Chapter 36: Reaping the Benefits from the Bloodline

The system usually had two things: attributes, boosted by using crystals, and the awakened ability.

All humans had the same setup, me included. The only difference was I had Bob helping me rack up way more crystals than anyone else.

Now I’d also gained a bloodline, thanks to Bob again. Well, more like a mix of things, really.

Without my pocket dimension, I wouldn’t have survived this Unstable Rift, meaning I’d never have found the serpent Kaelis in the first place.

Without Bob, I’d never have gotten her help either, since apparently this tiny slime was a Primordial Beast. How cool was that.

And because of Bob, I wasn’t getting just one bloodline crystal, I was getting 10, basically making my bloodline 10 times stronger than it should’ve been.

I waited anxiously while Bob digested the bloodline crystal, sitting on a rock to rest.

Kaelis sat next to me.

"What’s inside this temple?" I asked her.

"Nothing much. Just ruins. Used to be a church where people worshiped me, but that’s long gone now."

"And who sealed you in this place?"

"Can’t tell you. Honestly, I can’t answer much, the seal won’t let me. You’ll have to figure it out on your own. I’m sorry."

No idea if she was telling the truth or not. Who could pull off a seal on a Primordial Beast? Judging by how ridiculous Bob’s ability was, and he’d only just been born, I could only imagine what Kaelis could do before getting sealed.

Couldn’t quite wrap my head around something powerful enough to trap her here. Maybe I shouldn’t trust her blindly. Only time would tell.

Once I left this rift, I’d definitely look for more information, about her, about the Unstable Rifts in general. Finding anything would be tough, especially about her.

If she was that ancient, any records would be long gone by now.

Maybe what Tom mentioned could help, about how dimensional rifts first started appearing. Maybe information from back then could tie into this world where Kaelis was stuck.

Long shot, but the only lead I had at the moment.

I turned back to Bob. He’d finished eating the bloodline crystal. Opened his mouth, and 10 bloodline crystals came out.

The crystals were packed with a ridiculous amount of power. I could feel it radiating off them.

Kaelis saw it too, and couldn’t help herself.

"This is the first time I’ve seen this in action," she said. "Such an incredible ability."

"What’s your special ability? Assuming every Primordial Beast has one."

"Can’t tell you. Sorry."

She wasn’t budging on that one either. No matter what I asked, she just couldn’t answer.

Anyway, I walked over to the crystals and picked one up.

"It’ll take you some time to absorb all of it. You can stay here, you’ll be safe." Kaelis tapped her long nails against the rock she was sitting on. "Tell me, are you waiting for the portal back to your world to open?"

"Yeah, I am. Why?"

"I can feel when it’s about to open. I’ll let you know. Like I said, best if you absorb these crystals and get out of here before you’re found. I don’t want my future savior dying on me."

Kaelis kept saying stuff like that. I was safe for now, but the more she brought it up, the more anxious I got about getting back to the academy.

Everyone probably assumed I was dead by now, stuck in this Unstable Rift for over a week.

How was I supposed to explain any of this to them? They’d definitely want to test my body, look for some explanation for how I survived.

I brought it up with Kaelis, see if she had any advice.

"If they test you, they might find your blood’s different because of the bloodline. I could put a temporary seal on you so it won’t show up during testing. You’d read as ’normal’ to them, and maybe that gets you off the hook."

Honestly, I was scared they’d lock me up to study me, try to squeeze out exactly how I’d survived that rift.

Should I tell them someone helped me?

The best option I had was probably using my ability itself as the explanation, telling them I could duck into my pocket dimension for brief stretches and dodge the unknown energy that way.

Only explanation that actually made sense. Maybe tell them I was the only living thing that could enter my pocket dimension, that no one else could get in unless I allowed it, keeping the rest of the secret intact for a while longer.

There wasn’t really another way around it. Either I shared this much, or I’d end up having to run from the academy just to avoid getting tested and locked in some lab forever.

Anyway, before anything else, I decided to absorb the bloodline crystals and get this new power.

When I grabbed the first one, I absorbed it the same way I did with any other monster crystal, but this time, the energy hit way harder.

So strong I actually roared in pain.

"Aggggr, damn it. Why didn’t you warn me it’d hurt?"

Kaelis put a hand over her mouth to hide her laugh.

"I wanted to see your reaction. If you can’t survive this, you’re not worthy of my bloodline."

She wasn’t going to help me through it, apparently. My pride took a direct hit with that line.

Not worthy of her bloodline? Fuck that. I was more than worthy. Kaelis wouldn’t get away with talking to me like that, like those stupid ass hunters who used to clown on my weak pocket dimension.

The pain was fucking terrible. Felt like the blood in my whole body was boiling, like the crystal was rewriting what ran through my veins.

Worst feeling I’d ever had, easily. Had to lie flat on my back, eyes shut, just enduring it with clenched fists and my jaw locked tight.

Fucking hell.

Slowly, though, the pain started easing up, bit by bit, until it finally stopped. Didn’t count exactly how long it took to absorb that crystal, but I’d guess around 30 minutes or so.

"Good job," Kaelis said. "The next one should be easier, I think. Your body’s more resistant now."

She wasn’t wrong. The second I finished absorbing that first crystal, it was already paying off.

[+20 points in Vitality]

[More passives and active abilities related to the bloodline will show up the more your bloodline matures]

Weird as hell. Never heard of the system giving out information like that before.

Then again, I didn’t know anyone else with a special bloodline. Maybe I was the first one to get one.

Either way, 20 points of Vitality off a single crystal was huge. At that rate, I’d rack up 180 more points, on top of whatever special traits the bloodline threw in.

Got me excited instantly. So I grabbed the next crystal and started absorbing it, same as before.

Kaelis was right. The pain was way more bearable this time. Probably thanks to the extra Vitality, my body already getting used to it.

Even managed to absorb that one faster than the first.

Two hours later, I’d gone through all 10 crystals.

The powers I walked away with were pretty damn good.