Seventeen: Bloodline and Dreams

Harrot initiated a conversation with The Bald Man to ease his tension.

"Boss, how did you become a Gladiator?"

The Bald Man gave a wry smile and replied, "I used to be the captain of the town guard. Back then, I was young and impetuous. Relying on my strength, I'd harshly deal with the illegal gangs in the city."

"But one time, I bit off more than I could chew. I busted a human trafficking ring, and I never expected their boss behind the scenes to be a Noble. And then..."

Harrot could guess the rest of the story even without The Bald Man saying it. It was nothing more than the Noble retaliating, leading to The Bald Man becoming a Slave and then a Gladiator.

"After I became a Gladiator, my heart was filled with resentment and unwillingness. All I wished was for those Nobles to die horrible deaths!"

The Bald Man continued his story, his tone very calm, as if he had completely come to terms with it now.

"I should have spent the rest of my life as a Gladiator, but thankfully, I met Count Sarik!"

"He is a true Noble, a wise and great Noble!"

The Bald Man's eyes were filled with respect as he spoke, making it hard to believe that such a legendary Gladiator with heaven-defying strength would worship anyone so much. It seemed Count Sarik was indeed very capable.

"Not only did he pardon my crimes, but he also dealt with that scoundrel Noble for me."

"That guy violated the Kingdom's laws many times. Count Sarik exposed his crimes to the King, who convened a tribunal and ultimately stripped him of his title and confiscated his territory!"

"Count Sarik possesses excellent virtue; he wouldn't possibly be blinded by money. I believe he won't let Scarface, that beast, continue his recklessness!"

Harrot remained a quiet listener until The Bald Man finished speaking, finally sighing and saying, "Count Sarik is truly an admirable person!"

The Bald Man assumed Harrot, like him, admired Count Sarik's excellence, but he didn't know Harrot's admiration was of a different kind.

Violating Kingdom laws? That was just for tricking Commoners. The Kingdom of Lucanir was founded by the royal family and many Noble families together. Compared to other Nobles, the King simply had larger territory and greater strength; strictly speaking, there was no hierarchical distinction.

In Harrot's impression, the status of Nobles in such countries generally superseded ordinary laws. As long as a Noble didn't commit serious crimes like treason or rebellion, they only needed to pay a large fine to the King and other Noble jurors.

From Harrot's personal perspective, he was more inclined to believe it was a conflict of interest or political struggle between Nobles. That Noble was the loser of the struggle, and the so-called trial was just a formality.

He admired Count Sarik for being able to defeat his opponent and simultaneously gain three benefits: the opponent's territory, public prestige, and The Bald Man's loyalty.

Count Sarik is a ruthless man! Scarface's demise is foreseeable!

"Boss, is your strength considered top-tier in the Kingdom of Lucanir?"

Harrot had already dispelled his inner unease and took this opportunity to inquire about any supernatural abilities humans possessed in this world.

The Bald Man scoffed, saying grumpily, "Are you mocking me? Which Noble Lord who has awakened their Bloodline isn't stronger than me?"

This sentence was packed with information, leaving Harrot a little bewildered. What was awakening a Bloodline? Shouldn't it be Battle Aura, "terrifyingly powerful," or mysterious Magic?

And how could such a powerful legendary Gladiator like The Bald Man be easily surpassed in strength? Was awakening a Bloodline that incredible?

Harrot quickly pressed, "What does awakening a Bloodline mean? Can only Nobles awaken it? I used to live in a remote village, so I'm not very familiar with these things."

The Bald Man was a little surprised but still replied, "A Bloodline is an inherent potential power passed down from ancestors, contained within the body. Once awakened, one gains immense power."

"Every Noble who awakens their Bloodline not only experiences a drastic increase in physical attributes but also gains a supernatural power. Count Sarik, for example, can release and control fire!"

"The biggest difference between Nobles and Commoners is whether they possess a Heroic Bloodline! While these aren't common knowledge, anyone with a bit of insight knows something about it."

"Generally, lords promote this knowledge to increase their subjects' loyalty. Your village's lord was probably a declining Noble whose Bloodline had withered."

Information was scarce in this world; many villagers often never left their villages their entire lives. It was quite normal for the original Harrot, a bumpkin, not to know these things.

Harrot's mind was racing. Indeed, as he suspected, humans in this world also possessed supernatural powers!

But why only Nobles? Harrot felt extremely indignant. Everyone yearned for supernatural abilities, even Harrot, who had the System.

After all, the Mount & Blade System was simply too basic, without any special effects.

"Do only Nobles have Heroic Bloodlines? Why don't Commoners have Bloodlines?" Harrot asked indignantly. Subconsciously, he felt this was a lie concocted by the upper-class Nobles to facilitate their rule over the lower-class Commoners.

The Bald Man didn't answer Harrot's question directly but chuckled, "You're just like I was when I was young. I also thought it was unfair, that it made no sense for Nobles to have Bloodlines and Commoners not to. This must be false information deliberately spread by Nobles."

"But later, I understood a principle and recognized my own limits."

"It's not that only Nobles have Bloodlines; it's that one must have a Bloodline to become a Noble!"

Harrot was stunned by these words. After a moment of thought, he dismissed the conspiracy theories in his mind. This statement was more convincing than any conspiracy.

"It's not that only Nobles have Bloodlines; it's that one must have a Bloodline to become a Noble!"

This statement was quite disheartening, especially for excellent Commoners, as it effectively sealed off their prospects and future.

No Bloodline meant that no matter how hard they worked, they would remain Commoners their entire lives and never possess great power. Even The Bald Man, at the peak of mortal combat power, was inferior in fighting ability to Nobles who had awakened their Bloodlines.

Harrot, being a transmigrator with a System, still felt very disheartened. One could imagine how much pain other excellent Commoners in this world felt.

The Bald Man patted Harrot's shoulder, comforting him, "You might not accept it immediately, but you'll gradually come to terms with it!"

"Besides, not all Nobles can awaken Bloodlines. Many Noble families also lose their Noble titles if no Bloodline awakeners appear for a long time!"

"Everyone has their own troubles. Since you can't be a superior person, just focus on the present. Your most important matter is the Gladiator match against the Magical Beast tomorrow!"

Harrot paused for a moment, then nodded and replied, "Yes, I understand. As a Gladiator, matters of nobility have nothing to do with me. Escaping my Slave status is the real problem!"

Although he said he didn't care, Harrot still found it hard to sleep when he returned to his cell to rest.

"Do I not have a bloodline? Can I not become a noble? I'm so unwilling! Am I still just a nobody even after transmigrating to this world?"

Before he transmigrated, Harrot was an ordinary person—ordinary in his studies, ordinary in sports, and ordinary in appearance.

Even though he faced various difficulties and crises after transmigrating, and was currently just a slave Gladiator without freedom, Harrot still held great aspirations in his heart. This was another world with Dragons, Elves, and Magic!

Would anyone who came to such a magical world with a System be content with being an ordinary town guard, a caravan escort, and living a stable, unremarkable life?

With that regret, Harrot drifted off to sleep.

In his dream, he wielded peerless divine weapons, accompanied by an Elf girl, a Dwarf brother, a few Knight subordinates, and a bard responsible for recording his glorious deeds and shouting "666" while they went together to crusade against an evil Dragon that had encroached upon the Kingdom's territory.

After defeating the Dragon, he bathed in Dragon blood, greatly extending his lifespan. The Kingdom rewarded him with vast wealth and land, and Harrot became a Dragon-slaying hero and noble lord revered by all.

He took a total of eight wives, including Elves, humans, mermaids—all with big chests, long legs, and great in bed.

In his dream, Harrot was omnipotent and lived with boundless freedom.

Then he woke up. Harrot was still that slave Gladiator, the Gladiator confined to a cell, unable to move freely, the Gladiator who had to risk his life fighting Magical Beasts for the amusement of spectators.

Harrot gazed at the iron bars before him, sighed deeply, and drifted into thought. Suddenly, he burst out laughing, unable to stop himself.

"Was I truly so eager for an extraordinary life? Wealth, beautiful women, fame, longevity—my pursuits are so vulgar!"

"I have everything in my dream, but unfortunately, I can't live in a dream. So, I'll just have to face reality!"

Dreams are dreams precisely because they are difficult to achieve and unrealistic. Harrot knew his dream couldn't become reality, but he wanted to work towards it.

Harrot no longer dwelled on his regrets. He slapped his cheeks, full of fighting spirit, and headed to the Training Ground to warm up, preparing for a fight to the death with the Magical Beast.

What if he had no bloodline? He had a miraculous System that transcended reality, and he had valuable knowledge from his previous life. He believed he could write his own legend!

Now, he wasn't just fighting to survive; he was also fighting for his dream.