the grec’s body moving under his palms as Bill took in shallow breaths. Dollar flourished his hand and the notebook of the Unseeing emerged within it, it’s orange leather bright against the sand and its single eye staring at him.

He flipped the pages until he found the symbol he wanted.

[Transcriber of Reality].

There was a shimmer as reality warped, and a symbol appeared on Bill’s neck.

It was a sustenance symbol.

Mitsy didn’t notice it due to [Symbol Obscurity], but Dollar heard his grandmother shift in the sand behind him.

Did she see it?

There was a pause as he glanced back, but it didn’t look like his grandmother had seen the symbol being shifted. Instead, she seemed to be looking at him, and he wondered if she could see something that he couldn’t, like when he used [skills] in general.

That’s always a possibility. Dollar pursed his lips. Stop. I’ve got to focus on the task at hand. This little guy has helped me a lot.

Whether or not the sustenance symbol could help was unknown, but now Bill wouldn’t die from starvation or thirst. However, Bill didn’t stir even after the symbol was activated.

Dollar turned to Mitsy, “what’s happening to Bill?”

“I don’t know,” Mitsy admitted, her tone puzzled as she examined the grec carefully. “He was rolling around on the sand, then he keeled over. I don’t have any experience with grecs. Not this kind.”

“Me neither,” Dollar said.

“Did something happen to him during the fight?” Mitsy asked.

She shifted, a hint of kindness melting into her calm expression as she placed Bill into a more comfortable position. Mitsy gave the uni-pig’s large belly a firm rub and then poked it experimentally. There was no response, but a faint smile tugged at the edges of her lips.

“He’s firm. Not rigid. It feels like he’s reacting to my pokes,” Mitsy said. “Which is good.”

“Hmm,” I replied, my thoughts drifting.

The memories of the battle on the Oriel expressed fluttered through Dollar’s mind, but nothing in particular stood out. Bill had been hit, and likely had been caught in the explosion. However, those were physical injuries. Not the kind that would leave the animal prone and unmoving yet still alive. The uni-pig also had his protection symbol active the entire time, so Bill had the least injuries of the group.

“I don’t think he got hurt, but I have too little information to say,” Dollar admitted.

Speaking the words pained him, and he frowned.

Why did that hurt?

Dollar shook his head and scoured the strange emotions from his heart. Whenever an emergency happened in business, he’d always gone to his grandmother. Muriel Claudius, back on Earth, was more than a grandmother to him, she was his teacher, and a peak expert in all things finance. However, when he’d started failing in areas she didn’t know, and couldn’t know, she’d guided him toward other experts, telling him that one person couldn’t solve every problem.

“We need someone with more experience,” Dollar said. “Between the two of us we can jump into the maw of a leviathan, create regents that would make others jealous, or smash boulders with ease, but we don’t have experience with farm animals.”

“But perhaps I do,” a voice replied.

A shadow loomed over Dollar, and he looked up to see Levia staring at the grec. His grandmother’s eyes twinkled as she peered at Bill curiously, roaming over the uni-pigs still form.

She’s looking at him like she did with me. What does she see?

Dollar felt suspicion rise in his heart. Then he squashed it down. He knew she wouldn’t attack him, or Bill, but the fact that she was using abilities he didn’t know about unnerved him.

I’m not used to a grandmother hiding so much from me. Dollar realized. Grandma Muriel was tough, but she was always open. This is a new experience for me, but I can’t let that get in that way.

“I have him, grandson,” Levia said gently.

Levia raised her left hand and placed it lovingly onto Bill’s stomach, a soft silver glow flowing from within it and spreading out across the animal’s body. The light splashed across the sand and surroundings, illuminating the dome and all within it. Her palm emitted three gentle pulses of silver light, each one rippling over the grec.

Dollar’s chest tugged at the sight of the lights. He could feel each one resonating with a part of his being that wasn’t physical.

This is my bloodline.

He knew it instinctively, and he recognized the sensation from when he’d been in Zendria. His grandmother really had been calling to him the entire time, but he’d failed to notice it.

“I too am not an expert in farm animals. Especially those not of the sea. But this animal is not dying of natural causes, though had you not done what you did, he may have.”

Levia glanced at Dollar curiously, and he kept a neutral expression. If she didn’t know about the symbol, then he wouldn’t tell her just yet.

I can let her know about the lesser symbols later. He thought. Once I’m sure this is fine.

“Something is absorbing his lifeforce,” Levia said, a frown crossing her face. “No, that’s wrong. His life force is as strong as ever, but it is being directed toward something else. That is why he appears lifeless.”

“So, he’s not going to die?” Dollar asked.

“He will have a better chance of survival if I intervene,” Levia said. “And he will need your help to overcome this ordeal.”

It wasn’t a guarantee of life, but it was a chance. Dollar turned to his grandmother, and he saw her blue eyes staring at him, and knowing look in her expression.

“What kind of help will he need?” Dollar asked, keeping a hand resting on Bill’s chest.

“I don’t know what is happening to your friend, but though I can help him hold on, I believe a deeper bond will be required to save him,” Levia said. “That is the only way I know of to help him.”

“‘A deeper bond’, what does that mean?” Dollar asked.

“Bonds are the nature of our bloodline. Bonding with life, exploring its intricacies, and wielding the intelligence to do both. If you unlock your bloodline, then it may be possible to transfer your life essence to help your friend to guide him through his ordeal,” Levia tapped her heart. “But it would take time and preparation. And training. Which are things we may not have. Again, I am not an expert in this area. Perhaps there are quicker and more mundane solutions.”

Life essence? I haven’t heard of that. But if it means giving up part of my life to Bill to save him… Dollar raked his hands through his hair. I’m not as opposed to that as I thought I’d be. I must have hit my head hard when I jumped off that sky ship.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t know what life essence is, but if it requires unlocking a bloodline, well, I’ve heard how tough that is. There may be a simpler solution,” Mitsy pointed skyward. “We could go to that city.”

Mitsy stood up, her eyes raised to the top of the dome and looking beyond it.

High above them was the bustling port that connected to the city of Tiber.

“If were still in the southern continent, grec should be their main cattle. Chances are that if something’s happened to Bill, it’s happened other grecs before. We could go to the fisherman’s guild to find information,” Mitsy said.

“The fisherman’s guild?” Dollar asked.

Adventurers guild. Magicians guild. Hunters guild. Symbologists guild. Dollar ticked off the guilds one by one in his mind. Oh right, there was a fifth one. Dad never really mentioned them except for the basics.

Dollar recalled his father’s lessons. Of the five guilds, the fisherman’s guild was the only one that didn’t have a focus on combat or magic.

“If I’m remembering correctly, they supply food and water to people. And catch lots of fish,” doubt crept into Dollar’s voice. “What can fisherman do to help us?”

Mitsy lifted her hand off Bill’s belly and turned to face Dollar. “That’s not right. Listen, never underestimate the fisherman’s guild. Every creature in the sea, whether it’s a monster or fish, and every domesticated animal to ever exist is under their purview. They hold the secrets to finding, catching, raising, and breeding wildlife from all continents, and information is power.”

I can agree with that sentiment. Dollar thought.

“But that’s changed since their inception. Once they gathered enough information on animals, they switched to all forms of knowledge. Every single type of information is their domain, which was why they’ve grown into one of the most powerful organizations in the world. If anyone has the answers on what’s happening to Bill, it’s them.”

“And we’ll have to go up there to meet them.” Dollar concluded.

His eyes narrowed as his thoughts raced at a hundred miles a minute.

The city of Tiber. Tiber City. The city where House Tiberius reigns supreme. Where my uncle is the judge, the jury, and the executioner.

Levia watched Dollar closely, and he could see her disapproving of the suggestion. Unlike Mitsy, his grandmother knew about his history with House Tiberius. She also knew how dangerous it would be.

Dollar glanced at Bill, and then looked away as a slight tug at his heart caused him to frown.

Maybe there’s an opportunity here that I’m missing. Going into the city is a massive risk, but I’ve never been the kind of person to let adversity get me down. Not when there’s profit to be made. Dollar’s eyes flashed as he ran over the potential benefits of a trip to the city in his mind.

His grandmother had always emphasized the importance of information. Every battle plan would fail and change, but the outcomes could always be altered in his favor if he knew everything there was to know about the challenge he was facing.

If Dollar wanted to take down House Tiberius, then he couldn’t do it hiding in the shadows.

I know so little about the people trying to kill me. This might be my chance to change that. Yeah. None of them know I’m alive. Which means they won’t be expecting me to be walking among them.

Silence fell over the surroundings as Levia and Mitsy watched Dollar. Mitsy was looking at him for confirmation, and Levia was gazing at him as well, the calm in her eyes dispersing. His gaze drifted from Bill to the city above him. There were tens of thousands of buildings and millions of people. All of them held allegiance to House Tiberius.

All of them wanted him dead.

A single sigh escaped Dollar’s lips and he gently scratched Bill’s belly.

And what about if I take a step back from the logic? He wondered. He could feel a slight thumping in his chest as his heartbeat refused to slow down no matter how much he tried to force it to. Am I actually feeling bad for Bill? This newfound trust thing is a tough one. Well, I’m not saying I trust the grec, but I don’t distrust him either. I wonder if that’s enough.

If it wasn’t for Bill, Dollar would never have met Grisham and Mitsy. He also likely would have reached Zendria after Christoff Tiberius and Jasper, missing his chance to stop any of Christoff’s schemes.

Following my emotions. How strange. Dollar mused. Maybe I can give this new approach a try. Just this once. For profit. After all, people who can’t adapt to new strategies never prosper in the long term.

“How do we enter the city?” Dollar asked, his decision made.

“I think we can swim it,” Mitsy said. “But that’s a lot of ground to cover with a single breath. There’s also a small chance we’ll die the moment we leave the dome’s protection, and the pressure of the lake returns to normal.”

“Getting crushed into paste isn’t an ideal strategy,” Dollar said, a wry smile crossing his lips. “Grandma, you said that my parents lived here once. How did they leave the dome to buy food?”

“They did not. From what she told me, your mother caught fish to eat, and your father crafted water artifacts to sake their thirst,” Levia said, her words dashing his hopes. “Your mother could leave at any time through her own abilities. However, your father did find a way to traverse the depths.”

Levia lowered herself onto the sand, her ocean-blue eyes level with Dollar’s. Within her irises he could see swirling lights, like the twinkling of stars. And kindness. More than he was used to seeing.

She reminds me of my old grandmother. Dollar blinked in surprise. I saw that look in her eyes too.

“Marcus entrusted the method to me, and I can ensure prompt delivery of all that is required. However, there is more. If your trip to the city doesn’t yield results, and you plan to unlock your bloodline to aid your friend, then I will have to leave to make the preparations. Not now, but soon, very soon. And when I return, there will be no time for fun and games. It will simply be pain.”

If it’s training, then that’s as simple to me as breathing. And if it’s a trial, I can deal with pain.

“Thank you, I understand the risks,” Dollar said. “How did dad do it?”

Levia closed her eyes, the waters around the dome stilling as she steadied her breathing.

“I do not believe you do. But I shall explain the true risks to you when the time is right. For now, bring your friend inside the house, he may be prone, but that does not mean he is comfortable.”

An aura of silver light enveloped Dollar’s grandmother as she spoke, and he felt it calling to something beyond the dome. What that was, he didn’t know, but he could sense that it would take time to call.

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Since when could I see magic? Dollar frowned. It must be because its connected to my bloodline.

“I’ll take him inside,” Mitsy said. “Dollar, you should rest. You’re swaying on your feet.”

Mitsy’s armbands glowed bright orange as she lifted Bill over her shoulders, her body dwarfed by the immensity of the grec. She frowned as she found herself blocked by the house itself.

The entrance wasn’t designed for a pig the size of a small car.

“Use the back door,” Levia said, her eyes still shut tight. “It’s where Althea used to bring in the bigger fish.”

“Thanks,” Mitsy gave her a grateful nod.

Mitsy and Bill disappeared around the corner, and Dollar heard the sound of a door being torn open.

“Seriously, get some rest!” Mitsy’s voice boomed out toward Dollar.

That sounds like a great idea. Dollar sighed.

He hadn’t realized how tiring jumping off a sky ship would be. Or how heavy emotions would weigh. Both were new experiences for him.

Actually, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. I feel pretty nice.

With a small wave he left his grandmother to her magics, Dollar swung the door to the house open and walked in the first bedroom. Unlike the hut his parents lived in, this room was both bigger and better furnished. As well as the bed in the right corner of the room, there was also a sofa laid against the opposite wall and a small side table to place objects on.

Did my grandma heal me somehow? Dollar wondered. I feel like I’ve gotten a dozen nights of rest. Maybe this is what she meant by injecting life essence into Bill. But if she could do it to me, then why not to him?

Dollar collapsed as he threw himself onto the couch, sinking into the material as he let its embrace take him. Now that he was alone and had time to think, a flutter of exhaustion threatened to smack him down.

Did dad make this couch too? No, he probably brought it in the storage ring. Dollar thought. But then he would have taken it back with him when he left. Unless he couldn’t.

A steady rhythm broke out across the room as Dollar steadied his breath, focusing on calming his body. The adrenaline of the fight coupled with being kidnapping by an enormous monster and Bill’s sudden freezing was a lot to take in.

Other than when he’d been shot dead, he’d never encountered a deadly situation where someone was actively trying to kill him. Christoff Tiberius’ attacks were deliberate, explosive, and fatal without a doubt, and that new experience was flooding Dollar’s emotions now. At least his parents back on Earth had the decency kill him slowly with neglect.

Kind of reminds me of my first business venture. Dollar recalled with a dry smile. I was running around like a headless chicken. I guess that was my first chance to break out of my grandmother’s wing, just like this was my first chance to break free from House Tiberius. What did I do back then to calm myself down?

Dollar’s breathing stilled as his thoughts turned to solutions, and his lips parted into a genuine smile as he recalled what he’d always done in times of turmoil.

He’d taken stock of his assets.

“Status screen.”

Name: Dollar Tiberius.

Class: A Will Eternal

Bloodline: Locked.

Adventurer rank: Bronze.

Symbologist rank: Silver.

Affiliations: Members of the Adventurer’s Guild of Cresta. Member of the Symbologist Guild of Ioa.

Stats:

Level: 46

Mana: 0

Vitality: 98

Intelligence: 42

Wisdom: 44

Stamina: 155

Dexterity: 183

Available stats to assign: 0.

Skill list:

General:

Language - Symbols (Epic): Level 1 (Max).

A Will Eternal (Legendary): Rank 1, level 3.

Symbology:

Symbol Crafting (Uncommon): Rank 1, level 15.

Symbol Memorisation (Uncommon): Rank 1, level 50.

Symbol Library (Uncommon): Rank 1, level 50.

Symbol Variation (Rare): Rank 1, level 8.

Symbol Obscurity (Rare): Rank 1, level 50.

Symbol Divination (Rare): Rank 1, level 5.

Symbol Communication (Rare): Rank 1, level 7.

Symbol Array Deconstruction (Epic): Rank 1, level 6.

Symbol Negation (self) (Epic): Rank 1, level 6.

Defy Death - Symbols (Epic): Rank 1, level 2.

Transcriber of Reality (Epic): Rank 1, level 6.

Ength’s Touch (Legendary): Rank 1, level 3.

There’s a lot to unpack here. Dollar examined the numbers thoroughly.

Training [skills] while in stressful situations increased levels quickly. So did using them while being in danger.

Dollar had done both and reaped the rewards.

Opening The System sent a flood of chaotic messages across his visions, each one clamoring for attention. Once the jumble of blue boxes assaulting his vision cleared, he rearranged the messages into a more digestible format.

[Symbol Crafting: Rank 1, level 11 > rank 1, level 15.]

[Symbol Variation: Rank 1, level 6 > rank 1, level 8.]

[Symbol Divination: Rank 1, level 2 > rank 1, level 5.]

[Symbol Communication: Rank 1, level 5 > rank 1, level 7]

[Symbol Negation(self): Rank 1, level 4 > rank 1, level 6.]

[Transcriber of Reality: Rank 1, level 4 > rank 1, level 6.]

“Damn,” Dollar’s eyes widened at the flood of [skill] levels.

[Symbol Array Deconstruction: Rank 1, level 5 > rank 1, level 6.]

Why did you increase? Dollar studied [Symbol Array Deconstruction] closely.

[Symbol Array Deconstruction: With enough time and focus, you can determine which symbols have been used to create an array. The success rate of bypassing veils increases per level.]

The answer came to him quickly. Dollar had been focusing on the veiled symbol arrays present within the golems he had been fighting, and even while unconscious his mind was processing that information. Throughout the entire fight and after his grandmother had brought him the Lake Tiber, he was still processing what he had seen.

It was the two legendary [skills] that interested him the most, not because they had leveled a lot, but because he could feel the differences in their effects.

[Ength’s Touch: Rank 1, level 2 > rank 1, level 3]

The moment he focused on [Ength’s Touch] something shifted in the surroundings. It was subtle, almost indiscernible, but it lingered in the air and brushed against his being. A subtle pressure called to him with a sense of familiarity and longing. Or rather, it was calling to [Ength’s Touch], but it was too soft to determine where it was coming from.

Strange. It feels like Ength’s presence is nearby. Softer than when I was in their realm, but still present. Dollar frowned. Is this a new application of the [skill], or is something else out there that’s reminding me of the divine?

[A Will Eternal: Rank 1, level 2 > rank 1, level 3]

Dollar’s other legendary [skill] coincided with a shift in pressure as well, but this one came from within him. He could feel it radiating from his core, encapsulating his confidence and determination in a passive way, drawing his eyes and likely the eyes of others. It was as though his will was beginning to have a physical effect on the world.

“Why so serious?” A voice interrupted his thoughts.

Dollar had a single second of warning as Mitsy fell stomach-first into the sofa with a plop, her arms strangling the sofa cushions in a hug. With a deft push she flipped herself onto her back, raising her knees to her chest, and watched him curiously.

She didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to.

Between the fight on the Oriel express, his symbol knowledge, and being kidnapped by monsters, there was a lot that had to be said. The question was whether he wanted to say it. Dollar had only journeyed with Mitsy and her father because it was an arrangement the benefitted all of them.

At that point in time, she was a business partner. Maybe not even that. Since then, she had proven herself to be more than that. She was a friend, even in times of need.

“We need to talk,” Dollar said.

“Where do we start?” Mitsy asked.

Trust. Eh?

Dollar broke off his stare and gestured at the floor.

“With this.”

With a flourish a mass of metal fell onto the sofa from Dollar’s storage ring. Tapping fingers rolled the object around the sofa. It was an object that was coveted by the entire city above, and that House Tiberius and its rivals would kill to obtain.

The Crest of House Tiberius.

It was the most important object he had in his storage ring. It was also the most valuable. If he was going to go into the city of Tiber, then he needed his allies to know what baggage he was bringing with him. Only then could they plan for the inevitable clash over it.

“I’m not just an adorable countryside kid from the edge of the southern continent,” Dollar said.

A wry grin crossed Mitsy’s lips, “you don’t say? Your magical grandmother living under the sea seems ordinary enough. And who doesn’t have a household or two trying to kill them with a massive army of golems? I was completely fooled.”

Dollar gazed into her eyes, and saw them twinkling with interest, and concern. In response, he held up the Crest for her to examine.

“The artifact that household tried to steal from you,” Mitsy’s eyes scanned the object carefully. “I remember you telling me about it.”

“Sort of. They were trying to steal it from me, but it’s not just any ordinary artifact. And they’re not just some random household. It’s called the Crest of House Tiberius, and it’s the source of all my problems.”

As Dollar explained his story from the beginning, Mitsy sat back, making herself comfortable. He started with a basic outline, focusing on his father’s relation to House Tiberius, then moved beyond it. His assassination, his coma, meeting Bill, and everything that had happened in Zendria.

It wasn’t a quick tale, but it was a thorough one.

“So, I decided to trust my instincts and jump into the monster that was in the ocean,” Dollar finished his tale.

He glanced at his side and saw Mitsy staring at him with wide eyes. She was leaning forward, gripping a sofa cushion in her hands, with her fingers hooking into the fabric as she listened intently.

“THEY TRIED TO KILL YOU AS A BABY?”

Her deafening shout almost broke his ears, and the house trembled at her anger.

“Just a little bit, and technically I was a toddler,” Dollar replied.

Mitsy stared at him.

Dollar stared back.

“And now we’re here,” Dollar added. “With more important things to focus on.”

“I feel like we shifted topics too quickly.” Part of the cushion Mitsy was holding popped, white foam spewing out. “But if that’s what you want, then…that monster, you have no idea what it was? I mean, I thought you’d fallen off the sky ship. At least until I found out you knew the person that owned the dome.”

“You’ve seen as much of my grandmother in your life as I have, and I still have no idea what that creature was,” Dollar admitted. “But I’m going to ask now.”

A pulse of his grandmother’s magic enveloped the dome as Dollar spoke. Then something replied with a deep guttural roar that echoed across the surroundings and shook the house.

Whatever spell Levia had been weaving was now complete.

“Let’s put a pin on this for now,” Dollar said. “My problems aren’t the priority, right now we need a figure out a way to hide my identity if we actually make it into the city.”

“They tried to kill you. As a baby,” Mitsy repeated the words. “We are going to talk about that.”

“Bill is in trouble,” Dollar reminded her.

“Fine,” Mitsy grit her teeth. Then her expression shifted, and she glanced outside, where his grandmother was casting her magic. “I’m really grateful you trusted me enough to tell me this. Now, go have a chat with your grandmother. Family is precious, and I’m not going to spoil your reunion. Don’t worry, we have time, and Bill will be alright. I’ll stick by his side.”

“Thanks.” Dollar pushed himself of the sofa, his body protesting as it sought the comfort and warmth of relaxation. He wasn’t only thanking her for listening, though he didn’t say it out loud.

Dollar strode out of the house, spotting his grandmother as she sat on the lakebed, her dark hair scattered around her.

“Grandson,” Levia said, warmly. “You’re just in time.”

Levia raised her hand and a radiance spilled out from the walls of the hut. As it touched Dollar, something tugged at his chest, trying to force him into submission, but he pushed against it until it relented.

Hundreds of thousands of fish scattered in every direction, and the sea life on the lakebed fled into crevices and bounded under rocks. The water darkened as something moved through them, its body engulfing the surroundings and blocking out the sun. A single tentacle slithered across the wall of the lake, followed by a dozen more. The creature’s body quickly flowed into view, a gargantuan mass of brown flesh and hooks, each one slicing through the water dangerously. In the middle of the titanic being a slit opened up, revealing a deep blue iris, and pupils as black as night.

The eye gazed down at the dome, watching Dollar with an indecipherable expression.

“Allow me to introduce my companion,” Levia raised her hand toward the sky, the waters of the lake stirring as she spoke. “Her true name is indecipherable, and she existed before time was kept, but humanity has given her the name, Lotan.”

Dollar gazed up at the creature, recognizing it instantly.

This was the monster that he had encountered below the Oriel express, in the Grai Ocean.

“Greetings, Lotan,” Dollar said, his heart calm. “It’s good to finally meet you.”

Lotan raised a single tentacle, waving it in greeting.

The waters rose at her movements, and the lakebed trembled.

“She says hi.” Levia translated. “Good, good. I was worried you’d be jealous.”

It took Dollar a moment to realize that she was talking to the leviathan. The waters churned around the dome as Lotan laughed, its movements miniscule but their impact causing fish to flee for miles.

“Grandma Levia,” Dollar drew her attention back to him. “I’ve decided that regardless of whether I find a cure in the city or not, I’ll be unlocking my bloodline.”

Levia shifted, her dress drawing a line in the sand between her and Dollar as her gaze rested on him. She let out a gentle sigh, and he felt a weigh in her breath that hadn’t been present before.

“Then I must leave to prepare the materials needed to awaken your bloodline,” Levia said. “But I will not leave you without options. Not when you’re going to a place as dangerous as the surface world.”

“Oh?” Dollar leaned forward, his curiosity clear for all to see.

“Before you leave, I want to provide you with the means your father used to exit the dome.” Levia looked up at Lotan. “Did you bring the items, as requested?”

The monster stirred, a single pulse of force pushing out of its body. From its maw fell a single object, shooting alongside the pulse straight into the dome. With a bang it hit the sand, spraying debris everywhere. When the sand settled, there was a small brown box wedged into it.

It was a chest.

A treasure chest? Dollar stared at it. No, wait. It has an emblem on it.

The emblem was that of House Tiberius.

“These artifacts were entrusted to me by Marcus when he left the dome,” Levia said. “He once used them to explore the depths of the lake, and now its contents are yours to accept.”

She opened the chest, revealing three objects inside.

There were two chain necklaces made of seastone links, each crafted with a glowing blue crystal as their centerpiece. They were perfectly preserved, and with a single glance Dollar could tell that they were artifacts. Each crystal had a single symbol array flowing through it, small and veiled.

“Necklaces of water breathing,” Levia said. “Purchased by your father to enter the lake. You’ll find yourself a bit damper than you’d prefer when entering the port, but they will allow you to reach it.”

“Amazing,” Dollar eyed the artifacts hungrily.

Dollar could sense the symbols within them reaching out to him. Once he studied them with [Symbol Array Deconstruction] he would be able to see the symbols through the veils and learn them.

Between the two necklaces of water breathing was a single bracelet, too large to fit Dollar’s wrist. It was made from a dark metal, but it was crumbling, almost destroyed, with cracks running through its entirety. A large symbol array ran across its surface, glowing bright purple, though the light had dimmed until it was almost non-existent.

A pulse of power erupted from it, pressing against Dollar’s mind as he examined the artifact. The pressure of the symbols within would have forced an ordinary silver-ranked symbologist to their knees.

Even the mental attack Dollar had faced during the symbologist exam couldn’t compare.

“This– this,” Dollar stared at the crumbling artifact in his hands.

The veil had been eroded with time, and his [Symbol Array Deconstruction] ability activated immediately, allowing him to glimpse the symbol that lay within its depths. Dollar’s [Language – Symbols] ability translated it instantly.

‘Gravity, light, heavy, shift, momentum, dispel, falls, and rises.’

It was a gravity symbol.

This is a middle-ranked symbol. Dollar gazed at it in wonder.

“Your mother couldn’t provide many updates, but I understand you’ve had some symbology training, so you may be able to sense the symbols within,” Levia said. “If it hurts to be near them, I will find another way to help you rise to the surface.”

Dollar glanced up, seeing his grandmother watching him with concern.

A smile crossed his lips, and he clapped his hands together with genuine joy. His gaze rose to meet the Lotan’s eye, the massive creature still floating above the dome.

“Thank you, both of you, this is incredible, in more ways than one,” Dollar said, his sincerity genuine. “Thank you as well for the opportunity you’ve given me. To save Bill, and to improve myself.”

His grandmother perked up as he thanked her, and above him Lotan’s giant eye blinked.

“You should thank your father, for without him these would not be here. My daughter had no need for such methods. She had Lotan.”

“And you,” Dollar said absentmindedly.

Levia paused, a single moment of hesitation, and then she offered Dollar the artifacts, and he took them in his hands.

“One necklace for Mitsy. One for me,” Dollar put the necklaces away in his storage ring. “And I’ll make one for Bill to use once he wakes up. Or maybe a ring or something to put around his leg.”

I really need to start focusing on artifacts. Maybe haste gloves. Or silencing ones. Heck, I could have used some armor in that last fight. And more means of attacking. Maybe I could kill two birds with one stone and create and armor that attacks for me. Dollar shook his head. Nah. That’s impossible. But I’ll figure something out once I have the money for it.

“You can create these types of artifacts?” Levia asked, her eyes widening slightly. “They are works crafted by silver-ranked symbologists, and your father did not make them himself. So, I assumed you did not know the symbols.”

“I don’t,” Dollar admitted. “But I can learn them, given time.”

Dollar saw his grandmother’s doubt, and he chuckled. In her eyes Dollar was a child, and a very boastful one at that.

“We have never had a symbologist in our bloodline before,” Levia said. “How strange, and wonderous.”

“That’s me in a nutshell,” Dollar replied.

He turned his focus to the bracelet, careful not to damage it further.

“This artifact is not needed to reach the surface, but it should allow you to walk across the rest of the lakebed,” Levia said. “Unfortunately, the materials cannot contain the power of the symbols carved within. There were once two, just like the necklaces, but the other was destroyed.”

I doubt many materials could hold the power of a middle-ranked symbol. Dollar examined it carefully. This should be easy enough to activate, but I’ll end up destroying it if I do. It’s better to study it and learn the symbol for myself first. Wait. What did she just say?

Dollar frowned as he gazed at it, “Grandma, you said that my mum didn’t need the artifacts. So, who did the second set belong to, and what was dad trying to find down here? He wouldn’t have needed to cross the lake to get out.”

“I do not know. In truth, I only met your father once. That was on the day that your parents left the dome. In fact, it was the first time I’d seen your mother in years, and the only time since then.”

Levia’s posture shifted, ever so slightly, and her expression turned apologetic, but during his time on Earth Dollar had talked to kings, billionaires, and CEOs. Which meant he had practiced reading the expressions of the best liars in the world.

His grandmother was hiding something.

She said Lotan was here with mum. I just assumed that meant she’d been here as well.

Dollar knew Levia was telling the truth about his father. It was the part that involved his mother that had caused her to hesitate. Dollar’s mother had mentioned that she had traveled the world alone as a child. She never said why. Only that her family did things that way.

Maybe my mum’s traveling wasn’t as voluntary as she made me believe. Dollar’s eyes narrowed. But my grandma really does seem to love mum.

“As for who Marcus was with, well, it was the only man he trusted, and the creator of that bracelet you hold. His best friend, and closest confidant.”

The bracelet grew warm in Dollar’s hands as Levia spoke, the symbols resonating at the mention of their maker.

“Your uncle, Parelius Tiberius.”