[Truth Researcher] Ove

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Lin Ke knocked gently on the door.

"Little one, come in."

From his voice alone, no one would ever have guessed that the gentle Ove suffered from social anxiety.

Lin Ke gently opened the door and entered with John and Nix.

He had visited his bastard father's study before.

This world-or at least the Azan Territory-had no glass yet, but the windows had wooden shutters that could be opened and closed, so the room was extremely bright when they were open.

Yet... Teacher Ove had shut the windows tight and lit oil lamps, illuminating the entire large study with their flames.

He was just like an overweight young shut-in who closed the curtains in broad daylight and then turned on the lights.

Lin Ke said nothing about it. As soon as he entered, he bowed in greeting. "Hello, Teacher. I'm Lin Ke Azan. It's an honor to welcome you to our castle."

Next, Nix and John also gave simple bows.

But Ove said nothing. Focusing intently, Lin Ke faintly heard him muttering to himself:

"It's fine... it's fine... they're only children..."

"Yes, just three people. That's right, Ove. They originally said two, but one extra is fine. Yes, it's fine..."

"Strange. Why do I want to use 'World-Destroying Thunder' right now? No, high-level Professionals killing ordinary people violates the kingdom's laws. Yes, and this is that boy's child..."

World-Destroying Thunder?!

Lin Ke, who had been straining to listen, instantly felt his hair stand on end.

Holy shit! Say something, quick! Otherwise, we're going to die!

"Ahem, um... Teacher Ove, why don't you first check whether I'm ready for Enlightenment? I know Steward Billy explained the situation in the message he sent you by kuku bird."

Lin Ke smiled as he gestured for the two behind him to stay still and do their best to become statues-no, to become thin air.

His social anxiety is way too severe.

"Yes, he did. Come here... no, stop right there. Good, very good. Good boy, stay where you are." Ove's voice remained gentle. He simply made Lin Ke stand ten meters away.

Ten meters!

Lin Ke was utterly speechless.

How am I supposed to persuade someone with social anxiety this bad to stay?! And for five whole months...

Money, beautiful women, affection...

Hmm... how about just throwing him into the dungeon? I feel like Ove would really enjoy the atmosphere down there.

"Children, let me introduce myself as well. I'm Ove, a level nineteen [Truth Researcher], and my secondary class is level eleven [Enlightenment Teacher]."

Ove was still smiling as before. Only now did Lin Ke notice that his smile looked rather fake, like a stiff, awkward grin.

Holy shit?!

A level nineteen Professional?!

Lin Ke's heart skipped a beat. He paid no attention to Ove's smile; merely hearing his level had shocked him.

They could not even beat two level-two tigers without three hundred guards.

Level nineteen...

No wonder his spell is World-Destroying Thunder, not Castle-Destroying Thunder.

"Now, let me first set up a quiet environment."

Ove stood up and tapped the floor with his staff.

"Thump!"

There was a soft sound.

Then countless crackling serpents of electricity emerged from both ends of his staff, rapidly spreading outward and enveloping the entire study.

Lin Ke was startled and a little afraid of being electrocuted, but he forced himself to remain still.

"Don't be afraid. I'm creating a relatively comfortable space. It will help with your Enlightenment."

Ove's gentle voice echoed through the space. "Of course, this area is soundproof, and it can also block certain prying eyes."

Wow...

Watching this fantastical scene, Lin Ke felt a little excited.

Just as I thought! The power of magic!

Not flames! Not a generator!

Magic!

Ove remained ten meters away instead of approaching. He pointed his staff at Lin Ke from a distance. "Child, let me first see whether your body is suited for Enlightenment."

Lin Ke nodded.

A thin, pliant strand of purple electricity suddenly shot from the tip of Ove's staff. It flowed like water, was only the size of a thumb, and seemed almost alive.

Before Lin Ke could react, the current shot straight onto his face.

"Bzzzz..."

The electricity crackled, but Lin Ke felt no tingling at all. Instead, it felt cool against his skin.

The current quickly traveled over his body, lingering longer around his heart, waist, head, and certain other areas.

Several dozen seconds later, the current rushed back to Ove's staff.

"Hmm..."

After the current returned, Ove seemed to be sensing something, listening to something, all while maintaining his smile.

A dozen or so seconds later, he said, "Very good. You're ready for Bloodline Enlightenment."

He then tested John and Nix, who had remained perfectly still, and reached the same conclusion.

"First, I'll explain Bloodline Enlightenment to you. Once I'm finished, I can perform your Enlightenment."

Smiling, Ove gently waved his staff. A translucent human figure made of purple points of light appeared in the air, and he said softly, "Concentration!"

A force spread out in an instant.

[Enlightenment Teacher] skill-Concentration!

Lin Ke felt all his attention drawn toward Ove. Instinctively, he began watching and listening with complete focus.

This is a supernatural power too!

"Bloodlines are something accumulated and passed down from generation to generation..." Ove began his explanation.

Simply put, bloodlines were something akin to a discovery that was then passed down.

No one knew who had first discovered and developed the earliest bloodlines. Their origins might have dated back to ancient times.

Their subsequent paths of inheritance, however, were quite clear: sons inherited from their fathers, who had inherited from their own fathers, and so on.

As for what bloodlines did...

For example, someone with a "lightning" bloodline would possess a special affinity for lightning, and that affinity would vary with the strength of their bloodline talent.

The better their talent, the stronger that affinity would be. There might even be certain special bonuses.

Meanwhile, the difference between the "lightning control" and "lightning frenzy" bloodlines might lie in their respective emphasis on control and explosive power.

Once someone underwent Bloodline Enlightenment, they could take on one or more classes upon that bloodline.

For instance, someone with a "lightning" bloodline would be suited to classes such as [Thunderbolt Warrior] or [Lightning Priest].

But they could also become a [Flowing Water Assassin] or an [Ice Mage]. Their bloodline would simply have almost no use after they took on those classes.

A bloodline was like a supporting frame upon which classes could be placed, but if too many were placed on it, the frame would be unable to bear the weight.

Generally speaking, a person could take on one to three classes, depending mainly on the condition of their bloodline.

As Lin Ke understood it, the relationship between bloodlines and classes was like that between a charger and a battery.

The bloodline was the charger, and the class was the battery.

The bloodline absorbed various forms of energy from the air, converted them, and stored them in the class. The class then released that energy at the appropriate time.

Ambient energy → bloodline energy → class energy!

As for the various kinds of magic, they were like software that performed different functions when electrical energy was supplied to a phone.

As long as those programs with their different functions were constructed in advance, supplying them with electrical energy would produce different effects-in other words, different kinds of magic.

"...Of course, magic is something ancient. These days, we generally use 'skills.'"

Ove explained softly, while Lin Ke and the other two listened intently.

So this is this world's magic system!

Lin Ke felt he had been right to wait for Ove's explanation. Teacher Ove made complex ideas easy to understand, laying everything out clearly in simple terms.

Even the two children behind him understood.

"...Generally speaking, whenever you reach certain levels, you can inscribe an additional skill slot onto your class. For example, you might gain one extra skill slot every two levels."

Ove continued, "Once you have more skills, you can also try combining them. The result might be more powerful, or it might be weaker."

In addition, an ancestor's skills could become their descendants' bloodlines!

For example, an ancestor might have a "lightning" bloodline and a skill called "Lightning Explosion" inscribed onto their class.

That "Lightning Explosion" skill might then be inherited by their descendants.

When those descendants underwent Bloodline Enlightenment, they might awaken a "lightning explosion" bloodline!

By analogy, it was as though Lin Ke's mother in his previous life had been an accountant, and he might therefore awaken an "accountant" bloodline.

Furthermore, bloodlines were not physical things. Rather, they were likely manifestations of information.

According to Ove, a class was a combination of certain traits.

For example, the traits of a [Shield Warrior] were "shield," "defense," "steadfastness," and "combat." These were all pieces of information.

As long as those informational traits of a [Shield Warrior] were inscribed onto a bloodline and fused together, they would form the [Shield Warrior] class!

Those traits could even be passed down to descendants, who might awaken bloodlines such as "shield," "defense," or "steadfastness"!

An ancestor's skills, classes, and class traits could all be inherited by their descendants.

This was also the foundation of the nobility's standing and survival in this world: bloodline inheritance.

After all, many farmers went generation after generation without ever undergoing Bloodline Enlightenment, let alone taking on a class. It was entirely possible for generations of a family to share the same bloodline.

But...

What a rich and colorful world... Lin Ke marveled inwardly.

If a world like this had existed in his previous life, there would surely have been an explosion of classes. Perhaps it would even have entered an era of classes for everyone worldwide.

"Now that you understand bloodlines and classes, I'll explain the specific things you should keep in mind during your Enlightenment..."

P.S. To all the friends who tipped and voted yesterday, I won't go on at length thanking you. Once the novel goes premium, I'll show my gratitude with a huge burst of updates!!