The air grew heavier.
Not slowly.
Instantly.
"…"
Blaine stood still.
Eyes fixed ahead.
Because now—
He could feel it clearly.
Multiple presences.
Not one.
Not ten.
More.
Far more.
Shapes emerged from the dark red horizon.
Distorted.
Twisted.
Moving unnaturally.
One step.
Two.
Then—
They rushed.
All at once.
"…"
No hesitation.
No warning.
Only instinct.
Kill.
Blaine exhaled slowly.
Then—
He moved.
BOOM.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
He dashed forward.
Not backward.
Forward.
Straight into the swarm.
The first creature attacked.
Fast.
Sharp.
But Blaine—
Faster.
CRACK.
It collapsed instantly.
No pause.
No delay.
The second—
BOOM.
Gone.
The third—
Dodged.
Countered.
Destroyed.
But this time—
They didn't stop.
More came.
From every direction.
Left.
Right.
Behind.
Above.
"…"
Surrounded.
Completely.
Blaine activated Instinct Flow.
The world slowed.
But not enough.
Because they were too many.
Too aggressive.
Too relentless.
An attack slipped through.
BANG.
His shoulder snapped back.
Pain.
Real.
Sharp.
"…"
So they could hit him.
Good.
That meant—
This was real danger.
Another strike.
He blocked—
Barely.
A third—
Dodged.
A fourth—
Landed.
CRACK.
Blood spilled.
The swarm pressed harder.
No rhythm.
No fear.
No retreat.
Only attack.
"…"
Blaine's breathing changed.
He wasn't overwhelmed.
Not yet.
But this—
Was pushing him.
Exactly what he needed.
Then—
A pulse.
Deep inside.
"—!"
The bloodline reacted.
Stronger than before.
The moment he got injured—
It responded.
Like a trigger.
Like a weapon waiting.
[Warning: Creator's Bloodline Activity Increasing]
"…"
This again.
But this time—
He didn't suppress it.
Didn't force it down.
Instead—
He allowed it.
Just a little.
Dark energy spread.
Not exploding.
Not berserk.
Controlled.
Barely.
His movements changed.
Sharper.
Faster.
More precise.
The next attack came—
He didn't dodge.
He stepped in.
And struck.
BOOM.
The creature exploded backward.
Dead instantly.
Another.
Another.
Another.
Each strike—
More efficient.
More deadly.
The swarm—
Started breaking.
Not retreating.
But slowing.
Because something had changed.
The prey—
Had become the predator.
Blaine moved like a shadow.
Unpredictable.
Unstoppable.
Every movement—
Perfectly timed.
Every strike—
Lethal.
Bodies fell.
One after another.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
Still—
More remained.
His breathing deepened.
The energy inside—
Growing.
Pushing.
Demanding more.
"…"
This was the limit.
For now.
He couldn't go further.
Not without losing control.
So he ended it.
Fast.
Brutal.
Final.
BOOM.
The last creature fell.
Silence.
Returned.
Heavy.
Blaine stood still.
Blood dripping.
Breathing steady.
Barely.
"…"
Alive.
But pushed.
Hard.
The bloodline calmed.
Slowly.
Returning to silence.
But not fully.
Never fully.
"…"
So this was the new world.
No system rewards.
No easy growth.
Only—
Survival.
And adaptation.
Then—
A distant roar echoed.
Deep.
Massive.
Not like the others.
Something bigger.
Stronger.
Watching.
Waiting.
"…"
A faint smile appeared.
Because now—
This was getting interesting.
Blaine stepped forward.
Into the unknown.
Because this world—
Was far from done with him.