Chapter 44: The Inherited Flaws of Bloodline

Would a man who, just to save a bit of money, is willing to ride twenty-three stops, traversing half the city, really be a generous person? Lin Qiu was not just stingy—he was petty, too.

"Shut up, what do you know?!" Xu Bing scolded inwardly, though her hands moved quickly as she put away her weapon. With a firm grip of her right hand, the halberd vanished from sight.

"Incredible, simply incredible!" Liu Changfeng shouted in excitement, his eyes sparkling with fascination. "So cool! I want one, too."

"Xu City-keeper, give me your troops and I'll go on a rampage at sea!"

"You fool!" Xu City-keeper sneered at him. "We were born on land. We can hunt creatures of the sky and the earth; why insist on going to the ocean? If I’m not mistaken, marine creatures lose much of their combat power on land, even after armoring."

"This guy really lives up to his name—Xu City-keeper, sly as a fox!" Lin Qiu marveled inwardly. That, too, had been discovered.

Indeed, marine creatures, even after armoring, are disadvantaged on land. Of course, Lin Qiu was an exception. With the system’s aura upon him, his existence defied all logic, so logic itself was unnecessary.

Having the system meant logic was irrelevant—a logic unto itself.

So as long as Lin Qiu armored up on land, his power wouldn't be affected in the least. Yet he didn't want to stay on land—not because he disliked it, but because he couldn't stand being worn by a woman all day long.

"Hey, you crazy woman, hurry and end the armoring, then send me home. From now on, let's go our separate ways," Lin Qiu grumbled, not wishing to maintain this awkward relationship any longer.

"How do I undo it?" Xu Bing felt a bit guilty; after all, she had formed a contract with Lin Qiu for reasons unknown, and didn't know the details.

"Recite after me!" Lin Qiu dictated the incantation while checking his system panel. Just now, the familiar system chime had sounded—he knew he'd completed the task and would be rewarded.

Now that the reward was his, all he wanted was to make a clean getaway. Making contracts with humans was only ever about completing tasks, after all.

With the mission done, why stick around and be responsible for this woman’s messes? She was a spendthrift, and staying with her would only squander his upgrade points.

Once the task was done, he wouldn't lose upgrade points, his soul wouldn't be extracted, and the system wouldn't unbind him.

All he wanted now was to vanish.

The chime had sounded—his mission was complete. He could finally cast off his disguise and be a proper fish.

Bloodline awakening!

Lin Qiu was practically drooling with anticipation. All the other creatures had awakened their bloodlines, but not him, the orca Lin Qiu—wasn’t this blatant discrimination?

Bloodline awakening had always been a sore spot for him.

Looking at the system panel, he saw the bloodline awakening item in his inventory. He immediately activated it and chose to merge.

A flash of blood-red light surged into his soul, and he felt as if the heavens were being split open—a primordial chaos torn asunder by a giant axe-wielding figure.

Pure energy rose, the impure sank.

In an instant, his mind was clear, his body at ease. Countless memories surfaced in his mind.

In a distant era, his ancient ancestor, the Pakicetus, looked much like a scruffy little wolfdog, lurking in the forests, eyeing its prey with cunning.

"I..." Lin Qiu, upon seeing this, felt a pang of discomfort. This sneaky creature was his ancestor—was there any justice in this world?

His mind filled with the evolution of Pakicetus: how it transformed from a sly land-dweller into an orca of the ocean.

"No wonder orcas are always considered cunning and devious—it’s a hereditary flaw!"

Lin Qiu finally understood why orcas had such a reputation. It was all the fault of inherited sin.

Now, with both Pakicetus and orca bloodline awakenings, he learned of ancient secrets. Yet, to his dismay, after becoming an orca, his ancestor ended up as a gatekeeper for an ancient city. Could the standards sink any lower?

Lin Qiu couldn’t help but complain.

"Look at your descendants—now they're all city lords of the nine great ancient cities."

"They say each generation is worse than the last, but with you, it's the opposite, isn't it?"

"You could've at least become a general—no one could fault you for that. But why end up as a mere gatekeeper?"

"This is a disgrace to both Pakicetus and orca lineages!"

Lin Qiu lamented with frustration, a hint of helplessness on his face. With such an ancestor, he must have been cursed for eight generations.

Ironically, the lowly bloodline allowed his ancestor to survive the Ice Age—when there are no dragons in the sea, even a shrimp can be king!

Lin Qiu shook his head and sighed, but then suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, why am I floating?"

He looked down in panic, but saw neither fins nor tail—just countless silvery-white starlights.

"So, that little girl has lifted the armoring state!"

Lin Qiu realized what had happened, feeling his body float weightlessly before finally landing in a fish tank.

The starlight coalesced, and under the gaze of the three onlookers, transformed into an adorable little dolphin.

"It's really you?!" Xu Bing stared at the familiar dolphin, her mouth agape, astonished at their deep bond. "We met several times at sea, and I never imagined that, even after returning home, on land, I’d see you again in this tiny fish tank."

"Shut up, you coward!" Lin Qiu gritted his teeth.

But without system connection, his words only came out as the childish squeak, "Yah!"

"Wow, so cute!" Xu Bing’s eyes sparkled with delight. This adorable little dolphin had completely won her heart.

"Cute? Cute, my tail! Meeting you is the worst fate of all!" Lin Qiu was utterly disheartened, knowing he was doomed to fall into this woman’s hands.

Because the capricious system, which cared nothing for logic, was at it again.

"Ding, friendly reminder!" The system’s synthetic voice, as emotionless as ever, chimed: "Once a contract is formed, it cannot be changed."

"If the host wishes to unbind the contract, the only options are for the girl to perish or die of old age."

"Ding, friendly reminder!"

"Host, do not entertain any illusions. If this woman dies, by the terms of the contract, you will be buried with her."