Kitae leaned against the cold wall of the underground arena, his body barely holding itself together. Every breath scraped his lungs like sandpaper. His hands were raw, knuckles swollen and bleeding. The taste of copper still lingered in his mouth.
The battle was over.
But the war had only begun.
Cynthia watched him silently, arms folded across her chest. Her expression was unreadable, a mixture of intrigue and something harder to name—concern, perhaps. Or calculation.
> "You unlocked the Lion's blood," she finally said. "And lived."
Kitae's voice came out like gravel. "Barely."
She walked toward the Apex Hunter's fallen body. The man was unconscious but alive, barely. His ribs were shattered, breath shallow. Cynthia crouched beside him and placed two fingers on his temple. A faint glow pulsed.
Kitae blinked. What the hell is she doing?
The glow vanished. Cynthia stood and turned to Kitae.
"He won't remember you. Not your face, not your power. That fight wasn't sanctioned, and if the other Guilds find out you've activated your Threshold this early... they'll hunt you down before you mature."
Kitae scoffed. "Why do you care?"
Cynthia's smile was faint. "Because I don't waste good assets."
Before he could respond, a sharp pulse burned through his spine.
---
[SYSTEM ALERT]
Threshold Surge Detected.
Lion Bloodline: 79% Stabilization
Vital Strain Level: CRITICAL
Recommendation: Immediate Rest & System Integration
> Engaging Emergency Sync Mode…
Preparing Memory Package: The Roar Archive (Locked)
Unlock Requirement: Defeat 3 Recognized Beastline Users
---
Kitae collapsed to one knee, clutching his ribs as the interface danced before his eyes. Visions—strange and fractured—flashed through his mind. A desert battlefield. A golden-eyed warrior standing atop a mountain of corpses. A lion cloaked in flame.
Then—blackness.
---
When he awoke, he was somewhere else.
A small room. Spartan. A single lightbulb above his head, a cot beneath him, and a long mirror across the wall.
And Cynthia sitting in the corner, sipping tea.
"You slept for 18 hours," she said without looking at him. "The system nearly fried your brain. You're lucky the sync held."
He tried to sit up, but pain locked his body in place.
"Relax," she continued. "Your body's still adjusting. The Lion Bloodline isn't just a myth, Kitae. It's a legacy of war. A blood-soaked throne that turns children into monsters."
She placed a small metal box beside his cot. It hissed open.
Inside: a black band with a faint golden crest—a lion's eye.
"Wear this," she said. "It'll stabilize the next activation."
Kitae stared at it.
"What is it?"
Cynthia's eyes flickered with something darker. "A collar. Or a crown. Depends on what kind of beast you become."
---
Later that night, alone in the room, Kitae finally activated the interface manually.
---
[SYSTEM INTERFACE ONLINE]
User: Kitae Kim
Bloodline: Lion (Royal Subclass - Sovereign Roar)
Threshold Synchronization: 81%
Current Stats (Suppressed Mode):
Strength: 12
Speed: 14
Endurance: 11
Instinct: 19
Charisma: ???
Bloodline Potential: C+ → A (In Progress)
Passive Effects:
> Feral Instinct – Reflex boost based on stress.
Predator's Focus – One precision override per 24h.
Locked Archive: The Roar
> 3 Beastline Combatants Required to Unlock.
---
Kitae stared at the flickering interface.
Three beastline users.
He remembered the Apex Hunter. How close he came to death. And that was just the first.
The road ahead wasn't just dangerous. It was lethal.
But then he looked into the mirror.
And saw something behind his own eyes. The gleam of golden fire, faint—but there.
The lion was awake.
---
Elsewhere...
A darkened chamber. Velvet drapes, glowing sigils on the walls. A figure knelt before a throne carved from obsidian, speaking into a crystal.
"My Lord... the Lion Bloodline has awakened. The system marks him as active."
A low, resonant voice replied, calm but laced with threat.
> "Then the hunt begins. Send the Fangborn. Let us see if the cub roars... or dies screaming."
---