Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

The Dragon Emperor looked toward the beam for another moment before finally speaking, his eyes remaining fixed on the Beam as though he was trying to determine whether there was anything else he needed to explain before revealing what he believed Azarion was truly trying to accomplish. ”It would be...merging back all the Continents and ascending as the progenitor of all races.”

The moment he spoke those words, everyone around him fell silent, and even the Ancient Pope Sylvaris frowned in confusion. The rulers had already heard enough strange information during this incident to understand that Azarion’s actions were far beyond anything they had originally expected, yet the word progenitor itself was something none of them could properly place.

There was no record of a progenitor of the Elves, Angels, Dragons, Humans, or Dwarves, and there certainly had never been any record of an individual who could be called the progenitor of every race in Eliomor. The term itself sounded familiar that they could understand generally, but its existence within the context of their world made absolutely no sense.

”What does that mean?” Eliana asked without hesitation.

Everyone else continued staring at the Dragon Emperor as though waiting for the same answer, because whatever Zaakrax meant by those words was clearly connected to the ultimate purpose behind Azarion’s actions. Thorsin, who had been floating slightly farther away from the others while observing the beam, immediately moved closer once his curiosity reached its limit.

He had initially kept some distance from the conversation, but hearing something that contradicted everything he knew about the races was enough to take his curiosity to another level.

Kael, on the other hand, already understood the term.

He remained silent behind his mask while looking toward the area from which the beam was emerging. He had encountered the concept of a progenitor countless times in the novels he had read on Earth, and although the word could have different meanings depending on the situation, the basic idea was always connected to an original existence from which others descended. What confused him was not the meaning of the word itself, but why Zaakrax had used it to describe Azarion’s apparent goal.

’Does that mean his ultimate goal is to ascend?’

Kael’s thoughts shifted toward cultivation almost immediately because the connection seemed obvious to him. ’But isn’t that a natural process in cultivation? If someone has the talent just like those protagonists and people from xianxia cultivation novels and works hard enough, they should eventually be able to ascend, right?’ He had always assumed that Ascension was simply the natural result of reaching a sufficiently high level, especially since the entire purpose of cultivation was to continuously break through one’s limitations and reach greater heights.

Just as that thought entered his mind, the System screen suddenly flickered before him. Kael’s eyes widened slightly behind his mask when he saw the new information.

[Host, your conclusion is almost correct, but Ascension from this particular planet does not work like that.]

Kael’s expression immediately became more serious as another line appeared beneath it.

[There were several Ancients who tried to ascend naturally, but the will of the planet stopped them from Ascending.]

For several seconds, Kael simply stared at the System screen. His eyebrows gradually furrowed as he tried to process the revelation because this was something he had never considered during his entire time in Eliomor. The fact that several Ancients had already reached a level where they could attempt Ascension meant that they should have been among the strongest beings in the world, yet even they had apparently been stopped by something as fundamental as the will of the planet itself.

’Huh? The will of the planet itself stopped them? What the hell?’ Kael’s thoughts became increasingly confused as he looked toward the beam again.

’Wait...there must be some reason for it, right? Were those guys evil or something, or...does the will of the planet get something out of it?’ The possibilities immediately began piling up in his mind because there had to be some explanation for why the will of Eliomor would prevent powerful cultivators from ascending. He could not simply accept that the planet randomly decided to stop them without there being some kind of reason behind it.

However, another thought quickly became more important than all the others, ’If what the System said is true, then it is most likely that my Ascension would be stopped as well, wouldn’t it?’

Kael’s expression became slightly tense as he considered that possibility. It was the natural conclusion after all. If the will of Eliomor could prevent even Ancients from ascending, then there was no reason to assume that he would somehow be exempt from the same restriction. His entire goal was to become strong enough to eventually leave this world and return to Earth, but if the planet itself could prevent him from ascending, then simply becoming stronger might not be enough.

He needed to leave this planet, he needed to return to Earth.

His sudden calm demeanor faltered as a bead of sweat ran down his chin, and for the first time since hearing Zaakrax’s statement, the consequences of the revelation actually began to weigh on him. Kael had spent the entire year growing stronger with the belief that his path was straightforward, but now one of the fundamental assumptions behind that path had been challenged. Before his thoughts could spiral any further, however, the System flickered again.

[Host must not worry, the System and Host exists outside of the rules and laws placed by this world.]

[It cannot stop your Ascension in any way possible. As for now Host can not get more information about those topics, Host should give priority to the Quest and listen to the Dragon Emperor.]

Kael read the message carefully before finally relaxing. The System had never given him a reason to doubt its capabilities, and if it was telling him that the will of Eliomor could not interfere with his Ascension, then worrying about it now would accomplish nothing. He slowly shook his head before narrowing his eyes behind the mask.

’The System explicitly says for me to listen to the Dragon Emperor. That means he somehow has the knowledge of all these events...but how?’