Everhart Mansion, Ellas City, Rotero
In a beautifully decorated large room, a child lay ahead. He was sweating profusely, breathing heavily, and looking pale.
The child had dark hair, chubby cheeks, and a cute face. There was no doubt that he would grow up to be a handsome man in the future—a lady killer.
Azrael Everhart.
A young child who appeared to be around ten years old. It would have been a beautiful sight if he weren't frowning and shaking in bed as if he were in pain. The boy kept groaning while clutching his head.
A lady in black clothing suddenly appeared. She called out, concerned.
"Young Master!"
She placed her palm on his forehead, baffled by how hot it was. She immediately called for help, summoning Alice, the mother of Azrael.
The door was forcefully opened, and Alice entered, worried.
She was extremely beautiful, standing at six feet tall, with dark hair, amethyst-colored eyes, and a pale complexion.
She immediately placed her hand on Azrael's forehead. A brilliant purple light engulfed him, stabilizing his shaking body.
The concerned look on her face vanished, replaced by a delightful smile. If the public were to see this, many would undoubtedly faint, as she always had a cold demeanor, making others think not twice, but a hundred times before approaching her.
Alice Everhart. The Queen of Rotero.
One of the four great rulers of the continent of Avalonia. An SSS+ rank individual, making her the strongest person in the world—though only a select few individuals knew it.
"Esme, stop worrying. My son is okay," she said, looking at the panicked lady in black clothing.
Esme – Azrael's Guardian. She was a tall woman, standing at five foot eight, with a beautiful figure. She looked like a young lady in her early twenties.
She had been appointed as Azrael's guardian since he was five years old. She always followed him in the shadows, never interrupting his fun whenever he played. Always attending to his needs—basically his second mother.
Azrael's eyes slowly opened, his expression turning to shock upon seeing his mother.
"Mom? Why are you here? I thought you were very busy at the company," he asked cutely.
Alice's expression softened as she lovingly caressed his hair.
"Well, I came here as soon as your Mommy Es called me because you had a fever," she replied.
"Fever? Now that I think about it, my clothes are a bit sweaty." He held his clothes, noticing they were damp.
Esme, still confused, turned to Alice. "Your Majesty, what happened?"
She had seen her Majesty worried just moments ago, and now she was happy. She knew that with her Majesty's power, she could heal anyone, but still—shouldn't she worry about the cause? she thought to herself.
Alice smiled proudly and announced, "Great news, my great child has awakened his bloodline."
Esme was shaken.
Usually, for someone to awaken their bloodline, they had to go through an awakening ritual at precisely twelve years old. If someone awakened earlier than that, it could result in crippling or, worse, death.
Only a few cases had ever been recorded in the history of mankind, and all of them became strong and feared individuals. One of them was standing right in front of her—Her Majesty Alice Everhart.
A Bloodline indicates talent, potential, and limits. It is extremely important in a world where the strong dominate and the weak suffer.
There have been cases where an ordinary person awakened a great bloodline, meaning their ancestors once possessed a powerful bloodline, but it had remained dormant for generations.
There are four types of bloodlines known to humans, ranked as Ordinary, Normal, Rare, and Legendary.
Ordinary bloodlines have a potential cap of D-rank, while Normal bloodlines can reach up to A-rank. Rare bloodlines have a potential cap of SS-rank, while Legendary bloodlines reach SSS-rank.
Ordinary bloodlines are found in nearly everyone. Normal bloodlines are rare among ordinary people. Rare bloodlines appear in elite families, while Legendary bloodlines are so rare that only one in a billion possesses one.
The world has a total population of eight billion, meaning only eight people in the entire world possess a Legendary Bloodline.
A stronger bloodline means a stronger body, and a stronger body means more mana.
One of the greatest advantages of bloodlines is their longevity. Take Alice and Esme, for example—Alice is already 80 years old, but she looks like someone in her mid-twenties. Esme is 50 years old, yet she still appears youthful.
Mana is the source of power that an individual can release. It is like stamina, but while stamina fuels physical endurance, mana fuels external capabilities.
Mana only awakens during the "Second Awakening", as it is called. People awaken their bloodline at twelve years old, giving them time to build a strong foundation, which, in turn, increases their mana capacity.
This is also a chance for those with weaker bloodlines—if they create a good foundation, their mana capacity will grow, giving their bloodline a chance to mutate.
Ordinary can become Normal, and Normal can become Rare, though it is difficult. Rare to Legendary is nearly impossible, but there is a slim chance.
A smile appeared on Esme's face.
Just thinking about her young master's future achievements made her very proud.
"Your Majesty, I'll leave first to prepare the young master's bath."
She disappeared like a shadow after Alice nodded, leaving the mother and son duo alone.
"Your sister will be shocked when I tell her you awakened," Alice said, sitting on the bed as she hugged Azrael tightly.
"Mom, don't tell her yet. It'll be a surprise," Azrael giggled, already imagining his sister's reaction when she found out.
Although Azrael knew nothing about bloodlines, he was a very smart boy.
He could read people's expressions, and based on Mommy Es's proud face, he could tell that something great had happened to him.
Alice wanted Azrael to have a great childhood, because she knew he was special from birth.
Just like her own childhood, she remembered everything vividly, as if it had happened yesterday.
To battle the curse and blessing of their bloodline, she filled his days with happiness and warmth.
Not a single bad day—only ones filled with joy and laughter.
After their bonding moment, Azrael took a bath.
He ate, played with his mother, while Esme followed in the shadows.
A small break, a snack, more playtime, lunch, visiting beautiful places, another snack, then finally, sleep.
A peaceful day.
A day filled with happiness and warmth—for now.