Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 724

Chapter 724: Didn’t you get enough with Amber?
They stopped just outside the lodge’s door.

“It’s locked, isn’t it?” Lyla asked, tilting her head.

“Yep. And from what I hear, this place belongs to the first person who can get it open,” Ethan explained. He held out a device that looked like a futuristic key fob.

Lyla took it, her eyes widening as she read the tooltip.

[Demonic Universal Key (Unique) [Upgradeable]]

Property: Can unlock all locks up to and including Gold-tier.

Description: Decryption time is shorter at lower user levels and longer for higher-tier locks. Any attack will interrupt the decryption process.

Usable By: All Classes.

Craftor: NoPaperOnTheBigOne

It was the key the Mad Engineer had given Ethan a long time ago. While Ethan hadn’t used it much or bothered to upgrade it, it was more than capable of handling a Gold-tier lock. The lock on this lodge wasn’t particularly high-level; its main protection was its incredibly remote and hidden location. The Gold-tier key was perfect.

[Ding… Decryption initiated…]

Lyla inserted the Demonic Universal Key into the lodge’s keyhole. Twenty seconds ticked by.

Click.

The door unlocked, swinging open just a crack.

[Ding… System Notification: Congratulations to Dragonspire player “Moonbeam” for discovering a Private Residence and obtaining its usage rights.]

[Ding… Global System Announcement: Dragonspire player “Moonbeam” has successfully activated the Housing System. Players may now discover unclaimed residences during exploration or purchase property in towns, fortresses, and other designated areas.]

[Ding… System Notification: With the activation of the Housing System, the companion Homestead System is now available. Homestead functions such as Planting, Animal Husbandry, and Excavation are now unlocked.]

[Ding… System Notification: Players who log out while in their residence will accumulate significant Double Experience rewards, as well as double yield bonuses for Planting, Husbandry, and Excavation.]

A rapid-fire series of system messages flooded their view. The activation of the Homestead system was another massive quality-of-life boost for the entire player base, especially for newer players and those focused on non-combat professions.

Lyla’s eyes were wide. While she didn’t receive any unique personal reward for triggering the system-wide unlock, the sheer scale of it was stunning. She looked at Ethan, who was simply smiling at her, as if he had known this would happen all along.

“Come on, let’s check it out,” he said.

“Okay.” Lyla pushed the door open first.

A delicate, floral scent wafted out to greet them. Inside, the tree lodge was surprisingly well-appointed. It wasn’t like entering a crude shack. Though compact, it had everything. A soft, fur rug covered the floor. A plush, inviting sofa sat in one corner. Even the bed was draped with blankets made of some unknown, luxuriously soft animal pelts. The light streaming through the window was warm and comforting. A stone fireplace was set into one wall, giving the space a distinct, rustic charm.

“It’s beautiful… so cozy,” Lyla breathed, taking in the interior.

But at that very moment, a pair of strong hands found her waist, pulling her back into an embrace. Mischievous hands began to wander.

“Mmh…” Lyla gasped, melting into his sudden advance. “Ethan… wait… don’t we have to… meet the others… mmmph…”

Though flustered, a thread of rationality remained. But before she could finish her sentence, her words were stolen, her lips captured in a deep kiss. It lasted so long she felt lightheaded, nearly dizzy from lack of air, before Ethan finally pulled away, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

“They’re traveling on foot. I can fly. We have time.” He gazed into her dazed eyes, a roguish grin spreading across his face. “Last time, in that other life, you were the one who pushed me down in this very lodge. I’m not about to be so passive this time around.”

“Huh…? Wha—?” Lyla was still in a hazy, confused state when she suddenly felt herself being lifted effortlessly. She let out a small yelp of surprise as she landed, sinking into the softness of the large bed.

As her head cleared, she saw Ethan’s devilish smirk. Seeing it, she began to laugh too, a sweet, knowing smile gracing her lips. As he moved to pounce, she parted her lips slightly and spoke in a feigned, petulant tone, “What’s the matter, Ethan? Didn’t you get enough with Amber? Now you have to come bother me?”

Boom.

The words hit Ethan like a physical blow. He froze mid-crouch, his mind reeling as if struck by lightning. He stood there, utterly stupefied, a panicked look washing over his face.

“Uh… You… I… I…”

This was the man who faced down certain death without flinching, yet now, confronted by the girl lying playfully on the bed, he was completely tongue-tied. She was right. The thought had crossed his mind. Earlier that day, playing with her on Crescent Isle, he’d barely kept himself in check. In the real world, he was determined to do things properly, to make her his in every sense only after a real commitment… but here, in Ethereal… surely there was no harm in a little preview?

A vivid flash of his past life surged forward. Once a man tasted that particular sweetness, it was hard to resist the craving. The last time, aboard the Dragon’s Pride with Amber Zane… he didn’t know if something was wrong with him or if he’d just become impossibly potent, but she had been pushed to her limit repeatedly, while he… hadn’t even gotten close to finding his.

But just as he was about to put his plan into action, Lyla’s teasing remark sent him tumbling into an ice-cold pit of dread. He stammered, staring at her. But she didn’t look angry. Instead, she shifted on the bed, rolling onto her side. She propped her head up with one hand, letting the other rest on her calf, and simply watched him, a cryptic, amused smile on her lips.

Ethan was completely lost. Just because Lyla looked calm now didn’t mean a storm wasn’t brewing. He was in uncharted territory.

“What happened with her… it was an accident. I was going to find a way to tell you,” he finally managed to blurt out after a long silence, his shoulders slumping in defeat as he sat down heavily on the fur rug.

“I know,” Lyla said, her expression not changing, her smile, if anything, growing more pronounced. She looked like she was fighting back a full-blown laugh at his misery.

“You know? Did… did Amber tell you?” he asked, looking up.

“‘Amber,'” she repeated, her tone light and teasing. “You say her name so fondly.”

“Uh…” Ethan decided immediate silence was his safest bet.

An awkward tension filled the cozy room. But it didn’t last long.

Lyla suddenly let out a soft laugh. In the next instant, a shadow moved. Ethan was shoved backward onto the soft bed. A light figure landed, straddling his waist.

“Ethan… you’re mine to deal with.”

Stunned, he stared up at her face. Her expression was that of a mischievous enchantress, and in that moment, it perfectly overlapped with the memory of her from his past life.