His once-shattered body, which had been wracked with unimaginable pain, was now whole, imbued with a strength and sensory acuity he had never known. James remained hidden in the recess of the abandoned building. Though the pain had vanished, the terror of what had happened still gripped his heart.
The sounds of screams and roars from outside still echoed intermittently, a stark reminder that the danger had not passed. It was then, amidst his confused thoughts, that a message manifested clearly in his consciousness.
[Primeval Blood Craft System is now operational]
The faint, resonant voice he had heard before sounded again, like the breath of an incorporeal being. James fell silent for a moment, his once-wide eyes, dilated from pain, slowly narrowed.
He was no longer shocked by the strange 'voice' or 'message.' Not because he was growing numb to the relentless barrage of supernatural events, but because, deep within his mind, he could now instantly comprehend its existence. It was as if this knowledge and understanding had seeped into the very core of the Void-Born Apex Bloodline that had just finished fusing with his body.
Primeval Blood Craft System… he understood at once that this was the "system" that would aid his survival in this insane world.
It was not a god granting wishes, nor a demon bestowing a wicked curse… it was merely a tool.
He didn't feel like he had been given a magical power to conjure things at will. No sacred sword or magic armor appeared before him. He only felt that he had received a certain "right"... the right to create blood from blood.
Though he didn't fully grasp what it meant or how to use it, some instinct told him it was vital.
Yet, even with this new understanding dawning alongside his newfound power, James was keenly aware that his situation was far from "safe."
The sounds of demons still echoing from outside the building were proof enough that death still lingered nearby.
Since his current hiding spot seemed temporarily safe from the immediate dangers outside, James allowed himself to sink into the memories of "Lime," the young boy whose body he now inhabited, trying to make sense of the cruel fate he had been dealt.
Images of a peaceful Alvia rose in his mind. It was a small trading town, located southwest of the city of Felnia, deep near the remote border of the Kingdom of Hevald.
Alvia was a tranquil town, long undisturbed by the scourge of war. There were no towering fortresses, no grand army of mighty warriors to protect it. There was only a small local garrison and an old, crumbling stone wall that had never truly been tested against any real disaster.
Lime had grown up in this town. He had an ordinary but wonderfully warm family. The image of his father, a carpenter, powerfully built but always with a kind smile. His mother, who would sell fragrant, freshly baked bread at the small morning market.
The laughter of friendly greetings, the sound of children playing in the alleys, the aroma of baked goods wafting through the air… everything was as vivid in his memory as if it had happened only yesterday.
Until… just a few hours ago.
The nightmare had begun without warning. The sky above Alvia suddenly darkened, as if a colossal shadow was spreading across the firmament.
There were no warning sirens, nothing. Only a deafening explosion from the northeast side of town, near the outer wall. The blast was so powerful it shook the ground like an earthquake. Scarlet flames shot into the sky, followed by a thunderous roar unlike anything ever heard from any creature on this earth.
A cloud of black smoke and ash spread rapidly, and then… a horde of terrifying demons broke through the breach in the destroyed wall.
They didn't speak, didn't ask, didn't negotiate… they only killed!
Their forms varied. Some had skin as black and scorched as charcoal, their crimson eyes glowing, moving swiftly on all fours like savage beasts. Others were bloated with slimy skin and sharp spines. But all of them lusted for blood.
Lime could only watch in despair as the town he had lived in his whole life was annihilated before his eyes. He saw his father trying with all his might to protect their family.
The old man grabbed the trusty wooden hammer he had used to make a living his entire life and charged at a skeletal demon. Its skin was as black as coal, its hollow eyes devoid of expression, but its sharp claws gleamed, ready to tear anything apart.
His father struck its head with the hammer with great force, but the demon didn't even flinch. A moment later, those wicked claws pierced through the old man's chest, and his body crumpled to the ground.
His mother rushed to her knees, hugging her husband's blood-soaked body tightly, screaming at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face. But in the next moment, both their bodies were swallowed into the gaping maw of another demon, a bloated one with slimy, green skin.
It was his parents who had screamed for Lime to hide in their final moments. That was how the fourteen-year-old boy had narrowly survived, all alone.
After the horde of demons had passed, he crawled out from his hiding place, his heart filled with vengeance and despair. His bloodshot eyes stared at the corpses of soldiers littering the ground. He made a quick decision. Mustering all his courage, he crept towards the body of a soldier whose steel sword was still clutched in his lifeless hand.
Lime pulled the sword free. It was far too heavy for a boy his age to wield properly, but the rage burning in his chest gave him unbelievable strength. Lime then witnessed a battle between the last group of soldiers and another wave of demons.
He hid nearby, and when he saw a demon with its back turned, driven by his burning rage, Lime lunged at it with the sword in hand. But he had gravely underestimated the demon's strength.
He was violently swatted aside by its thick, spiky arm. Lime's body was sent flying through the crumbling wall of a ruined structure, and everything faded to black…
And when he opened his eyes again… he was no longer Lime.
James shook his head violently, trying to drive the painful and brutal images from his mind. A bitter taste still clung to the back of his tongue as if he had tasted it himself.
Lime… that boy was dead. And now, he was the one who had to carry on in this body.
His current goal was certainly not to avenge the body's previous owner. At least, not now, when he was weak and barely able to keep himself alive. The most important thing was to survive and escape this ruined city teeming with demons.
"I have to escape… no, not just escape… I have to survive!"
James closed his eyes for a moment, pushing away the cruel memories and the bitter feeling. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself and focus on the present. "I have to survive…" he repeated to himself.
Just then, the emotionless voice from the Primeval Blood Craft System resounded in his consciousness again, along with a message that appeared clearly:
[Right to create a subordinate bloodline: 1 (Free)]
[Initial reward from the Primeval Blood Craft System]
"Create a subordinate bloodline?" James repeated the words in his mind, puzzled. This message seemed to be some kind of gift or reward from a thing whose function he didn't even fully understand yet.
He sensed it might be an important ability, but in a situation where life and death hung by a thread, he had neither the time nor the state of mind to comprehend or even think about using it right now. "It's too soon…" he dismissed the thought.
Suddenly! James's heightened senses picked up on something abnormal!
It wasn't a sound, but a feeling… the feeling of being watched from the shadows on the other side of the room. A faint, foul odor, different from the coppery smell of blood or the stench of burning that permeated the air, drifted to his nostrils.
The hairs on his body stood on end automatically. His instincts screamed of a grave danger crawling near!
He slowly rose to a crouch, trying not to make a sound, his eyes fixed warily on the dark corner. His heart hammered against his ribs.
And then he saw it…
A pair of murky yellow eyes materialized from the darkness. They were eyes devoid of any spark of life, yet filled with a terrifying hunger.
Its body slowly came into view. It was a demon shaped like a large dog, but so gaunt that its skeleton was visible through its back and sides.
Its skin was wrinkled and a pale gray, like an old corpse. Its fur was patchy, revealing disgusting, flaking skin underneath.
Its mouth was slightly agape, revealing rows of sharp, yellowed, and chaotically arranged teeth. A thick, viscous saliva dripped continuously from the corners of its mouth. It was stalking towards him in silence, its long, sharp claws scraping faintly against the stone floor.
But in the silence of the ruined building, that sound echoed in James's ears like the scythe of the Grim Reaper being dragged ever closer.
This demon was different from the ones he had seen outside. It looked weaker, with several deep gashes on its body as if it had just been through a fierce battle. But that didn't make it any less terrifying, especially when it was heading straight for him!
James held his breath, frozen in fear. His hiding spot had been discovered! The moment those murky yellow eyes locked onto him and the demon bared its fangs in a low snarl, the Void-Born Apex Bloodline within him responded again. Information flashed rapidly in his field of vision.
[Bloodline Detected]
Name: Carrion Hound Demon
Bloodline Sequence: Special Bloodline – Lesser Demon
Awakening Level: 1 –Fused
Strengths: Keen sense for corpses and the injured, Agility in tight spaces, Potent bite
Weaknesses: Low overall strength, Vulnerable to fire, Low defense (Torso is easily injured)
Evolution Potential: Low
::
The information from his bloodline made James's heart pound even harder. Although the "Carrion Hound Demon's" evolution potential was low and it had several weaknesses, its "potent bite" and "agility in tight spaces" were a direct threat to him right now!
The Carrion Hound bared its fangs and snarled low in its throat again, before its gaunt body shot towards him with unbelievable speed!
Instinct screamed at James to roll aside. The demon's sharp claws scraped past where he had been a moment ago, missing by a hair's breadth.
He felt the gust of wind from its movement. The new body, lighter and more agile, had allowed him to narrowly escape. In his original thirty-year-old body, he would have been its meal.
"Run!" was the only thought in his mind.
He sprang to his feet, using the darkness and the rubble as cover. His eyes, now better adjusted to the dark, allowed him to see an escape route more clearly than he'd expected.
The Carrion Hound snarled in frustration at its missed target. Its nose twitched violently, sniffing the air, trying to track him. Its sense for the injured was as sharp as the data had indicated!
James zigzagged, dodging piles of stone and broken furniture. The sound of the demon's paws chased closely behind him. Its agility in tight spaces was more terrifying than he thought. It could leap over obstacles or squeeze through narrow gaps with ease. Several times, its claws came so close he could feel the cold chill of death.
"Dead end!" James cursed internally when he found himself cornered against a wall.
He frantically looked for another way out. The Carrion Hound leaped, its wide-open mouth full of sharp teeth just inches from his face!
In that split second between life and death, James glimpsed a small gap between the collapsed wall and the caved-in ceiling. It was so narrow it seemed impossible for a person to get through.
But he had no other choice! He kicked off the adjacent wall with all his strength, propelling his body through the narrow gap with the slimmest of margins. The demon's enraged snarl echoed behind him. It tried to shove its head through, but it was too big to fit.
James didn't hesitate. He scrambled through the dark crevice for his life until he emerged on the other side of the building.
He could still hear the growling and scratching of the Carrion Hound from behind for a while before the sounds faded, as it must have realized its prey had escaped.
He slumped against another wall, panting heavily, drenched in sweat despite the cold air. Safe… he had survived again, unbelievably.
But James knew this was only a temporary reprieve. Alvia was no longer safe. If he stayed, he would surely become food for some demon sooner or later.
As he gathered his wits, a memory from Lime surfaced, pointing a way out. He recalled a map of Alvia he had seen through those memories.
The west gate… there was a large cargo transport center there. Perhaps some transport animals had survived. At the very least, it seemed like the best route to escape this city of hell.
"Alright… the target is the west gate," James mumbled to himself, mustering what was left of his strength.
With a lighter body, eyes adjusted to the dark, and sharper senses, James decided to leave the ruins. Though the stench of blood and the foul smell of demons still hung in the air, he moved through the shadows as quietly as he could, weaving through the wreckage, heading west as planned.
A flickering ember of hope was reignited in his heart, along with a determination to survive in this cruel world.
From this day forward… his path of blood had truly begun.