In this world, blood determined everything.
If one possessed more than 5% blood purity, joining a guild wasn't optional,it was mandatory. The four royal guilds, each tied to the cardinal directions,North, South, East, and West,absorbed all promising individuals. Nobles with even a trace of royal blood were assigned to leadership roles, while commoners with high enough purity had to fight for recognition and survival.
Guilds weren't small organizations. They numbered in the tens of millions, their forces powerful enough to defend entire cities and border territories.
Rin's current guild, under the Eastern domain, was positioned near the southeastern border. It was one of three units stationed there to guard against interworld breaches. The leader of this guild sector was none other than Duke Veydran's eldest son,Kael Veydran, a monstrous talent with 59% blood purity, horned, tailed, and known for his ruthlessness.
When Rin had first awoken in this new body, he'd struggled to adjust to the strength and instincts that came with it. But now, after weeks of brutal sparring and training, he was gaining control. Though his blood purity was only 17%, that alone made him hundreds of times stronger than his former human self.
Most thought he was just another spoiled royal bastard. He was royalty, yes, the son of the king's younger brother, but his status didn't spare him from scorn,not when his blood purity paled in comparison to true princes.After a few tests, it was obvious that he is ready to get back to his position.The days at the border passed in a silent, heavy rhythm.
For Rin, it was a blessing.
He took this rare calm to assess his new body. There was so much to learn. He had been thrown into this world with no warning, no preparation. No training, except the faint memories of the life he had once lived,those memories now tangled in with the knowledge of who he was supposed to be.
He wasn't just Rin Solas anymore. Not the ordinary man who died in a park. He was something more.
The strength, speed, and endurance he had gained from the 17% dragon blood were overwhelming. The first time he had pushed his body in the training yard, he could barely contain his excitement. It was like waking up in a new world,everything felt different.
Rin was no fighter. He never had been. He wasn't the type to swing a sword or get into hand-to-hand combat. But in this body,this vessel of scales and power,his mind clicked with the natural combat instincts that this form came with.
At first, he sparred with one guild member. He found the motions strange, like trying to fight through a fog. But as the days passed, his body grew accustomed to it, learning from each fight. The awkwardness melted away.
Then, he fought two.
And then three.
He crushed his opponents,not because he was trying to, but because his body just moved without him thinking about it. His muscles, now far stronger than his human frame, responded faster than his mind could catch up. The punches landed with a ferocity he never thought possible. When he blocked strikes, the force barely dented his resolve.
Rin wasn't a fighter. He wasn't a warrior. But the blood of dragons coursing through him made him feel like one.
His body wasn't just stronger than he had ever been,it was effortless. Every movement was graceful, precise, and devastating. And the more he trained, the more he realized: this power wasn't just about strength. His reflexes were on a different level. He could hear the movements of his opponents before they even made them. He could sense the trajectory of their attacks, the weight of their weapons, the slight shift in their stance.
But there was a limit.
Even now, as he stood tall, watching his last opponent pick themselves up from the dirt, Rin understood that 17% blood purity wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to face the true warriors of this world, the ones who had the full power of dragon blood coursing through their veins.
But the thought of reaching 20% filled him with determination.
The system had made it clear. At 20% purity, he would be on par with a 2nd Awakening human from his original world.
The thought buzzed in his mind like a spark of ambition. 20%. That was his first goal.
after weeks of brutal sparring and training, he was gaining control.
Then came the sudden challenge.
A neighboring kingdom, friendly but ever-competitive, proposed a match: a demonstration of strength between their border guilds. It was tradition, a form of political and martial tension release.