Tuka's words cast a surreal haze over Sherry's thoughts.
A sovereign?
She was the master of such formidable beings?
Could this truly be her reality?
Doubts wove a web of anxiety, making her fear it was all but a fleeting illusion.
Yet as the encompassing mountains around her began to crumble, revealing layers of snow cascading down to unveil massive snow apes, it dawned on Sherry that this spectacle was not a mirage.
It was undeniably real.
"My esteemed master, I beseech you to accept the heritage of the Lord of Shadow," Tuka intoned.
At this, the awakened mountainous snow apes lifted their heads in a united roar.
They then positioned their massive arms on the ground, embodying the reverence of devout pilgrims, all facing Sherry.
Hearing Tuka's plea, Sherry nodded in assent.
Upon witnessing her agreement, Tuka began to shrink in size, eventually standing only half as tall as Sherry. He then escorted her into the glacial palace.
"How do I accept the heritage?" Upon entering the palace, Sherry voiced her query.
Understanding her concerns, Tuka offered words of comfort, "Fear not, for you bear the Bloodline of the Lord of Shadow. The heritage poses no danger to you."
"Is this heritage formidable?" Sherry's curiosity bubbled again.
Caught off-guard by her question, Tuka paused as though he'd heard a jest, and then broke into hearty laughter, exclaiming, "Formidable? You should know, more than ten deities have perished at the hands of the Lord of Shadow. Had it not been for those treacherous beings exploiting the Goddess of Snow, the Lord of Shadow would have remained invincible."
"So, you're saying that by mastering the Lord of Shadow's heritage, I could triumph over Ethan?" Sherry pressed.
"Who is Ethan?" Tuka inquired.
"A formidable individual," Sherry replied candidly.
Hearing this, Tuka chuckled again, stating, "Once you've fully embraced the Lord of Shadow's heritage, defeating someone named Ethan will be a mere trifle."
"Really?" Doubt tinged Sherry's tone.
"Absolutely. The heritage of the Lord of Shadow is coveted even by deities. That alone speaks to its immense power," Tuka declared with unmistakable pride.
However, upon entering the palace, a shadow of sorrow clouded Tuka's eyes.
The palace's décor was stark in its simplicity.
Save for a pair of daggers prominently placed at its center, the vast space was almost devoid of other adornments.
"Come," Tuka beckoned, leading the way towards the daggers. Turning to Sherry, he instructed, "Place your hands upon them."
Sherry nodded, not hesitating.
She reached out, gripping each dagger with a separate hand.
An intimate aura emanated from the blades, resonating with her like a long-lost part of herself.
Tuka's voice echoed once more. "The Shadow Bloodline is an exceedingly rare lineage. Many believe it to be a Twins Bloodline, shared simultaneously by two individuals. But this is a misconception. The Shadow Bloodline has always been singular, initially sealed away until unlocked by the Shadowblade."
"The Shadowblade," he continued, "is the weapon of the Shadow Bloodline's heritage, requiring a unique forging process. The very Shadowblades resting here were once wielded by the Lord of Shadow himself, stained with the blood of deities."
Curiously, Sherry examined the Shadowblade in her grasp, absorbing its essence.
Sensing the presence of the Shadow Bloodline, the blade transformed.
Crimson patterns on the Shadowblade's surface began to glow brightly, pulsating like living veins of blood.
The vibrant patterns flowed up the blade, cascading into Sherry's palm and coursing through her being.
In an instant, a myriad of scenes flashed across Sherry's mind.
They depicted epic battles against mighty adversaries: dragons soaring in the skies, colossal sea creatures summoning tsunamis, and magma giants reminiscent of erupting volcanoes.
Each creature was formidable in its own right, yet they seemed almost toylike before the superior assassination techniques, easily defeated without any resistance.
During these memories, Sherry noticed an anomaly.
The one vanquishing these mighty creatures wasn't just one individual-- there were two.
Confusion clouded her thoughts as she turned to Tuka for clarity.
Before Sherry could voice her question, Tuka elucidated, "Within the Shadow Bloodline lies its most potent heritage -- the ability to manifest a Shadow Doppelg?nger. This doppelg?nger possesses all the strength and spells of the original, and will not fade unless the bearer of the Shadow Bloodline perishes."
"This," Tuka continued, "is the origin of the Shadow Twins."
As Tuka's explanation sank in, a surge of profound knowledge flooded Sherry's consciousness.
This was the genuine legacy of the Shadow Bloodline, encompassing diverse assassination techniques, potent spells, and the central method of achieving deity status through the Shadow Bloodline.
The sheer volume of information was overwhelming, causing Sherry to faint momentarily.
Recognizing this as a mere protective response of the body, Tuka remained unperturbed.
He sat beside her, patiently awaiting her awakening.
...
Dark Lord City, Dungeon Zone.
Within the seventh subterranean level's training room, Ethan took a deep exhale before rising to his feet.
A tinge of regret laced his voice, "Breaking through the limit is still challenging. I could seek Windsor's assistance again, but that might harm him."
Abandoning the thought, Ethan exited the training room.
"Ethan!" Windsor's voice halted him in his tracks.
Ethan turned to him with a quizzical look, "Windsor, what is it?"
A touch of embarrassment colored Windsor's voice, "Ethan, I came to seek knowledge about Dragon Heritage."
"You seek knowledge from me?" Ethan was taken aback.
The lore of the Dragon's heritage was vast and deep.
Even though Ethan had mastered the Dragon Language of Nature, it was due to his intrinsic bloodline, not through his own understanding.
In terms of the Dragon's heritage, Ethan might even know less than Windsor.
However, just as Ethan was about to decline, a realization dawned on him.
The Dragon Language of Nature symbolized the core power of the Dragons, encompassing all the diverse clans within the Dragon lineage.
Could it possibly contain the Rainbow Blessing that Windsor employed, given that the Rainbow Dragon was, after all, a part of the Dragon lineage?
With this realization, a spark of excitement lit up Ethan's eyes.
He immediately posed a question to Windsor, "Windsor, can you share with me the knowledge of the Rainbow Blessing's heritage?"
"Of course," Windsor promptly replied, though with a touch of puzzlement, "Ethan, without the Rainbow Dragon Bloodline, you cannot grasp the essence of the Rainbow Blessing."
"It's worth a try," Ethan responded with a smile.
Windsor nodded and proceeded to share some insights into the Rainbow Blessing with Ethan.
After absorbing this knowledge, Ethan turned his focus to the Dragon Language of Nature.
Since mastering it, Ethan hadn't really employed the Dragon Language of Nature often.
At this moment, Ethan was overwhelmed by the vastness intrinsic to the Dragons.
He felt the aura of various Dragon Bloodlines -- the Elemental Dragon, Rainbow Dragon, Space Dragon, Time Dragon... even the rumored World Dragon, birthed by the cosmos itself.
The heritages of these Dragon clans began to manifest before him.
However, when Ethan tried to tap into this knowledge, he met formidable resistance.
"Why are these insights resisting me? Is it because of the Bloodline?" He pondered.
Ethan then decided to explore another Dragon -- the Firedragon, a relatively common Elemental Dragon.
To his relief, he smoothly accessed the heritage knowledge of the Firedragon. It wasn't vast, primarily centered around harnessing the power of flames.
"It seems it's not due to the Bloodline after all..."
Confirming this suspicion, Ethan tried once more, this time attempting to access the heritage knowledge of the Rainbow Dragon.
The sense of resistance returned, but it wasn't as intense as before.
With sustained effort, Ethan eventually grasped the Rainbow Blessing from within the Rainbow Dragon's heritage, though that was all he could attain.
Whenever he attempted to delve deeper or explore other knowledge, the opposing force intensified.
Still, possessing the Rainbow Blessing was an accomplishment in itself.
"Ethan, how did it go?" Windsor inquired.
With a smile, Ethan let a radiant spectrum of colors manifest in his hand and responded, "I've understood it, but I can't quite wield it."
As it turned out, the idea was infeasible. After mastering the Rainbow Blessing, Ethan realized that to employ it, he needed the Power of Rainbow, an exclusive force inherent to the Rainbow Dragon.
"In that case, let me help you," Windsor promptly offered.
Even though she didn't grasp Ethan's intentions fully, in Windsor's perception, Ethan had become her mate.
Sacrificing everything for a mate was also a part of the Rainbow Dragon's heritage.
"Hold on, Windsor," Ethan swiftly interjected, having no doubt that Windsor would genuinely make such a sacrifice.
He didn't want Windsor to get hurt once more.
Ethan continued, "Windsor, if you wish to enhance your abilities, train in the training room. While you're at it, ask Victor for some Blood Source; it will fortify your Bloodline effectively. I'm stepping out for a bit; if anything arises, wait for my return."
With that, Ethan immediately activated a space gate and departed.
He re-emerged atop a cliff, where the vast expanse of the ocean stretched out below.
Without hesitation, Ethan leaped off the cliff's edge.
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