Hajin spat blood onto the cavern floor while the newly hatched boy smiled with total innocence.
One small fist had struck harder than several four-Shard monsters, leaving fresh pain beneath his ribs.
The child tilted his head as though no attack had ever occurred, and a scan panel opened.
[ Target Scan Active ]
[ Lineage: Guardian Beast ]
[ Hostility: None ]
[ Bond State: Imprinted ]
Aria spoke through the mental link while the golden child watched the moving light around her.
"The subject carries apex Guardian lineage, zero hostile intent, plus a primary-caretaker imprint."
"The bond formed at hatching, when your old-world mana read as the nearest safe parental signature."
The child's mana currently matched a four-Shard construct, though Aria projected exponential growth across coming months.
Hajin stared toward the child while exhaustion processed each unpleasant implication.
