Night settled over the city like a held breath. From his bedroom window, Rian watched the streetlights flicker on one by one, their pale glow stretching across empty sidewalks. Somewhere far away, laughter echoed, careless and unaware. The world still believed tomorrow would be normal. Rian knew better.
The Primordial Bloodline System hovered quietly in his vision, its interface steady, patient, almost watchful. Since awakening, the faint warmth in his chest had grown stronger, like an ember fed by resolve. He could feel the threads now, not just see them. Power clung to everything, thin and fragile, waiting to be claimed.
[Scan Complete]
[Reclamation Target Identified]
Rian's gaze dropped to his hands. They trembled slightly—not from fear, but from anticipation. He reached toward the old bookshelf beside his desk, fingers brushing against the cracked spine of a forgotten novel. The moment he touched it, a sharp pulse surged through his body, and the air seemed to tighten.
Images flooded his mind. A beast sprinting through dense forests. Muscles coiling, senses sharpening, instinct ruling every movement. The feeling was raw, violent, alive.
[Beast Fragment Detected]
[Origin: Lesser Feral Bloodline]
[Tier: 1]
[Compatibility: High]
[Reclaim?]
Rian swallowed. This was it. The first step that would decide everything that followed. He thought of the betrayal, the cold final moment of his previous life. He thought of the coming apocalypse, the screams that would soon replace laughter. Slowly, he nodded.
"Yes."
The system responded instantly.
[Reclamation Initiated]
Pain erupted.
It wasn't the kind that burned or tore—it was pressure, like his bones were being rewritten from the inside. His vision blurred as he dropped to one knee, teeth clenched to keep from crying out. Heat surged through his veins, wild and untamed, forcing his heart to beat faster, stronger.
His senses exploded outward. He could hear the hum of electricity in the walls, the distant bark of a dog three streets away, even the subtle creak of the building settling. His muscles tightened, coiled with unfamiliar strength.
Then, just as suddenly, it stopped.
Rian collapsed back against the bed, gasping. Sweat drenched his skin, his heart pounding like a war drum. Slowly, the pain faded, replaced by a deep, primal clarity.
[Reclamation Successful]
[Bloodline Assimilated: Lesser Feral]
[Passive Traits Acquired: Enhanced Reflexes, Heightened Senses]
[Bloodline Stability: 12%]
Rian stared at the notifications, awe and disbelief twisting together in his chest. He flexed his hand. The movement felt smoother, faster. When he focused, the world sharpened, edges clearer, sounds richer.
This was only Tier 1. Only a fragment.
And it already changed everything.
He rose unsteadily, walking to the mirror across the room. His reflection stared back, familiar yet subtly different. His eyes seemed brighter, more alert, like something wild now lingered beneath the surface.
"So this is how it begins," he whispered.
The system pulsed softly, as if in agreement.
[New Directive Unlocked]
[Objective: Strengthen Bloodline Stability]
[Recommended Actions: Reclaim Additional Fragments | Combat Exposure | Controlled Evolution]
Rian exhaled slowly, grounding himself. A month wasn't much time, but now he had proof. Proof that preparation was possible. Proof that power wasn't limited to legends or monsters—it was hidden everywhere.
Outside, a siren wailed briefly before fading into silence.
Rian turned back to the window, fists clenched. Tonight, the world slept peacefully. Soon, it wouldn't. When chaos arrived, he refused to be prey again.
This time, he would be the one who hunted.
He sat on the edge of the bed, letting the silence settle. Fear still existed, buried deep, but it no longer ruled him. Every breath felt heavier, steadier, anchored by purpose. Tomorrow he would test his limits, push his body, learn how far this fragment could take him. He would catalogue objects, search for resonance, and map the city like a hunter marking territory. Mistakes would be costly, hesitation fatal, but stagnation was worse. The system was not a savior. It was a mirror, reflecting effort with reward. Rian accepted that truth fully. He would earn every ounce of strength. As the moon climbed higher, he closed his eyes, memorizing the sensation of power coursing quietly beneath his skin. This was only the first reclamation. Countless fragments remained. And with each one, the distance between who he was and who he needed to become would shrink before everything breaks.
"The hunt had begun, and the world would remember."