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"If I can't use it, what's the damn point of giving it to me?" Riku snapped, annoyed.
He thought he'd pulled something awesome, but now it turns out he can't even use it. No power-up, no nothing. That feeling? Totally sucks.
"Master, the Saiyan God Bloodline is way beyond the normal Saiyan one. The potential is insane. Once it's fused, your physical strength will skyrocket. Unlocking Super Saiyan states will be easy. Even higher levels like Super Saiyan God will be within reach. Beyond that? Depends on your effort. But overall, it's way easier than regular Saiyan bloodlines," the system patiently explained.
"Yeah, yeah, sweet-talking me now won't help. I still can't use it," Riku rolled his eyes.
"There is actually one way to fuse it. It's a special privilege from the God-tier chest," the system added.
"Oh? What's the method?" Riku's eyes lit up, instantly curious.
"Bloodlines from God-tier chests can be perfectly fused by spending exchange points," the system explained calmly.
"Tch. So it's all about the money in the end, huh?" Riku clicked his tongue. "Alright, how much?"
"30,000 exchange points. The system can help perfectly fuse the Saiyan God Bloodline. Initially, you'll gain only part of its power—mainly the abilities of a regular Saiyan. Once your body reaches the required threshold, the full bloodline will awaken and all that latent power will erupt at once. Compared to forcing a dangerous fusion, this method is the safest and most effective," the system explained in rare detail.
Riku gave the system a suspicious look.Since when did this thing start sounding like a sales rep?
"Alright, one last question. If I fuse with this Saiyan God Bloodline, am I still technically human?" Riku asked seriously.
"Yes. Though the bloodline has 'God' in the name, it just means it's powerful. At your core, you're still human," the system answered.
"That's fine, then." Riku nodded slightly.
"Alright, do it," he said seriously.
"Understood." The system acknowledged.
Right after, the glowing orb in front of him disappeared and merged with his body.
In that instant, Riku felt his blood boiling. Steam rose from his body as a terrifying, wild power surged through him, threatening to tear him apart.
Now he finally understood why the system warned that his body might explode.Even though his physique was already incredibly tough, compared to the potential packed inside this bloodline, he was still way too fragile.
Just then, a wave of cool energy flowed through him, calming the rampaging bloodline. Riku felt a wave of comfort wash over him. That violent energy gradually faded away.
At the same time, Riku could feel his body becoming stronger—much stronger.A sudden pressure, like that of a king, erupted from him and spread across the land—like a ruler descending upon the world!
"Lord Riku?!"Shugetsu was caught off guard by the overwhelming pressure and almost fell out of the sky.
What just happened?Why did Lord Riku's power suddenly spike again—so dramatically?!
"Phew, now this feels amazing," Riku muttered a moment later.Feeling your whole body overflowing with strength—that was the best. Especially when you know you just leveled up hard.
"Lord Riku?" Shugetsu called out, still unsure.
"It's fine. Let's keep moving," Riku replied casually.
"Alright."Hearing that, Shugetsu didn't ask further and just sped up.She knew exactly what questions she could or couldn't ask.If Riku wanted to tell her something, he would.
A few hours later, flying over a deep blue ocean, the sea-dwelling monsters below sensed Riku and Shugetsu's terrifying aura and immediately bolted—abandoning their lairs without hesitation.
Riku didn't bother with the fleeing creatures. He dove straight into the water and swam down to open a platinum treasure chest on the seafloor.
Even though the crushing pressure down there could turn a normal human into paste in seconds, to Riku, it was nothing.
So he casually placed his hand on the chest.
"Ding. Congratulations, Master. You've opened a Platinum-grade treasure chest and received: +10 Charm Points."
"Charm points? The hell is that?" Riku blinked in surprise.He knew that Platinum or higher chests usually gave special abilities or useful items, but this was the first time he'd seen this.
"Higher charm increases first-impression favorability with women, boosts friendliness with men, and instills awe in subordinates. In short, the higher the charm stat, the better," the system explained.
"How much charm do I have right now?" Riku raised an eyebrow.
"Unable to query," the system replied quietly.
"So tell me, what's the point of this?" Riku asked, clearly unimpressed.
"Well, whatever. Having it is better than nothing. Might help when I'm chatting up girls," he shrugged and shook his head, deciding not to overthink it.
Why did he even get this thing? Probably had something to do with the Seaborn species. Even though they weren't that powerful—just ranked a little higher than humans—their charm abilities were no joke.
Riku burst out of the sea and landed back on Zhu Yue's back.
The moment she saw him, Zhu Yue felt her heart skip a beat. She froze, confused. She respected Riku a lot, sure, but they were from such different races—there was no way she should be feeling this way...
"Lord Riku... you feel different somehow," Zhu Yue said hesitantly.
"Hm? How so?" Riku replied with a playful smile.
"You just... seem more attractive than before," Zhu Yue admitted honestly.
"That just means I'm too handsome for my own good," Riku joked for the first time in a while.
"Hmm... I guess that could be it," Zhu Yue tilted her head, muttering to herself in confusion.
"So, where to next?" she asked curiously. Even though she was being used as a ride, she didn't mind it. In fact, she enjoyed it. No need to worry about being ambushed or killed—she could just relax and travel with Riku. The only downside was not being able to take human form, which bothered her a bit.
"Next... let's go see Zhu Bi," Riku said after stroking his chin for a moment.
He cared a lot about Zhu Bi. Not just because she might be hurt—he couldn't stand the idea of her even being wronged. Trying to become a Full-Link Command Unit all by herself was only a little easier than him trying to defeat the God of War.
"Zhu Bi, huh... got it." Zhu Yue paused for a moment, then nodded quietly as she seemed to understand something.
Without further delay, Riku activated Heavenly Shift and disappeared.
"....."