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

Jade had brought Rowan and the others back to the school herself, which explained why the sensors on the Aeon Corporation VR headsets hadn't detected their presence. Their auras had been completely masked by the spiritual energy surrounding Jade.

Unable to find Ethan at the school, Jade couldn't stay long in such a high-energy environment, pulsing with raw vitality. The male dormitory, in particular, was a place brimming with intense life force, making it unbearable for spirits like her to remain.

This was why, at the end of every academic year, the male and female dormitories were swapped—a practice quietly adopted by universities across the country, despite the official stance against superstition.

Jade also realized she couldn't stay away from water—or The Den, for too long. Reluctantly, she returned to the resort.

Not long after Jade returned to The Den, the Ninth Division squad Ethan and his friends had encountered arrived. Despite her efforts to resist, she was quickly subdued by the woman wielding that whip made of some special material. Once captured, the squad didn't leave immediately. From their conversation, Jade learned they hadn't come for her. Their real target was the old man—the Curse Caster.

According to them, the old man had been lurking at The Den for a long time, and Jade wasn't his only victim. They had been tracking the Curse Caster and had stumbled upon Jade by chance. What's more, they had witnessed her entire rampage, including her trip to the school with Rowan and the others. They had been watching her the whole time.

To Jade's shock, they also knew about Ethan. They had used Rowan and his friends as bait, hoping to lure Ethan and his team into a trap. This was an unexpected bonus for them: not only had they discovered a newly formed Broodmother, but they had also uncovered a lead on Ethan.

The squad had no direct information about Ethan, but they knew that Celeste had once recruited at his school. Based on this, they speculated that Ethan might be the deputy leader of Celeste's M Squad. Rumors within the Ninth Division suggested that Celeste had gone rogue, and her entire team had gone off the grid. All records of Ethan and the others had been erased, making it nearly impossible for anyone to track them down.

When the squad had first arrived in Ember City, they had investigated the university and found several people named Ethan. After thorough vetting, all of them turned out to be ordinary students—except for one. This Ethan had barely scraped by in his classes, even failing combat training every year. Labeled a "waste" by the school, he was the only one whose whereabouts were unaccounted for, as he hadn't been on campus for some time.

During their investigation, the squad had interacted with Rowan and his friends. So when they found the four of them, they were certain they'd hit the jackpot. Even if Jade hadn't regained her senses, they would have intervened, saved Rowan and the others, and used them as bait to draw out Ethan.

Now, after learning about the factions within the Ninth Division, Ethan began to piece things together. It seemed Director Vaughn had erased their records to protect them. This meant that, officially, Ethan and his team were no longer members of the Ninth Division. That explained why Victor's Ninth Division credentials hadn't been thoroughly verified earlier.

The Ninth Division wasn't something just anyone could impersonate. Even if someone tried, they'd have no way to verify their credentials, and the consequences of getting caught were unimaginable.

In the world of Energy Users, the Ninth Division's reputation was terrifying. No one dared to impersonate them. If caught, death would be the least of your worries. Even if you weren't caught, just the rumor of impersonation could put you on their radar.

Rumor had it that the Dissenters had developed numerous methods to control people. If they got their hands on you, they could manipulate your body even after death, forcing you to turn on your own allies. It was a fate worse than death.

Logically, the Dissenters' rapid expansion should have been stopped long ago. But the only ones capable of stopping them were other Energy Users. The Originalists, however, were too weak to pose a threat. And the government couldn't exactly invite foreign organizations to handle the problem—that would risk the Ninth Division falling into enemy hands.

Fortunately, the Dissenters' brutal methods were primarily aimed at Energy Users. They had little impact on ordinary society. As long as they kept the supernatural world in check and didn't disrupt the lives of regular people, the government turned a blind eye. In fact, under the Dissenters' iron-fisted rule, Energy Users had become more cautious than ever, living in constant fear of drawing the Ninth Division's attention. Perhaps there was some merit to their harsh tactics.

This was also why the Chase siblings were so terrified of the Ninth Division. It wasn't just fear—Evelyn was bordering on despair. Ever since she was old enough to understand, she had been investigating her parents' disappearance. Every clue pointed to the Ninth Division. Now, with her grandfather missing, she was certain the Ninth Division was behind it. She just couldn't figure out why her entire family had become targets.

Evelyn had always harbored hatred for the Ninth Division, but now that she was directly confronting them, she felt lost and overwhelmed.

—

As Ethan and his group prepared to leave the Manor, Ethan turned to Ryan and asked, "Will Jade be able to survive like this indefinitely?"

Ryan shook his head. "The resentment that fuels a Wraith usually doesn't dissipate so easily. In her case, it's both a blessing and a curse.

The good news is that she might find peace and even reincarnate in the Underworld. The bad news is that her past actions—the countless lives she took, will weigh heavily on her karma. Whether she'll actually make it to the Underworld is anyone's guess. Plus, without her resentment, she'll grow weaker over time and might eventually fade away entirely."

He paused, then added, "On top of that, she's a Broodmother. If she could master her abilities, she might be able to sustain herself. But the knowledge available to the public is rudimentary at best. The real, powerful methods are closely guarded by secret organizations and powerful families."

Ethan wasn't entirely convinced by Ryan's talk of karma, and he knew how difficult it would be to obtain advanced training methods, especially for something as niche as a Broodmother. Still, he pressed Ryan for more information, asking why Jade couldn't leave the vicinity of The Den.

Ryan explained, "She died there, and her spirit is tied to the water. The resentment she generated in that place binds her to it. In a way, she's become the Water Spirit of that hot spring."