Gathering Wives with a System Chapter 452: Celia’s Bloodline Upgrade

Once Isaac and Celia finished their intimate moment, they freshened up and clothed themselves neatly. The room's intense vibe began to calm as the thrill ebbed away. It was at that point Celia glanced downward at her skirt.

The thrill vanished, giving way to a chilling awareness. She went rigid momentarily, then raised the ripped material with quivering fingers.

"Uh... Isaac, could you assist me?" she murmured softly.

"With that?" he replied, tracing her line of sight.

"Rescue me from Arlene. She'll chew me out over this skirt! We ripped it a little!" Celia exclaimed, truly alarmed.

Isaac could only offer a wry grin. Within mere minutes, she'd shifted from intrigued to thrilled, to blushing and heated, and now to sheer panic. Her emotions swung with vivid intensity.

"Relax. I'll take care of it," Isaac assured her. "We'll set that aside for the moment. How about your bloodline? Did consuming the Abyss Fruits grant you anything?"

"Oh, maybe?" she said, blinking before opening her hand wide. "It's not some ability, but I sense an enhancement. Hard to describe, yet—"

Reality above her palm fractured open.

Isaac's gaze intensified.

Celia focused intently. Her mana surged, widening the rift just a bit. Through it lay endless void, brimming with twisting mists of foreboding shadow power. The surrounding air thickened oppressively.

With greater effort, she drew a fragment of the mist through the fissure. Moments later, the spatial gash sealed itself.

The shadowy mist lingered over her hand.

"I can pull this off? Wow... I just went with my gut. But what's its purpose?" she wondered, prodding it inquisitively.

Isaac held back his response.

That essence felt deeply off.

Every one of his bloodlines bristled, snarling at the murky mass. His Solar Dragon lineage reacted fiercest, nearly hostile, like facing some tainted presence. Curiously, only Celia's bloodline stayed serene—actually, delighted.

"Hand it over for a moment," Isaac said under his breath.

He claimed the shadow mist from Celia. Upon contact with his skin, a subtle coldness slithered over him.

He invoked Solar Dominion, the power borrowed from Alice.

Blazing golden fire burst forth in his grasp. The shadow mist shrieked, writhing wildly under the assault. Though it fought back, the inferno gradually consumed it.

Isaac halted midway.

Next, he triggered Miracle of Grace.

Gentle radiant light bloomed across his hand. The shadow mist quaked before vanishing in a flash, utterly cleansed.

Isaac's brow furrowed.

"It's some kind of debuff. We can't tell its effects yet. We'll consult the Sword Empress soon. Avoid using it for now, alright?" he instructed.

"Got it," she agreed with a nod.

Soon after, Isaac unlocked the door. Arlene stepped in shortly, trailed by the others. The room's tension eased into routine. Tasks resumed among the group.

Arlene's eyes settled on Celia.

Then on the damaged skirt.

Celia tensed up instantly, resembling a startled feline poised to flee. Her posture hunched, and she edged discreetly behind Isaac.

Arlene hesitated. Her glance flicked to Isaac before she quietly retrieved a fresh skirt from her storage ring, passing it to Celia amid the crew's distracted preparations.

"Put this on. I'll mend the damaged one later," she stated.

Celia's eyes widened in astonishment. "O-okay..."

She dashed away to switch outfits.

Isaac observed the exchange pensively. Arlene acted with unusual reserve—no inquiries, no jabs, not even a huff.

'She fears me more than I realized,' Isaac mused.

With matters resolved, Isaac departed the concert venue and headed home. Selene, Alice, and Chairman Lucius awaited him there.

Chairman Lucius fixed him with a fierce stare.

He appeared utterly furious.

Isaac halted at the doorway, puzzled. Wasn't Chairman Lucius thrilled over Selene's Trial success? Why the battle-ready scowl?

His attention turned to Alice, recalling her earlier outing with Selene to meet Chairman Lucius.

'Did she reveal my bond with Selene?' Isaac pondered.

That tracked with the hostile look.

Yet Isaac had evolved. Rather than buckling under pressure, he flashed a bold grin and advanced.

"Chairman Lucius, great to have you here. No need to trouble yourself, really. I could've handled Selene on my own," Isaac remarked.

Chairman Lucius' mouth twitched, though he composed himself.

"Hahaha. Naturally, I showed up. This concerns my daughter deeply, so I needed to ensure it all proceeded smoothly," Chairman Lucius responded.

Selene glanced between them, bewildered. Why did it seem like they were clashing? What dispute could arise over her bloodline upgrade?

Alice exhaled wearily, rubbing her temples.

Isaac kept grinning. "Chairman Lucius is simply concerned. Totally natural. I'd fret too if it were my own daughter."

Chairman Lucius’s face darkened a touch, but he soon smiled. "Yes, it’s completely normal to worry about daughters even if they are grown up. You will feel the same when you become a father."

Isaac’s lips twitched this time, realizing Chairman Lucius meant his daughters could run into scumbags like Isaac.

They continued jabbing at each other, smiles courteous yet eyes piercing. Tension filled the air with a mix of amicable rivalry, leaving Selene more baffled by the moment.

Finally, Alice interrupted. "Selene needs to start her evolution."

"Right, I nearly forgot because I was having such a great chat with my father-in-law," Isaac said, grinning.

"Hahaha, you jest," Chairman Lucius responded, though his eye twitched.

Isaac pulled the Life Pod from the Soulbind Pendant. The sleek metallic capsule materialized in the room’s center, with subtle runes shimmering over its surface.

"This will stabilize the process," Isaac explained.

Selene nodded. "Then... I’ll drink the potions."

She started with the Bloodline Evolution Potion. A soft silver glow coursed through her veins. Next, she swallowed the Royal Moon Dragon Potion. Her aura intensified, gaining a more majestic and primordial feel.

She stepped into the Life Pod.