Sector 9 was no longer a battlefield.
It was a testing ground.
"…"
Blaine stood still.
Eyes closed.
Breathing steady.
Not hunting.
Not moving.
Waiting.
Because this time—
He wasn't here to fight.
He was here to learn.
The system hovered silently.
[Strength: 210]
Unchanged.
For now.
Because strength alone—
Was no longer enough.
He remembered the gate.
The creature beyond it.
And more importantly—
The feeling.
Pressure.
Control.
Precision.
Everything he lacked.
"…"
Blaine exhaled slowly.
Then—
A presence.
Three monsters.
Approaching.
[Strength: 24][Strength: 26][Strength: 25]
Before—
He would have rushed.
Fought head-on.
Relied on instinct.
But now—
He didn't move.
Not immediately.
He watched.
Studied.
Analyzed.
Their movement.
Their rhythm.
Their intent.
Then—
They attacked.
Fast.
Coordinated.
But Blaine—
Moved.
Calm.
Controlled.
He stepped aside.
Minimal movement.
No wasted motion.
The first attack missed.
The second—
He deflected.
The third—
He countered.
CRACK.
One monster dropped instantly.
No struggle.
No noise.
Clean.
"…"
Different.
This felt different.
Better.
The remaining two attacked again.
But this time—
Blaine moved first.
Faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
Two strikes.
Two impacts.
BOOM.
Both fell.
Silence.
"…"
No damage.
No wasted energy.
Perfect execution.
The system responded.
[Monster Eliminated][Strength +5]
[Strength: 215]
Minimal gain.
As expected.
But that wasn't the goal.
Control was.
Then—
A pulse.
Deep inside.
"—!"
Blaine froze.
The bloodline reacted.
Again.
A dark energy stirred.
Violent.
Unstable.
Trying to break free.
[Warning: Creator's Bloodline Instability Detected]
"…"
This time—
He didn't let it take over.
Didn't lose control.
Instead—
He focused.
Forced it down.
Step by step.
Breath by breath.
Slowly—
The energy stabilized.
Not gone.
But contained.
"…"
So it could be controlled.
Not completely.
But enough.
A small step.
But important.
Then—
A presence.
Far stronger.
Blaine turned.
Slowly.
At the edge of the ruined street—
A figure stood.
Not moving.
Not hiding.
Watching.
Above its head—
[Strength: ???]
Silence.
So it was back.
The same type.
From the gate.
"…"
Neither moved.
Neither attacked.
Just—
Observed.
The creature tilted its head.
"…control."
Its voice—
Low.
Distorted.
"…you're learning."
"…"
Blaine didn't respond.
But his stance—
Shifted.
Ready.
The creature stepped forward.
Slow.
Calm.
"…not enough."
Then—
It vanished.
"—!"
Blaine reacted instantly.
Blocked.
BANG.
The impact—
Heavy.
But this time—
He didn't fall.
Didn't lose balance.
He held it.
"…"
Improvement.
The creature stepped back.
Watching.
Analyzing.
"…better."
A pause.
"…but still weak."
Silence.
Blaine stepped forward.
No hesitation.
Because now—
He understood something.
This wasn't an enemy.
Not yet.
It was—
A test.
The creature moved again.
Faster.
Sharper.
More precise.
And Blaine—
Matched it.
Not perfectly.
But closer.
Much closer.
Each exchange—
Sharper.
Cleaner.
More controlled.
Until—
The creature stopped.
Suddenly.
"…"
It looked at him.
For a moment—
Longer than before.
"…you're getting closer."
A faint smile.
"…but not ready."
Then—
It stepped back.
The air distorted.
And it disappeared.
Gone.
Silence returned.
"…"
Blaine stood still.
Breathing steady.
Uninjured.
But thinking.
Analyzing.
Because now—
The difference was clear.
Strength alone—
Wasn't enough.
But control—
Was changing everything.
And for the first time—
He was getting closer.
To that gate.
To that world.
To something beyond.
Blaine turned.
Walking forward once more.
Because now—
He wasn't just preparing.
He was evolving.