Mitsy’s squeal of happiness was louder than Bill’s oink of confusion. The grec jolted in surprise as she hugged him tight and lifted him into the air in celebration. Dollar watched the animal’s legs flail in surprise and the corners of his lips curled into a smile.

Dollar gave the grec a single pat on the side. “Glad to see you’re awake, Bill.”

“So formal.” Mitsy lowered Bill to the floor. “Bill, go get him!”

“Wait, no!”

The giant grec instantly bowled Dollar over, the uni-pig’s tongue licking his cheeks and leaving behind globs of saliva.

He doesn’t even know why Mitsy asked him to do that, Dollar grumbled. Heck, he probably doesn’t even know what happened.

“Okay, okay, get off,” Dollar pushed the grec off.

There was a tumble as the animal moved back as Dollar moved forward, and by the end of it, somehow, he’d ended up hugging Bill.

“Aw, Dollar does care,” Mitsy beamed. “By the way, is Bill meant to be glowing?”

“What?” Dollar stepped back from the grec.

Mitsy’s words weren’t hyperbole. A thin golden light flickered across Bill’s skin, flowing across the three symbols inscribed into his fur. Haste, protection, and fire. Each of them had served Dollar well, and he’d spent weeks engraving them into his memory.

Which was why he noticed straight away that they were shrinking.

“His symbols are changing,” Dollar said.

“Into what?” Mitsy asked.

It was a good question, but Dollar had no answer for it.

Bill sat down, shifting his head from side to side as he tried to glimpse what everyone was looking at. Dollar quickly spotted a speck of golden light flowing through his fur, and when Bill saw it, the animal tried to lick it, but it flitted out of his reach. The grec let out an indignant oink and stood up, following the light across his body. He walked in circles as he tried to catch the light that crossed his body, his green horn bumping against the stone walls of the room.

Finally, it moved onto his back, using the space created by the shrinking of the other symbols to nestle.

There was a burst of golden light that blinded Dollar, and when he looked back, the light had transformed into a series of lines, each one merging into the grec’s fur as though they’d been a part of it from the beginning.

“Is that what I think it is?” Mitsy asked, her eyes wide.

Dollar didn’t reply, his eyes glued onto the lines as his mind translated them.

‘Movement, travel, orientation, balance, latitude.’

It was a symbol.

Dollar’s [Language - Symbols] confirmed it.

“That’s a symbol.” Dollar barely kept his voice restrained. “Bill, you have a new symbol!”

The grec’s tail thumped happily as Dollar’s eyes lit up with joy. Then Dollar paused, confusion pushing his other emotions aside.

“But how? And why?” Dollar stepped up to the grec, rubbing the fur around the symbol vigorously. “Wait, I’ve seen this symbol before.”

Where did I see it? Dollar thought. Then it came to him.

This symbol was one of the twelve that Jasper had used during the symbology exam, and Dollar had determined that House Tiberius used it for golem production. At that same test, Bill had tried to eat Jasper’s pet golem, Skittles, just like he’d previously tried to eat the sword artifact in the adventurer’s guild. And Agni as well.

Wait, has Bill ever not tried to eat an artifact he ran into? Dollar wondered. No, we just kept stopping him. In fact, there was only one time that we didn’t.

During the battle in Zendria, Dollar had stolen one of the House Tiberius golems. But he’d had another chance to take one and missed it.

Bill had eaten that golem.

And now a symbol on his back found only in golems was on his back. That couldn’t be a coincidence.

“That’s why you were trying to eat artifacts the whole time.” Dollar gaped at him. “If you’d told me that’s how you got your symbols, I’d have fed you a hundred.”

Bill tilted his head, confused, and let out a single oink.

“Wait, you don’t know what’s happening? It’s probably instinctual then,” Dollar hummed.

“Does that mean he would have recovered naturally?” Mitsy asked.

Dollar shook his head. “No, he’d have died from the lack of food and water. Maybe the golem was too complicated to digest. It had dozens of different symbols, including middle-ranked symbols, but he only gained one lower-ranked symbol.”

Bill lay down, letting out a yawn.

“Sure, sure, I guess you’re not interested in how it happens. You just want to eat,” Dollar concluded.

A series of giggles interrupted him, and Dollar looked back to see Mitsy rocking back and forth on her toes, barely restraining her laughter.

“You’re talking to a grec,” Mitsy said between giggles.

Dollar’s cheeks flushed, and he huffed indignantly, “This is a huge discovery.”

“Sure, sure, whatever you say. Now let’s put that brain to use. We have a problem.” Mitsy pointed at Bill and then at the lake outside. “How are we meant to get him out of here?”

****

Dollar sat on the floor of his bedroom, surrounded by seastone rocks. He stared intently at the gloves and boots on the floor in front of him, and with a flourish brought out the notebook of the Unseeing. Mitsy shifted from side to side nervously as the eye on the cover stared directly at her, and Dollar chuckled to himself. A thumping sound grabbed his attention, and he saw Bill’s tail wagging joyfully, and smacking against the floorboards. The grec was eyeing the materials with keen interest.

His new symbol was prominent, and Dollar hadn’t started to memorize it yet, but he hadn’t left the grec’s side either. He refused to. Thankfully, the uni-pig was happy to watch him work as he carved several symbols into the rocks around him.

Why have I been spending so much time with him? Maybe I’ve got Stockholm syndrome, Dollar thought.

“You said they could hold two symbol arrays, right?” Mitsy asked.

Dollar shifted his attention to his business partner and shrugged. “Hopefully. But we only need one for this test. Are you worried?”

“Of course not. It’s my brilliant plan,” Mitsy puffed up proudly. “You know, the one you didn’t think of?”

“No, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Dollar said innocently.

“Ugh, spoilsport,” Mitsy threw the gloves and a glossrock at him.

Dollar snatched the glossrock out of the air and eyed it carefully. It wasn’t too big, but it was large enough for his purposes.

“We’ll have to mine more later,” Dollar said.

“Who is this ‘we’ you’re talking about?” Mitsy giggled. “I’m the one smashing the rocks.”

“Your love life is none of my business.”

Mitsy gaped at him, and Bill squealed with laughter, the grec’s tail thumping wildly against the ground.

Dollar raised the gloves and then glanced at the rocks around him. He was going to draw a single symbol into each of them, and then four more connection symbols around them. All the symbols would be inactive, and useless on their own. At most activating them would make the rocks harden slightly.

“Why the wood symbol?” Mitsy peered at the obscured symbols. “I thought you’d use a protection one.”

“These gloves won’t survive a single punch if you use them. Not as they are. Protection symbols create armor on top of the material, so they’d still be destroyed. Wood symbols strengthen the material itself,” Dollar said. “Which is why it’s the first thing I’m testing.”

Bill nodded at his words, as though they made perfect sense, and Dollar smiled. He hadn’t memorized the light symbol, the movement symbol, or the symbols needed to create the necklace of water breathing, but when he did his artifact options would increase dramatically.

Especially if this worked.

“You owe me if this works,” Mitsy said. Her arm trembled with excitement as she tucked a strand of hair behind her head.

I really do. Dollar thought. Though he didn’t say the words out loud.

In the auction house Mitsy had asked him what would happen if he drew the symbols for an array outside of the artifact and then used [Transcriber of Reality] to make the artifact instantly.

This would be his first test of her theory.

Thankfully, the glossrock was easy to imbed, with Mitsy having created a hole to fit it in earlier. Once the array was created the core and casing materials would click together as though they’d been one substance the entire time.

If this works, I might have to call her a genius. And I don’t think I’m ready to do that yet.

“Oink?” Bill shifted, glancing at the glove with curiosity.

“I’m hoping to add a haste array after the wood array,” Dollar said. “If the glove doesn’t explode, we’ll have an artifact that increases our speed. Or the speed of our upper body. It’ll need some fine tuning to be perfect, but the bones will be there.”

The grec nodded at his explanation, his green horn bouncing up and down.

“Normally, it would take a few hours to do this because I’d be forcing each symbol not to clash and destroy each other,” Dollar said.

“And the symbols are active the entire time?” Mitsy tilted her head. “I thought they had time limits.”

“They do, but the process of creating an array strengthens the concepts within the symbol, so the symbols don't perish while active. Unfortunately, they're also useless since they're clashing, so the concepts within the symbols aren't birthed into reality.” Dollar sighed as he saw Mitsy's attention wandering. “But the main issue is that the symbols are created one at a time,” Dollar continued. “So, it's like having half a dozen children screaming in your mind as you work. Not only that, but those screaming babies are always trying to tear down the new ones before they're ready to defend themselves. Uniting them can take hours. This is where most symbologists falter. Their minds can’t handle the pressure. Theoretically, if I transfer the symbols to the glossrock at the same time, they won't have time to clash. Only to harmonize.”

“Because my patented Mitsy Method makes it easy,” Mitsy said.

Dollar winced at the name.

“If it does, I’ll shower you with gold. Maybe. Or at least I’ll buy you a nice candle,” Dollar said.

“Two nice candles,” Mitsy shot back.

“Deal.”

Dollar glanced down at the notebook and then at the glove. He raised his chalk, drawing into the pages of his notebook. He spread the symbols out between pages and carefully noted any fluctuations, and he used a sharp stick of chalk instead of paint because he was relying on the lines created by the chalk to transfer the symbols, not the chalk itself.

Without the resistance or stress of needing to carve directly into the glossrock he’d even be able to make the symbols smaller than normal. When he was done, he would blow the chalk off, leaving only the indents on the page.

One symbol crafted.

Two symbols crafted.

Seven symbols crafted.

Dollar finished the symbols in less than a minute, seven in total when including the connection symbols for the artifact. The ethereal concepts of reality filtered into Dollar’s symbols as he finished carving the final lines. With each new concept came the breath of life, causing each symbol to announce their presence to the world with their calls.

Okay, the moment of truth. Dollar breathed in deeply.

“[Transcriber of Reality]”

Called from the void beyond, the symbols felt a new power wash over them, and their position changed. Suddenly, they became aware of others. More symbols, each with their own concepts. So close together, they did the only thing they could. They fought for survival.

Concept clashed against concept.

Symbol battled against symbol.

A gentle force brushed against the symbols as they began to wage war. It wasn’t powerful, nor was it forceful, but this new force held will and intent that calmed the symbols down. They lowered their arms as this new force willed them to, and then they felt a change occur. The once-foreign concepts were reaching out to each other instead of fighting, and they quickly realized there was another option available. Cooperation, and peace.

Joy sprung up within the symbols as they accepted this strange new option. Clashing powers simmered into tranquil harmony, and each concept melded into a single being.

They were growing stronger. They were discovering new facets of themselves.

They were becoming more.

When they completed their transformation, they were no longer individuals, but they weren’t a single whole either. Each one worked in conjunction with each other to reach higher heights than possible alone, and they greeted each other with joy as a balance was established between them.

None of them had thoughts. None of them could see. And yet, they all knew what their purpose was.

To protect against and overcome all their enemies.

When Dollar raised the glove to his eyes, he could see the glossrock glimmering with a beautiful array in the center. It held all of his symbols in perfect harmony.

“Extraordinary,” Dollar whispered.

He felt his progress toward his next level budge, and he grinned. The entire creation process had taken less than two minutes.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“It worked? It worked!” Mitsy sprung forward, playfully snatching the glove from his grasp. “I. Am. A. Genius!”

Dollar and Bill glanced at each other, and Bill squealed with joy.

“Yeah.” Dollar allowed himself a grin. “It worked.”

****

Dollar sat on the sand of the dome, studying a necklace of water breathing carefully. Mitsy and Bill interrupted his peaceful study as they ran across the dome playfully, but he didn’t mind the occasional splash of sand or shout of happiness. A week had passed since Bill had woken up, and fortunately, the animal took to the water like a pig in mud, skipping and paddling around the waters of the dome, and happily chasing fish until he ran out of breath and had to return.

Unfortunately, Bill was too fat to swim all the way to the top of the lake. Dollar had thought the grec would float. He had, but he hadn’t floated fast enough to rise before he needed to breathe. Mostly, the grec just paddled forward. For them to leave the dome, Bill would need to breathe underwater, and he would need to float properly.

Dollar wanted to feed Bill a necklace of water breathing, but Mitsy had vetoed his idea. She wanted to wait until the grec had time to rest and build up the muscles he’d lost during his long sleep.

I haven’t been able to make any more useful artifacts. Dollar grumbled. Not the kind I want made.

Dollar, ever the connoisseur, had immediately attempted to add a haste array to the glove he’d created.

A few seconds later, Mitsy had ripped her arm out of its socket throwing a punch with the glove equipped.

“GAH, IT HURTS LIKE THE LIGHTNING OF A THOUSAND GODS.” Her horrific scream still resonated in his ears.

I’m missing something. Dollar thought as Mitsy waved her dislocated arm across the air. She’d ended up slamming her shoulder against the wall of the lake to fix it, something that both Bill and Dollar had winced at.

Dollar quickly worked out the issue. The glove was good. Amazing, even. But it couldn’t be fantastic unless it was paired with an array or artifact that allowed Mitsy to control her hastened movements. Even using it to wiggle fingers would cause damage. Normally, that wouldn’t happen because the haste symbol affected the entire body. But artifacts were different from symbols. Powerful, yes, but still different.

He couldn’t even work out how much the glove hastened her movements by, since she’d only gotten the one punch before the injury.

The haste symbol speeds up the entire body. But the glove only speeds up one part of the body. That creates an asymmetry in muscle movements. Dollar sighed. Good thing we didn’t try the boots first. Those would have torn her ankles to shreds.

Dollar smiled. He liked a difficult challenge.

The first thing he needed to resolve was Bill's floating problem.

Maybe Lotan can just throw Bill up there, Dollar thought.

That was the easiest solution, but not the one Dollar wanted. Learning the gravity symbol was the best solution. Once he mastered it, it would allow him to create artifacts that would help all of them move easily in the water. The formidable symbol outside the dome was still calling to him, its siren song of power tempting him to dive deeper into the depths, and learning the gravity symbol would allow Bill freedom and provide a means of delving deeper into the lake. But the symbol would take months to learn. Possibly more.

He was both safe from House Tiberius, and the dome was close to the symbol, so now was the best time for him to explore its existence, and potentially the only time. If they couldn’t find a way to help Bill move through the water gracefully, then the uni-pig would make it impossible for them to explore.

I’ll bring it up to Mitsy once my grandma gets back. Dollar resolved. Who knows, she might not even want to explore the unexplored and dangerous depths for a treasure that’s- wait, I may be overthinking that. Adventure. Treasure. She’ll be fine.

To make sure he could access any of those options, Dollar had been studying the necklace of water breathing nonstop for a week, abandoning all other activities. Even artifact creation. The reason was simple.

The more symbols he knew, the better his artifact options would become. He would focus on the necklace of water breathing first, but the movement symbol interested him as well.

Maybe it can help with the haste artifact issues, Dollar thought. Bah. If only we had enough materials to practice with. I should have bought more gloves. And we need bigger glossrocks. Proper ones. The type we can only get in Tiber city.

His lack of materials and time was weighing on him, but he was content. His progress was increasing in leaps and bounds, and he knew that everything would soon fall perfectly into place.

[Symbol Array Deconstruction has reached level 9.]

[Symbol Array Deconstruction has reached level 10.]

[Symbol Array Deconstruction has reached level 11.]

[Symbol Array Deconstruction has reached level 12.]

[Symbol Array Deconstruction has reached level 13.]

[Symbol Array Deconstruction has reached level 14.]

[Symbol Array Deconstruction has reached level 15.]

[Transcriber of Reality has reached level 7.]

[Transcriber of Reality has reached level 8.]

The veils of the necklace were giving in to his sight. He knew they were. There was more than one symbol within them, but he wasn’t sure how many. Possibly two, or three, all of whom had different effects that combined to allow for water breathing to be possible.

How much longer do I need? Dollar wondered. Once I pierce the veil, I’ll be able to see all the symbols within, but then I need to memorize them, too. Honestly, using a core point on [Symbol Memorization] doesn’t seem like a bad idea. It might be an enormous boost to my speed.

He put the necklace down and stretched, letting out a yawn.

Okay, time to practice something else. What haven’t I focused on lately?

With a swift step, he exited the dome, entering the waters beyond. He didn’t move far from the transparent material, intending to run the moment he saw any invisible creatures circling nearby. Their mystery predator hadn’t reappeared, but Dollar still kept his eyes on the shadows around him.

Today, he would be testing a [skill] he’d intended to get to for a while.

[A Will Eternal].

Dollar wasn’t sure if the [skill] worked underwater. He also wasn’t sure what the [skill] was capable of. He hadn’t had time to practice. That was why he hadn’t tried to use it against the invisible creature when it had attacked them.

That wouldn’t work in a life-or-death situation.

He slipped the necklace of water breathing around his neck and sat down on the bed of the lake, resisting the current as it tried to force him up. Taking in a deep breath, he felt [A Will Eternal] activate.

“Come here.”

Dollar’s words reverberated across the water, unaffected by the physical and unfettered by the tides. His intentions unfurled across his surroundings. It washed over the fish and the plants, and it curled into the crevices and slithered over the dome. There was none that could stop it, nor would they dare, for it was above them and beyond them.

His will was eternal.

The impact was instantaneous. Fish of all types shot toward Dollar, creating swirls of colors as they rushed to obey his whim. Dollar glanced at the furthest fish, trying to calculate the distance that his will extended to. His command had expanded across a quarter of a mile, but he had a feeling that wasn’t the limit of his reach. His own inexperience had restricted him.

Some fish stayed back, more cautious and curious than the others. Most gathered around Dollar curiously, some nibbling at his swimming trunks as he allowed the current to wash over him.

The effect of my order only lasts an instant. So it’s not mind control. It’s more like a battle for dominance between what is, and what could be, Dollar thought. That’s why [haggling] and similar [skills] can’t affect me. They try to influence me to accept what could be, but my will reasserts that things are as I see them.

His conclusion felt right the moment he thought of it.

Dollar knew that fish couldn’t speak Ioan. Probably. Which meant the commands he was sending were more instinctual than intellectual. Meaning he probably didn’t need to say the real command, so long as he thought it.

What happens if I want them to swirl in a circle around me? Do I have to say the full sentence?

“Swirl.”

The fish whirled around him, creating a tornado of scales and flesh. A few seconds later, the fish dispersed, bored and confused.

I see, so a complex command like, ‘bring me a cheeseburger’ could be simplified as ‘cheeseburger’. Dollar hummed, his lips creating bubbles as he did so. I suppose that makes sense if it’s based on my intentions and not my words. If I wanted someone to slap an enemy and I said ‘slap’, I wouldn’t want someone to slap me instead. I’ll need to test this more.

“Leave.”

A pulse of movement cascaded across his vision as thousands of fish rocketed away from him. Again, some were less affected than others, moving slower and glancing back at him curiously.

Are they stronger-willed, or do they just not understand the command? Dollar wondered. Possibly a bit of both. After all, I can’t imagine a person being so easily influenced. Not unless I convinced them I was worth obeying.

Something pressed into his shoulder, and Dollar glanced back in surprise.

Mitsy stood behind him, her blonde hair cascading in the water.

“What are you doing?” Mitsy mouthed the words. “Going fishing?”

“Fishing?” Dollar asked. “Oh.”

She had seen the fish gathering around him and assumed he was going to kill one of them for his lunch. Dollar shivered and shook his head. The idea of commanding hundreds of fish to their deaths was unnerving.

With a gentle push, he lifted himself off the ground, his body floating gently in the water as the gentle current took him.

“Don’t worry about it. [Skill stuff],” Dollar said.

He pushed his way into the dome, his feet once against gripping dry land.

Then, much to his surprise, he stumbled, and a plume of sand scrubbed his cheeks as he face-planted onto the floor of the dome.

“That’s one way to make an entrance,” Mitsy giggled. “Are you okay?”

“Ugh,” Dollar groaned.

A single blue box filled his vision.

[A Will Eternal has reached level 4.]

The sand crunched as Mitsy stepped beside him, lifting him up with a single hand. Her emerald eyes gazed at him, filled with curiosity.

“Seriously, are you okay?” She frowned. “You look kind of pale.”

“I’m…not sure,” Dollar admitted.

Dollar gave his body a pat down, but found nothing. It occurred to him that the fish may have been venomous, injecting him when they’d swarmed him, but he didn’t feel poisoned. Instead, his entire being felt tired. It felt like he’d run a marathon, or focused for hours learning a symbol, except without muscle pain or mental fatigue.

It was a strain that ran deeper than either the physical or mental, as though his very existence was weary.

How many commands have I done before in one sitting? Dollar wondered. I think three times is the most I’ve tried. And probably my limit as well.

Everything had a price. Dollar knew that fact intimately. But he didn’t have mana or any sort of price to pay listed in the [skill] description. So, what he was spending had to be separate from them both.

Hang on, the [class] selection before [A Will Eternal] offered a similar [skill]. It was called…um, [Indomitable Spirit], yeah. Dollar frowned. The two abilities were similar, so maybe the name’s more literal than I thought. What if my soul is tired?

The thought troubled him. He didn’t care whether he had a soul, but if he did have one, then he didn’t want to be doing something that could impact it negatively.

However, that didn’t mean he would stop using the [skill].

More testing. Dollar concluded. Under safe conditions.

“Do we have souls?” Dollar asked.

MItsy faltered, her foot catching on the sand and her arms waving as she tried to regain balance. “Woah, I just asked if you were okay.” Mitsy looked at him in surprise. “And yeah, we do.”

She spoke with such certainty that Dollar wondered what her source was.

Is this another one of those ‘common sense’ things that everybody in Ioa except me knows about?

Dollar blinked in surprise as he realized something. “Wait, why did you come and get me?”

“Oh right! Your grandma is here.” Mitsy swept her hand gracefully through the air, gesturing toward the house.

At the entrance sat Levia, her blue eyes resting on Dollar with a smile. Her dark hair splashed over a turquoise floral-print dress that draped across the ground. Fabric pooled around her, falling onto the sand with grace, dry as a bone.

“Grandma,” Dollar smiled, pushing his fatigue to the back of his mind. “Did Mitsy tell you about our mystery attacker?”

“She did.” Levia shifted uncomfortably. “Lotan is looking out for them now, but I do not believe we will find them.”

“Oh?” Dollar glanced at Mitsy curiously, but she looked just as confused as he did.

“We have our enemies, and I suspect my movements have made them…Curious.” Levia pursed her lips. “What you encountered fits the description of a war steed. Though usually, they have a rider with them.”

“Enemies?” Dollar pushed down a smidgen of panic.

Levia sighed. “They are enemies of our family and only our family. That means they will not attack those who have not unlocked their bloodlines, but if you were traveling with Greil Petals, as your friend has told me, then most likely they may have mistaken the petal’s aura for an unlocked bloodline and struck at you.”

Dollar nodded, but also he noted how she phrased her words. She was omitting details deliberately.

Are people without unlocked bloodlines not considered family? Dollar wondered.

“I cannot say more until you have unlocked your bloodline.” Levia’s mood shifted, and she grinned happily. “Which is why I have returned. I was visiting the main household, and, after deliberations, they have given permission for me to aid you in unlocking your bloodline.”

So, that’s why she took longer than expected. Dollar thought.

“Permission? That seems restrictive,” Dollar said.

“That is how our family operates.”

“Our family,” Dollar repeated the words slowly. “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you about them. Actually, let me start with something that’s been bugging me.”

Once, when he’d gone to take the exam to receive his symbologist badge, Dollar had met with Orona, a future participant in the Tournament of Kings. She’d created a portal with ease, filling him with jealousy, but more importantly, when he’d stepped through that portal, he had ended up in another world.

It was a world of light, devoid of imperfections, and in its center was a woman. She looked like his mother and grandmother, but also different. Like a reflection of all that was beautiful in the world, yet without humanity.

Now, Dollar wanted to know who she was.

“‘Inheritor of my bloodline’,” Dollar quoted her exact words.

Dollar had gone over the brief conversation a thousand times in his mind. The world of light. The ripples he’d caused when stepping on the surface. The woman who looked inhumanely perfect.

He told his grandmother everything, watching for signs of recognition.

Thankfully, Levia didn’t hide her shock.

“Who was she?” Dollar asked.

“The progenitor,” Levia replied immediately, emphasizing the title. “Every bloodline has an origin. The first to receive it. She is ours. But I have never laid eyes on her. Nobody but the purest in our family has. This is a sign and confirmation.”

“Confirmation?”

“That you will unlock your bloodline,” Levia said.

“What happens if I fail?” Dollar asked.

“You will not fail,” Levia was certain. “You’re intelligent, a sign that our bloodline is already taking effect, and I have witnessed the strength of your will. Both are crucial factors in unlocking our bloodline. And you have met the progenitor herself. Only those with a pure link to our bloodline can ever dream of doing so.”

His grandmother’s eyes gleamed with anticipation, and Dollar mirrored her expression. His bloodline was the most mysterious tool in his potential arsenal, but if even half of what his grandmother was saying was true, it would be an invaluable one for fighting House Tiberius.

It was everything he wanted. And yet, something continued to bother him.

‘Cavorter of the Divine, crosser of thresholds, inheritor of my bloodline. You’re not supposed to be here.’

Those were the exact words the progenitor had said to him.

She knew about Ength. And maybe about my reincarnation. Which means she’s powerful, at least in some sense of the word, Dollar thought.

Dollar may have met the progenitor, but she hadn’t been glad to see him. She had kicked him out of her realm instantly, without a second thought given to where he had come from or where she was sending him back to. In fact, he’d rocketed straight into Bill when she’d kicked him out of the portal.

If that had been a wall, his skull would have cracked open. Or he’d be dead.

“I have a question about these abilities I could receive,” Dollar said.

Dollar kept his tone calm and added a hint of childish excitement as well, but the gears in his head were turning. Suspicions roiled under the surface of his thoughts. His grandmother had told him all the benefits, but everything had a price.

And he had a feeling the bloodline was no different.

Levia paused, her smile resting on her lips. “Life, bonds, and potential. The bloodline affects us all differently, but it always strengthens these three factors. Life usually means an extended lifespan, or increased stats, though some have also unlocked life-affinity magic or even the ability to communicate with other races. Bonds are always the same. You can form a pact with a single being of your choice, gaining part of their powers as your own, and sharing part of yours with theirs. As for potential, well, that is the most variable factor. All see an increase in intelligence, just as you’ve already received, but beyond that, anything is possible. You may unlock a hidden talent you never knew you had, or find your body rid of impurities, reaching its perfect form.”

“All benefits,” Dollar replied.

“Exactly,” Levia beamed.

“You know, my mother mentioned the intelligence part, but never the bonding. And I’m sure she would have if she could. She definitely knew about them if you’re telling me so easily. But I’ve seen no sign of them in her.” Dollar tapped his chin pensively. “At the very least, I would have noticed a bonded animal around her. Tell me, did she unlock her full bloodline?”

The sand shifted as Levia shuffled uncomfortably, her fingers curling into the folds of her turquoise dress, clutching them tight.

“Your mother did not fully unlock her bloodline,” Levia confirmed.

“You mean she failed,” Dollar said. “Normally, that wouldn’t mean anything to me. After all, I don’t know much about bloodlines. Failing or succeeding means nothing to me. But I know a bit about family, and how they can reject you. You told me she lived in this dome. Possibly for years, maybe not. Either way, it doesn’t seem like a place you stay in voluntarily. Not alone. She only left once my dad arrived, which meant she was already here before then. And yet you said you only saw her once. When she left the dome. So she wasn’t with you. I can’t imagine that being here without friends or family was enjoyable. Or voluntary.”

Dollar didn’t look away from Levia. His mother’s situation was strange. Unfortunate, even. Levia was bound to the sea, but he suspected that was because of her bond with Lotan. If his family was as powerful as his grandmother had claimed they were, then they could have helped his parents in their dire situation.

But they hadn’t.

Levia’s remarks about their enemies had been worrying, but even more so was her flippant remark that people without unlocked bloodlines weren’t family. The fact that she’d taken so long to return was also suspicious. Either she’d taken a longer time to reach her family than she’d estimated, or they had fought against her decision to unlock his bloodline for days.

Bill’s tail had stopped thumping, his head tilting curiously, and Mitsy frowned. She’d picked up on the meaning behind Dollar’s words.

“Maybe I should have been clearer.” Dollar’s tone was calm, yet firm. “Do you consider my mother to be family?”

“She is my daughter. But she is not our family,” Levia said, her tone soft, but her eyes sorrowful. “As such, she had no place in our home.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What if I fail?”

“If you do not unlock your bloodline, the same fate will befall you.”

Levia sighed.

“They will excommunicate you, and leave you to fend for yourself, disowned, and disavowed from our lineage for the rest of your life. Blood does not connect us. Only bloodlines do.”