Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 700

Chapter 700: The Island Master’s Garden

After a few moments of intense examination, Rainie finally looked up, her voice filled with awe. “It’s real… This block is a genuine diamond. And the clarity… it’s exceptionally pure.”

Lyla, who had trusted Ethan implicitly, still felt a jolt of shock hearing it confirmed aloud. Rainie herself could barely believe the analysis.

“Ethan, I’ve made the arrangements,” Amber said, walking back from her calls. “But… we’ll have to handle the transport ourselves. What’s this…?” Her eyes fell on the cubic meter of crystal on the ground.

“High-purity… diamond,” Rainie stated, her voice still a bit numb.

“Oh… okay. I’m officially beyond surprise now,” Amber replied, her expression shifting to one of practiced nonchalance, though a gleam in her eyes betrayed her true feelings. “But a diamond this size, uncut… no one would believe it’s real if you tried to sell it.”

“Who said I’m selling it?” Ethan said, his tone becoming mysterious. “This stuff has a much bigger purpose.”

“Ethan, what are you planning?” Lyla asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Heh, you’ll find out later,” he said with a wink. “For now, consider this one yours. Rainie, I assume you know how to cut it? You guys can use it to make some jewelry or whatever.” He waved a hand dismissively, as if giving away a piece of candy instead of a fortune.

The eyes of all three women instantly lit up. No woman on earth was immune to the allure of diamonds. The sparkling stones were their universal Kryptonite.

“Boss, you need to see this!”

Suddenly, Leo’s voice crackled from the communicator on Ethan’s wrist.

“What’s wrong?” Ethan responded immediately.

“Nothing’s wrong, exactly. We just found something. You’d better come take a look.” Leo’s voice didn’t sound panicked, just serious.

Reassured, Ethan told him he was on his way. Hanging up, he wasn’t about to leave the three women alone in an area that could still be riddled with unknown dangers. With a wave of his hand, the two golden mountains vanished back into his spatial storage. He then handed a spatial pouch to a wide-eyed Rainie, quickly showing her how to use it. The massive diamond disappeared inside, and her look of wonder was priceless.

He led the three women to Leo’s location, finding the entire group already gathered there.

“Boss, look at this,” Leo said, grabbing Ethan’s arm and pulling him toward what looked like an ornate garden entrance.

Ethan, baffled, let himself be led. The others wore grim expressions but followed. He noticed Evelyn, Maria, Aunt Melody, and Williams’s wife were not among them.

Dragon Child suddenly stepped forward, blocking Lyla, Amber, and Rainie. “I don’t think you three should go in there.”

Ethan frowned at her action, then extended his Soul Sense into the garden. His eyes widened in shock and understanding. He nodded to Lyla and the others. “Wait here.”

He stepped into the garden. Just a short way in, he found Celeste crouching on the ground. She stood as he approached.

“A hundred and thirty-seven. All from the Dissenter faction. I recognize a few; they were permanent staff on Crescent Isle.” She knew Ethan would have already sensed the scene from outside.

The garden was a charnel house. The bodies were strewn about, each face frozen in a mask of pure terror, as if they had been frightened to death.

“Evelyn said their life force was forcibly ripped out of them,” Celeste added.

“Life Energy… siphoned?” The term sent a cold chill down Ethan’s spine. His eyes narrowed. “Do you all remember what that Mutant said right after we breached the barrier, the one Blackie kicked to death?”

The question made everyone’s skin crawl.

“That guy said the ‘Island Master’ would turn us into puppets, trapped on Ascension Isle as slaves for eternity!” Blackie recited, remembering it clearly.

“What if…” Ethan said slowly, his voice low, “the Island Master… wasn’t Alaric at all?”

A collective gasp went through the group. The thought had crossed their minds, but hearing it aloud was still a shock.

“Think about it,” Ethan continued. “One of Alaric’s clones was a swordsman, another merged with it, and we don’t know its ability. His main body only knows a few archery tricks. That stone-faced clone was powerful, sure, but this… this feels like a different kind of evil. Plus, that clone was covered in a thick layer of dust when we found it. These people died maybe a day or two ago. The timeline doesn’t fit him.”

He laid out his reasoning. “So, we have two theories. One: Another one of Alaric’s clones practices a vicious art that creates puppets and… consumes life force. Or two: The Island Master is someone else entirely…”

As he spoke, he unleashed his Soul Sense, sending it pouring out in a concentrated wave. Since the bodies were here, he focused his power, pushing it down into the soil, through the rocks, into the very plants and trees, searching every inch for any clue.

“Then… are we safe here?” Regis asked, a note of concern in his voice.

“Afraid of what?” Uncle Jed retorted, looking utterly unconcerned. “If this ‘Master’ was still on the island, don’t you think he’d have shown himself by now?”

“Uncle Jed’s right,” Ethan said, suddenly pulling his Soul Sense back and seizing on the older man’s comment. His tone became almost casual. “Even if this guy is still here, he’s small-time. Nothing to worry about. Let’s focus on getting settled in. Oh, and someone should probably… clean this up. It’s disgusting.”

He turned and began walking out of the garden without another glance.

His abrupt dismissal of the threat left everyone stunned. This was completely out of character. The usual Ethan would be on high alert, turning over every leaf until he was certain of the danger.

Uncle Jed, who knew him best, merely raised an eyebrow and followed without a word. Victor was another who looked deeply skeptical. The rest of the group exchanged confused glances before quickly filing out after them.

“Hey, wait! You guys…!” Leo was the last to process the sudden exodus. He made a grab for Micah, the final person at the exit.

SWOOSH.

His hand closed not on an arm, but on a puff of smoke and a single piece of yellow parchment. A Substitute Art Technique. Micah’s real body popped into existence just outside the garden gate.

The bastard had used a decoy!

“We’re out! We’ll leave you two lovebirds to your… romantic ambiance!” Micah’s voice, dripping with mock sincerity, echoed from around the corner as his form vanished.

“…You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Leo muttered, staring at the gruesome scene around him, then at Celeste, who had also remained.

Romantic ambiance… This was definitely a new definition of the term.