Chapter 3: Bloodline Devouring System
While Athena tried to sell off her necklace, Raven had already arrived at school. He stepped into the classroom just as a blonde-haired woman pulled a notebook from her leather bag and began calling out names.
She had striking amber eyes, a heart-shaped face, a high-bridged nose, and pale white skin—utterly unique in this town. Her attire, a refined navy-blue office dress, captured the era's modest elegance. The high-necked bodice was adorned with delicate lace, and long sleeves gracefully covered her arms.
A small brooch rested at the center of her lace collar, adding a touch of charm. Her blonde hair was styled neatly into a bun, with a few loose curls framing her face delicately.
She was none other than the Class Teacher of Grade 2 Elementary—Elizabeth.
Yet, what caught Raven's eye wasn't her appearance. It was the pendant she wore: a unique velvet gem embedded within a circular symbol hanging around her neck.
Why does Teacher Elizabeth always wear clothes so different from the other staff? he wondered.
"Raven."
His name snapped him out of his thoughts. He stood up immediately.
"Present, ma'am."
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow thoughtfully as she looked at him.
"Today is your birthday, isn't it?"
Surprise flickered across Raven's face.
"Don't look so shocked. I'm good at remembering these things." She chuckled. "Happy birthday, Raven. May the blessing of the Divine Spirits be with you."
"Thank you, ma'am." Raven bowed respectfully.
She returned to her professional demeanor and resumed the roll call.
"Chris."
"Present, ma'am."
"Silvia."
"Present, ma'am."
"Mary."
"Present, ma'am."
...
Once the attendance was complete, Elizabeth retrieved a language book, turned to the blackboard, and began writing with a piece of chalk.
"Before we dive into the lesson, I'll teach you something about the Walkers." She paused and looked at the class. "Does anyone know who they are?"
A girl with bright blonde hair raised her hand eagerly. "They're the protectors of the Empire!"
"A good start, but not the complete picture." Elizabeth smiled and began writing again.
"In truth, Walkers are those who walk the path to seek the pinnacle of strength and uncover the truths of the world. They may be knights, swordsmen, spearmen, archers, fighters, assassins—anyone who possesses strength beyond that of normal humans. A single punch from a true Walker could shatter a massive tree."
The children's eyes sparkled with awe.
A curious student, Sylvia, raised her hand. "What's the difference between an Apprentice Walker and an Official Walker, ma'am? And how does someone become one?"
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, impressed by the question.
"An Apprentice Walker is still a human, but with better reflexes, skills, and combat training. Official Walkers are on a whole other level—their strength is doubled or even tripled. Once an apprentice becomes official, they are qualified to face monsters."
"How do you become an Apprentice Walker?" another child asked.
"To become one, you must learn a Mana Extraction Technique and form circles inside your body to store it. If you've formed one to three circles, you're considered an Apprentice Walker. Four to six is the domain of Official Walkers. And seven to nine… that's the realm of the Elite Walkers. All of these come under the rank of Mortal Walkers."
Elizabeth suddenly realized she was getting carried away with complex topics and smiled apologetically.
"You'll learn more about Walkers properly in fifth grade. For now, let's begin our language lesson."
The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Raven remained attentive, though he found it hard to retain the information. It felt like a strange, invisible wall was preventing him from fully understanding the lessons.
The teachers noticed this—especially Elizabeth—but didn't consider it alarming. In their minds, theoretical knowledge mattered far less than the Walker Training curriculum. Even if a child failed every subject, as long as they had a strong elemental affinity, they could still have a bright future.
By 5 P.M., school was over.
Unlike the others, Raven stayed behind and quietly practiced writing the equation tables from one to thirteen.
Some of my classmates have already reached the fourteenth equation table… I need to work harder if I want to keep up. But I want to play with Robert too… he sighed as the sun dipped toward the horizon.
Then, he noticed Robert's Logistic Calculation and Grammar books under the desk.
He didn't even check for these. I wonder how he'll do his homework…
"It's getting late. I should leave, too." He packed his books into his bag and dashed toward the exit.
Outside the school gate, he spotted his beautiful sister, Athena, waiting with a warm smile. Standing beside her was a familiar woman with blonde hair.
"Aunt Shirley!" Raven's face lit up, and he broke into a run—but slowed down as he began gasping.
"Huff… Huff…" He took deep breaths and finally reached them.
"I'm tired!" he said with a grin. Shirley scooped him into her arms.
"What's for dinner, Sister?" she asked Athena.
"I'm planning to make fried pork and vegetable stew," Athena replied thoughtfully. "But first, I've got a little present for our birthday boy."
"Present?" Raven's eyes widened in delight.
"I'll only tell you once we get home," Athena said with a smug smile.
"Tell me now!" Raven pleaded, but she ignored him.
The three of them walked home together along the roadside, chatting peacefully. Soon, they reached 15a Alm Street.
Athena opened the door with a heavy iron key, stepping into the dimly lit house before switching on the main light.
Shirley locked the door behind them and led Raven to the bedroom.
"Why are we going to the bedroom?" he asked, puzzled.
Without answering, Athena took out a strange greenish vial from her pouch, uncorked it, and handed it to him.
"Raven. Drink this—no questions."
Startled by her solemn tone, Raven obeyed. He took the vial and downed it without hesitation.
A moment later, his body burned as warmth surged through him. Sleepiness overwhelmed his senses.
"I feel… tired…" he whispered as darkness took him.
Athena looked at Shirley with concern. "Will he be okay, Aunt?"
"I'm not sure," Shirley replied. "But this is the best we can do. That Walker Spirit Potion is only meant to recover stamina and willpower, but it's all we could find in this rural town. Let's hope it helps."
They left the room quietly, checking on him every few hours.
Then, around 2 A.M., something changed.
Raven stirred—but couldn't open his eyes. His consciousness slipped again into a deeper slumber.
Unseen by all, a glowing blue screen appeared in his mind.
…
[System Awakening... Error... Re-updating the System...]
[Remnant of the '**** ****' detected in Host's soul]
[Suspected corruption: Threat to Host integrity]
[Initiating protective measures...]
[Searching for a method to erase remnant...]
[Search failed.]
[Searching for alternative method...]
[Analyzing remnant...]
[Analysis complete — Fusion Possible.]
[Would you like to fuse? Success Rate: 20%]
[Error — Host unconscious!]
[Emergency Protocol Activated.]
['Tower Spirit Zera' forcibly awakened.]
[Zera to decide on fusion request...]
[Approval granted.]
[Fusion initiated...]
[1%... 3%... 10%... 30%... 70%... 95%... 100%]
[Fusion Complete.]
[System renamed under Zera's request.]
[Congratulations — You have awakened the Bloodline Devouring System!]
[Alert… Alert… Alert… The host's soul is on the verge of shattering!]
[Hm? So, the battle against the '*** ****' and Charles's lingering consciousness in the Inner World pushed it this far? How troublesome…]
A woman's voice echoed deep within Raven's soul—calm, yet laced with worry.
[Is fusion even possible? The last time Charles survived such damage, he used a 'Fire Elemental Heart'…]
Her voice trembled slightly as she reasoned aloud.
[What if I used the System Core instead? No... It's risky. But if I don't act now, Raven will die.]
A brief silence followed, heavy with hesitation.
[Haa… No choice left.]
With those words, a pulse of invisible power radiated from the System Core, drifting like golden threads. It wrapped gently around the shattered pieces of Raven's soul, guiding them back—stitching fragments of spirit to consciousness, body to mind.
A strange mutation began.
It lasted for over an hour. The process was silent, surreal… and finally complete.
[Shattered soul successfully fused with the Host's body and consciousness.]
[Fusion: Success.]
[Lifespan increased by six years.]
[Warning: Host's soul damage remains severe.]
[Granting full authority to Tower Spirit 'Zera' to aid the Host.]
[Zera now has complete control over the System.]
[Good. We still have a few one-time backup skills stored in the Core. Not much—but better than nothing. Let's start with 'Eldritch Analysis' and link to 'Wisdom Link'.]
…
[Activating single-use ability: Eldritch Analysis…]
[Connection to Wisdom Link established!]
[Good. Begin data extraction—Alchemy, Rune Mastery, Spirit Absorbing Techniques, Mana Storing Methods—from the 'Eclipse World.' Save all findings to System Storage.]
[Extraction commencing…]
[0.1%... 0.5%... 1.3%... 2.5%... 4%... 9%... 15%... 20%... 35%... 50%... 75%... 95%... 99%... 100%!]
[Extraction complete. All data converted to books within System Storage.]
[Eldritch Analysis – Consumed.]
[Wisdom Link – Consumed.]
[Both abilities removed from skill slots. Remaining unused slots: 5.]
[System recommends extreme caution moving forward.]
…
[Yeah, yeah, I get it.]
Zera's voice held a spark of irritation as she adjusted more functions.
[Inventory – Slot 1: Unlocked.]
[Beginner's Pack: Granted.]
[Memory Library: Unlocked.]
[That's all I can do for now, kid.]
With that, she fell silent, her presence fading as she began reviewing the information gathered through the Wisdom Link.
…
Minutes passed.
Then, a whisper stirred Raven's mind like a breeze through leaves.
[Raven… wake up.]
A strange female voice echoed inside him, coaxing his consciousness to the surface.
His eyes fluttered open, the world blurry and painted in soft blue light.
"W-What is this blue thing…?" he mumbled groggily, still half-dreaming.
[Don't panic, Raven. The System has awakened me to help you.]
"W-Who…?" He sat up with effort, confusion quickly turning to fear. His eyes darted around.
"W-Who is it? W-What d-do y-you w-want?" His voice trembled. "A-Are you a thief?" He reached out to swat away the translucent screen in front of him—but his hand passed right through it like mist. His panic deepened.
[Calm down, child. I'm not a thief or ghost. I'm Zera—a Tower Spirit, an artifact created by a powerful wizard. I exist to guide and protect you.]
"P-Powerful wizard...? And how do you know my name?" Raven asked, voice shaking. The term wizard rang a faint bell. His sister had mentioned it once.
"But… how can I trust you? My sister told me not to trust Walkers. Or strangers!"
He tried to stand up, but a crushing weight pinned him down. His breath hitched.
[You mustn't tell anyone about me, Raven. If others find out I reside within your soul… they will kill you. They might even go after your sister.]
Raven froze. The fear in his chest twisted into something deeper—dread.
"…Promise you won't hurt my sister. Or Aunt."
[I promise. As long as you don't reveal me, no harm will come to them.]
Zera's voice was soft now. Reassuring.
[But you're running out of time. Your soul is still critically damaged. If we don't act soon… You won't survive.]
"S-Soul? What happened to me? What is a soul? Am I going to die?"
The questions poured out in a single breath. Fear clung to every word.
[…Right. You're just a child.]
Zera sighed gently, then composed herself.
[Before anything else, I need to assess your condition. Give me a moment.]
A pause.
[As expected. That 'thing' devoured your affinities. Your soul was nearly destroyed in the process.]
"Can I get them back?" he asked, not even knowing what affinities were.
[Not right now. While the System has fused with the remnant of that 'thing' and evolved… It's not stable yet. Let me show you your current state.]
A glowing screen blinked into view before his eyes.
…
[Status Window – Raven Sillalus Jorvot]
Age: 5
Race: Human / ????
Nationality: Zenith Empire
Title: 66th Prince of the Zenith Empire
Class: None
Level: 0
Rank: Mortal (Soul Damage: 85%)
Life Pathway: Undecided
Attributes:
Strength: 0.3Agility: 0.4Vitality: 0.3Luck: 1.0Spirit: 1.4
Skills: None
…
Raven stared in disbelief.
"My name…? Prince? What does Level mean?"
[Even if I explained everything now, it would overwhelm you. What matters is this: your current state is… dire.]
Zera's voice was low. Grave.
[We need to act fast. Thankfully, I've unlocked the Memory Library and the Beginner's Pack. With them, you can gain your first skill.]
[Here are your options. Choose one:]
…
Past Finder – Uncover traces of past events in a location. Ideal for investigations. Instant Memory – Memorize anything perfectly after reading it once. Wonder Sense – A luck-based intuition skill that alerts you to good or bad things nearby.
…
"…Can I learn all three?" Raven asked, hopeful and wide-eyed.
[Not yet. But once your soul heals, it's possible.]
Zera smiled to herself. His curiosity impressed her.
He read through the first option again.
"It lets me see the past? Like… what someone said in a room before?"
[Exactly. If someone discussed a secret here yesterday, you could witness it.]
Raven blinked. That sounded amazing… but a bit strange.
"What about Instant Memory? Will it really let me remember everything I read?"
[Yes. Every word. Every symbol. Perfectly.]
Zera's brief reply couldn't hide her surprise. Most adults wouldn't think so rationally while injured—but this five-year-old boy was already weighing his future.
He glanced at the third option… then paused.
In truth, he didn't fully understand the value of these skills. But deep down, he knew what mattered most.
"When I entered school, the teachers praised me. They gave me sweets for learning fast. But now… even the weakest students are catching up."
He clenched his fists beneath the blanket.
He wasn't falling behind yet—but he would. If things continued like this, he'd be the lowest-ranked student soon.
His school had five grades. Five subjects.
Logic Calculation. Language. Reading and Writing. Arts. Grammar.
And extra classes—sports, meditation… things he'd ignored.
"I don't want to disappoint my sister. Or Aunt."
Resolve burned in his heart.
"I choose [Instant Memory]."