Ancestral Lineage

Chapter 131 Grinding In Full Power Mode.

Ethan leaned back against a tree, closing his glowing silver eyes as his telepathic link with Harley faded. He exhaled sharply, exhaustion creeping into his voice. "System," he called out, his voice steady but tinged with irritation. "Give me a damn distance. How far am I from her?"

The system's familiar robotic tone chimed in, its precision contrasting with Ethan's frustration.

Analyzing telepathic seal coordinates. Stand by...

The air around Ethan shimmered faintly, a grid of green lines flickering into existence in his field of vision. Data streams and cryptic symbols cascaded down the edges, incomprehensible to anyone but the system itself. A faint hum resonated in the air, like the subtle vibration of a machine calculating impossibilities.

Locating Harley. Telepathic signal strength: 63%. Distance attenuation due to interference from unknown magical structures. Estimated margin of error: 2.7%. Calculating precise coordinates...

Ethan tapped his foot impatiently, glancing around the grove's serene yet unnervingly alien landscape. The golden light filtering through the canopy seemed mocking now, a tranquil veneer hiding the chaos of his predicament.

"System," he muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Do you have to be so slow? I thought you were supposed to be advanced."

Sarcasm detected. Response ignored.

Ethan rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Great. Even the system's got an attitude now."

A sudden ping interrupted his grumbling, and the grid of green lines transformed into a detailed topographical map. A glowing silver dot pulsed on the map, labeled User: Harley, while Ethan's own position was marked in red.

Distance between user and telepathic seal holder: 372 kilometers. Estimated travel time under optimal conditions: 6.4 hours on foot, 3.1 hours by magical propulsion.

Ethan's jaw clenched. "Three hundred and seventy-two kilometers? You've got to be kidding me. How the hell did this teleportation screw-up send me so far away?" Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire

Probability of tampering with teleportation stream: 87%. Unidentified interference suggests external manipulation.

"So, someone messed with it intentionally," Ethan muttered, his irritation giving way to a simmering anger. "Perfect. Just what I needed."

The map shifted again, this time overlaying possible routes with varying colors. A direct path through the Grove was marked in green, though the system highlighted areas of potential danger with red pulsating circles.

Warning: Direct route contains high-risk zones. Magical interference, hostile entities, and unstable terrain detected. Recommendation: Proceed with caution or reroute to avoid critical danger areas.

Ethan straightened up, his silver eyes narrowing. "No. I'm not wasting time avoiding danger. Mark the most efficient path—danger or not."

Command acknowledged. Updating route...

The map adjusted, the green path now winding precariously through jagged fissures and glowing danger zones. Ethan studied it intently, committing the details to memory.

Ethan's movements were a blur of precision and power. His greatsword danced through the air, each strike devastating but calculated. He shifted between offense and defense seamlessly, using the environment to his advantage. A fallen branch became a makeshift shield, deflecting a leaping beast before he spun and drove his blade into another's chest.

But these creatures were relentless. For every one he killed, another seemed to take its place. Their glowing spines pulsed in unison, emitting a low-frequency hum that made Ethan's head throb. He gritted his teeth, refusing to let the growing pressure distract him.

"System," he growled, parrying a beast's claws with the flat of his blade. "What are these things?"

Scanning hostile entities. Stand by...

The system's delay grated on his nerves, but he couldn't afford to lose focus. Another beast lunged, and Ethan countered with a ferocious kick, sending it sprawling into two of its packmates. He followed up with a sweeping slash, his blade cutting through all three in a single motion.

Hostile entities identified: Corrupted Guardians of the Grove. Bio-magical constructs designed to protect the Grove's core. Warning: High threat level. Collective intelligence detected.

"Collective intelligence? Great," Ethan muttered, dodging a coordinated attack from two beasts. "Just what I needed."

Recommendation: Prioritize destruction of the leader to disrupt pack coordination.

Ethan's eyes flicked across the pack, searching for any sign of a leader. His gaze settled on the largest of the creatures, its spines glowing brighter than the rest. It hung back, observing the fight, its eyes calculating.

"There you are," Ethan said, a dangerous glint in his red eyes. "Time to end this."

With a surge of energy, Ethan broke through the encirclement, his greatsword carving a path toward the leader. The other beasts scrambled to intercept him, but Ethan was relentless, his strikes fueled by a mix of fury and determination. The leader let out a deafening roar, and the pack's movements grew even more frantic, their attacks becoming desperate and reckless.

Ethan closed the distance in a flash, his greatsword descending in a powerful overhead strike. The leader raised a claw to block, but Ethan anticipated the move, twisting his blade mid-swing to slash across its torso. The beast howled in pain, staggering back as green blood poured from the wound.

Before it could recover, Ethan pressed his advantage, his strikes coming faster and harder. The leader's movements grew sluggish, its glowing spines dimming with each blow. Finally, with a decisive thrust, Ethan drove his blade through the creature's chest, pinning it to the ground.

The remaining beasts froze, their glowing spines flickering erratically. One by one, they retreated into the shadows, their collective intelligence shattered with the death of their leader.

Ethan pulled his greatsword free, wiping the blood off with a tattered cloth. He exhaled sharply, the tension in his muscles easing as the Grove fell silent once more.

"System," he said, his voice steady despite the exhaustion creeping in. "Next time, give me a heads-up before I walk into something like this."

Acknowledged. Updating threat detection protocols for this world...

Ethan shook his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Yeah, you do that."

With the path clear, he turned his attention back to the map projected by the system. Harley's marker still pulsed in the distance, a reminder of his goal. Tightening his grip on his greatsword, Ethan set off again, his resolve burning brighter than ever.