The air in the dungeon was heavy with ash and blood. The faint light from the fallen wolf's body flickered and vanished, leaving Hayate in darkness once more.
His breathing slowed. The pain faded. Only the sound of dripping water echoed around him.
"Revenant Instinct…" he whispered, flexing his hand. "This power… it feels like it's alive."
The System responded in that same calm, emotionless tone.
[Passive skill integrated successfully.][Host's bloodline resonance detected.]
Hayate blinked.
"Bloodline…?"
[Analyzing ancestral code… 78%... 93%... Complete.][Result: Dormant lineage discovered — Origin Unknown.][Initiating First Bloodline Awakening.]
A searing light erupted from his chest. He fell to his knees, clutching his body as veins of gold and crimson energy coursed beneath his skin. His heartbeat thundered like a war drum.
"What— what's happening to me?!"
The pain was unbearable, yet something deep within him refused to let go.
Visions flashed through his mind — shadows, flames, wings, and a pair of burning eyes that seemed to pierce through eternity.
A voice — faint, ancient, filled with sorrow — whispered inside his head.
"My heir… my curse… awaken."
Then came silence.
The ground split beneath him as energy burst outward. Cracks of red and gold lightning tore through the dungeon walls.
[Bloodline Awakened: Revenant Monarch (Fragment).][Skill Unlocked: Blood of Ruin – Rank C.]
Hayate gasped as the energy subsided. His reflection appeared faintly in a puddle nearby — eyes glowing faint crimson, hair shimmering with streaks of red-gold.
"Revenant Monarch… is that what I am?"
The System hummed quietly.
[Partial awakening complete. Future evolution possible.]
Hayate stood, his tattered shirt fluttering as the last sparks faded. Despite his exhaustion, a strange calm filled his chest — the calm of someone who had touched power beyond mortal limits.
"If this is just the beginning," he murmured, "then this world has no idea what's coming."
A faint sound reached his ears — soft footsteps.
Hayate turned. From the shadows, a figure emerged — a girl in torn robes, holding a broken staff. Her silver hair glowed faintly under the dungeon light, and her blue eyes widened when she saw him.
"You… you're alive?" she whispered.
Hayate tensed.
"Who are you?"
The girl hesitated, lowering her weapon.
"Lyria. Apprentice mage from the human kingdom… I thought I was the only one left down here."
Her voice trembled, but there was strength in her eyes.
Hayate studied her — the blood on her clothes, the desperation in her posture.
For the first time, he realized he wasn't completely alone.
"Then we survive together," he said quietly. "But stay close. Down here, even the walls are hungry."
Lyria nodded.
And somewhere deep within the dungeon, something massive stirred — watching the two humans, as if amused.
[Quest Updated: Escape the First Dungeon – Optional Ally Found.]