Max let out a slow breath, accepting the reality of it.

Fine.

If that was the path set before him, then so be it.

But then… something else caught his attention. A strange sensation that had been lingering in the back of his mind ever since he received the inheritance.

His connection to the other members of the Black Lotus Guild—it was different now.

It wasn't just the usual awareness he had before.

Now… he could sense them.

Not just their presence, but their emotions, their thoughts—as if some unseen bond had deepened within his very being.

It was subtle, but it was there.

He turned to the spirit, his eyes sharp. "Why am I feeling connected to all the other members of the Black Lotus Guild right now?"

The spirit grinned, as if expecting the question.

"Didn't I tell you?" It said. "The seventh floor was designed for those with the Source Bloodline to strengthen the existing bloodline of the Black Lotus Guild. And you? By simply receiving the inheritance, you did exactly that."

It floated closer, its glowing eyes narrowing in amusement.

"And because 'you' strengthened their bloodline, you've now become an Alpha Being among them."

Max frowned, his mind clicking the pieces together.

Alpha Being.

A leader. A ruler.

A force that stood above the rest, not just in status, but in bloodline authority.

It was like… an alpha wolf commanding its pack.

A slow smile crept onto Max's face as realization dawned.

'That's the benefit of strengthening their bloodline?'

It was unexpected—but not unwanted.

With this deeper connection, he would be able to sense any betrayal before it even happened.

He would always know who was loyal and who wasn't.

And more importantly…

If he ever needed to command this force, he could do so with nothing more than a thought.

Max exhaled, his smile lingering.

'"This is good."'

He contemplated for a moment, then came to a decision.

Max turned back to the spirit, his gaze steady. "So, when my strength reaches the peak of the Seeker Rank, I come back to this temple."

The spirit grinned, an amused glint in its glowing eyes. "You better prepare yourself when that time comes," it said. "Because you'll be shocked at the kind of opportunity waiting for you."

Max scoffed lightly, not taking its words too seriously. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered, nodding slightly. "We'll see about that."

Then, shifting his stance, he asked, "Now, how do I leave this tower?"

The spirit's grin widened.

"You can't leave," it said cheerfully.

Max's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you—"

Before he could even finish his sentence—

The ground beneath him vanished.

"What the—?!"

He fell.

His vision blurred, his body plunging through the void at a speed that left his stomach twisting. There was no sense of direction, no gravity—just endless freefalling.

And then—

Thud!

He landed back outside the tower, his feet hitting solid ground as if nothing had happened.

Max blinked, taking a second to reorient himself.

He glanced around, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Everyone in the Black Lotus Guild was still standing there, watching him.

It was only a glance, but it was enough for him to sense it—

Their bloodline had significantly changed.

No, it hadn't just changed—

It had become stronger.

Max exhaled, his mind clicking the pieces together. 'No wonder they were so eager for me to come here…'

They had known.

They had known that his bloodline would strengthen theirs.

Max let his gaze roam for a moment, feeling the new, deeper connection he now had with them.

And then—

From the crowd, he saw three figures approaching.

Callie.

The Old Saintess.

And Klaus.

Their expressions varied, but one thing was clear—

They were coming to talk.

Klaus was the first to speak as Max stepped forward. "How was it? Did you get the inheritance?" he asked, flashing a knowing smile.

Max nodded, though there was a slight shrug in his response. "Kind of."

Then, his gaze shifted to Klaus, Callie, and the Old Saintess. A small smile tugged at his lips. "It looks like your bloodlines have… changed."

The Old Saintess gave a light chuckle, shaking her head. "Not just changed," she corrected, "but evolved."

Max raised a brow as she continued, "With your bloodline as a base, our bloodlines have evolved one rank higher than they originally were. Those with normal bloodlines have now reached the level of a Saintess. And for Saintesses like myself—our bloodlines have evolved into the Progenitor Bloodline."

Max's eyes gleamed, his mind clicking the pieces together. He had already sensed it, but hearing the confirmation made it all the more real.

Callie, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "So, what are you going to do now?"

Max pondered for a moment before giving a straightforward answer. "I need a place to train." His gaze remained steady. "After that, I'll leave with you all for the King of the West's birthday in four months."

The Old Saintess nodded at his response, then turned to Callie. "Show Max to his house," she instructed.

She then turned back to Max. "After handling everything here, Klaus and I will come to meet you."

Max nodded, not questioning her words. "Let's go," he said, glancing at Callie.

Callie gave a short nod before leading him away.

As the two disappeared from sight, the Old Saintess turned to Klaus.

"Take care of everything here and come to my hut." Her tone was casual, but Klaus knew better—she wasn't asking.

"I have some things to deal with at the moment," she added before vanishing.

And just like that—Klaus was left alone.

He exhaled heavily, his shoulders slumping slightly as he looked at the guild members still gathered around the Inheritance Tower.

They were all staring at him, questions burning in their eyes.

Klaus rubbed his temples, muttering under his breath.

'"Damn that old hag. She always leaves me with these messes to deal with."'

Sighing deeply, he turned toward the crowd.

"Alright, alright," he grumbled. "One at a time, let's get this over with…"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay