"Riya, stay close!" Jon shouted .
"Watch for openings."
She nodded, heart beating fast. "Yes… Master."
The nearest assassin lunched an attack, claws slashing with speed.
The sounds of steel against stone.
Each strike from the assassins carried the weight of their bloodline power; each dodge and counter Jon felt like a dance of death.
Rasha leapt forward, teeth sinking into one assassin's shoulder.
The creature screamed, attacking her with reflexive strikes, but she twisted with wolf like agility and threw him across the chamber wall.
Riya felt fear grip her.
She focused on her senses, letting instinct take over.
The first assassin tried to strike Jon, with claws aimed at his back.
Riya's hands glowed faintly as she activated her defensive skill the Black Tiger Barrier.
A shimmering wall of energy erupted between her and the attacker, He move backward, eyes wide with surprise.
"Riya…" Jon's voice was sharp, yet filled
with pride. "Good! Keep it up!"
The battle raged on. Jon moved between the attackers.
One assassin, distracted by Riya's barrier, left an opening.
Jon moved, slashing cleanly. The assassin crumpled to the ground, eyes wide in shock.
Jon knelt over him.
ASSASSIN ELIGIBLE FOR BLOODLINE ABSORPTION
Warning:Pain and temporary instability expected.
Activating…
Dark energy erupted from Jon into the fallen assassin. Pain tore through his Body, but the system's voice guided him.
Focus on compatibility, Host. Merge the bloodline into your own core.
The assassin's essence flowed into him.
Power poured into his muscles, his veins, and his mind
He roared, releasing Black Tiger energy so intense that the remaining assassins staggered backward.
BLOODLINE ABSORPTION
Successful
Power rising:85-92 percent
New skill unlock: Shadow fang strike
Jon stood, energy radiating around him like black flame.
His eyes burned with a predator's hunger, fangs gleaming. The remaining assassins froze.
Rasha lowered her head, with admiration and concern in her eyes.
Riya pressed close, hand brushing his arm. "Master… you're incredible…"
Rasha growled, with a roar that shook the chamber, she lunched, claws extended.
The assassins had no time to counter.
One went flying into the wall, the other slammed into the floor with.
Her aura flared around Jon a protective shield.
Riya's eyes widened. "Rasha… she's amazing…"
"She's always been strong," Jon replied.
"Now she fights like she's defending everything she cares about."
Even as the battle ended, Jon felt a strange pressure within him.
The energy from the absorbed assassin, combined with his own rawBloodline.
His veins pulsed, black energy moving through his body.
BLOODLINE BREAKTHROUGH DETECTED
Stage 1
Jon's eyes glowed brighter.
The chamber seemed to slow around him.
Even the Council elders, hidden above in observation galleries, his rising power.
One elder muttered, He… he's becoming something else entirely…"
Another shook their head.
The six White Tiger assassins were all down.
Jon's claws dripped with their blood.
Riya moved forward, still shaken but safe.
She wrapped her arms around his waist instinctively, pressing close. "Master… I was so scared…"
He gently rested his hands on her shoulders.
Rasha regarded the scene with a mixture of admiration and restrained jealousy.
Jon caught the tension in her eyes.
"Rasha… don't worry. You fought well. I wouldn't have survived without you."
Above, the elders whispered among themselves, some shocked, some impressed, some afraid.
"Such raw potential… unchecked, he could dominate all bloodlines."
"He just absorbed an assassin in the battle… and triggered a breakthrough. This is unprecedented."
"We need to monitor him… carefully."
Jon sensing the shifting aura of the Council, knew this was only the beginning.
Rasha's ears flicked, eyes narrowing. "And I'll be watching too… closer than you think."