Chapter 15 — The Bloodline Moves

The hunt continued.

Kael had one goal.

Level 7.

After completing the mysterious trial, he had expected something dramatic to happen.

Nothing did.

No massive power surge.

No legendary weapon.

No sudden transformation.

Only a faint warmth beneath the Darven crest on his hand.

The System had given him another requirement.

[Next Inheritance Stage: Locked]

[Requirement: Level 10]

That was it.

Kael wasn't disappointed.

He had learned enough to know that the strange inheritance wasn't going to hand him power for free.

He needed to earn it.

The Ironwood Valley

Kael returned to the Ironwood Valley.

The Ironhorn Boars were still there.

But something was different.

They were behaving strangely.

Normally, the creatures wandered around the valley.

Now they stayed close together.

Kael watched from behind a tree.

"Something scared them."

The Golden-Eyed Nightfang sniffed the air.

"Not scared."

Kael looked at it.

"Then what?"

"Ordered."

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"Ordered?"

The Nightfang nodded.

"Someone is controlling the movement of the monsters."

Kael immediately became cautious.

He activated Threat Analysis.

Nothing appeared.

No creature.

No unusual mana.

Nothing.

Then he noticed something on the ground.

A thin black line.

It ran between the trees.

Kael crouched beside it.

The line wasn't a root.

It wasn't a crack.

It was metal.

Very thin metal.

Kael touched it.

His Metal Control reacted immediately.

[Unknown metal detected.]

Kael pulled his hand away.

The Golden-Eyed Nightfang's expression changed.

"Don't touch it."

"Why?"

"Because I don't know what it does."

Kael looked at the metal.

"That's becoming a common problem."

The Nightfang ignored the comment.

"Follow it."

Kael nodded.

They followed the thin metal line through the forest.

It passed beneath roots.

Around trees.

Across rocks.

Eventually, it disappeared into a cliff.

Kael placed his hand against the stone.

Nothing.

Then he activated Metal Control.

The hidden metal beneath the rock responded.

A section of the cliff opened.

Kael stared.

"There was a door here."

Inside was a narrow tunnel.

Ancient.

Dust covered the floor.

But there were fresh footprints.

Kael crouched.

"Someone has been here recently."

The Nightfang growled.

"Then we leave."

Kael looked at him.

"Why?"

"Because whoever made this tunnel knows we're here."

Kael's expression changed.

Before he could respond—

A voice echoed through the tunnel.

"Correct."

Kael immediately drew his katana.

The Nightfang moved beside him.

A figure stepped out of the darkness.

It was a human.

Or at least it looked human.

Black cloak.

Dark gloves.

A metal mask covering the lower half of the face.

Kael activated Threat Analysis.

[Analysis failed.]

The figure laughed.

"Still relying on that little System?"

Kael froze.

"You know about the System?"

The figure didn't answer.

Instead, it looked at Kael's hand.

The Darven crest.

"Interesting."

Kael raised his katana.

"Who are you?"

The figure stepped backward.

"Not your enemy."

Kael didn't lower his weapon.

"Then why are you controlling the monsters?"

"I am not controlling them."

The figure pointed toward the thin metal line.

"I am controlling the forest."

Kael frowned.

"What's the difference?"

"The monsters are merely responding."

The figure snapped its fingers.

The ground trembled.

Several Ironhorn Boars appeared at the entrance.

But they weren't attacking.

They were standing in formation.

Kael stared.

"How?"

The figure smiled.

"Because this forest has rules."

Kael's expression hardened.

"And you know them."

"Better than you."

The Question

Kael stepped forward.

"Do you know my father?"

The figure became silent.

That silence told Kael enough.

"You do."

"I knew of him."

"What happened to him?"

The figure looked away.

"Your father made a mistake."

Kael's grip tightened.

"What mistake?"

"He believed the attack on your family was the beginning."

Kael's heart skipped.

"It wasn't?"

"No."

The figure looked directly at him.

"It was a consequence."

Kael stared.

"A consequence of what?"

The figure didn't answer.

Instead, it looked at the Darven crest.

"Your father knew the bloodline was awakening."

Kael's expression changed.

"He told me about Metal Control."

"That isn't your bloodline."

Kael froze.

The words hit him harder than any attack.

"What?"

The figure continued.

"Metal Control is merely the first expression of it."

Kael's mind immediately returned to the strange water reacting to his bloodline.

The unknown metal.

The black crystal.

The ancient gates.

The visions.

Everything suddenly felt connected.

"What is the actual bloodline?"

The figure smiled.

"You aren't ready."

Kael stepped forward.

"Tell me."

"No."

"Why?"

"Because if you learn too much too early, something will notice."

Kael's eyes narrowed.

"Something already has."

The figure smiled.

"Exactly."

Then—

BOOM!

A massive roar shook the tunnel.

The figure looked toward the entrance.

"Too late."

Kael immediately turned.

The Ironhorn Boars scattered.

Something enormous had entered the valley.

The System finally activated.

[Major Threat Detected.]

[Level: 22]

[Grade: Boss]

[Species: Ironhide Ravager]

[Potential: Lord]

Kael's expression changed.

Level 22.

The figure looked at him.

"Run."

Kael didn't argue.

The Ravager

The creature entered the tunnel.

It looked like an enormous boar covered in thick black armor.

Its horns were enormous.

Crimson energy surrounded its body.

Kael fired the Darven AR-01.

RATATATAT!

The bullets struck its armor.

They barely slowed it.

Kael switched to the GL-01.

BOOM!

The explosion forced the creature backward.

But it immediately charged again.

Kael's eyes widened.

"Too strong."

He activated Metal Arsenal.

His weapons floated around him.

The AR-01.

The GL-01.

The SG-01.

Metal fragments.

He fired everything he could.

The creature continued advancing.

Then it swung its head.

CRASH!

Kael was thrown sideways.

He hit the tunnel wall.

Pain shot through his shoulder.

He quickly stood.

His shoulder hurt.

But it worked.

He could still move.

The Nightfang attacked from behind.

The Ravager turned.

Kael saw the opening.

"Now!"

The Nightfang struck.

Kael fired the SR-01.

BOOM!

The shot hit the creature's eye.

For the first time—

The Ravager staggered.

Kael stared.

"That actually worked."

The figure in the mask shouted:

"Don't kill it!"

Kael turned.

"What?"

"Don't kill it!"

Too late.

The creature's crimson energy suddenly exploded outward.

The entire tunnel shook.

Kael was thrown backward.

His weapons scattered.

The SR-01 hit the ground.

The GL-01 was buried beneath rubble.

Kael reached for them.

Then he stopped.

The Ravager was changing.

Its armor was cracking.

Something black was spreading beneath it.

The masked figure looked genuinely alarmed.

"Leave."

Kael stared.

"What is happening?"

"The fragment."

Kael's eyes widened.

The black crystal inside his storage ring was vibrating.

The Ravager was reacting to it.

Again.

Just like the Ironhide Stalker.

Kael immediately understood.

The monsters weren't randomly becoming stronger.

The strange materials were affecting them.

And someone had been placing those materials around the forest.

Kael grabbed his weapons.

"Nightfang!"

"Already moving!"

They ran.

Behind them, the Ravager roared.

The tunnel began collapsing.

Kael sprinted toward the exit.

A stone fell in front of him.

He jumped over it.

Another crashed behind him.

He reached the valley.

The Nightfang followed.

The tunnel collapsed completely.

Silence returned.

Kael leaned against a tree.

His breathing was heavy.

His shoulder hurt again.

But nothing was broken.

He looked at his weapons.

The AR-01 was fine.

The SG-01 was fine.

The SR-01 had a cracked outer casing.

The GL-01 was missing.

Kael sighed.

"Another gun."

The Nightfang looked at him.

"Can you rebuild it?"

"Probably."

Kael smiled faintly.

"Eventually."

Then—

[Level Up!]

Kael froze.

Energy flowed through his body.

[Level increased: 6 → 7]

[5 Attribute Points awarded.]

Kael opened his status.

He carefully allocated:

+1 Strength

+2 Agility

+1 Vitality

+1 Intelligence

His new attributes became:

Strength: 14

Agility: 19

Vitality: 15

Intelligence: 18

Kael clenched his fist.

He could feel the difference.

Not enormous.

But real.

His body was becoming stronger.

His movements were becoming faster.

His mana control was becoming more efficient.

Then—

[Hidden Inheritance Progress: 3%]

The number changed.

3% → 4%

Kael stared.

He hadn't completed another trial.

He hadn't touched another fragment.

So why?

The System displayed one final message.

[Bloodline evolution condition partially fulfilled.]

Kael frowned.

"How?"

The answer came from somewhere behind him.

The masked figure was standing on top of a tree.

"You survived."

Kael looked up.

"Is that enough?"

"No."

The figure looked at the collapsed tunnel.

"You made the correct decision."

Kael narrowed his eyes.

"What decision?"

"You didn't try to kill something you couldn't defeat."

The figure disappeared into the trees.

Kael stared after it.

The Golden-Eyed Nightfang sighed.

"You really are being watched."

Kael looked at his hand.

The Darven crest was brighter than before.

Four percent.

He still didn't know what his bloodline truly was.

He still didn't know who attacked his family.

He still didn't know who the masked figure was.

But he had learned something important.

The Dark Forest wasn't simply full of monsters.

It was full of people, creatures, and forces that understood the Darven inheritance better than he did.

Kael picked up his damaged SR-01.

"Then I'll learn faster."

He looked toward the forest.

"Level 10 first."

Then he glanced at the collapsed tunnel.

"And eventually..."

His eyes hardened.

"...I'll find out what my father was hiding."

Deep beneath the rubble, something moved.

The Ironhide Ravager had survived.

Its crimson eyes opened.

A black mark appeared on its forehead.

The same symbol as the one on Kael's hand.

And somewhere far away, the masked figure whispered:

"Four percent."

A second voice answered:

"Then the fifth gate can begin."

[End of Chapter 15]