The Innkeeper

Lex tried to recall what he knew about bloodlines. Once, as Leo, he has asked John about the topic of bloodlines, and he had seen some random bits of information while casually browsing the portal.

Bloodlines in Beasts was an entirely different topic, for the Beasts' entire cultivation was based on their bloodline limits. But for other species, such as humans, it was not the same. The basic gist of it was that it was something that gave whoever had the bloodline access to special powers or abilities.

But the source of that power was a mystery to Lex, as well as how their limitations were defined, because the Inn workers truly had some broken bloodlines.

Lex's memory had improved considerably, so after a moment of deliberation, he recalled that one of the ways that John had described the creation of bloodlines, especially in humans, was through cultivation. As a cultivator reaches higher levels, they naturally unlock certain abilities or affinities that are a result of the unique combination of their natural affinities and their cultivation technique, any natural treasures they might have absorbed, or the various inheritances they received.

For example, it was highly likely that if nothing untoward had happened to his cultivation technique, Lex would have given birth to a bloodline that would increase defensive capabilities, or something along those lines. Maybe the Lucky Sutra would give birth to a bloodline that affected luck.

Having recalled that, another question came to Lex's mind, though he wouldn't be able to ask such a thing. Although all five brothers had gone on to create families with their own surnames, each of them had the Sephore surname. Lex found it hard to believe that all 5 brothers were able to become so formidable if whatever family they originally belonged to was not powerful to begin with, so shouldn't they already have had bloodlines? Moreover, he'd never heard this Sephore name before.

Lex audibly sighed as the Innkeeper and said, "Although we can provide our families with many tools, ultimately they have to walk their own paths."

Lex took a moment to gather his thoughts. Even if it was just in his own mind, he had to voice his suspicion. He suspected that… William might be one of his ancestors. As improbable and impossible as it may seem, it was still a lot more believable than the man just happened to look completely identical to Lex out of sheer coincidence.

But it seemed like… William himself was very distant from his family, and wasn't very close to them. If he wanted to investigate this matter, he would have to start from a different angle - most likely his own parents back on earth.

Seriously, if this was the secret his family was keeping, Lex would be immensely pissed and slightly confused. Even if he could let go of everything else, Lex could not forget the fact that he had a brain tumor for God only knew how long! How many months had Lex spent in depression, unaware that his mood was being affected by the growth in his brain? How much anxiety had he gone through to grow the Inn to the level where he had enough MP to upgrade his cultivation finally to the level where it could remove his tumor?

Flashbacks of the immense struggle and fear he faced when he faced zombies for the first time filled his mind. As little as it phased him now, he had gone from being a regular joe on earth to literally fighting for his life against literal demons, just for his chance to remove his tumor.

A tinge of anger flashed through his heart as he imagined his parents giving him some kind of stupid spiel about how facing his own challenges allowed him to grow and mature. It was true, after putting his life on the line time and time again, his brain tumor literally making him do one stupid thing after another, he had become much more resilient. But since he had to go through so much growth without them, he saw no reason why they should be a part of his journey moving forward either.

But the flash of anger was just that: a flash. Lex quickly calmed himself down and reminded himself that everything going through his head was just his imagination at the moment. Until he confronted them, and found out the truth of the matter, he should not jump to conclusions.

With his mind made up, he would not have to drag his conversation with the emperor out any longer. Although, admittedly, he was curious about the emperor's family history. There wasn't even some purpose behind it - he just found it interesting. How had these 5 brothers managed to come so far and achieve so much?

"Even I had to walk my own path without my family's aid," the Innkeeper said with a hint of melancholy in his voice.

The brother's expression subtly changed upon hearing that. So far, the conversation had been light and casual. Even when talking about their families, they did not treat it too seriously. But for the Innkeeper, someone at the peak of this realm, to mention anything about his past was a matter they absolutely could not treat it lightly.

While for the other brothers this was a potential opportunity to learn some secrets about reaching higher realms, for Jotun it was a different matter entirely. He had been briefed before being sent to the Inn. Although it was not his main objective, he had been tasked with learning as much as possible about the Innkeeper, for the Henali had revealed exactly what they knew about him: absolutely nothing!

"Was there a reason your family did not aid you?" Knight asked, trying his level best to hide the hesitation in his voice.

"Maybe. Since they never told me, I never asked. And since they decided not to be a part of my journey from the beginning, I don't see a reason for them to be a part of my journey now."

The brothers felt goosebumps all over their bodies as their imagination went wild!