The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly on the training grounds of Cloudhaven Academy.
Hundreds of students stood in neat rows, their uniforms pristine, their auras already flickering with the power of their awakened bloodlines.
Lin Feng stood at the very back, shoulders hunched, trying to make himself as small as possible.
"Next group! Bloodline demonstration!" Instructor Zhang's voice boomed across the field.
One by one, students stepped forward.
A girl with long black hair raised her hand. Crimson flames erupted from her palm, forming a roaring phoenix that soared ten meters into the air.
"A-rank Fire Phoenix Bloodline!" the instructor announced proudly. Applause erupted.
A tall boy slammed his fist into the ground. The earth cracked and a ten-meter stone golem rose behind him.
"S-rank Earth Titan Bloodline! Excellent!"
Lin Feng clenched his fists until his nails bit into his palms. Every demonstration felt like a slap to his face.
Finally, it was his turn.
"Lin Feng. Step forward."
The entire field went quiet. A few students snickered.
He walked to the center, heart pounding. He already knew what would happen.
"Activate your bloodline," Instructor Zhang ordered, arms crossed.
Lin Feng closed his eyes and tried. A faint silver glow appeared around his body, barely visible even in daylight. His eyes sharpened slightly, letting him see the mocking expressions of his classmates in perfect detail.
That was all.
The glow flickered once and died.
"F-rank Night Eye Bloodline," the instructor announced flatly. "No combat application. Next!"
Laughter exploded across the training ground.
"Still useless after all these years!"
"Maybe he should just drop out and become a night watchman!"
"Trash! The academy is wasting resources on him!"
Lin Feng lowered his head and walked back to his spot, cheeks burning. He had heard it all before, but today it hurt more than usual.
Because today was the last day of the term.
And tomorrow, the academy would decide who received recommendations for the Central Bloodline Examination, the gateway to real power, resources, and a future.
He already knew his name wouldn't be on the list.
After class, Lin Feng didn't go straight back to the dorms. Instead, he wandered to the old abandoned library at the edge of the academy grounds, a dusty, forgotten building where no one ever came.
He needed somewhere quiet to think.
Pushing open the creaking door, he stepped inside. Sunlight filtered through broken windows, illuminating rows of crumbling bookshelves. The air smelled of old paper and mold.
He dropped onto a dusty chair and buried his face in his hands.
"Why… why did I have to be born with this garbage bloodline?" he whispered. "If I can't even get a recommendation, what's the point of staying here? My family already treats me like I don't exist. Maybe I should just leave the city… or…"
His voice trailed off. The thought of ending it all had crossed his mind more than once.
A soft humming sound suddenly filled the room.
Lin Feng lifted his head.
On the floor, half-buried under a pile of fallen books, something was glowing with a deep crimson light.
He stood up slowly and walked over. Brushing away the dust, he found an ancient-looking black stone tablet no larger than a book. Strange golden runes crawled across its surface like living things.
The moment his fingers touched it, the world froze.
[Warning! Forbidden Bloodline Relic Detected!]
[Blood Resonance: 100% Compatibility]
[Initiating Binding…]
A searing pain exploded in Lin Feng's chest. He gasped, collapsing to his knees as crimson energy surged into his veins like molten lava.
His vision turned red. Every cell in his body screamed.
Then a cold, mechanical voice spoke directly inside his mind.
[Congratulations, Host.]
[You have awakened the My Bloodline System.]
[This System allows the Host to devour, plunder, and evolve bloodlines from any living being.]
[Current Bloodline: Night Eye (F-rank)]
[Blood Essence: 0/100]
A translucent blue screen appeared in front of his eyes, visible only to him.
**Host Status**
**Name:** Lin Feng
**Age:** 17
**Current Bloodline:** Night Eye (F-rank) — Minor night vision enhancement
**Blood Essence:** 0
**Level:** 1 (Novice Devourer)
**Skills:** None
[New Quest Generated!]
**First Plunder**
**Task:** Devour the blood essence of one living creature (human or beast) within 24 hours.
**Reward:** 200 Blood Essence + Random Bloodline Fragment + System Shop Unlock
**Penalty:** Permanent loss of the System and backlash that will cripple your original bloodline forever.
Lin Feng stared at the floating text, breathing hard.
"This… this can't be real. A System? Like in those old fantasy novels?"
He tried to stand, but another wave of information flooded his mind.
[System Note: Bloodlines are the foundation of power in this world. By consuming the blood essence of others, you can extract their bloodline traits, upgrade your own, or even fuse entirely new bloodlines. There is no limit to how high you can climb, as long as you keep devouring.]
A small progress bar appeared beside his status.
**Hunger for Blood Essence: 0%**
(If this reaches 100% without consumption, you will suffer [Bloodline Collapse] debuff.)
Lin Feng's hands trembled.
He looked down at the black tablet, which had now turned dull and ordinary. The runes had vanished.
"Did… did I just get a cheat?"
Before he could process everything, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the library.
"Hey, isn't this where that trash Lin Feng always hides?"
"Probably crying again after today's humiliation."
Three familiar voices. His usual bullies, Zhao Wei (C-rank Wind Blade Bloodline), Liu Ming (D-rank Strength Enhancement), and their follower Chen Hao.
They pushed the door open and stepped inside, grinning when they saw him.
"Look at that. Alone again, as expected," Zhao Wei sneered. "Heard you got zero recommendation chances. Pathetic."
Liu Ming cracked his knuckles. "Since tomorrow is the last day, why don't we give you a proper send-off? Maybe break a few bones so you remember your place."
Lin Feng slowly stood up.
For the first time in years, there was no fear in his eyes.
Instead, there was something cold. Something hungry.
The system's voice rang in his mind again.
[Host, fresh bloodlines detected.]
[Zhao Wei, Wind Blade Bloodline (C-rank)]
[Liu Ming, Strength Enhancement Bloodline (D-rank)]
[Would you like to begin your first plunder?]
Lin Feng's lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile.
He had been stepped on for seventeen years.
Today, the stepping stopped.
"Come on then," he said quietly, voice steady for the first time. "Let's see whose bloodline is really trash."
The three bullies laughed, thinking he had finally gone crazy.
They had no idea.
The real predator had just awakened.