?Val knew his father''s routines like the back of his hand. At this hour, Joshua would be in his study, engrossed in his schrly pursuits.


    Walking down the familiar hallway, Val paused before the ornate door of the study, knocked lightly, and called out.


    "Father, may Ie in? I wish to speak with you."


    "Of course, my son. Please,e in."


    Joshua''s voice, steady and weing, responded affirmatively from within the room. Ever since he found out that Val had awakened as a Bloodline User, his attitude towards him has changed for the better.


    Val, however, didn''t care about it.


    For him, Joshua was just another stranger that he could benefit greatly from. The rtionship they had was destroyed the second Joshua confirmed that he was sacrificing himself for the family.


    Val pushed open the door and stepped inside.


    The study was a testament to Joshua''s love for knowledge a€“ a room brimming with books and artifacts, softly illuminated by the gentle glow of a solitary deskmp.


    Like always Joshua was seated at his desk.


    "Val," Joshua greeted warmly, "What brings you here?"


    Referring to Val by his name carried a weighty implication; Joshua had extended an olive branch, restoring the name and privileges Val had lost. That''s how he, a man who had been in power in the outer region of the Victoria kingdom for years, did things. He didn''t ask if others wanted to ept his favors or not. He just forced them to ept it.


    What he couldn''tprehend was that the wounds were too deep, the trust too shattered.


    Val would not forget the abandonment he had suffered.


    There would be no forgiveness, no reconciliation.


    He made a silent vow to himself: anyone who betrayed him would be forever cast out of his circle, including his father.


    For now, he wanted to use him. That''s the only reason why he was willing to talk to Joshua. If Joshua was valueless, he wouldn''t hesitate to abandon him.


    Val, the unfeeling, had a strict code. He treated others just the way they treated him, and that was never going to change.


    Taking a deep breath, Val decided to proceed with the matter at hand. From within his pocket, he withdrew the Blood Purifying Herbs, setting them gently on the desk.


    "I believe you recognize these, Father," he said, his voice a calm sea of resolve.


    Joshua looked at the herbs, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. His experienced gaze recognized them instantly.


    "Blood Purifying Herbs," he acknowledged, "A rare find indeed. They can transform a Level 1 Bloodline user into Level 2 without any side effects. Their worth on the open market is about two to five times that of level 2 Bloodline evolution potions, and if put up for auction in the auction house of the inner region, it can be sold for up to ten times the market value."


    He raised his gaze to meet Val''s, curiosity twinkling in his eyes. "Where did you find them, Val? And why are you showing them to me? Are you nning to present them to me out of filial piety?"


    Val shook his head, a faint smile ying on his lips. "I found them on the outskirts of the Evernight Forest while training. And as for gifting them to you... I think we both know our rtionship isn''t at a stage for such gestures. No, I intend to trade them. I want ess to the Terrace of Corruption. In return, I will leave two of these herbs with you."


    Joshua''s expression remained impassive as he absorbed the words.


    The Terrace of Corruption was where the Whitemore Family stored all their cursed artifacts - powerful items crafted from the bodies of beasts and devils.


    Cursed artifacts were ssified into levels from rank-5, the weakest, to rank-1, the strongest. Rumors suggested the existence of special-grade and demonic-grade artifacts, but these were considered more myth than fact.


    The strongest recorded artifact stored in the Terrace of Corruption was rank-3. However, there were artifacts that were saturated with such potent corruption that no one had ever managed to wield them.


    Thus, their exact ranks remained an enigma.


    Val wanted a weapon potent enough to solo the dungeon he had discovered in the Evernight Forest. A cursed artifact would be ideal for this task. However, such artifacts were not avable in the IronSpire stronghold''s open market, his father wouldn''t allow him to go to other strongholds. Val was certain that if he was missing for a day, his father would mobilize the entire Whitemore family to capture him. As sad as it was, it was the reality.


    Thus, his only recourse was to trade with his father, leveraging the worth of the Blood Purifying Herbs he had found.


    It was a risky gambit, but if sessful, it would put him on a path to power!


    After a pause, Joshua finally replied, "Agreed. But you can only take one item from the Terrace. Also, you can stay there for no more than an hour. The force of corruption in that ce isn''t safe for humans, not even for Bloodline users. Once an hour has passed, I will personally ensure you are safely extracted."


    Val nodded, "I ept those terms, Father."