"You don't know what I'm talking about... I'm referring to that strange substance flowing in your body.

What do you know about it?"

Dante didn't know what to say, he had come to the Library hoping to find a way to solve the issue with his bloodline ability...

Not only didn't he find anything but the 'Librarian' was the one questioning him, he felt that there was something deeply wrong about it.

After a while, Dante came to the conclusion that she was talking about the poison in his body.

"Senior, could you be referring to the poison secreted by my 'Degenerated Poison Body'?"

Roxelane looked even more perplexed than before as she replied.

"I would really like to know which incompetent fool gave you this diagnosis, even the lowliest of Medicine Masters can tell that you don't possess such a physique."

Dante was speechless, Medicine Masters?

Why did she treat them as commoners?

Medicine Masters were those incredible figures which managed to fuse the path of Poison Master and that of Physicians, they were supreme figures which were revered by everyone.

Dante felt disoriented but he still replied.

"It was the Dungeon's doctor..."

Roxelane was stunned as she replied.

"Someone who didn't even pass the Physician Guild examination...

We can put a stop to this conversation then... I don't see any reason to explain things that you have never heard of before. When you raise your status and pass the examination for a couple of occupations, you can return."

What the fuck?

I still have something to ask!

Dante didn't know what to do anymore, this Librarian was too strange.

What kind of requirements were those?

Seeing that Roxelane was about to leave, Dante quickly said what he wanted.

"Wait, I have come to visit you for a very important reason! I'm about to breakthrough to Commander level and because I was adopted I couldn't do any research on my ancestors... Are there any books which can help me?"

Roxelane turned around and sat on a chair as she said.

"So our little... Mmm, it should be Dante, isn't it? Your Teacher told me your name. Yes, so our little Dante is about to breakthrough without having an inkling of his future path.

Well, I can't give you a complete research on your ancestor nor can I predict which abilities will you awaken, that would require extremely deep comprehension of the Laws of Karma...

What I can give you is knowledge that should be as much as valuable for you."

Dante didn't expect his words to work, Roxelane even wanted to teach him valuable knowledge now!

However, the Librarian's next words froze him.

"As someone once said knowledge is power, so I can't teach you something so valuable so easily...

What about giving me 4000 Merit Points as a token of your appreciation?"

Roxelane had a bashful smile on her face that made her look very cute, but in the eyes of Dante she seemed like a demonic goddess.

It has to be said that after killing all those hobgoblins he only got a bit over 4000 Merit Points, and that was because the hobgoblin Shaman with the golden bell had killed many of his close ones to keep that bell for himself.

Just that Shaman alone got him 1500 Merit Points.

To Dante what Roxelane was asking him was no different from robbing him of everything!

However, he wasn't in a position to negotiate, with his lowly status as 'Student' he could only endure.

With some reluctance he still paid the number of points, in the end, that sort of knowledge about Bloodline Manifestation would really help him as it wasn't something available to everyone in the Five Continents.

The moment he gave her the Merit Points a shiny ball of light came out of his forehead and entered Roxelane's forehead.

After a moment of thinking, Roxelane began her teaching session.

"Let's begin by saying that all research done on the Bloodline Manifestation abilities of the Demon Race has been done by searching the limits of Bloodline Manifestation itself.

After centuries of research, the common view is that there are three limiting factors which deeply affect what bloodline ability you will manifest."

Roxelane took a brief break to let Dante fully understand what she was saying, then she carried on.

"The first and easiest to understand is the race limitation. As everyone knows reproduction between members of different races is possible so almost no one can be sure to have an absolutely pure bloodline, except for those Royal Bloodlines that is.

For example, a demon who has a draconian amongst his ancestors can't manifest this ancestor's bloodline ability because their 'essence' is different.

You will understand the meaning of 'essence' in the future."

Dante intuitively knew this point as it would be too overpowered if someone could manifest the bloodline abilities of any of his ancestors.

"The second and most important is the 'vessel'. It's like a cup which can hold only so much water, as your cultivation advances that cup will become bigger and it will be able to accommodate more bloodline abilities and of a higher quality.

Bloodline abilities have inherent differences in power, but everyone knows that at the end of the day it's how you use them that matters.

A sturdy path isn't made of many overpowered abilities but by the clever combination of normal ones, I will explain why in the next point."

This was something Dante never heard about, but he quickly understood the concepts.

"The third and last factor is the 'Will'. This is actually the most mysterious and unpredictable factor of the three. It's been proven that your character and willpower play a really important role in the manifestation of overpowered abilities.

It seems like the most powerful bloodline abilities have a tiny bit of the ancestor's will and they won't manifest unless they find an inheritor which carries a will similar to that ancestor.

That's why it's virtually impossible for someone to have a bloodline path made only of overpowered abilities.

I have finished my teaching session, you can now go and breakthrough to Commander level maybe you will be able to pick the interest of one of those powerful ancestor's wills."

Dante was stunned he would have never expected such a requirement...

How much knowledge of this sort was hidden to the masses?

It was extremely difficult for those without a background to rise to the top when information was so restricted.

"Thanks, Librarian, my horizons have been broadened thanks to your lecture!"

Roxelane was clearly pleased by Dante's words as she replied while looking at his clothes.

"Call me Roxelane, it's good to have a junior who has some pretty good taste for clothing.

If only everyone was like you..."

She seemed to have remembered some bad memories as she stood up and stomped her feet before leaving.

Dante shook his head as he also left the Library, before leaving the inner-world he chatted with Rayleigh for some time.

It was time for him to breakthrough.

...

After leaving the inner-world Dante went to the manager and told her that he would go out and it would take him at most a week to return

He decided to tell her as to avoid any commotions while he was out in the wilderness.

It was noon when Dante left Winterlake city but by the time he arrived at the demonic cave it was already evening.

Joseph had given him a copy of the map which his grandfather had made, the cave was in a jungle a 100 km away from Winterlake city. It wasn't that far away, but the numerous Commander level werebeasts had given him a headache as he had to walk slowly and stealthy.

Even after doing all he could to not attract those werebeasts attention, he still got into a fight with a couple Commander level ones.

He used the chance to test the prowess of the dagger he got from the Death Mark and he wasn't disappointed.

The wounds dealt by the dagger would frost over and slow the werebeast's movements which made it easy play for Dante to kill them.

"I shall name it Frost Dagger due to its freezing properties."

Dante had finally arrived in front of the cave, he was a bit creeped out, the loud noises of the jungle had been replaced by an eerie silence. The ground was also strangely white in contrast with the greenery of the jungle.

As he neared the entrance his boots made crunching noises which grew louder and louder.

Looking carefully he noticed that what he thought were white pebbles were, in fact, bone fragments.

"This is getting out of hand..."

He thought of going back to Winterlake city but as he remembered Joseph words Dante managed to steady himself.

Joseph's grandpa had been at the Soldier level when he found this cave and nothing happened to him, the soon to be Commander level Dante would have nothing to fear even if there were any dangers.

"I still can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen...

Fuck it, I'm already here I can't just go back because of some bad feelings."

And with that thought mind, Dante entered the cave.