Kain stood in line, ignoring the jeers and whispers around him.
The Blood Awakening Ceremony was the most important event in any young warrior's life. It was here that one's bloodline potential was revealed, determining their rank in the world. Those with strong bloodlines would rise to power, while the weak—like him—would be left to rot.
Kain clenched his fists inside his tattered sleeves, his sharp eyes fixed on the towering Crimson Obelisk at the center of the Grand Plaza. This ancient relic would determine his fate.
But deep down, he already knew what the result would be.
"I was born a failure."
The nobles around him sneered.
"Why is he even here?"
"A Lowborn like him should know his place."
"Just wait—he's going to embarrass himself."
Kain ignored them, stepping forward as the examiner called his name.
This was his last chance.
If he failed here, he would be exiled from the academy forever.
The Blood Awakening
One by one, students pressed their palms against the Crimson Obelisk.
BOOM!
A noble's blood ignited in golden flames.
"A High-Tier Bloodline! He'll be unstoppable!"
Another student's body morphed, manifesting shadowy claws.
"A Beast Morphing Bloodline! Incredible!"
Each new awakening brought cheers and admiration—until it was Kain's turn.
The examiner barely looked at him. "Kain Voss. Step forward."
The nobles chuckled.
"Watch this. He's about to fail so hard."
Kain swallowed hard, stepping toward the obelisk. The moment his palm touched the cold stone, he felt...
Nothing.
Silence.
The obelisk remained dull upand lifeless.
A few seconds passed. Then laughter.
"I knew it!"
"He's completely talentless!"
"No bloodline detected. Disqualified."
The examiner sighed. "As expected. Kain Voss, you are hereby—"
Suddenly—
PAIN.
A sharp, searing pain exploded in Kain's chest, as if molten fire coursed through his veins. His vision blurred. His legs buckled.
A voice—cold, mechanical, and utterly alien—rang in his mind.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE.]
Kain's eyes widened.
WHAT?!
A glowing screen appeared before him.
SYSTEM PROMPT
[BLOODBORN EVOLUTION SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Welcome, Host. You are now the sole wielder of the Bloodborn Evolution System. Congratulations! You are no longer completely useless. Yay.]
[Analyzing Bloodline… ERROR. No Bloodline Detected.]
[Recalculating… Adapting… Evolution Mode Activated.]
[New Trait Unlocked: Bloodborn Adaptation!]
[You now have the ability to ABSORB and EVOLVE bloodlines.]
Kain stared at the glowing text, his brain short-circuiting.
"Wait, wait, wait. WHAT?!"
His body trembled as energy surged through him. His veins glowed red, and his heart pounded violently.
And then, his stats appeared.
STATUS SCREEN
Name: Kain Voss
Race: Human (?)
Rank: [Unawakened]
Bloodline: [None Detected]
Traits: [Bloodborn Adaptation]
Strength: 3
Agility: 4
Endurance: 5
Vitality: 4
Energy: 0
Kain's jaw dropped.
"What the hell is this?! Why is there a screen in front of me?!"
The system responded instantly.
[Oh, I don't know, maybe because I'm a SYSTEM? And you're the lucky fool who just activated me? Wow, you're slow.]
Kain flinched.
"Did this thing just insult me?!"
The system ignored him.
MISSION ACTIVATED
[First Blood Mission: Absorb a Bloodline!]
Task: Absorb a bloodline from any target.
Reward: +10 Stat Points, Bloodline Skill Unlock.
Penalty: Permanent Weakness.
Kain gulped.
"Absorb a bloodline? How?!"
As if in response, his vision sharpened—and suddenly, he could see the bloodlines of those around him.
The noble students, the examiner, even the guards—each person had a faint aura surrounding them. Some glowed golden, others fiery red, some deep blue.
And then he saw it—a weak, injured student struggling at the edge of the crowd.
Their bloodline flickered, weak and unstable.
Kain's instincts took over. His hand moved on its own.
The moment he touched the student's arm—
SYSTEM PROMPT
[Initiating Blood Absorption… Target: Low-Tier Beast Morphing Bloodline.]
[Warning: Bloodline is weak. Evolution Required.]
The student collapsed instantly, unconscious. The faint aura that surrounded them vanished—replaced by a red mist flowing into Kain's body.
Heat exploded in his chest. His veins turned black for a moment before stabilizing. His status screen changed.
STATUS UPDATED
Bloodline Acquired: [Beast Morphing – Adaptive Variant]
Rank: Low-Tier (Evolving)
New Skill Unlocked: Partial Transformation [Claws]
Stat Boost: +10 Strength, +5 Agility
Kain gasped. His fingers burned, and before he realized it—his nails had elongated into sharp black claws.
The examiner's eyes widened. The crowd fell dead silent.
"What… just happened?"
Someone screamed.
The injured student lay motionless on the ground. Their bloodline—gone.
Nobles backed away in horror.
"He… he stole a bloodline!"
The examiner pointed at Kain, his voice shaking.
"What… are you?!"
Kain stared at his own hands, feeling the raw power coursing through him.
Then, the system chimed again.
[Congratulations! You are now officially NOT USELESS. You have absorbed your first bloodline! Wow, you're not completely hopeless after all.]
[REWARD GRANTED: +10 Stat Points, Bloodline Skill Upgrade, Title Unlocked: "Blood Thief"]
Kain's eye twitched.
"This damn system… is mocking me!"
But before he could argue, something far worse happened.
The city alarm bells rang.
Guards stormed into the plaza, their weapons drawn.
"By order of the Blood Council, Kain Voss, you are under arrest for unauthorized bloodline theft!"
Kain's mind raced.
"Shit. SHIT!"
He had no idea what just happened. But one thing was clear—
He had just broken the rules of this world.And now, they were coming for him.
Kain's heart pounded as the city's alarm bells blared through the Grand Plaza.
He could feel the hostile glares burning into him from every direction. The noble students had backed away, whispering in panic, while the examiners and guards drew their weapons.
"I— I didn't do anything wrong!"
But deep down, he knew the truth.
He had stolen someone's bloodline.
And in this world, that was forbidden.
The system's voice chimed in, ever so helpfully—
[Wow! You really did it, huh? Congrats, Host! You're now a wanted criminal in record time. That has to be a new world record!]
Kain's eye twitched.
"Not the time!"
The lead examiner—a tall, bearded man with a glowing emblem on his robe—stepped forward, his face twisted in disgust.
"Kain Voss," he declared. "You have committed Bloodline Theft, a crime punishable by execution. Surrender now, and we may grant you a swift death."
Kain swallowed.
"Execution?! Over one bloodline?!"
A noble sneered. "Serves you right, Lowborn trash. Bloodlines belong to those born with them. You think you can just steal power and get away with it?"
The guards rushed forward.
Kain took a step back, his mind racing.
"What do I do?! What do I do?!"
Then—
[New Mission Activated: ESCAPE IMMEDIATELY.]
- Task: Evade capture and escape the city
- Reward: +5 Stat Points, Bloodline Skill Evolution
- Penalty: Instant Death
Kain's stomach dropped.
"Instant death?! Who even writes these missions?!"
The system responded cheerfully—
[Hey, don't look at me. I don't make the rules. Oh wait… I do. Good luck!]
"YOU DAMN SYSTEM!"
But he didn't have time to argue. The guards were almost on him.
Then—
He moved.
Faster than he ever had before.
His feet pushed off the ground with unnatural speed, his body reacting instinctively.
He dodged to the side as a guard swung at him, the blade missing by mere inches.
His status screen flickered—
STATUS UPDATED
Bloodline Skill: [Partial Transformation – Claws] Activated!
Agility Boost: +10 (Temporary)
Kain barely had time to process the change before his claws extended, his fingers shifting into razor-sharp talons.
"Holy—"
His body twisted as he leaped over another incoming attack.
The guards shouted in frustration. "STOP HIM!"
But Kain was already gone.
A Desperate Escape
He bolted through the crowd, shoving past stunned students and leaping over market stalls.
The streets were in chaos—citizens scrambled away as guards shouted his name.
Everywhere he turned, people pointed at him.
"Damn it! There's no way out!"
Then, the system pinged again.
[Host, would you like a completely unfair escape method? Y/N]
Kain nearly tripped.
"YES! OBVIOUSLY!"
The system hummed.
[Alright, activating [Blood Rush]—WARNING: First-time use may cause extreme dizziness, nausea, or sudden craving for raw meat. Use at your own risk!]
"Wait, wha—"
A sudden heat erupted in his chest.
His veins burned as power flooded his muscles. His vision sharpened, the world slowing down dramatically—
And then—
He exploded forward like a shadow.
BOOM!
One second, he was standing in the marketplace—the next, he was on the rooftops.
STATUS UPDATED
New Skill Unlocked: [Blood Rush]
- Boosts speed and agility by 300% for 10 seconds.
- Side Effect: Temporary weakness afterward.
Kain barely had time to celebrate before his legs wobbled.
"Shit—"
He crashed face-first onto the rooftop.
Pain exploded in his skull.
[Wow. Impressive use of an ultimate skill! Except for the part where you completely messed up the landing. 4/10 execution.]
"I hate this system."
But he didn't have time to complain. He could hear the guards still chasing him below.
He forced himself to his feet, stumbling toward the city walls.
"I need to get out of here!"
Then, something terrifying happened.
A shadow loomed over him.
The Bloodhound Appears
WHOOSH.
A figure descended from the sky, landing directly in his path.
Tall. Cloaked in black armor. A sinister aura rippling around him.
The Bloodhound.
Kain's blood ran cold.
The nobles gasped below. "T-The Bloodhound is here?! They sent HIM?!"
The Bloodhound was one of the strongest enforcers in the city.
A man rumored to have slaughtered an entire village with a single move.
Kain took an instinctive step back.
The Bloodhound slowly raised his head, crimson eyes glowing beneath his mask.
"You should not exist," he said. "Your power… it is unnatural."
Then—
He moved.
A flash of black steel—
Kain barely reacted in time.
His instincts screamed. He threw himself to the side as a blade of blood energy carved through the rooftop, splitting the stone in half.
BOOM!
Debris rained down. The entire building collapsed beneath him.
SYSTEM ALERT
[WARNING: High-Level Opponent Detected!]
[Bloodhound – Rank: Crimson Tier]
[Chance of Survival: 2%]
"TWO PERCENT?!"
Kain hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet.
He barely had time to breathe before the Bloodhound descended from above, his blade gleaming with deadly energy.
Kain's body moved on instinct.
His claws lashed out, deflecting the first strike—
But the second strike caught him in the chest.
Pain exploded through his body as he was sent flying backward, slamming into a stone wall.
CRACK!
Blood trickled from his lips. His vision blurred.
The Bloodhound approached slowly, his blade dripping with blood energy.
"This is the end," he said.
Then—
The system pinged again.
[EMERGENCY EVOLUTION ACTIVATED]
[Host is in critical condition. Initiating Forced Evolution.]
[WARNING: This process is irreversible.]
[Do you accept? Y/N]
Kain gasped for air, his whole body aching.
The Bloodhound raised his sword—
Kain's finger trembled over the system screen that had flickered before him.
He had no choice.
With the last of his strength, he pressed YES.