Ethan set the book aside and checked the system interface, which appeared before his eyes like a translucent scroll.
『 ═══════════════════════════════════════ 』
『 Story Credibility: 3% 』
『 Family Faith: 1 』
『 World Rebuttal: 0% 』
『 Ancestral Debt: None active 』
『 ═══════════════════════════════════════ 』
The numbers had not changed. Lily’s belief from yesterday had given him a small foundation, but it was nowhere near enough. He needed more believers. Stronger belief. Something that could not be dismissed as a child’s fancy.
"System. Explain the milestones."
『 At 25% Story Credibility, you will unlock Relic Creation—the ability to fabricate physical objects connected to your ancestors. 』
『 At 50%, you will unlock Ancestor’s Memories—the ability to receive visions and knowledge directly from the ancestor you are manifesting. 』
『 At 75%, you will unlock Partial Manifestation—the ability to summon the ancestor’s presence, though not their full form. 』
『 At 100%, full manifestation becomes possible. 』
Ethan nodded slowly.
Relic Creation at twenty-five percent. That would be his first true test.
He found Eleanor in the main hall, seated alone at the long wooden table.
She was not eating. A single cup of tea sat before her, untouched, and her gaze was fixed on the far wall. On the faded banner bearing the black wolf and crescent moon.
She looked up when he entered.
"You’re awake early."
"I didn’t sleep well."
"Sit."
Ethan sat across from her. A servant appeared and placed a bowl of thin porridge before him before disappearing. Eleanor still did not touch her tea.
"I heard what you did yesterday," she said. "Speaking with Lily. Telling her stories about some forgotten ancestor."
Ethan did not look up from his porridge. "Word travels fast."
"Word travels faster when there’s nothing else to talk about."
She paused.
"The elders are concerned."
"Let them be."
Eleanor’s brow rose. "You’re not worried about their opinion?"
"They’ve spent decades doing nothing while the family rots. Forgive me if I don’t value their judgment."
Silence.
Then Eleanor laughed—a dry, humorless sound.
"You sound like your grandfather. He never had patience for fools either."
Ethan set down his spoon. "Tell me about the Ashford Family."
Eleanor’s expression darkened.
"They were once our vassals. Do you know what that means?"
"They served us."
"They served us for three hundred years. Their founder swore an oath of loyalty to our ancestor—Arthur Blackwood."
Ethan froze.
"Arthur?"
"Yes. The Ashford Family was founded by a man named Aldric Ashford. He was one of Arthur’s lieutenants. When Arthur died defending the mountain, Aldric swore to protect the Blackwood Family for eternity."
Eleanor’s voice turned bitter.
"And for three hundred years, the Ashfords kept that oath. They bled for us. They died for us. They were our most loyal allies."
"What changed?"
"The previous Patriarch died. Your father took his place. And unlike his predecessors, your father was... weak."
She paused.
"Not in cultivation. In character. He surrounded himself with sycophants and ignored his true allies. He treated the Ashfords like servants instead of partners. And eventually, they realized they no longer needed us."
"When did they turn?"
"Seven years ago. When the demons attacked the eastern border, your father refused to send aid. He said the Blackwood Family could not afford to weaken itself."
"And the Ashfords?"
"They lost three villages. Hundreds of their people died. The Ashford Patriarch at the time Victor’s father died fighting the demons alone."
Eleanor’s eyes met his.
"Victor Ashford became Patriarch that day. And he has never forgiven us."
Ethan sat in silence, processing her words.
"How strong are they?"
"Stronger than us. Their Patriarch, Victor Ashford, is at the Peak of Qi Condensation. His eldest son, Aldric, is at the Seventh Layer. Their enforcers, the Langley family, are ruthless."
"And their allies?"
"The Langley Family. The Crawford Family. Both have tied their fortunes to the Ashfords. Together, they control most of the trade routes in the Eastern Wilds."
Eleanor’s voice dropped.
"We are alone, Ethan. Completely alone."
"Then we need allies."
"We have none."
"Then we need power."
Eleanor’s eyes sharpened. "What kind of power?"
Ethan hesitated.
Then he reached into his robe and withdrew the book.
"I found something. In the hidden chamber beneath the ancestral hall."
He told her everything.
Not the whole truth—he did not mention the system, not yet, but enough. He told her about the book, about Arthur Blackwood’s story, about the possibility of bringing back the family’s ancestors.
Eleanor listened in silence.
When he finished, she was quiet for a long moment.
Then she said, "My grandmother spoke of this. The first Blackwood’s legacy. She said that one day, when the family was at its lowest, an ancestor would return."
"She was right."
"But bringing back an ancestor? That is not something that has ever been done before."
"It has. We simply forgot."
Eleanor studied him.
"And you believe you can do this?"
"I do."
"How?"
"By making the family believe. By telling Arthur’s story. By proving that he existed."
Eleanor was silent.
Then she rose from her chair and moved toward the window.
Through the grimy glass, Ethan could see the mountain’s slope—the terraced fields, the scattered buildings, the thin trails of smoke rising from chimneys.
"Five years ago, when you left, I thought we had lost our last hope. You were the brightest of your generation, Ethan. Everyone believed you would become something great."
She turned to face him.
"Then your awakening ceremony failed. You were declared a failure. And your father sent you away."
Ethan’s jaw tightened.
"I know."
"I resented him for that. I resented you for leaving. But most of all, I resented myself for not stopping him."
She stepped closer.
"But now you’re back. And you’re speaking of impossible things."
She paused.
"Tell me, Ethan. Why should I believe you?"
Ethan met her gaze.
"Because you have nothing else."
The words hung in the air.
Eleanor stared at him for a long moment.
Then, slowly, she smiled.
"You really are your grandfather’s grandson."
That night, Ethan sat in his room and opened the system interface.
『 Story Credibility: 5% 』
『 Family Faith: 3 』
『 World Rebuttal: 0% 』
『 Ancestral Debt: None active 』
『 Next Milestone: 25% Credibility — Unlock Relic Creation 』
He had made progress. Small, but real.
Eleanor believed. Not completely, not yet. But she believed enough to hope.
And hope, Ethan was learning, was the first step toward faith.
A knock on the door drew his attention.
"Come in."
The door opened. Lily stood in the doorway, her face pale.
"Ethan. I had a dream."
"What did you see?"
She hesitated.
"I saw Arthur. But he wasn’t alone."
"Who was with him?"
Lily’s voice trembled.
"A man in shadow. He was watching Arthur. And he was laughing."
Ethan’s blood ran cold.
『 Warning: World Rebuttal is accelerating. 』
『 The ancestor’s story is being corrupted. 』
『 An unknown entity is interfering. 』
Ethan stared at Lily.
"What did the man look like?"
"I don’t know. I couldn’t see his face."
She paused.
"But he had a voice like... like something that had been waiting for a very long time."
『 Story Credibility: 5% 』
『 Family Faith: 3 』
『 World Rebuttal: 2% 』
『 Ancestral Debt: None active 』
『 Next Milestone: 25% Credibility — Unlock Relic Creation 』