Ding!
[SSS-Level Grand Mage Student Quest #3 has been triggered, “New Bloodline”!]
[Objective: Acquire a new Bloodline between “Angel” and “Dragon”]
[Warning! Quest difficulty is extremely high, surpassing all previous tasks.]
[Reward: ???]
The bright light of teleportation faded as Alex, Alice and Aurelia found themselves standing in the open field outside the [Mage Tower].
It was the same place Alex had first arrived when he used the [Mage Tower Token], the sprawling landscape bordered by dense forests and rolling hills.
“What the hell?!” Aurelia, who wasn’t used to this, couldn’t help but suddenly feel everything dawning on her.
First of all, how did Alex teleport them simply by holding hands, why was that angel so aggressive, who was that blond-haired guy?!
Her gaze darted to Alice, searching for some semblance of clarity. But Alice, leaning casually on her bow, simply shrugged, her expression nonchalant.
“Don’t look at me,” Alice said with a small smirk. “I’m just as clueless as you are.”
[SSS-Level Grand Mage Student Quest #3: “New Bloodline”]
Alex’s jaw clenched as he reread the quest details.
This was his third task from Arceus, but in comparison to the first two, this one was different.
‘Figures,’ Alex groaned, ‘That guy literally just made it up on the spot…’
That’s the reason why he didn’t want to tell him how to unlock a bloodline.
It wasn’t something you could stumble upon or grind for like an item.
An angel, even Artemis who he knew a little, would never reveal such information.
And finding a dragon that would agree to reveal it was quite literally impossible, since even the “average” ones wouldn’t know how.
Even for Alex, who had insider knowledge from his previous life, the path forward seemed daunting.
If he wanted the information, only a [Primordial Dragon] would have it, and for the angels, it would either be one like [Artemis] with a lot of information, or at least an eight-winged high-ranking celestial.
Angels and dragons were among the most powerful and prideful beings in the world, and they didn’t just hand out their lineage to mortals.
“Getting a bloodline like this would be incredible,” he mumbled. “But how the hell am I supposed to pull it off?”
“Um… Alex?” Aurelia began hesitantly, watching him pace.
She had never seen him like this in the week she knew him: restless, muttering to himself as if he were solving a puzzle only he could see.
Before she could finish her question though, Alice cut her off.
“Shhh,” Alice whispered, gesturing for Aurelia to stay quiet. “Just wait. He’s thinking.”
Aurelia blinked, unsure of what to make of the situation.
She crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. But she stayed silent, watching as Alex continued his pacing.
After a few more moments, Alex stopped and took a deep breath.
“Okay,” he muttered, closing the quest panel with a wave of his hand. “If anyone knows how to unlock a dragon bloodline, it’s Alphox.”
Alphox was a Primordial Dragon, one of the oldest and most knowledgeable beings Alex had encountered in the game.
The ancient dragon would be the only reliable source of information, and Alex hoped that Alphox would even as much as give him a hint.
But when Alex tried to reach out to Alphox through their mental link, he was met with silence.
“Still nothing,” Alex murmured, his brow furrowing.
He could feel the faint connection, but it was dormant, like a slumbering beast refusing to wake.
Alphox had been gravely injured during their last battle, his wing pierced from the ultimate attack of that dragon.
And even now, Alex didn’t know how long it would take for Alphox to recover.
Until he did, there would be no answers.
Without Alphox, Alex knew he had to approach this quest carefully.
Both the Angel and Dragon bloodlines were game-changing, but acquiring either would be a monumental task.
[Warning! Quest difficulty is extremely high, surpassing all previous tasks.]
And even the game knew it, giving him a small warning.
Alex rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of the decision.
“Angel or dragon…” he murmured. “Both are incredible in their own way, but which one is more realistic?”
In the end, Alex shook his head.
“No, it doesn’t matter, I need to wake up Alphox first, as he is the closest to have the information since he’s a Primordial Dragon.”
“Time to call the [Undead King],” Alex muttered under his breath.
Raising his hand, he activated [Death Call], summoning the ominous figure from the void.
The air grew cold as the skeletal monarch materialized, his hollow eye sockets glowing faintly with ethereal light.
A wave of unease rippled through the area as the Undead King stepped forward, his bony fingers curling into a mock bow.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Aurelia backed away, and Alice was forced to catch her before falling to the ground.
It was funny to her how everyone who initially saw the [Undead King] would immediately be scared, be it NPC or human.
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“You summoned me, human?” the Undead King drawled.
“Yes,” Alex replied, unfazed by the attitude. “I need you to check on Alphox’s condition.”
The Undead King straightened, his grin widening. “Ah, the dragon. Still clinging to life, is he?”
“I need you to find out for me,” Alex said, his tone sharp. “Can you enter a pet space?”
The skeletal figure tilted his head in thought, the joints in his neck creaking with the motion, “I’ve never tried. But for you, human, I suppose I can make the attempt.”
“Good,” Alex said, crossing his arms, “Go into the [Shadow Pet Space] and report back. Tell me exactly what state Alphox is in.”
The Undead King gave a lazy shrug, the bones in his shoulders rattling.
“As you wish.”
With a snap of his fingers, the Undead King’s form shimmered and vanished, transitioning from the [Undead King Contract Space] into the [Shadow Pet Space].
The void-like dimension greeted him with its usual eerie silence, but his attention was immediately drawn to the massive figure sprawled on the ground.
Alphox, the Primordial Dragon, lay motionless, his colossal body radiating a faint, flickering energy.
A large hole in his wing, blasted through by the lava eruption sent by Vorrak, oozed dark, sluggish blood.
The Undead King approached, his skeletal feet clicking against the ground, his gaze filled with disdain.
“Pitiful,” the Undead King remarked, his voice dripping with mockery. “To think that a creature of your stature would be reduced to this.”
Alphox’s glowing eyes flickered open, locking onto the skeletal figure with a mixture of annoyance and exhaustion.
His deep, rumbling voice emerged, strained but defiant, “Shut… the… fuck… up…”
The Undead King chuckled, kneeling beside the dragon.
“You’re in no position to make demands, lizard. That wound isn’t healing, is it? A dragon’s wing is more than just an appendage, it’s a conduit for your mana. Without it, you’re as good as dead.”
“Just… tell Alex… I’ll be fine. I don’t need your pity… or your opinion,” Alphox let out a weak growl, his breath labored.
The Undead King smirked, rising to his full height. “Fascinating. Even on death’s doorstep, your arrogance knows no bounds. Very well, if you wish to cling to false hope, who am I to argue?”
With a final glance at the wounded dragon, the Undead King snapped his fingers, disappearing from the [Shadow Pet Space] and returning to the physical realm.