Ancestral Lineage-Chapter 131: Grinding In Full Power Mode.

Ethan leaned back against a tree, closing his glowing silver eyes as his telepathic link with Harley faded. He exhaled sharply, exhaustion creeping into his voice. "System," he called out, his voice steady but tinged with irritation. "Give me a damn distance. How far am I from her?"

The system’s familiar robotic tone chimed in, its precision contrasting with Ethan’s frustration.

Analyzing telepathic seal coordinates. Stand by...

The air around Ethan shimmered faintly, a grid of green lines flickering into existence in his field of vision. Data streams and cryptic symbols cascaded down the edges, incomprehensible to anyone but the system itself. A faint hum resonated in the air, like the subtle vibration of a machine calculating impossibilities.

Locating Harley. Telepathic signal strength: 63%. Distance attenuation due to interference from unknown magical structures. Estimated margin of error: 2.7%. Calculating precise coordinates...

Ethan tapped his foot impatiently, glancing around the grove’s serene yet unnervingly alien landscape. The golden light filtering through the canopy seemed mocking now, a tranquil veneer hiding the chaos of his predicament.

"System," he muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Do you have to be so slow? I thought you were supposed to be advanced."

Sarcasm detected. Response ignored.

Ethan rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Great. Even the system’s got an attitude now."

A sudden ping interrupted his grumbling, and the grid of green lines transformed into a detailed topographical map. A glowing silver dot pulsed on the map, labeled User: Harley, while Ethan’s own position was marked in red.

Distance between user and telepathic seal holder: 372 kilometers. Estimated travel time under optimal conditions: 6.4 hours on foot, 3.1 hours by magical propulsion.

Ethan’s jaw clenched. "Three hundred and seventy-two kilometers? You’ve got to be kidding me. How the hell did this teleportation screw-up send me so far away?" Discover more content at novelbuddy

Probability of tampering with teleportation stream: 87%. Unidentified interference suggests external manipulation.

"So, someone messed with it intentionally," Ethan muttered, his irritation giving way to a simmering anger. "Perfect. Just what I needed."

The map shifted again, this time overlaying possible routes with varying colors. A direct path through the Grove was marked in green, though the system highlighted areas of potential danger with red pulsating circles.

Warning: Direct route contains high-risk zones. Magical interference, hostile entities, and unstable terrain detected. Recommendation: Proceed with caution or reroute to avoid critical danger areas.

Ethan straightened up, his silver eyes narrowing. "No. I’m not wasting time avoiding danger. Mark the most efficient path—danger or not."

Command acknowledged. Updating route...

The map adjusted, the green path now winding precariously through jagged fissures and glowing danger zones. Ethan studied it intently, committing the details to memory.

"Got it," he said, his voice resolute. "Time to move."

Before he could take a step, the system added one last piece of information.

Suggestion: Alert the seal holder of estimated arrival time. Recommended course of action: Prepare for hostilities upon approach. Telepathic link reestablished for communication if required.

Ethan smirked, the hint of a challenge lighting up his expression. "Hostilities, huh? Let them come. Just keep me updated if anything changes."

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With that, Ethan cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, his crimson eyes fixed on the horizon as he started down the perilous path marked by the system. The hum of the Grove seemed to grow louder, as though the very forest were aware of his determination—and the chaos he was prepared to unleash to reach Harley.

...

The agonizing cry of a beast shattered the tranquil silence of the forest as it exhaled its final breath. The cause of its demise stood calmly amidst the carnage—Ethan, his fiery red hair glinting in the Grove’s dappled light. The beast’s fate, however, was mostly its own doing. With an expression of detached irritation, Ethan swung his greatsword with practiced ease, flicking off the viscous dark green blood that clung to the blade.

The ground beneath his feet bore the evidence of the brutal skirmish—cracked, scorched, and littered with broken branches and smoldering debris. Behind him lay the massive, grotesque form of the defeated beast: a monstrous fusion of boar, bear, and monkey. Its coarse grey hide was riddled with jagged slashes, deep gashes revealing bone and sinew beneath the cracks in its body. Dark green blood pooled beneath it, staining the earth with the stench of death.

This was the inevitable consequence of attacking Ethan. And it wasn’t the only one to suffer such a fate. Behind him stretched a trail of carnage—beastly corpses lay scattered, some mangled beyond recognition, their forms barely resembling the creatures they once were. Each had fallen swiftly, their aggression met with overwhelming force.

Yet, despite the destruction he’d wrought, Ethan’s expression remained impassive. An hour had passed since he’d stepped into this uncharted part of the Grove, and though the beasts came at him relentlessly, he had yet to encounter an organized pack. That alone made him uneasy. The Grove’s silence, once serene, now felt like the calm before a greater storm.

Ethan’s unease lingered as he strode deeper into the Grove, his greatsword resting against his shoulder. The air seemed heavier now, as though the forest itself had shifted, watching him with an unseen presence. The golden light filtering through the canopy dimmed, replaced by an eerie green glow that seeped from bioluminescent plants scattered across the forest floor. Every step felt like a challenge, the ground beneath him growing softer, almost as if it resisted his passage.

The silence was unnatural. No rustling leaves, no distant cries of birds or beasts. Only the sound of his boots crushing twigs and the faint hum of mana in the air. Ethan’s red eyes scanned his surroundings, his instincts on edge. He knew better than to trust the quiet—it was the kind that always preceded an ambush.

And sure enough, it came.

The first movement was subtle—a faint ripple in the foliage to his left. Then, without warning, a beast lunged from the shadows, its grotesque form twisting unnaturally in mid-air. This one was unlike the others. Its body was sleek and black, its sinewy limbs ending in razor-sharp claws that gleamed in the dim light. A row of jagged spines ran along its back, glowing faintly with a sickly green light. Its eyes burned with an unnatural intelligence, and its snarl revealed rows of jagged teeth dripping with a viscous, steaming liquid.

Ethan reacted instantly. His greatsword swung upward in a blinding arc, catching the creature mid-leap. The force of the strike sent the beast hurtling into a nearby tree, the impact splintering the trunk and sending a shower of bark and leaves into the air. The creature let out a guttural roar, shaking off the blow as though it were nothing.

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Tougher than the rest, huh? Let’s see how long you last."

As if in response, more shapes emerged from the shadows, their glowing spines illuminating the grove with a sinister light. Ethan counted at least seven, their movements coordinated, their eyes locked onto him with predatory focus. They spread out, encircling him, their snarls blending into a low, menacing growl that reverberated through the forest.

"Finally," Ethan muttered, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. "A real fight."

The first beast charged, its claws slashing through the air with deadly precision. Ethan sidestepped effortlessly, his greatsword coming down in a crushing blow that cleaved the creature in two. Dark green blood sprayed across the ground, but the other beasts didn’t falter. They moved as one, exploiting every opening, forcing Ethan to stay on the defensive.

Ethan’s movements were a blur of precision and power. His greatsword danced through the air, each strike devastating but calculated. He shifted between offense and defense seamlessly, using the environment to his advantage. A fallen branch became a makeshift shield, deflecting a leaping beast before he spun and drove his blade into another’s chest.

But these creatures were relentless. For every one he killed, another seemed to take its place. Their glowing spines pulsed in unison, emitting a low-frequency hum that made Ethan’s head throb. He gritted his teeth, refusing to let the growing pressure distract him.

"System," he growled, parrying a beast’s claws with the flat of his blade. "What are these things?"

Scanning hostile entities. Stand by...

The system’s delay grated on his nerves, but he couldn’t afford to lose focus. Another beast lunged, and Ethan countered with a ferocious kick, sending it sprawling into two of its packmates. He followed up with a sweeping slash, his blade cutting through all three in a single motion.

Hostile entities identified: Corrupted Guardians of the Grove. Bio-magical constructs designed to protect the Grove’s core. Warning: High threat level. Collective intelligence detected.

"Collective intelligence? Great," Ethan muttered, dodging a coordinated attack from two beasts. "Just what I needed."

Recommendation: Prioritize destruction of the leader to disrupt pack coordination.

Ethan’s eyes flicked across the pack, searching for any sign of a leader. His gaze settled on the largest of the creatures, its spines glowing brighter than the rest. It hung back, observing the fight, its eyes calculating.

"There you are," Ethan said, a dangerous glint in his red eyes. "Time to end this."

With a surge of energy, Ethan broke through the encirclement, his greatsword carving a path toward the leader. The other beasts scrambled to intercept him, but Ethan was relentless, his strikes fueled by a mix of fury and determination. The leader let out a deafening roar, and the pack’s movements grew even more frantic, their attacks becoming desperate and reckless.

Ethan closed the distance in a flash, his greatsword descending in a powerful overhead strike. The leader raised a claw to block, but Ethan anticipated the move, twisting his blade mid-swing to slash across its torso. The beast howled in pain, staggering back as green blood poured from the wound.

Before it could recover, Ethan pressed his advantage, his strikes coming faster and harder. The leader’s movements grew sluggish, its glowing spines dimming with each blow. Finally, with a decisive thrust, Ethan drove his blade through the creature’s chest, pinning it to the ground.

The remaining beasts froze, their glowing spines flickering erratically. One by one, they retreated into the shadows, their collective intelligence shattered with the death of their leader.

Ethan pulled his greatsword free, wiping the blood off with a tattered cloth. He exhaled sharply, the tension in his muscles easing as the Grove fell silent once more.

"System," he said, his voice steady despite the exhaustion creeping in. "Next time, give me a heads-up before I walk into something like this."

Acknowledged. Updating threat detection protocols for this world...

Ethan shook his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Yeah, you do that."

With the path clear, he turned his attention back to the map projected by the system. Harley’s marker still pulsed in the distance, a reminder of his goal. Tightening his grip on his greatsword, Ethan set off again, his resolve burning brighter than ever.