Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 136: Breaking and Entering

Aren hadn’t realized how quiet the room had become until the drake’s small, uneven breaths were the only thing filling it. Even Daniel, who usually had something to say about everything, stayed quiet.

Emily’s fingers tightened slightly against her sleeve before she spoke. "...But we’re already involved."

That made Professor Sterling pause, only slightly, but noticeable enough that Aren caught it.

"We ran into them," Emily continued. "They were already there. They were already searching for something."

Her eyes dropped to the drake. "And now we know what it is."

"That doesn’t change anything," Sterling replied. "It’s still too dangerous. And if anything happens to any of you, it’ll be my responsibility...my conscience."

She continued, glancing at Daniel. "How the hell am I supposed to explain to the Lancasters that their son got murdered by a pharmaceutical group?!"

"Professor, calm down and hear me out," Emily spoke slowly, gaining her attention. "If Aetherion’s connected to this...then it’s not just about the Wildlands anymore."

Sterling didn’t respond, so Emily continued.

"We’ll finally find out what they’ve been doing out here. Who else they’ve been experimenting on...and more importantly, what they did to Miu’s Bloodline."

"..."

"...You think they’re trying to recreate it?" Daniel said slowly.

That was when Aren’s eyes widened, the pieces clicking together faster than they ever had before.

"You’re right, Emily. Remember what Professor Voss said about Miu’s Bloodline and its relation to the Siren creature?"

"Well...yeah? She said it was probably because of an Original Ancestor between her Bloodline and the Siren, right?" the senior answered, tilting her head.

"What if...Professor Voss was wrong?" Aren said, letting his words linger. "What if Aetherion was somehow able to extract a magical beast’s traits...and turn it into a Bloodline?"

For once, the professor didn’t have an answer ready. Her gaze lingered on Aren, weighing his words and testing them against something only she understood.

"It doesn’t matter," she exhaled.

"It doesn’t matter what they’re doing, or how they’re doing it. You’re thinking too far ahead, trying to justify getting involved in something you don’t understand."

She opened her mouth again, but this time...no words came out. In hung there for a while before she closed it and turned straight toward the nearby glass door, eyes narrowing.

"...Professor?" Daniel frowned.

Aren felt it a second later. Immediately, his body reacted before his mind fully caught up.

"Shit—"

He moved instantly. The subspace pouch was already in his hand before anyone could even question it. With a quick motion, he flipped it open and pressed it down over the drake, the sleeping creature barely stirring before it vanished back into the space within.

"What are you—?" Daniel started.

Aren tightened the drawstring and tossed the pouch straight toward him.

"Hold onto it," he said sharply. "Don’t let it out."

Daniel caught it on instinct, confusion flashing across his face. "...What’s going on?"

"Hide," Sterling said immediately. "Now."

Chaos immediately hit the room as everyone stumbled and shuffled to get to a hiding spot.

"Iris," Aren said, already moving toward the stairs. "Upstairs, protect Marcus."

But he didn’t really have to say anything, as she was already on her heel and sprinting upward.

Aren did the same. sprinting up through the stairs and bursting into Luna’s room. She was still resting on the bed, breath steady and low as she slept off the fatigue.

Thank god...nothing happened to her.

He immediately checked the room, looking for any kind of trap or disturbance until—

CRACK!

Glass shattered below him. Aren barely managed to push the door open ajar, just enough to see what was happening on the floor below.

The backyard sliding glass door had been completely blown open as men in full combat gear and masks obscuring their faces walked slowly inside the room.

The first man entered fully, pausing just inside the threshold as his gaze swept the room. A moment later, he raised a hand slightly.

"All clear. Scouting unit, proceed inside and confirm target location."

Huh...they’re strangely organized and militaristic?

Aren was inclined to believe that they might not be demonic cultivators at all, but a separate third party. However, the closer they moved into the house, the more the rotten smell picked up.

There’s no mistaking it...

There were three men going around the ground floor. The first moved to the kitchen area, opening the trash can to pick up Daniel’s popsicle from inside.

"They were recently here. Let’s keep looking."

A second man hovered over to the couch area where they were just at a minute ago. The man picked up Professor Sterling’s coffee mug, still hot with the drink inside.

"Confirmed. They couldn’t have gone far."

Aren drove ether into his eyes, just a small enough amount to not give him away, but enough to check their levels.

Three Practitioner-Grade Mystics...were they really planning to capture us with this little of a force?

But that was when he saw the third man lift a hand to the side of his mask, presumably at an earpiece.

"...Second unit confirms heat signatures on the second floor."

Wait...that’s where I—

CRASH!

Glass exploded from the side. Aren’s head snapped toward the commotion as he caught a figure bursting through, landing crouched against the floor. Aren’s eyes widened as the man turned and looked at Luna before raising his weapon.

He acted instantly, surging Lightning to his legs as he dashed toward the figure. But the distance was too far.

Shit...! I can’t make it in time!

Yet...nothing happened. By the time Aren reached him with his fist raised, he stopped.

The man was standing completely still, not even moving an inch or even having the normal twitches a human body would have.

No...he was completely frozen.

That was when Aren saw it. Thin strands of thread, invisible unless you were especially looking out for them, had snapped into place.

They wrapped around the man’s legs, torso, arm, weapon, and finally his neck.

"...What in the—" Aren muttered.

Then the strings tightened. Almost like a puppeteer controlling its puppet, the man’s neck snapped 180 degrees before his pupils disappeared. His body went limp almost immediately as the strings slacked.

His weapon dropped onto the floor as his body followed right after, completely lifeless.

"Tch..."

The sound of someone clicking their tongue resounded through the first floor. Aren immediately dashed toward the door, opening it to see the commotion below.

Only for him to see the exact same thing...

The other three men were already suspended in place, their bodies held upright by those same threads. Limbs slack, heads twisted at impossible angles—they didn’t look like people anymore, but instead...puppets.

CRK. CRK. CRK.

One after another, their bodies gave out. The threads slackened, the men dropping onto the floor, the light drained from their eyes.

That was when Aren saw it. Each and every one of those strings were connected to the professor’s hands.

Iris burst out of Marcus’ room a second later, skidding to a stop beside him. Their eyes met as they both instantly realized the same thing had happened.

She has insane control...even getting the ones on the second floor?

At first, I thought she had the Empress Spider Bloodline, but...was it actually not the case?

"...Everyone okay?" Professor Sterling’s voice broke through, a bit calmer now but still on edge.

Aren leaned slightly over the railing.

"I’m good," he called down.

Beside him, Iris gave a short nod. "Same here."

There was a pause before a cabinet door in the kitchen opened. Emily slowly peeked her head out from one of the lower cupboards, her hair slightly disheveled as she looked around the room.

"...Are they gone?"

"Yes."

Emily exhaled in relief before pushing herself out, brushing dust off her sleeves.

"...Okay, that was—" she paused, glancing at the bodies. "...not normal."

A muffled thump came from the side. The broom closet door rattled once before swinging open, and Daniel crawled out from inside, shoulders slightly hunched as he stepped back into the room.

"Does everyone get my point?" Professor Sterling snapped quietly.

"That was just a scouting party. They weren’t here to fight, but to confirm if we had the drake," she said, glancing at the bodies.

"They were weak, relatively speaking. But all their members were Line 3 Mystics...and that was just the scouting party. And if that’s what they’re willing to send as a probe..."

"...Then what do you think their main force looks like?"

The words lingered on because no one really had a real answer for it. Aren slowly walked down toward the first floor before meeting up with the others.

"Y—yeah," Emily said quietly, her earlier resolve wavering as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Maybe...we shouldn’t get involved in this..."

The professor’s gaze lingered on the shattered glass...then the bodies.

"...No," she said softly. "It’s already too late...With us killing their agents, they’ll probably know."

She looked around immediately before ordering.

"Get your things. We’re moving."

Daniel blinked. "Wait—where?" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Aren’s gaze locked onto her. "...Where can we even go?"

Sterling didn’t hesitate. "The only place so dangerous that they wouldn’t dare to look for us in..."

"The Mountains."