The next morning, Ethan woke up feeling completely exhausted with a dull pain throbbing in his lower back.
The night had been intense. The lady had been far too much for him to handle.
In the end,he was almost brought to tears.
"I need to get stronger or else.."
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Sophia curled up against him, lying naked, her arm draped over his body.
Her warm breath brushed against his skin. Ethan's gaze lingered for a moment, taking in her alluring figure.
Her curves, soft skin, and full, round chest made his heartbeat quicken. A faint heat stirred in his lower body, and he felt a tingle in his groin. But he shook his head, forcing the thoughts away, and instead focused on the familiar voice in his mind.
'System, are you there?'
[DING]
[The host has finally found a partner.]
[Host is granted SSS rank ability Bloodline Convergence.]
[Host's partner has an aptitude of F-rank warrior and is at the Middle Stage of Beginner Rank.]
[Collect the reward to obtain F-rank aptitude and Middle Stage of Beginner Knight.]
Ethan's eyes widened in shock. "Collect… collect!" he shouted without hesitation.
The next moment, a rush of warmth shot up his spine, so intense that he had to grit his teeth.
His body turned burning hot, sweat pouring down his skin as every muscle trembled. A powerful change surged through him, his strength and energy rising to a whole new level. When it finally ended, the sheets beneath him were damp with sweat.
At the end,his tiredness disappeared.He felt quite stronger than before like a beast who awakened fully energetic wanting to go for another round but he controlled himself.
Moving quietly so as not to disturb Sophia, Ethan slipped out of bed and went straight to the bathroom.
"System, what is this ability about?" he asked.
[Bloodline Convergence]
[SSS Rank Skill]
[Said to be a divine blessing stolen from the Goddess of Origins, this ability allows the wielder to fuse destinies through marriage and lineage. Those bound to the user by sacred vows of marriage and by blood able to share their talents, powers, and even hidden potential into him.]
[Bloodline Convergence has five stages.]
[The first stage allows the wielder to gain the power and rank of the person he becomes intimate with.]
[Raise your realm to unlock the next stage.]
Ethan took a deep breath, gulping the air greedily.
"Hisss… This is really a big boon." He paused for a moment.
"Which realm will unlock the 2nd stage?"
[Advanced Knight.]
"Is there a panel I can check,like system panel?"
[Affirmative.]
A transparent screen appeared before him.
Name: Ethan Blank
Status: Son-in-law of the Blank Family
Aptitude: Warrior [F]
Rank: Middle Beginner Knight Stage
Partner: 1
Ability:Bloodline Convergence [SSS] Stage 1
"But is the effect repeatable?"
[Host, it's not a dual cultivation technique.]
[You will only gain power from a partner once. It will not happen again if you become intimate with someone of the same aptitude or level. Only those with higher power can raise your realm further.]
Ethan studied the screen carefully. It was simple and easy to read. "System… does this mean every time I marry, I can gain the strength of my partner?"
[Yes, only if the partner is stronger or has a higher aptitude will you receive the yield. Otherwise, there will be no gain.]
"I see… then what about a bonus gift package?"
[There is no bonus gift package but with each birth you will gain a gift.]
[It is recommended that the host work hard and produce children. With each child, you will receive a certain gift package.]
Ethan's brows lifted slightly in surprise. "So having children will also make me stronger?"
[Yes]
A slow smile spread across his face as the idea sank in. "I understand but what is your goal?" he said quietly.
"To keep breeding?"
[Negative.]
[The system's goal is to help you get stronger in the most suitable way that doesn't interfere with this world.]
[With each child,you will integrate your existence into this world through bloodline convergence.]
[If you don't like it,system can turn into level up LitRpg system but in that case don't blame if if one day you were killed by lightning strike out of nowhere ]
"Hissss…When did I complain?I was just curious."
Ethan let out a long breath, his mind clearing. "That's good. I don't have to be pressured into doing things, I don't want. It's all my choice."
If it was a LitRpg system or quest system,it might be troublesome.
With that, he closed the panel and washed his face, still feeling the powerful energy flowing through his body. Whatever this path would bring, one thing was certain,his life had just changed forever.
And all of it thanks to Sophia,who dragged him over.
.....
Ethan quickly noticed the change in the servants' behavior. They no longer looked at him with the same friendliness and casualness.
Instead, they greeted him with respect, bowing slightly when he passed. The maids who always tried to flirt,kept proper distance from him.
Especially his friends who didn't dare to come across him making him feel a bit sad.He wanted to interact with them but they put him off.
It felt strange, almost uncomfortable, but he didn't dwell on it for long.
After breakfast, Sophia excused herself to handle paperwork. Ethan, left on his own, decided to find Sir Randall. He had been thinking about this for some time now.
When he found the old knight in the courtyard, Randall was oiling his sword. Ethan walked up and spoke with a determined voice.
"Please teach me."
Randall looked up, stunned. "For real? You didn't show any interest before?"
It was true that Randall had hinted many times that Ethan could come to him if he wanted to learn swordsmanship, but Ethan had always avoided the topic.
With no aptitude he felt it would be a waste of time and if he was injured in the face,he might lose his only valuable asset.
Ethan gave an embarrassed smile. "I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was afraid of getting hurt. I didn't want to ruin my face. But now… I'm a Lord. I can't keep running away."