Silence.
Thick.
Unnatural.
"…"
Blaine remained where he stood.
Frozen.
Not by fear—
But by what was happening inside him.
The moment the devour completed—
Something went wrong.
No—
Not wrong.
Different.
Violent.
"—!"
Pain exploded through his entire body.
Not from injury—
From within.
His veins burned.
His muscles tightened uncontrollably.
His vision—
Distorted.
[Warning: Foreign System Energy Detected]
[Warning: Integration Failure Risk]
"…"
Too much.
This wasn't like monsters.
This—
Was human.
A system.
A different path.
And it was resisting.
"—GH—!"
Blaine dropped to one knee.
His hand slammed into the broken ground.
Cracks spread outward.
Not from strength—
From loss of control.
"…"
The energy inside him surged again.
Colliding.
Clashing.
Trying to tear him apart.
But then—
Something reacted.
Deep within him.
The Creator Bloodline.
It awakened.
Not violently—
But dominantly.
Like a ruler.
The chaotic energy—
Paused.
Just for a moment.
And that moment—
Was enough.
"…"
Blaine forced himself to breathe.
Slow.
Controlled.
Then—
He did what he always did.
He devoured it.
Not all at once.
Piece by piece.
Breaking it down.
Analyzing.
Absorbing.
The system reacted again—
But this time—
Differently.
[Analyzing Foreign Ability…]
[Compatibility Check…]
A pause.
Longer than before.
Then—
[Integration Successful]
Silence.
The pain—
Stopped.
Instantly.
"…"
Blaine exhaled slowly.
His body—
Still shaking.
But stable.
For now.
Then—
The system displayed something new.
Something he had never seen before.
[New Ability Acquired]
[Suppression Resistance – Lv.1]
[Description: Reduces external control effects]
"…"
So that's what he had.
Not strength—
Control.
A way to dominate others.
"…"
Good.
Now it was his.
But—
That wasn't all.
The system flickered again.
Glitching.
Unstable.
[Error…]
[Recalibrating…]
"…"
Something was changing.
Not just the ability—
The system itself.
The devoured energy—
Wasn't fully processed.
Parts of it—
Were merging.
Altering.
Evolving.
"…"
Blaine frowned slightly.
This was new.
Unexpected.
Dangerous.
But also—
Opportunity.
The system stabilized again.
Slowly.
Then—
A final message appeared.
[New Function Unlocked]
A pause.
Then—
[Partial Ability Absorption Enabled]
Silence.
"…"
Blaine's eyes sharpened.
This—
Changed everything.
Before—
He devoured traits.
Now—
He could take abilities.
From enemies.
From humans.
From anything.
"…"
Dangerous.
But powerful.
Very powerful.
He slowly stood up.
His body—
Still unstable.
But stronger.
Different.
His gaze shifted to the body on the ground.
The man.
Now—
Nothing more than a resource.
"…"
Blaine didn't feel anything.
No anger.
No satisfaction.
Only—
Understanding.
This world—
Didn't reward hesitation.
Only evolution.
And he—
Would keep evolving.
No matter the cost.