Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 643

Chapter 643: The Voice Beyond the Signal

Returning to Ascension Isle, Ethan noticed the change from miles away.

The once-luxurious resorts and gleaming villas along the eastern coast now lay in ruins, as if a tsunami had torn through them. When his boots hit the sand, he frowned, his jaw tightening. Amber’s face flashed in his mind, and the anger he’d been holding back began to boil.

Alaric, you just wait. If I, Ethan Caelum, don’t tear your precious Ascension Isle to the ground, I swear I’m no man.

His team landed behind him, the wind from the dropship scattering dust across the shore. Ethan’s gaze drifted toward the small wooden cabin where Amber had been staying. Anxiety tightened in his chest.

Their relationship had been unexpected, but she was still his woman.

And then there was Lyla—his irreplaceable one. If his feelings could be measured, she would sit at the very center of his heart. No one else came close.

In his previous life, Lyla had hidden her true identity, watching over him from the shadows. Even after they lost contact in the real world, she had stayed by his side in the game, right up to the end. Only after his rebirth had he discovered that Moonbeam had been Lyla all along.

Back then, he had lost both legs. Ethereal was the only place he could still walk, still fight, still breathe. And in that world, Moonbeam had been his only light.

Emery Shaw stepped up beside him, his expression serious. “Ethan, if you’re worried about her, we should head to Ascension Isle first,” he said quietly.

Ethan shook his head. “You said it yourself—it’s a hidden island. We don’t even know where to start looking. Since we’re already here, we deal with this first.”

Emery hesitated, then sighed. “Actually… I think I know where it is.”

Ethan turned to him. “What do you mean?”

Without another word, Emery reached up and removed the black patch covering his left eye. Ethan had noticed before that there was no eyeball underneath, but he’d assumed Emery had lost it in a fight with Alaric. Seeing him take it off now, claiming he could locate the island, made no sense.

“This one’s fake,” Emery explained, holding the patch in his hand. “I left my real eye with Amber. The prosthetic has a GPS system built into it. There’s a chip in my eye socket that connects to it. The signal’s dead here, but if they’re still near Crescent Isle, once we hit a stable connection, I might even be able to open a direct link to her.”

Ethan’s eyes widened. “You can really do that?”

Emery nodded. “Yes.”

A grin spread across Ethan’s face. “Then don’t move.” He clapped a hand on Emery’s shoulder.

“Uh—what are you—?” Emery started, but Ethan had already raised his wrist device.

“Shatterstar, initiate system scan!”

[Beep… Scan initiated!]

A narrow beam of blue light shot out from his wrist, sweeping across Emery’s artificial eye.

[Beep… Scan complete.]

“Copy system function!” Ethan ordered.

[Beep… Copying in progress…]

Moments later, the device chimed again.

[Beep… Copy complete! Connect to system directly?]

“Connect!” Ethan said eagerly.

A sharp whoosh filled the air as a holographic projection flickered to life before them. The image stabilized—and showed nothing but darkness.

“What’s going on?” Ethan frowned.

Emery stared at the empty feed, his brow furrowed. “It should be showing something. If the signal’s active, we should be seeing her… unless… was it discovered and thrown away? Try moving it,” He muttered, adjusting the settings on Ethan’s wrist display.

“Ah… Ethan?”

A startled voice crackled through the device.

Ethan froze. “Amber? Amber, is that you?”

“Ethan? Is that really you? Where are you? Am I dreaming?” Amber’s voice trembled with disbelief.

“I’m—uh—long story. Just check if you have something that looks like an eyeball with you!” he said, realizing he couldn’t easily explain everything yet.

“An eyeball? This one?” she asked uncertainly.

The holographic image on Ethan’s device wobbled. When it steadied, both he and Emery went silent.

“Are you sure there was no signal before?” Ethan asked, giving Emery a look that was equal parts suspicion and amusement.

“I swear there wasn’t!” Emery stammered, caught off guard but standing by his claim.

“It better be,” Ethan muttered, still staring at him. Because he had just seen exactly where Amber had pulled the prosthetic from—tucked deep within her chest, hidden out of sight.

“Why did you hide it there, of all places?” Ethan asked, his tone halfway between exasperation and disbelief.

Amber sounded embarrassed but honest. “I was being strangled… then I saw a hand place this thing on the window sill outside. There was an explosion right after that, and people came running. Later, it crawled onto me by itself. It looked high-tech, so I kept it hidden.”

Ethan was speechless, but he decided it was best not to comment further.

“Where are you now?” he asked instead. “Are you safe?”

“I’m not in danger, at least not right now. But as for where I am… Ethan, don’t come for me,” Amber said softly.

Her voice broke at the end, and Ethan could see her eyes reddening on the projection. She was trying her best not to cry. His chest tightened. The sight of her struggling to hold it together made every protective instinct in him flare.

“Don’t say that. Of course I’m coming for you,” he said firmly. “You’re my woman, Amber.”

A muffled sob escaped her as tears finally burst free. She covered her mouth with her hand, but it couldn’t hide the sound.

In her mind, only five words echoed, over and over: “You are my woman, Amber.”

Those words sank deep into her heart, dissolving all the fear and doubt she’d carried.

“Amber, don’t cry…” Ethan’s voice softened.

“No,” she said between quiet sobs. “Don’t come for me. That man—he’s too strong. Really strong. Your words… they’re enough for me. They really are. You haven’t found Lyla yet, have you? Go save her first. Don’t worry about me.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he studied the projection. She was in a room—spacious, softly lit, furnished with antique décor. It didn’t look like a prison cell, but that didn’t make him feel any better.

Before he could speak again, another voice cut in.

“Who are you talking to?”