"What gift is Crystal talking about?" Merlin wondered, curiosity stirring within him.

He wanted to go with them, but Crystal had said he still needed rest after just waking from a long sleep.

"[Don't you know, Master? Haven't you read the novel?]" The system's voice echoed in his mind.

Merlin rubbed his chin, recalling the events of the novel.

Suddenly, his eyes widened as he remembered the ending of the Grail of Time arc.

"Wait a minute! Could it be the Blood Essence of the Tharot family's Founder?" His heart pounded.

The Blood Essence was the family's most precious treasure.

It was said to be a mechanism capable of awakening the bloodline of an ancient bird named Zephyros.

With this bloodline, the Founder had reached the highest stage, now known as the First Spirit Core.

But in the novel, Luna hadn't used it for herself—she had given it to Abel.

The process was even stranger: Crystal used Luna's body as a vessel before transferring the bloodline to him.

In that arc, Abel was incredibly lucky.

Thanks to the bloodline, he eventually grew far stronger in the future.

And Luna? She got nothing—except the scepter Abel gave her when they returned home.

When Merlin first read that arc, he had admired Luna as a great and generous heroine.

She loved Abel so much that she was willing to give him the bloodline of Zephyros.

But now, after reincarnating into the world of the novel, he had to take back those words. Luna in the novel was really… stupid.

With the bloodline of Zephyros, Luna should have become strong—practically invincible.

Instead, she handed that golden opportunity to Abel.

Granted, Abel grew to love her even more after she showed him such kindness.

But with his newfound power, he grew close to other heroines as well.

In a way, Luna was the main reason so many heroines ended up in Abel's arms.

"Hey…" Merlin sighed, weary. "Come to think of it, that girl really is unlucky. Fortunately, it wasn't Abel who entered this era with Luna—but me. Otherwise, the chance to awaken the Zephyros bloodline would have gone straight to him."

He leaned back, a faint smile on his lips.

"[Master, why not do what Abel did in the novel? If you ask her, I'm sure the heroine Luna would give it to you,]" the system teased.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "Don't try to tempt me, system. I'm not greedy. I can't take an opportunity that clearly belongs to Luna."

Among the heroines, Luna was actually one of the more ordinary ones.

Her status was special, and her love for Abel in the novel was intense. In fact, she—and Catrine—were the yandere heroines.

Unfortunately, in the later arcs, her position as Duke Tharot's daughter carried little influence.

By then, Abel's journey had already reached the academy and even extended beyond the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria.

So, if Luna could awaken the Zephyros bloodline, it would be a tremendous advantage for her.

"[Pfft! Relax, Master, I'm just kidding,]" the system chuckled. "[You have me, and I can guarantee I'll give you an even greater bloodline later. So, take it easy.]"

If the system had a physical form, it would surely be patting its chest right now, trying to prove its abilities to Merlin.

Merlin smiled faintly and nodded. "I believe you."

Just as he spoke, his room shook violently.

"This…" Merlin's eyes widened. "What's happening?"

His bed rocked from side to side, and the chandelier above swung wildly.

Even Lyserra, sleeping soundly beside him, woke up, her eyes sharp and alert.

"Is this an enemy attack? Lyserra, can you check?" Merlin asked.

Lyserra focused her gaze outside. Her expression turned serious. "This isn't an enemy attack. It's the awakening of an ancient monster."

For the first time, Lyserra felt a threat that made her hair stand on end. The aura of the ancient monster was truly terrifying.

If it weren't for her bloodline as a pure dragon, she would have been overwhelmed.

"An ancient monster?" Merlin gasped, suddenly connecting it to the Zephyros bloodline from the novel.

"It seems Luna has successfully awakened her bloodline."

His fear melted away, replaced by a faint, satisfied smile.

***

Meanwhile, in the treasure room, Luna sat cross-legged, eyes closed.

A red aura burst from her body, making the entire room tense with its energy.

Five meters away, Crystal watched calmly, though her heart brimmed with hope.

"Will Luna succeed in awakening it?"

Honestly, she didn't know. Since the founder's death, no member of the Tharot family had ever successfully awakened the Zephyros bloodline.

Even after the founder had left behind a small amount of his blood essence, none of his descendants could harmonize with it. Only Luna had managed to make the essence surge as it did moments ago.

Her chances of awakening the Zephyros bloodline were higher than anyone's before.

Boom!

Luna's aura flared violently. Her face reddened with pain as the energy coursed through her.

Crystal panicked and rushed forward. "Stay strong, Luna! Don't let the will of Zephyros take over your mind and body!"

Luna gritted her teeth, fighting against the ancient will that tried to consume her completely.

"I can't lose… I can't give up!" She urged herself.

But Zephyros' will was terrifyingly strong. For an eleven-year-old girl, it seemed impossible to withstand.

Just as the ancient will was about to seize control of her mind and body, something unexpected happened.

Luna noticed her surroundings growing quiet and empty. Then, a tall, handsome man appeared, dressed in a strange black robe she had never seen before.

"Tsk! You must be having a hard time, huh? Don't worry. I'll help you. Consider this repayment for the wrongs I did to you in the past," he said, extending his index finger to touch her forehead.

Instantly, Zephyros' overwhelming will vanished, as if it had never existed.

Luna was stunned and tried to look at him, but his figure had already disappeared with the wind.

Slowly, darkness enveloped her surroundings. Luna opened her eyes and saw Crystal standing before her, a gentle smile on her face.

"Ancestor?" She asked hoarsely. "Did I… succeed?"

Crystal crouched and affectionately stroked Luna's head.

"Yes, you succeeded, Luna. Congratulations—you now carry the bloodline of the ancient bird Zephyros," she replied softly.

Luna let out a relieved sigh and smiled. "Thank you for your help, ancestor. It's because of you that I succeeded."

"There's no need to thank me. What I did was my duty as the leader of the Tharot family. Even though you're not from this era, you're still part of the family," Crystal said casually.

She stood and extended her hand. Luna took it and rose to her feet.

"How do you feel now? Anything strange or uncomfortable?" Crystal asked.

"Nothing at all. On the contrary, my body feels full of strength. And it seems…" Luna's face lit up with a wide smile. "I've broken through to the peak of the Eighth Core Spirit stage. Only one step left to the Seventh Stage."

She had never imagined in her life that she could reach such a high level.

It was worth noting that her talent was only ranked A, and her spirit guardian was just three-star, with no offensive power to speak of.

Previously, reaching the Eighth Stage of the Spirit Core would have taken one to two years—maybe even longer.

But now, she had done it effortlessly. It was truly remarkable!

Crystal nodded in admiration. "You're right. I can feel tremendous power flowing through your body. By the way…"

She looked Luna over and smiled. "You've become even more beautiful than before. Look at this."

Crystal held out a small mirror for Luna.

When Luna saw her reflection, she froze in shock.

Her pink hair had transformed into fiery red with shimmering golden highlights.

Not just her hair—both her eyes had turned red, and a red flame-shaped symbol now adorned her forehead. It was striking, unique, and beautiful.

"Is this really me?" she asked incredulously, touching her face.

"Yes, it's you. But you should be able to return to your original appearance once you learn to control your bloodline's power," Crystal explained.

Luna followed her advice, and slowly, her appearance reverted to normal.

"It really worked," Crystal said with a satisfied nod. "Now, go back to Merlin. I have some work to finish first."

Luna nodded and left the treasure room.

...

Merlin was lounging on the bed, chatting with the system, when Luna suddenly appeared from behind the door.

"Oh? Are you done already?" Merlin feigned surprise.

Luna stepped closer, a bright smile on her face. "Yes, I'm done. And do you know what gift my ancestor gave me?"

"What is it?" Merlin asked.

"It's the awakening of the Tharot family founder's bloodline!" she exclaimed joyfully.

"The Tharot family founder's bloodline?" Merlin raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes!" Luna nodded eagerly. "So, my ancestor…"

Merlin listened quietly. He already knew what had happened, but he had to pretend he didn't so Luna wouldn't suspect a thing.

"That's exactly it, Merlin. I'm strong now, so you don't need to worry—I'll protect you!"

Luna clenched her right hand, her determination clear.

She had once thought she didn't need extraordinary powers or talents, but after her ancestor's guidance, she realized how foolish that belief had been.

To stand by Merlin's side, she needed to be strong. Otherwise, she could never truly support him.

Merlin chuckled softly, placing his right hand over his chest and bowing slightly.

"In that case, I will rely on you, Young Lady Luna."

The two exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter together.

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