the air changed.
Rian's foot slid back instinctively, grinding against broken stone as the beast before him shifted its weight. The creature's breathing was no longer erratic. No longer wild.
It was focused.
That alone sent a chill through his spine.
This wasn't a mindless monster.
This was a predator that had decided to kill.
The system flared violently across his vision.
[Threat Level: CRITICAL]
[Enemy Classification: Blood-Tainted Beast]
[Estimated Level: ???]
[Warning: Combat Probability—Lethal]
Rian tightened his grip.
His heart pounded, but his thoughts didn't scatter. Not this time. The clarity he'd been building—training for—finally clicked into place. Every detail sharpened: the beast's stance, the tension in its limbs, the way its muscles coiled before movement.
It wasn't rushing.
It was waiting.
"So you're smarter than the rest," Rian muttered.
The beast's eyes locked onto his.
And then it moved.
The ground exploded beneath its feet.
Rian barely had time to react.
He twisted his body sideways as claws slashed through the space where his chest had been a split second earlier. The force of the strike sent him skidding across the stone, sparks erupting as metal scraped against rock.
Pain flared.
Not crippling—but enough to remind him of reality.
[Damage Taken: Minor]
[Endurance Skill — Passive Resistance Activated]
Rian sucked in a sharp breath, rolling to his feet just as the beast lunged again. This time, he didn't dodge blindly.
He read it.
The angle of the shoulders.
The shift of weight.
The hesitation before commitment.
Now.
He ducked low, sliding under the beast's swing, and drove his elbow into its exposed ribcage.
The impact reverberated up his arm.
The beast snarled—not in pain, but irritation.
It twisted with unnatural speed, tail whipping toward his head.
Rian raised his forearm just in time.
The hit sent him crashing backward.
His vision swam as he slammed into a broken pillar, dust raining down around him. His body screamed at him to stay down.
He ignored it.
[Bloodline Resonance Detected]
[Combat Stress Trigger — Compatibility Rising]
Rian forced himself upright, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with the back of his hand and laughed softly.
"So this is what it takes, huh?"
The beast crouched low, muscles bulging, saliva dripping from its fangs. Its aura thickened, dark energy pulsing erratically around its form.
It was getting serious.
So was he.
Rian closed his eyes for half a heartbeat—and listened.
Not to sound.
To the pull inside his chest.
The bloodline stirred.
Not violently. Not explosively.
Like something ancient stretching after a long sleep.
The system text shifted.
[Bloodline Pressure Detected]
[Emergency Assimilation Available]
[Condition: Close-Range Contact Required]
Rian opened his eyes.
"Then I'll take it myself."
The beast roared and charged.
This time, Rian didn't retreat.
He stepped forward.
At the last second, he dropped low and drove himself into the creature's path. Claws raked across his shoulder, tearing flesh, but he didn't stop.
He grabbed hold.
His hand slammed against the beast's chest.
The moment skin met corrupted hide, everything exploded.
Energy surged violently through Rian's arm, flooding his veins like molten fire. Images slammed into his mind—hunt, kill, survive, dominate.
The beast screamed.
Not in rage.
In fear.
[Bloodline Contact Established]
[Assimilation Process: FORCED]
[Warning: High Risk]
Rian gritted his teeth as the pain intensified, muscles locking, bones vibrating under the pressure. His vision blurred, but he refused to let go.
"Mine," he growled.
The bloodline responded.
The beast's energy tore free, ripping away from its core and pouring straight into Rian's body. The creature convulsed violently, its roar breaking into a strangled howl as its strength collapsed inward.
[Assimilating Beast Trait…]
[Assimilation Success Rate: 72%]
[Stability Check — PASS]
The beast collapsed.
Its massive body hit the ground with a dull, final thud.
Silence followed.
Rian released his grip and staggered backward, falling to one knee. His chest heaved, sweat soaking through his clothes, blood dripping steadily from his shoulder.
But he was alive.
And the system was still scrolling.
[Beast Trait Acquired: Predatory Instinct (Passive)]
[Effect: Enhanced Threat Detection, Improved Combat Reaction]
[Bloodline Stability Increased]
[Current Stability: SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED]
Rian stared at the corpse, disbelief flickering through his exhaustion.
He had done it.
Not with brute force.
Not with some sudden godlike power.
But by taking what the beast had tried to use against him.
"This… this is how I survive," he whispered.
His body ached. His limbs trembled. But beneath the pain, something new had settled deep within him—a quiet confidence backed by proof.
He pushed himself to his feet, looking down at the fallen monster one last time.
"You were strong," he said calmly. "But you were just another step."
The system dimmed, its final message lingering longer than the rest.
[Reclamation Confirmed]
[Path Established]
[The Beast Has Been Claimed]
Rian turned away.
The fight was over—but the road ahead had never been clearer.
And this time, the world wouldn't be ready for him.