Pain.
Unbearable.
"…"
Blaine lay on the fractured ground just outside the forbidden boundary, his body barely holding together, muscles torn, bones strained, blood pooling beneath him.
But his eyes—
Still open.
Still burning.
The memory replayed.
That presence.
That absolute pressure.
That gap.
"…not enough."
The words didn't come from his mouth.
They echoed inside him.
Something deeper.
Something darker.
"…"
His fingers twitched.
Then—
A pulse.
THUMP.
The bloodline.
THUMP.
Stronger.
THUMP.
Violent.
"—!"
Blaine's body jerked.
Dark energy erupted from within—not outward, not wild—but compressing, forcing itself into every fiber of his body like something trying to break him apart… and rebuild him at the same time.
[Warning: Creator's Bloodline Overdrive]
[State Triggered: BERSERK]
His breathing stopped.
Then—
Exploded.
"AAAAAA—!!"
A raw, uncontrolled roar tore through the silent world as Blaine's body rose violently, his posture snapping upright in a way that no normal body should move.
The air around him distorted.
Not from speed.
From pressure.
Dark cracks spread faintly across his skin, like veins of something ancient forcing its way to the surface.
His eyes—
Changed.
No longer calm.
No longer controlled.
But filled with something primal.
Something dangerous.
Something—
Not human.
"…"
He moved.
Gone.
In an instant.
Crossing the boundary again.
Entering the forbidden zone.
The pressure returned.
Crushing.
But this time—
He didn't fall.
Didn't slow.
He walked.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Each movement cracking the ground beneath him as his body forced itself forward, resisting a pressure that had brought him to his knees moments before.
"…"
The figure appeared again.
Standing in the same place.
Watching.
But this time—
Its eyes narrowed.
"…you came back."
Blaine didn't respond.
Didn't think.
Didn't hesitate.
He attacked.
BOOM.
The ground shattered as he closed the distance instantly, his speed now completely beyond what it had been before.
The strike—
Landed.
For the first time—
The figure moved.
Stepped back.
Avoided.
"…interesting."
But Blaine didn't stop.
Didn't pause.
Didn't think.
Another strike.
Faster.
Stronger.
More violent.
BOOM.
The air itself cracked under the force.
The figure blocked this time.
And for the first time—
The ground beneath it shifted.
Slightly.
"…"
Silence.
Then—
A faint smile.
"…so this is your answer."
The fight began.
Not controlled.
Not calculated.
Pure destruction.
Blaine moved like a storm—each step tearing through the ground, each strike carrying overwhelming force that shattered everything it touched.
The figure responded.
Calm.
Precise.
Efficient.
But even then—
It was being pushed.
For the first time—
Pressed.
"…"
Blaine's attacks grew faster.
Stronger.
More unstable.
But also—
More dangerous.
To everything.
Including himself.
CRACK.
His arm twisted unnaturally.
Bone—
Fractured.
But he didn't stop.
Didn't feel it.
Didn't care.
Another strike.
BOOM.
Direct hit.
The figure slid back.
A clear mark left behind.
"…you're breaking."
A calm observation.
"…but evolving."
The pressure increased.
The figure moved faster.
Now—
Serious.
It struck.
Clean.
Precise.
CRACK.
Blaine's chest collapsed inward slightly.
Blood burst from his mouth.
But he didn't fall.
Didn't stop.
Didn't slow.
Instead—
He laughed.
A broken.
Distorted.
Unstable laugh.
"…"
The bloodline surged again.
Even stronger.
Even more violent.
Pushing him past limits.
Past logic.
Past control.
Then—
Everything focused.
One moment.
One strike.
Blaine moved.
Faster than before.
Beyond instinct.
Beyond thought.
And struck.
BOOM.
Direct.
Perfect.
The impact—
Shattered the ground.
Cracked the space between them.
And for the first time—
The figure stopped.
Completely.
Silence.
Then—
A small step back.
"…enough."
The fight ended.
Just like that.
The pressure vanished.
The world stabilized.
Blaine's body—
Collapsed.
Instantly.
The berserk state ended.
[Warning: Body Critical]
[Berserk State Ended]
His body didn't move.
Didn't respond.
Broken.
Destroyed.
But alive.
Barely.
The figure stood above him.
Looking down.
"…you crossed it."
A pause.
"…not by strength."
"…but by force."
Silence.
"…interesting."
It turned.
"…grow."
And disappeared.
Gone.
The system flickered violently.
[Survived Forbidden Zone]
[Massive Adaptation Achieved]
[Strength +150]
[Strength: 380]
[Bloodline Mutation Unlocked: Stage 1]
"…"
Blaine's eyes opened slightly.
Darkness fading.
But something—
Had changed.
His eyes—
No longer normal.
A faint, dark glow remained.
Alive.
Watching.
Evolving.
And far beyond—
Something smiled.
Because now—
The anomaly—
Had begun to grow.
Beyond expectation.
Beyond control.