Under the first rays of morning sunlight, the whole world seemed enshrouded in a gentle haze.
Karl became distinctly aware of the arrival of two other members of the Fischer family, for he could sense their bloodline through the favored imprint with utmost clarity, even predicting their exact time of arrival at the cabin.
Three days had passed since the attack by the evil cultists and the night the girl received her imprint, yet Irene still hadn't figured out how to obtain the Mysterious rare artifact.
For a girl not widely experienced, it was indeed too difficult.
She sat in the cabin caring for her younger brother, slowly lifting her hand that bore the red imprint, feeling she ought to do something with this power.
But the plans in her head remained vague and indistinct, unable to take shape.
Just as Irene was at her wits' end, she suddenly felt the crimson imprint on the back of her hand grow warm as if a connection was forming from somewhere nearby.
Instinctively, she looked up towards the outside of the cabin; a wood cart drawn by a black horse made its way slowly, leaving deep ruts in the muddy ground.
Irene unconsciously swallowed, knowing all too clearly that the ashes of the evil cultists were buried under that stretch of mud.
Lucius and Byrne, standing beside the wooden cart, were also taken aback as they felt a subtle sensation in their bloodline connection, pinpointing this place as the source that called to them in the night.
Lucius, out of habit, squinted his eyes, cautiously gripping the hilt of the sword at his waist, ready to draw it at any moment.
Irene emerged from the cabin cradling her swaddled younger brother, looking perplexed at the unfamiliar faces from Nasir Town, and asked, "Who are you?"
Byrne instinctively shrank back behind his father, not daring to face the strangers.
Lucius replied with a smile, "I'm a retired old mercenary, my name is Lucius Fischer. And what's your name, little girl?"
Irene was taken aback for a moment; the man before her also bore the Fischer name. What exactly was going on?
She vaguely remembered her father mentioning he had an uncle, but it seemed too coincidental that this man could be him.
Byrne, standing behind Lucius, suddenly looked up and said, "Father, she could very likely be my cousin."
Many questions in Lucius's mind suddenly cleared as he asked with a continued smile, "How did you figure that out?"
Byrne, still very nervous, went on to explain,
"Well, father, you once mentioned having a brother in Nasir, and she has that crimson imprint on her hand. I surmise, um, that could likely be an artifact arising from our bloodline connection."
Hearing this, Irene took a deep breath, understanding that both men were her kin and had probably come here in response to the call of the Lord of the Lost.
So that was it; the girl suddenly realized the true significance of the crimson imprint.
Trying to keep calm, she said, "It is a gift from the great Lord of the Lost. From now on, members of the Fischer family will all be His followers, and I too am a child of the Fischer family."
Lucius nodded silently, his eyes sparkling with intelligence as he brushed aside his languid demeanor and continued,
"It seems you are indeed my brother's daughter. Why haven't I seen him or your mother? And about everything concerning the Lord of the Lost... please tell us in detail."
Mid-sentence, Lucius had already seen the undisguised sorrow in Irene's expression and immediately surmised that his brother's current situation could not be a good one; his expression also became somber.
"Brother, perhaps I should have come back sooner."
The socially anxious Byrne hesitantly asked a question.
"This mysterious being you speak of, is He truly a god? Even if He is a deity, He could also be an Evil God, right? Does the Fischer family really have to worship Him?"
Hearing the questioning voice, Irene's face turned cold, and the displeasure in her gaze made Byrne shiver.
"You have no right to question Him!"
She shook her head, turned, and went back inside the cabin, leaving the father and son outside exchanging confused looks.
Karl observed the two newcomers quietly.
The older man was a weathered, experienced mercenary, clearly the most useful "piece" in the Fischer family's current situation.
Noon.
The "Blazing Sun" and "Radiant Sun" both hung high above, casting their nearly endless warmth.
"Please, look and see that everything I have said is true, and this is the Extraordinary power bestowed upon me by the Lord of the Lost."
Irene had already put down her brother, her expression serene as she raised a hand and summoned a subtle, soothing emerald glow, exuding an air as if spring had arrived.
Lucius and Byrne stood inside the cabin, dumbstruck by the scene, their gaze upon the transparent bottle turning uneasy, not knowing what to make of it.
Karl could clearly sense the specific content of their emotions.
Byrne, the nervous and timid boy, felt an oppressive curiosity amid his unease. He was fascinated by "his own" existence, yet too fearful to attempt exploring it.
He understood the mysterious being symbolized power and held great danger.
The thirty-something Lucius looked calm, but in reality, he was deliberately hiding astonishment, joy, worry, greed, and finally, some kind of resoluteness.
It was as if he had made an important decision, hoping to capitalize on the current opportunity to accomplish something. Even the deep-rooted laziness and decadence within him were instantly swept away.
Karl knew very well that Lucius and his son were shocked by the extraordinary power displayed by Irene!
Whether spellcasters or Bloodline Knights, the Extraordinary Exponents of the Ouden Continent were born with spellcasting talent or the corresponding bloodline, giving them the chance to advance further and become an Extraordinary Exponent.
Talent and bloodline determine the majority of people's ultimate potential in life.
As for Mysterious rare artifacts or the blessings of mysterious beings, those are ultimately just temporary or snatchable sources of extraordinary power.
Ordinary humans without the spellcasting talent or bloodline could never truly possess extraordinary power!
Yet the power he possessed broke such ironclad rules!
Lucius revealed a smile that was hard to conceal, suppressing the excitement deep in his heart, and said respectfully,
"Great Lord of the Lost, I am Lucius, the eldest male of the Fischer family."
"The Fischer family will absolutely serve you, with loyalty and utmost effort. Everything we do is for your great revival!"
Though he said this, in the depths of his eyes there was actually no reverence.
The man just wanted to use the suddenly appeared mysterious power for his own gain.
A man blinded by greed, but he could still make a suitable "pawn," Karl silently assessed Lucius. Relying solely on the young siblings was not enough to accomplish much, so he did not mind having a "pawn" with his own thoughts.
So, in the next moment, Karl once again conveyed his will.
He granted Lucius the "protect" power contained in the purple finger amulet.
Although it was much weaker than the "healing" rune power in the transparent bottle, the "protect" rune could still play a significant role in low-level conflicts.
Suddenly, Lucius became aware of the great presence of the Lord of the Lost, an immense power beyond description. The black cross radiance flickered continuously inside the transparent bottle, and compared to it, his own existence seemed as insignificant as the most humble dust in the world!
How magnificent!
All the plots in his mind dissipated in an instant, leaving only fear and even the urge to prostrate himself on the ground.
How foolish he had been to think of using such a magnificent being!
In the next moment, a purple glow slowly emerged in the awe-filled eyes of Lucius.
He felt a strong power granted to the depths of his soul, which he could activate through the connection with the Lord of the Lost.
Upon tentatively activating this extraordinary power, Lucius sensed something within him depleting slightly, followed by an invisible repulsive force surrounding him, capable of effectively defending against external attacks.
Ordinary people might never encounter extraordinary power in their lifetimes, but now Lucius effortlessly possessed it, and he couldn't help being extremely excited!
"So this is the legendary extraordinary power. Great Lord of the Lost, thank you for your blessing. I, of the Fischer family, will devote everything to assist in your revival!"
Lucius was ecstatic, and Byrne, not far off, was also deeply moved, acutely aware that his destiny had changed completely from that moment onward.
The future was uncertain; despite his excitement, the young man also felt a great deal of tension and fear surge in his heart.
The Lord of the Lost, who controlled the fate of the Fischer family, what kind of deity was He?
And what would our future be?
After pondering for a moment, Lucius respectfully lowered his head and asked, "Great Lord of the Lost, something inside me seemed to have been consumed just now. What was that vanishing thing?"
"Could it possibly be the Magic Power mentioned by spellcasters?"
Karl thought for a moment deep inside, clearly recognizing the importance of teaching the family basic mystical knowledge, which could spare members of the Fischer family from many detours.
Even though conveying information would consume spirituality, and the larger the amount of information, the greater the consumption, Karl still decided to transfer basic mystical knowledge at the cost of sacrificing some spirituality.
He planned to pass on only one set of mystical knowledge; the rest of the family members only needed to consult the beneficiary of that knowledge.
As for whom to impart this knowledge to, Karl had already made his choice.
"Great Lord of the Lost, I feel Your will. Are You planning to generously bestow upon me mystical knowledge?"
Irene looked up reverently, realizing that the great god was about to give her the precious mystical knowledge.
She was ready.
Karl no longer hesitated and transferred the mystical knowledge to her.
In an instant, the girl felt dizzy and a sudden, sharp pain flooded into her brain, making her feel as though she was about to split apart and collapse to the ground.