Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat!-Chapter 269: Energy Cores

"Why are you staring at me? Your wife is over there," Melinda muttered, shooting Ethan a sidelong glance.

"Huh? Oh!"

Ethan turned his head dazedly and met Maria's eyes directly.

She immediately looked away, her face flushing red—down to her neck.

"Bro… brother-in-law?" Markham murmured.

"Holy shit… that's a lot to process."

Matriarch Whitmore turned to glare at him, and Markham shut his mouth immediately.

Ethan finally realized what was going on. This was Matriarch Whitmore's way of protecting him.

But to make such a declaration in front of the Noble Eight families… the implications were massive.

".…"

If Lyla found out about this, he was going to have a lot to explain.

But at this point, denying it wasn't an option. Not only would that leave the situation unresolved, it would also be a direct insult to Matriarch Whitmore.

For now, he could only accept it—with a bitter smile.

After the Matriarch's announcement, the family heads fell silent. Their eyes were full of confusion as they looked at Ethan, clearly unsure what to make of it.

Ethan shifted uncomfortably under their gazes.

'What are you all staring at?' he thought. 'Is being a Whitmore son-in-law really that strange?'

Among those present, only two people wore noticeably different expressions.

One was Dominic, whom Ethan had met during the Academic Trials. His gaze was filled with disgust and loathing, mixed with something like pained resignation.

The other was the young girl from the Quinn family, her mouth slightly agape, her expression frozen in disbelief and shock.

Ethan found both reactions strange but kept his thoughts to himself.

"Is that so? Then let's move on to the main issue."

Lachlan Silverwood, finally spoke. Though he'd heard Matriarch Whitmore's explanation, he clearly didn't buy it.

But what could he do if he didn't believe it?

For now, he had no choice. The Whitmore Family's stance made things very clear—if he wanted to touch Ethan, he'd have to go through her.

And that, even Lachlan Silverwood wasn't confident he could do.

So, with some hesitation, the old man shifted gears.

Ethan sneered inwardly, just then, Lachlan shot him another glance.

With a cold snort, he muttered, "As for you—a soon-to-be dead man—I won't pursue this matter."

That did it.

"You senile old bastard," Ethan snapped. "You're the one who's about to die. You and your entire… uh, I mean—your entire branch of the family are going to die!"

He caught himself just in time, remembering Lyla was from the Silverwood family too.

Across from him, Lachlan's fingers visibly trembled. But the old man's tolerance was impressive.

He acted like he hadn't heard anything. In his heart, though, he'd probably killed Ethan hundreds of times already.

The other family heads watched silently, their expressions stiff.

They were thinking: 'Why'd you have to go and provoke him again? You already knew this kid had a sharp tongue.

Why open your mouth if you're just going to get roasted?

Matriarch Whitmore is right there, and you can't beat her. Just keep quiet, old man.'

As for other supernatural practitioners—those not affiliated with the Noble Eight—regardless of their ranking in the competition? Nothing.

Ethan scoffed inwardly. Bunch of cunning old foxes.

During a lull in the conversation, he leaned over to Markham.

"What's the big deal with these Energy Cores, anyway?"

Markham gave him a quick rundown.

The cores weren't just for keeping the hidden territorys running. If extra cores were added to the dimensional nexus, they'd amplify the ambient Magic power, making it easier to train one's energy inside.

Staying in such a place long enough also increased the chances of awakening one's energy abilities. No wonder the Silverwoods had so many energy practitioners.

It all came down to the Energy Cores.

"What happens if a hidden territory doesn't have Energy Cores added?" Ethan asked, his curiosity still going strong.