Rian stood in the dim glow of his bedroom, the first faint light of dawn stretching across the city skyline. A month before the apocalypse, and yet, everything already felt heavy with anticipation. He had spent the past few days learning the limits of his Primordial Bloodline System, awakening latent powers, and reclaiming fragments of energy from his surroundings.
Now, he needed something more concrete—resources, tools, and the foundation that would allow him to survive the chaos he knew was coming.
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1. Assessing the Situation
He opened the Subspace Inventory.
The interface shimmered into view, listing every item, weapon, and fragment he had absorbed so far. Most of it was elemental energy and small fragments of mana from the last timeline. Nothing significant, but enough to start small.
System Prompt:
Subspace Inventory Accessed
Items Stored: 0 / 100
Energy Fragments: Mana ×12, Spiritual ×7, Elemental ×5
He exhaled slowly. "Not bad… but I'll need more than energy if I'm going to survive a month before everything goes to hell."
He scanned the room. Even a seemingly ordinary apartment could hide potential. The metal in his desk had traces of elemental conductivity—earth and lightning potential. The glass from his window carried residual solar energy. With the System's guidance, he carefully absorbed only what had true potential, filtering out useless matter.
System Prompt:
Potential Detected: Earth, Lightning, Solar
Absorption Recommended
Rian's hands glowed faintly as he absorbed the energies, feeling the threads of mana and spiritual energy weaving into his own essence. Unlike before, he didn't indiscriminately touch everything—he was learning patience, filtering only what had real growth potential.
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2. Gathering Supplies
After assessing the apartment, Rian knew he couldn't rely solely on ambient energies. He needed tools, weapons, and materials to prepare for the apocalypse's arrival.
He planned carefully. Supplies would have to last, so he prioritized:
• Food and water: enough for weeks, factoring in possible shortages.
• Medical kits: herbs, modern medicine, and alchemical components he could enhance later.
• Tools: metalworking, woodcraft, and crafting tools for creating weapons or traps.
• Containers: secure boxes to store absorbed fragments safely in the Subspace Inventory.
Rian left his apartment and ventured into nearby stores. At first glance, it looked like a normal day—but he was acutely aware of every faint energy residue in his surroundings. Even mundane objects carried traces of spiritual or elemental energy left by the slowly returning natural world.
• A rusty iron pipe? Earth energy, low tier.
• A broken streetlamp? Electric energy, moderate tier.
• A stray blackbird feather? Wind energy, minor potential.
He only absorbed what had growth potential. Every small fragment counted; he was building a foundation for the future, not instantly maxing out powers.
System Prompt:
Energy Absorption Successful
Earth Energy ×8
Lightning Energy ×5
Wind Energy ×3
Rian grinned faintly. "Good. Every little bit helps."
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3. Strategic Planning
Back in his apartment, Rian laid out his supplies, mapping the city in his mind.
Month remaining: 30 days
System Reclamation: Active
Apocalypse Initiation: Pending
He began drafting a plan:
1. Reclaim powers: daily absorption of mana, spiritual, and elemental energies.
2. Inventory buildup: collect weapons, tools, and fragments with potential.
3. Skill training: gradually improve combat and magical techniques without overexertion.
4. Map dungeons and hotspots: although none had appeared yet, he would prepare scouting strategies.
5. Allies (optional): consider recruiting those with latent potential once the apocalypse begins.
Each step was deliberate. Rian understood the month was his chance to prepare—not a time for reckless power accumulation. Patience and precision were his tools.
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4. Awakening Small Bloodline Traits
Rian's focus on potential extended beyond objects. He had begun experimenting with fragments of living creatures—plants, insects, even small rodents.
System Prompt:
Bloodline Potential Detected: Minor Elemental/Beast Traits
Absorption Recommended
He carefully merged small traits into his own bloodline. A spider's agility became a minor reflex booster. A sparrow's flight instinct translated into enhanced spatial awareness. None of it was overwhelming—everything had a slow, natural progression.
This was the first taste of bloodline evolution—not instant omnipotence, but incremental growth. The System guided him, showing which traits could merge safely, which had future potential, and which were too weak to matter.
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5. Closing Thoughts
Night fell. The city's streets were quiet, but Rian's mind raced with possibilities. He was alive again, a month before disaster, armed with the Primordial Bloodline System, a growing collection of energies, and a plan.
He understood something vital:
Power without strategy is worthless.
Tomorrow, he would venture further. Tomorrow, he would reclaim more fragments, awaken latent potential in unlikely places, and strengthen the foundation of his survival. The apocalypse was coming, and when it did, he would be ready—not all at once, but step by step, bloodline by bloodline.