Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 630

Chapter 630: The Dragon of Consumption

Ethan’s actions provoked the little creature. It bared its tiny claws and snapped at him, its golden scales shimmering faintly.

“Hmph… He may be the Ancestral Dragon, but am I not one as well? We were born together. He governs fortune, while I preside over consumption!”

The monstrous dragon inside gnashed its teeth, its deep voice echoing through the space as it glared at the little Golden Dragon in Ethan’s hand. Bitterness edged its words. “If not for his better luck, it would be him imprisoned here!”

Ethan froze. Born together? And the little Golden Dragon governed fortune—did that mean luck itself? That would explain why emperors, upon ascending the throne and donning their robes, were called Sons of Heaven, blessed with the world’s fortune. So there was truth in those folktales afterall.

But the other one—Consumption—what exactly did that mean? The word carried a strange, ominous weight that he couldn’t fully understand.

Then it struck him. The little Golden Dragon belonged to him now. Had its sudden appearance, guiding him to this place, also been a matter of luck? And if so, was there something hidden here—something meant for him to find?

He began to search the surroundings carefully. The so-called Dragon of Consumption received none of his attention anymore. Trapped inside its spherical cage, it could only extend its tentacles, the rest of its powers sealed. Perhaps that was deliberate—a survival mechanism left by whoever imprisoned it, allowing it to feed but never escape.

Ethan circled the area and found nothing else of note. It seemed the imprisoned dragon was the only thing inhabiting this space. Slowly, he turned back toward it.

“Heh… I advise you not to plot against me,” the Dragon of Consumption said lazily. Its tone carried both mockery and warning. It had lived countless ages; it could easily read Ethan’s intentions. The human was here for power, treasure, something of value.

Ethan walked around the massive, egg-like cage once more. After a moment’s hesitation, he reached out and laid his hand on the strange metal surface.

The dragon’s eyes flickered. It didn’t stop him. Instead, it lay still, a faint excitement glinting deep in its gaze. Ethan noticed none of it.

The instant his hand brushed the cage, a faint clicking noise echoed through the space. Click… clack…

Then the bottle’s glowing interior went black. A crushing presence filled the air. Ethan tensed, looking up as the darkness thickened above him.

“Of course,” he muttered. “With something like that locked up here, it’d be strange if there weren’t any guards.”

From the dim walls, shadows began to slither downward, twisting like schools of dark fish. They gathered and merged midair until a colossal body took shape.

“What in the world…” Ethan stared upward. The creature was immense—so large he could only see its belly, its outline blurring into the shadows. From what little he could make out, it looked bizarrely like an inflated pufferfish.

‘Whatever’, he thought grimly.

He shot upward, his combat mech roaring to life, and swung a punch. Boom! The strike landed solidly, yet it felt like hitting a giant cushion. His entire force sank into the creature’s soft belly, absorbed without effect.

Then, with a deep tremor, the surface pulsed. A violent shockwave exploded outward.

CRASH!

Before Ethan could react, he was flung backward, faster than he’d charged forward. His body hurtled straight toward the altar.

The altar pulsed once with light. Click-clack… Then, suddenly, it sank into the ground, dragging the giant egg with it. In an instant, both vanished without a trace, as though they had never existed.

Splat!

Ethan slammed hard into the floor. Despite the impact, the ground didn’t crack.

“Son of a…” He groaned, pushing himself up. His attack had been completely neutralized, and when his force dispersed, it had been turned against him.

The creature shifted, revealing its front. Ethan’s guess had been right—it was indeed a massive, furious pufferfish. Its enormous form loomed above him, pressing downward until it filled the entire space.

Ethan wanted to move, but there was nowhere left to go.

—

Meanwhile, on Crescent Isle, Victor and the others stared, dumbfounded, at the report Leo and Celeste had brought back.

Earlier that day, after the chaotic battle, the impulsive Blackie had been intercepted. When he returned, Markham had gone with him back to the Whitmore family’s Hidden Territory, bringing Leo and Celeste along. They also carried a list—a long sheet of names.

It was a record of missing players that Leo’s team had compiled over the past few days. The game Ethereal had reopened two days ago, and the developers had announced the upcoming Fortress Wars expansion. Only three days remained until launch.

Leo and his team had assumed Ethan was with Victor’s group, so they hadn’t contacted them immediately. But when Victor saw the list and heard their account, the reality sank in—it was far worse than anyone had expected.

They had believed Ethan’s decisive strike had wiped out Vaughn’s loyalists within the Originalists and purged the Dissenters’ brainwashed followers. But none of them had foreseen such a ruthless countermeasure. If they’d known sooner, would they have stopped him? Would they have chosen differently?

No one spoke it aloud, but they all knew the answer didn’t matter now. Those captured had been sent somewhere called Cosmos Isle—a place rumored to turn prisoners into fuel for something far worse.

“Still no contact with the boss?” Williams entered just then, lowering his phone.

Everyone turned to him immediately. He shook his head, his expression grim.

Two sharp whooshes came from the window. The Dragon Child and Celeste landed lightly inside.

“Well? Where are they?” Victor asked at once.

Seeing only the two of them, everyone’s unease deepened. Celeste’s face was pale as she said quietly, “Something must have happened. The tempered glass on the top floor of Amber Zane’s villa was blown out. The whole place is a wreck.”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

Then, suddenly—

“I have news! I have news! I have news!”

A shrill, excited voice echoed down the hallway. Everyone winced. Markham groaned and buried his head in the sofa.

Aunt Melinda burst through the doorway, still in her pajamas, clutching her phone like a trophy.

“I know where Ethan went!” she shouted, breathless. “He went to Sacred Sea Island! He took the Flying Dragon cruise ship with that Zane girl—and they’re staying in the Honeymoon Presidential Suite!”

Before anyone could ask, she blurted it all out in one breath.