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Chapter 27 — Ripples in the Vein
The first sign came a week later.
It wasn't power.
It wasn't some grand awakening of draconic might.
It was my eyes.
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The Mirror
I'd woken early, as usual, after another brutal morning of training.
When I leaned over the cracked bronze mirror in my room, I froze.
For a moment, I thought I'd imagined it.
Then the light shifted — and there it was.
A faint blue shimmer in the depths of my irises.
Barely noticeable.
But it was there.
"...Great," I muttered. "Glowing eyes. That won't draw attention at all."
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System Notification
> [Bloodline Synchronization: 11%]
[Current Manifestation: Ocular Luminescence — Minor]
[Warning: Prolonged intense emotions may amplify visual effects.]
"Fantastic. So if I get mad, I start glowing like a beacon?" I sighed.
The System, of course, didn't answer.
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The Marketplace
I kept my head down that day, hood drawn low, but even then…
People noticed.
The merchant I often bought herbs from squinted at me.
"...Something different about you, boy," he muttered, frowning.
"Eyes look… sharper. Clearer. Like a predator."
I forced a laugh and paid quickly, ignoring the chill crawling down my spine.
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The Tensions Rising
By nightfall, the city was humming with gossip.
Xiao Clan patrols were doubling, their search for the "phantom" growing desperate.
The Yun Clan had begun formal preparations for the engagement ceremony.
Outsiders — merchants, travelers, and quiet men with sharper eyes than most — were starting to trickle into the city.
The plot was moving faster now.
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Private Training
That night, I pushed myself harder than ever.
Sword drills, breathing forms, and deep meditations to stabilize the draconic essence threading through my veins.
Every swing of my blade felt more precise, more natural.
The hum of energy in my blood was becoming a song — faint, but steady.
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System Alert
> [Bloodline Integration Progress: 14%]
[Passive Effects Unlocked:]
+10% Energy Recovery
+5% Resistance to Physical Fatigue
> [Next Milestone: 25% Integration — Minor Draconic Enhancement Available]
I stared at the glowing text, a slow grin spreading across my face.
The road ahead was long.
But every step was progress.
And soon, I'd need that progress.
Because the first domino was about to fall.
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