Before Gavin could react, nine golden runes flared to life, forming a shimmering barrier around the Sealed Space.
His instincts screamed at him.
But the golden runes weren't reacting to him—they had appeared for the intruder who had entered his sealed domain.
"Careful!"
The word escaped his lips before he even realized it.
And that made him pause.
Why had he said that?
He didn't recognize this woman.
At the sight of her, an inexplicable familiarity surged through him.
It wasn't a fleeting feeling. It was deep-seated, like muscle memory, as if this body had known her long before he took over.
Could she be someone the original soul knew? If so, then he needed to tread carefully.
Her presence alone was proof of her strength. She had entered the Sealed Space without the golden runes being able to stop her. That meant…
She was stronger than him.
But was she a friend of this body's past?
Or an enemy?
If he had inherited the original body's memories, he would have known. But the unsettling truth was—he didn't.
Yet, the familiarity he felt toward her wasn't just a recognition of her face. It was something deeper.
It felt like—they were of the same race.
Gavin's blood-red eyes narrowed as the nine golden runes pulsed, their energy converging on the mysterious woman.
But before the sealing runes could close in on her—
A surge of crimson energy erupted from her palm.
A tide of blood twisted and coiled, morphing into the majestic forms of dragons.
With a deafening roar, the blood-dragon lunged forward, colliding with the golden runes.
The air shuddered, crackling with the clash of power against power.
Before the woman had attacked, her aura was indistinguishable from that of an ordinary person—calm, restrained, almost nonexistent.
But the moment she unleashed her power, her true presence was revealed.
It was overwhelming.
A force that transcended the mortal realm.
Her energy rippled through the Sealed Space, far beyond the ranks of ordinary cultivators. The power she exuded wasn't that of a Bronze Rank, nor Silver Rank, nor even Golden Rank—it was something beyond.
The cultivation system of this world divided mortals into stages: Gathering Energy Realm, Shaman, Great Shaman, and then the Bronze, Silver, and Golden Ranks. This progression, spanning Rank 1 to Rank 20, was still considered part of the Mortal Body Realm—a stage where one's existence remained tethered to their physical form.
But she had transcended that.
She stood at the threshold of legend, in the realm where mortals shed their reliance on flesh and blood.
"The Legendary Realm…" Gavin muttered under his breath.
In his previous life, this stage was known as the Immortal Realm.
Back then, after the Nine-Rank Psychic System, the next step was immortality. But entering the Immortal Realm did not mean one immediately became undying. It was a process—a gradual transcendence, where the mortal body weakened in importance, and the soul became dominant.
She was already on that path.
And in this world, she was considered Legendary.
Gavin's grip tightened, his mind racing.
He needed to act carefully.
If this woman had known the original owner of this body, then…
"I cannot let her know the original soul is gone… that I, Gavin, have taken over."
If she was a friend, revealing the truth could be dangerous. If she was an enemy… it would be fatal.
He had to fabricate a believable excuse.
Amnesia?
No—his existence was far beyond that of a simple mortal. It would be laughable if someone at his level suddenly forgot everything.
Instead—
"The being who sealed me must have injured my spirit," he thought. "And being trapped in this seal, unable to heal, must have aggravated the injury… causing me to lose some, if not all, of my memories."
Yes. That would work.
With his decision made, Gavin forced himself to remain calm, though unease lingered beneath the surface.
His gaze flickered back to the battle before him.
The woman remained composed, her expression unbothered.
She was in a stalemate with the golden seal runes, but Gavin could see the truth—
She was holding back.
The nine golden runes were formidable, but they were only holding because they lacked reinforcement. If they weren't sustained by an external power source, their energy would eventually fade.
And once that happened—
The seal would break.
The woman knew this. And from the way she stood, relaxed, barely exerting herself—
She wasn't worried.
That alone sent a chill down Gavin's spine.
He treaded carefully. "Who are you?"
The young woman glanced at him, her red eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "You can call me your cousin."
Gavin's mind raced. Cousin? He felt familiarity toward her, but it wasn't tied to any memory he possessed. Still, he chose his words cautiously.
"You feel familiar, but… I don't recognize you."
She gave a small, knowing smile. "This is the first time we've met."
Hearing this, Gavin let out a silent sigh of relief. That meant he wouldn't have to use the spirit injury excuse against her.
He saw an opportunity to confirm his suspicions and took it.
"Can magical beasts take human form after reaching the Legendary Realm?"
The young woman shook her head. "No. They can only assume human form after advancing to the High Legendary Realm or the Demigod Realm."
A flicker of realization crossed Gavin's face.
If she wasn't at that level, then…
His thoughts drifted to what he had pieced together so far—the inheritance within his body spoke of Vampire Bats, yet the fairy had once mentioned a Blood Race.
Was he truly a Vampire Bat, or was there something more?
He couldn't ask outright. Instead, he disguised his curiosity as idle conversation.
"Then… are you in the High Legendary Realm or the Demigod Realm?"
The young woman tilted her head slightly as if amused. "No. I am at the sixth rank of the Legendary Realm." Her gaze sharpened. "Why are you so interested in magical beasts?"
Gavin's eyes flickered. He pressed further.
"Then how are you able to take human form?"
At that, the woman's expression subtly changed.
"Lucaius… what are you talking about?"
Gavin didn't hesitate. "You said you're my cousin. According to my inheritance, I am a Vampire Bat—a magical beast. If that's true, then doesn't that mean you're a magical beast too?"
He didn't say the words outright. But he knew she would understand.
For a long moment, she simply stared at him.
And then—
She scoffed. "What nonsense are you speaking? That we're magical beasts? And a lowly Vampire Bat, at that?"
Gavin's brows furrowed.
"It's in my inheritance," he pressed. "When I awakened inside the seal three months ago, I lost all my previous memories. But my inheritance clearly states that I am a Vampire Bat."
Before she could respond, a sharp sound cut through the air—
A sound like glass cracking.
Gavin's head snapped toward the source. His breath hitched.
Fractures were forming along the seal barrier.
The Golden Runes trembled.
The woman's eyes darkened. "Your inheritance has been interfered with. And it seems… 3,000 years ago, the turbulence during the space transmission was not a mistake. Someone was behind it."
Gavin's mind reeled.
3,000 years ago? Space transmission?
His blood-red eyes locked onto hers. "What are you talking about?"
The young woman's gaze didn't waver. "Three thousand years ago, just after you completed the final stage of your birth, you—along with others of the same age—were sent from the Blood Sea Plane to our territory on the Montreal Continent."
She paused, her expression darkening. "But during your space transmission, a rare turbulence occurred… and you vanished."
Gavin remained silent, absorbing her words.
The Blood Sea Plane? Space turbulence? He had no memories of any of this.
The woman continued, her tone softer but laced with something deeper—pain, perhaps?
"We of the Blood Race are born with strength equivalent to the Bronze Rank. By the time we reach adulthood, we naturally ascend to the Golden Rank. But while we are blessed with great power, we also suffer a great curse—trueborn members of the Blood Race are exceedingly rare. Each one is precious beyond measure."
Her crimson eyes flickered as she studied him.
"For three thousand years, we searched for you. The Blood Divine Lotus tied to your life force remained untouched, proving that you were still alive somewhere. And now, I've finally found you."
Before Gavin could process her words, before he could question, doubt, or even react—
A golden rune shattered.
Then another.
The barrier trembled violently, golden cracks splintering through its surface.
Gavin felt a surge of strength flooding back into him. His very essence, which had been sealed away for so long, awoke.
A deep, primal roar tore from his throat—a roar of exhilaration.
Finally!
Though he had long destroyed the cultivation realm of this body, reducing himself to an Intermediate Bronze Rank, his spirit remained at the Golden Rank—a force capable of manifesting outside his body.
Power coiled around him. Instinct took over.
With a sharp inhale, Gavin extended his manifested spirit—a white spear of condensed will—and unleashed it upon the remaining runes.
One by one, the golden seals shattered beneath his attack.
The woman remained still, unbothered by the raging power around them.
And then—
Everything vanished.
Darkness faded. The sealed space collapsed.
---
In the heart of the tribe, a woman stood before a towering stone statue, her eyes shut as if listening to something unseen.
Then, she opened them.
Crack.
Fissures raced across the stone figure.
A second later—
It shattered.
And in its place—
A blood-colored bat.
Gavin.
His blood-red eyes snapped open.
The first thing he saw was her, standing before him, gazing at him with quiet certainty.
She smiled. "Let's go. The family will be overjoyed to see your return."
Before Gavin could react, his feet left the ground.
He was rising.
His body—his own body—was being lifted into the air without his command, without him using his wings.
A powerful force surrounded him, pulling him toward her.
"Wait!" He shouted.