Chapter 250: Helping Woolie

"You’re right, I did it. I actually did it!!"

Valcoric let out a long, satisfied laugh from the side.

"Congratulations, my dear descendant. You have successfully reclaimed your birthright. I must say, I am impressed. Most people would have collapsed under the pressure of that fusion, but you not only endured it, but you also mastered it."

He clapped his hands together.

"Now, as promised, I will pass on my life’s work to you. I hope you can use it well."

Before Aria could respond, Valcoric raised one hand and pressed it against her forehead.

Golden light flashed on Aria’s forehead as her eyes went wide.

Thousands of images, techniques, memories, and fragments of knowledge flooded into her mind all at once. She saw battles Valcoric had fought, strategies he had devised, secrets about the bloodline that had been lost for centuries. It was too much to process all at once, but she could feel it settling into her memory, waiting for her to access it when she needed it.

When Valcoric finally pulled his hand away, Aria staggered slightly, her head spinning from the overload.

"Big sister, are you okay?!" Theodore rushed to support her as she leaned against him while holding her head with one hand.

"Yeah, I am okay; that was a...lot."

"You’ll get used to it slowly and eventually. I have locked all my life knowledge about harnessing the power of bloodline and some techniques I invented inside your head. You will be able to access them slowly, one at a time." Valcoric chuckled, then reached into his robe and pulled out something small and round.

It was an egg.

About the size of a rugby ball, with a shell that shimmered with faint golden veins running across its surface. It was warm to the touch and pulsed gently, like a heartbeat.

"This," Valcoric said, placing it carefully in Aria’s hands, "is your first companion. It will hatch in about a month. Take care of it, train it, and it will become stronger than you can imagine."

Theodore’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he saw that.

"Wait, wait, wait. What kind of Terra Beast is that?? Is it a Garuda like mine, or maybe a wholf or a dragon?! or maybe it is a xia—"

"Wow, slow down there, little guy. You will know what kind of Terra Beast it is when it hatches, so don’t worry about it, okay? It’s a little surprise."

Valcoric laughed with a mischievous glint in his ancient eyes as he spoke his words.

Theodore looked like he was about to argue, but Aria stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.

"Thank you, Ancestor," she said sincerely. "For everything."

Valcoric’s expression softened.

"You are welcome, child. Just remember: the bloodline is a tool, not a crutch. Use it to protect others close to you. That is the only way the Stormwind family will survive. And always remember, your biggest help in life will not be your bloodline, but your Terra Beast partner. So cherish them well."

Hearing his words, both siblings nodded in seriousness, while Raiden also gave a nod from the side as well. He believed in this wholeheartedly.

"All right, two of you, can you please leave me alone with your friend here? I have something important I want to say to him."

Hearing their ancestor’s words, both of them wanted to question him why, but seeing the serious look in his eyes, they held back, simply bowed down, thanked him, and left, waiting in the distance.

He turned to Raiden.

"Now, about you."

Raiden blinked.

"Me?"

"Yes, you." Valcoric walked over and pulled him aside. "I can help you solve the problem."

Raiden wore a poker face as he spoke.

"What problem?"

Valcoric gave him a look that said, very clearly, that he was not an idiot.

"Don’t play coy with me, boy; you know what I mean: the Fenrir problem," he said quietly. "I can help you suppress it, at least temporarily. I can use my power to seal the wolf’s influence within that little sheep’s soul. As long as he stays at Gold Tier, the seal will hold. But the moment he evolves to Platinum, the bloodline will become too strong, and the seal will break. Fenrir will resurface again."

Hearing this, Raiden went silent for a long moment. Honestly, he wanted to accept it on the spot. There was nothing more urgent in his mind right now than helping Woolie, but he also knew the principle that nothing ever came for free.

So he asked the obvious question.

"Why help me?"

"Because you helped my descendants when I could not." Valcoric’s voice was serious now. "And because I want something in return."

Hearing him say this put Raiden’s mind at ease. As long as they wanted something, it would assure him much more.

"Alright, what is it that you want??"

"A promise." Valcoric looked him directly in the eyes. "In the future, when the Stormwind family is in need of help, you will help them once. Unconditionally. As long as it does not harm you or your loved ones."

"You want my help?? I am just a kid with a whole lotta issues, and I am not even sure I’ll be alive by the time you need help."

Raiden spoke.

"I am making a bet, a bet on your future. Maybe one day, my family will face a life-threatening crisis, and you will be the one to help them. I am nothing but a dead consciousness that can’t last much longer, so I want to do what I can for my family one last time. So, what do you say? Do you accept this deal?" Valcoric spoke extremely seriously.

Raiden thought about it.

He thought about Woolie, sleeping peacefully in his arms. About Neva, who had nearly destroyed herself to protect everyone. About Rose, who had faced a Diamond-Tier beast without flinching.

He also thought about Valcoric’s words.

Finally, he nodded.

"Deal."

Valcoric smiled.

"Then it is done."

He raised his hand, and golden light poured from his palm into Woolie’s sleeping body. The little sheep stirred slightly, but did not wake. The violet and crimson lightning that had been flickering around his wool faded slowly, replaced by a calm, steady golden glow.

"The seal is in place," Valcoric said. "It will hold for as long as he remains Gold Tier. After that... you are on your own."

Raiden nodded. "Understood."

Valcoric’s form began to fade again, dissolving into golden particles that drifted upward into the sky. ℴ

"Take care of them, brat," he said, his voice echoing from everywhere at once. "And remember: the Ashen Ones are watching."

Then he was gone.

Raiden stood there for a long moment, staring at the empty space where the ancestor had been before he turned and walked back to the others.

Aria was holding the egg carefully, her face filled with wonder, while Theodore was already theorising about a dozen different types of Terra Beasts that could hatch out of this egg.

He looked at Woolie, who was sleeping peacefully, dreaming about munching something in his sleep.

He felt a wave of serene peace wash over him. This peace might not last that long.

But for now, it was enough.