The city was quiet, almost unnervingly so. Rian walked through the streets, the early morning sun casting long shadows between the buildings. It had been two days since he fully awakened the Primordial Bloodline System, and the subtle pulse of returning energies was beginning to make themselves known.
"So… this is the world a month before the apocalypse," he muttered, scanning the streets. There were no monsters yet, no dungeons, no portals tearing the city apart. Yet something felt different. The air… it was alive. Threads of mana, spiritual energy, and elemental energy danced faintly, weaving invisible patterns through the urban landscape.
He focused, closing his eyes.
[Primordial Bloodline System – Energy Scan: ACTIVE]
[Detectable Energies Nearby: Mana – LOW | Spiritual – TRACE | Elemental – TRACE]
[Potential Bloodline Sources Detected: 3]
The system's calm voice echoed in his mind, reminding him of his rules: only objects, creatures, or sources with latent potential could be awakened. Random objects were meaningless.
Rian opened his eyes and looked down at a small patch of grass growing through the cracked pavement. He felt the faint pulse of energy within it.
"Not much… but it's something."
He knelt and gently touched the grass. A subtle shimmer ran through his fingers, flowing up his arms like liquid light.
[Bloodline Potential Detected: EARTH ELEMENT – Tier 0]
[Reclaim Option: AVAILABLE]
Rian focused. He could feel the core of the Earth's essence in it, weak but alive. Carefully, he guided his energy into the patch of grass, merging it with his own life force. A faint hum filled his ears as the grass pulsed, and the first small bloodline fragment entered his system.
[Bloodline Reclaimed: EARTH SPIRIT – Tier 0 | Growth Potential: MODERATE]
[Fusion Readiness: YES | Hybrid Potential: LOW]
Rian smiled slightly. It wasn't much. Nothing compared to the power he would eventually need to survive the apocalypse. But it was a start.
⸻
As he continued through the streets, he noticed more faint threads of energy—the flicker of spiritual energy near the old temple on the hill, elemental sparks around an abandoned fountain.
He paused in front of the fountain. Water droplets glimmered unnaturally, dancing in the air as though alive.
[Elemental Energy Detected: WATER – Tier 0 | Potential Bloodline: YES]
[Absorption: PARTIAL | Stability: STABLE]
Rian dipped his hand into the water. A cool wave of energy surged through him, not overwhelming but invigorating. The Primordial Bloodline System highlighted a small subspace menu, showing the faint aura of a newly acquired fragment:
[Bloodline Fragment Added: WATER SPIRIT – Tier 0]
[Fusion Potential: WITH EARTH SPIRIT – LOW]
"This… could work," he thought. His mind ran through possibilities: even small fragments of bloodlines could be fused or evolved over time, creating hybrid abilities far beyond ordinary humans.
He didn't push too far. His body wasn't ready for extreme absorption yet. Even with Limitless Growth and Evolution, overreaching too early could backfire, especially in a world that had been deprived of mana and spiritual energy for thousands of years.
⸻
As the sun rose higher, Rian found himself at the edge of a park. The air shimmered faintly. He could feel traces of wind and fire energy weaving in patterns above the treetops, weak but present.
A bird perched on a branch caught his attention. Its feathers glimmered with a faint golden light—a latent bloodline.
[Creature Detected: Potential Bloodline | Type: AVIAN – Tier 0]
[Reclaim Option: YES | Stability: MODERATE]
He extended a hand slowly. The bird didn't flee. Its small aura hummed in sync with the world's slowly returning energies. Rian's heart raced—he didn't need to destroy or fight anything yet. He just needed to recognize potential and nurture it.
The Primordial Bloodline System pinged softly:
[Hybrid Fusion Opportunity Detected | Required Energy: LOW-MODERATE]
Rian grinned. This was the first small step toward his ultimate goal: to reclaim all lost powers, awaken dormant bloodlines, and prepare the world for the coming apocalypse. One fragment at a time, one fusion at a time.
For now, there were no dungeons, no monsters, no chaos—just him, the slowly returning energies, and the growing awareness of his abilities.
But even in this calm, Rian could feel it in the back of his mind:
Something was coming. And when it did… the world wouldn't be ready