Jack gasped for air, screaming, as he toppled onto the earthen floor, clutching his right hand with an expression of abject terror on his face.

“Jack? Are you okay?” Sarah’s voice rang out from somewhere on his left, but Jack was in no position to think about anyone else as hit the ground with a thud, facing the crystalline stalactites that jutted out from the ceiling.

A few seconds later Sarah came into his field of view, looking down upon him with concern.

“You didn’t see… the… dragon?” Jack began to regain his composure as he realized that the pain in his arm was gone…. The phantom pain alone had reduced him to such a state.

“The what?” Sarah asked, her expression that of utter confusion.

“The void dragon,” he repeated again, another wave of phantom pain coursing through his left arm upon mention of that name.

“I can’t understand what you’re saying Jack,” Sarah repeated, causing a wave of realization to flow through him.

Grimacing, he opened his system notifications.

You have failed to convince Azleri Yul. You have failed to gather information upon her objectives. You have failed the [Quest].

You have been marked by a Paragon-level Entity. Analyzing the effect of the mark….

Bloodline Mark: Void

Effect 1: Teleports the user to unknown void coordinates.

Effect 2: Tracks the bearers location across time and space.

Effect 3: Marks the user as a [Void Entity] guarded by the [Void Empress] and prevents the user from being targeted by [Voidlings].

Effect 4: Contains a mixed bloodline inheritance. Analyzing bloodline…..

72% Noble Bloodline of the House of Yul.

23% Pure Void Bloodline

4.99% Mixed Bloodline containing traces of Noble Vampire, and subordinate races bloodline.

0.01% Identifying…. Identification failed.

Effect 5: Returns the Mark to the possession of Void Dragon Azleri Yul in case the Mark Bearer dies. This enchantment has been created by a [Pseudo-Deity Artifact] and cannot be broken. Any attempt to extract the bloodline will kill the Mark Bearer and return the bloodline to Azleri Yul. Anyone trying to extract the mark from your person shall be declared an enemy of the system and be hunted down by Paragons.

You now have the full attention of the system.

A stillness gripped the world around him. Jack gazed upward at Sarah, only to realize that her mouth was still open, her expression still the same as she tried to speak, but her body gripped by a stillness that could not be faked. She was frozen, but her expression remained unchanged.

Jack felt his heart tremble as he got back upon his feet, almost feeling like a convict awaiting judgment as a supreme presence washed over his consciousness. If he was a small candlelight flickering under the wind, then the presence that washed over him was the entire universe, one that made him realize his own insignificance.

Identification complete.

Effect 4: Contains a mixed bloodline inheritance. Analyzing bloodline…..

72% Noble Bloodline of the House of Yul.

23% Pure Void Bloodline

4.99% Mixed Bloodline containing traces of Noble Vampire, and subordinate race bloodline.

0.01% Divine Bloodline, Deity of Eternal Darkness [Status: Deceased.]

Determining condition……

This bloodline inheritance and all further effects will only be granted to the user upon awakening of the talent. The Mark Bearer has 30 days to awaken the talent or the Mark will return to Azleri Yul. If Talent is deemed insufficient, the mark will return to Azleri Yul.

A new quest has been assigned to you.

Quest: Awakening

Duration: 30 Days

Quest Difficulty: F+

Description: Awaken your talent and unlock the effects of the Bloodline Mark that has been branded upon your soul. Continue the trial as you currently have without displaying abnormalities. Do not divulge this information to anyone. Any attempt to do so risks the destruction of your planet.

Reward: Appointment as the 11th Empyrean. Receive 1 Growth Weapon [F- to B+]. Receive a Guardian Beast. Appointment of a Dao Protector. Receive a [System Writ]: Any order you pass will be the will of the system, and will be conveyed to the three realms [subject to strict restrictions].

Consequences: Extreme enmity with the House of Yul. Complete enmity with the union. Likely upgradation to Rank #143 on the Union Kill List. Attention of the Nether Divinity [Divine Lord of the Union]:

Name: Any attempt to name a divinity attracts their attention.

Level: 750 [MAX!]

Rank: S

Talent: A Union Divinity can utilize all bloodline talents of its vassals.

Note 1: A Divinity is immortal and can only be killed by another divinity.

Note 2: If the mark detects any hesitation in awakening your talent, it will kill you and revert to Azleri Yul. Failure will also result in death.

“What… the fuck…..,” Jack muttered with stupefaction in his voice, as he fell to his knees with despair flooding his mind. What the hell was all this? A fucking divinity? How was he supposed to contend with…. A level 750 existence when he was level 5!? If he stopped trying to awaken his talent the mark would kill him, but it almost seemed preferable to the outcome.

The system apologizes for allowing Azleri Yul to interfere with the teleportation circle. As repayment, your information clearance has been upgraded to D+.

You have received a note from Wisdom Empyrean: Shal Xin.

‘Do not worry. A wisdom empyrean uses the past and present to derive the future. You are not an anomaly. Your existence has already been calculated by my master. And even if you succeed, you are not as significant as you might think. Do not worry. Cleanse your heart from your burdens, and focus on what you can control: The present.

For some reason, the words seemed to be exactly the ones he needed to hear. This was much like the apocalypse, which had come without reason or warning, and run over those who had not prepared without mercy. Jack had lost years of preparation and wealth, but he had managed to survive up until now. That was because he had let pragmatism direct his actions, focusing on what he had and what he could do instead of lamenting over what he had lost.

If a deity wanted to smite him to death, there was little he could do about it. There were two options presented to him: evolve or die. The enemy he was up against was so powerful that it was almost comically distant…. so just like the uncertain fate of the earth, the mysterious dragon that had left a curse upon him, and the conflict of whatever the system was versus the union, he put it out of his mind.

It was none of his business. All he could do was awaken his talent, and then maybe then the veil of fog surrounding this blasted curse would unravel.

The world will revert to a normal state in 5....4....3....2....1...0

The world started moving once again, Sarah’s lips and throat once again moving in cohesion to form words.

“Jack…. you need to get up,” she spoke, and he could detect the urgency in her voice. Forgetting his worries for now, he got up and turned around to face the direction she was looking in, feeling that almost nothing could surprise him after he had been through.

“Fuck,” he whispered under his breath, cursing himself for beckoning fate.

You have discovered the Underbelly’s boss: Gemstone Golem, Level 4 [Overlord].