Chapter 350: The Sleeping Bloodline

Princess Charlie had quietly opened her system interface and shown Luke a glowing notification. At that exact moment, his own interface synced, her profile no longer grayed out.

[Princess Charlie has acquired a Race Skill: Bloodline of Vespertilio]

He blinked. A bloodline? Wait, how? She actually got a bloodline power.

“Charlie, that’s… incredible,” he whispered as they walked. The others followed a few steps behind, heading toward the cave.

She seemed delighted, proud even, and through their master-servant link he felt something that could only be interpreted as, ‘Compliment me again.’

He almost laughed. Honestly, he wanted to. He wanted to give her a high-five, because somehow she’d unlocked something as powerful as the bloodline skills Allison, Mason, and Erza possessed.

There were two types of bloodline powers: those tied to birth, bound to one’s race, and those that were granted later. Charlie’s seemed to belong to the first kind.

Still, the thought nagged at him. She was a skeleton. Could skeletons even have bloodline powers? Then again, it didn’t matter. His undead friend had one, and that was what counted.

He tapped the new notification, eager to see what it said.

Vespertilio… why does that sound familiar? I’ve heard that word before.

The details unfolded across the interface.

[Bloodline of Vespertilio]: This bloodline is currently sealed and dormant, its true essence hidden within the current body. Fragments of an ancient and unknown power dwell deep within the soul, waiting for the right moment to awaken.

(Requirements for Awakening: In order for the bloodline to reveal its true power, a complete body is required, possessing blood, a heart, lungs, a brain, flesh, and skin.)

When he looked to his side, he could feel Charlie’s disappointment radiating through their bond.

She waited for me to read it with her.

The sadness that followed hit him harder than he expected.

“It’s okay, Charlie,” he murmured softly.

But before he could say more, Evangeline strolled past. “I’m taking the couch,” she announced as the rest of the group entered the cave.

Luke sighed. It wasn’t the time to talk. Charlie closed her interface quietly, her mood dimmed. A bloodline needed blood and a living body to awaken. At least for now, that dream was out of reach.

***

A small feast had been set up that afternoon. Cauldrons were brought in, tables assembled, chairs dragged from wherever they could be found. Everyone helped in some way. Luke was surprised to see Erza Grimhart volunteering to cook. Each person suggested a few of their favorite dishes, and soon the menu turned into a chaotic mix of roasted meat, pasta, fries, and even hamburgers.

Charlie got ridiculously excited when Anne asked her to help in the kitchen and proudly lit every firepit with his flame magic. Allison joined in too, contributing with a touch of frost magic to make the juices ice-cold.

“You’re actually useful, Rhiannon,” Erza said, dropping a few ice cubes into her mug of juice.

No one came to bother them—not soldiers, not messengers, not anyone from the Haven. It seemed like everyone there was also sharing a meal with their own friends and families.

Erza’s maids served themselves and then went to sit by another fire a bit farther away, leaving the group to talk in peace. They started reminiscing about things from Earth.

“So, no one here has celebrated a single birthday yet?” Eleanor asked.

The conversation turned into a debate about throwing a collective belated birthday party and where they’d do it.

“Now that I’m rich enough, I’ll rent out a whole restaurant when we get back,” Evangeline said, flashing her jewels like a queen. She wore five gold necklaces, diamond rings on every finger, three different crowns, and had a large jug overflowing with gold coins beside her.

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“How many dollars do you think all this is worth? When I go back, I’m buying a house with a swimming pool filled with cash,” she said, grinning. “That’ll be my birthday gift to myself.”

Jack sat in a chair across from her. “When I return to Earth, I’m heading to the New World. I plan to move to one of the cities, open a clinic, and spread the word of the Goddess of Kindness.”

“New World?” Luke asked. “I thought after being trapped in this tutorial, you’d want the modern life back.”

“The aquarium that is modern society can’t contain sharks like us,” Erza said quietly. “More than half of the people from the tutorial will probably move there and abandon the modern world. Not for power—but to live.”

Some of their faces turned puzzled.