Chapter 118: Bloodline Awakening!
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[Artifact: Veil Array Core]
[Rank: C]
[Type: Limited-Use Deployable Formation]
[Charges: 2 Uses]
[Effect: Silently deploys a concealment array (up to 12m) that distorts vision, nullifies sound, and suppresses aura. Blocks detection at or below C-rank; slightly hinders higher-rank intentional perception.]
[Duration: 30 minutes]
[Drawback: Consumes 1 charge per use. Breaks after 2 uses. Fixed in place once deployed.]
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Soren looked at the round disc in his hand, shimmering with complex runes that he couldn’t recognize, curiously.
Currently, he was in his own tent, returning from the practical lecture in the WhiteLeaf forest with the Professor.
Surprisingly, Isolde didn’t deny his order to craft a few artifacts for him this time.
She even took her time to take Sylvia’s measurements, promising that she would make a good customized defensive robe that was tailor-made for a healer class.
Well, Soren guessed it might be because of the C-rank material he gave her this time, or maybe she got shocked by his level and decided to take him seriously, who knew?
Anyway, this artifact, Veil Array Core, was something she gave him after listening to his need.
Apparently, she liked his concept of consuming an artifact to gain a bigger temporary boost in ability or effect, at the cost of using it up completely.
He had to say, Isolde was really a good craftsman. Well, she was still a stingy hag, though.
’Let’s not waste time anymore. It is time to awaken my bloodline.’
Soren sat cross-legged, threw the random thought aside, and let the disc slowly float on its own.
Well, at least to the naked eye it looked so. But in Soren’s eyes, a very thin invisible string extending from his finger wrapped the disc before silently placing it at the center of his camp, before activating it with a click.
*Swoosh!*
In an instant, Soren felt his entire tent engulfed by a hazy aura before it directly turned invisible. For a moment, it looked as if nothing had happened.
But from how all the external noise and aura dissipated, Soren knew that he was now inside the concealment array.
’This Concept is quite useful.’
Resonant String, as the name suggested, was really a kind of energy string that Soren could control with his will. But unlike the Crimson Queen Lash, it was an extension of his own power.
Thus, wherever it could reach was the same as him being there in a way, explaining how he managed to use that disc even from far away.
To be honest, Soren was still messing around with it, but he couldn’t deny that he had many interesting ideas on how to use it.
For instance, the stringless bow that he asked Isolde to make for him today from the spine of that Thornsacle Drake was one such idea of his.
He didn’t know if that would work, though.
’System, use my chance of Bloodline Awakening.’
Well enough of distraction, Soren immediately ordered his system when he heard the prompt.
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Ding!
[You have decided to Awaken your Bloodline.]
[As the sole heir of the Kingswell lineage, your awakening is rightful.]
[Please Wait! Your bloodline is being awakened.]
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*Swoosh!*
As soon as Soren heard the prompt, before he could express his surprise at it, he felt his whole body stiffen.
Then a warmth started deep within his chest, spreading outward like molten lava through his veins. His vision blurred for a moment, and a low hum immediately filled his ears, vibrating in sync with his heartbeat.
In an instant, he lost all perception of the outside world, before image after image began appearing in his vision, flashing so fast that Soren couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
However, no matter how quickly they disappeared, Soren could still see that they belonged to a battlefield.
The battlefield was in a massive void, filled with so many monsters that he could see no end to it. And yet, a hazy figure in the center seemed to command the entire battlefield, as its halo shadowed anyone and everything.
The images were very brief, almost like an illusion, but the moment Soren looked at that figure at the center, it looked at him too.
Although it wasn’t a physical gaze as usual, Soren could feel it.
Because the moment it did, Soren felt his heart throb, then his veins, then his muscles tighten as if every fiber of his body were being rewritten.
His vision swirled, colors blending into strange patterns, and a heat spread through his chest that made him stagger.
Then his mind itself began to throb, each thought echoing like a drumbeat, sharp and relentless.
Soren clutched his head, gritting his teeth, as pain sliced through him, not just in his body, but deep inside his very consciousness.
For a bloodline awakening, Soren never thought it would even affect his mental state.
"Ah!"
As Soren cried out in pain while clutching his head, a metallic sheen began to ripple beneath his skin, faint at first, then stronger, like liquid silver moving through his blood, visible from the outside.
Then he felt every muscle, every nerve, every thought sharpen, more alive than ever. In fact, by now his entire body was already covered in a crimson hue so thick that if not for the concealment array, someone might have noticed it.
*Boom!*
After more than ten minutes of clutching his head in extreme pain, the awakening finally ended as the crimson hue rapidly absorbed into his body on its own.
In a jiffy, it all disappeared, as if it were never there to begin with.
And the most surprising part? Soren looked exactly the same as before, the only difference being that he was soaked in so much sweat it looked like he had just taken a shower.
"Hah...hah...fuck, that was painful."
Soren finally felt his head stop throbbing, breathing heavily as he tried to calm himself down.
He never thought a bloodline awakening would be this painful. Well, at least he expected it to be physical pain, if there was any.
But he guessed the extreme mental pain came from looking at that presence.
’What was that?’
Soren really didn’t know. His memory was hazy.
All he saw during that brief moment was countless monsters surrounding a figure encased in a halo of sorts.
Heck, he didn’t even know if it was a figure or something else. It was too abstract, just like a Concept.
He just knew the moment something laid its eyes on him, he felt throbbing pain for a full ten minutes straight.
’Sigh...forget it. Let’s see what I got with this awakening. It better be worth all the pain.’
Soren put aside these thoughts for a while. He could think about them leisurely later.
For now, he had to know what he got. From how he looked the same as before the awakening, he was, of course, doubtful.
He thought that after the awakening, he would become a burly, muscular guy of sorts. But there was nothing.
Even his muscles were the same, only the lingering pain in every fiber was the odd thing here.
’System, show me what Bloodline did I awaken.’
Since he was confused, Soren asked the system, which immediately gave a prompt without delay.
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Ding!
[Congratulations! You were successful in awakening your bloodline.]
[The grade of the bloodline you have awakened is Ranked Mythic, with endless potential.]
[Do you want to look at the details of your bloodline?]
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"..."
Soren was a bit stunned by the prompt from the system, a little confused.
Why did he feel that the bloodline he awakened wasn’t fixed?
Besides, he really had no idea that bloodlines had rankings. Well, he never came across such things while playing Lover’s Labyrinth before, after all.
The game being focused on something else did him a number, it seemed.
Not to mention that brief mention of him being the sole heir of the Kingswell lineage.
’Sigh... yeah, please show me the details.’
Those things touched him being the transmigrator and the authenticity of his current identity after all. Soren didn’t want to tackle them too early for his own sanity.
He knew he wouldn’t get anywhere and would only ruin his mood.
*Swoosh!*
As soon as Soren gave his order, the panel in front of him shifted before showing the information of his new bloodline.
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[Bloodline: Crimson Sovereign (Hidden)]
[Rank: Mythic]
[Effect:
> Regal Allure: The charm of a Sovereign is off the charts, so much so that at its top, even the goddess won’t be spared. Those who admire you will naturally submit to you, regardless of gender and race.
> Crimson Bond: An authority insignia of the bloodline holder. The Sovereign can use it on his beloved, sharing a bond that transcends realms with unique benefits.
> Scarlet Dominion: Bloodline State (Temporary), Activating this state temporarily boosts all personal stats. Each active Crimson Bond can channel the essence of the connection, enhancing the Sovereign’s power. The more bonds active, the greater the effect and the greater the strain on the body and mind.
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