Mike watched the light from the teleportation array fade, taking Michael with it. He returned to his office and, without delay, placed a call.
The line connected. "Madam, the young master has left the battlefield. I gave him the invitation as you instructed."
On the other end, in a lavishly appointed office, sat Evelyn, Michael's mother. "Was there anything else?" she asked, her voice calm but intent.
Mike recounted the entire meeting, detailing Michael's words and the chilling aura he had emanated.
Evelyn was not surprised by Michael's sense of loyalty, but the specific phrasing he used felt heavy with unspoken meaning. "You've done well, Mike. You may return to headquarters at your discretion. Just ensure you select a suitable replacement for your post."
Meanwhile, Michael materialized at a Federation military base. All returnees from the battlefield were required to pass through security screening for verification.
He walked through a large scanner, his D-level body armor concealed beneath a full-length black hooded cloak, his sword still strapped to his back. The overseeing officer glanced at him but said nothing. Most warriors stored their gear in spatial bags, but it wasn't against protocol to carry it. More notably, an invisible pressure radiated from Michael—the unmistakable aura of someone who had spent years steeped in slaughter. The officer and his subordinates wisely kept their distance.
Michael was aware of their hesitation but indifferent. He proceeded directly to the high-speed rail station bound for Starlight City. No one attempted to stop him; everyone understood the kind of person one becomes after surviving the battlefield, and it was wiser not to provoke them over trivialities.
He booked a private compartment on the high-rail. Solitude was a habit he preferred.
During the journey, exhaustion finally caught up with him, and he fell into a deep sleep. He awoke hours later to the sight of a sprawling metropolis outside his window. Towering buildings and dense air defense networks dominated the skyline.
"Still, nothing has changed," he murmured.
He donned his cloak, pulling the hood low to shadow half his face, and slung his sword over his back. The feeling of being back in civilization was strange, almost alien.
As he moved toward the station exit, he passed a young man of a similar age who was heading for a luxury car. The man caught a glimpse of Michael's partially concealed face and froze for a second, recognition dawning.
Michael? He actually came back from the battlefield, Rowan thought, a sly, calculating smile spreading across his face. He slid into his car and ordered his driver, "Follow that taxi."
He then pulled out his communicator and dialed a number. "David. Michael is back."
An angry voice erupted from the other side. "That bastard dares to show his face? Find out where he's going. I'll call the others. This time, it won't end like it did last time."
Rowan grinned, anticipating the scandal about to unfold. He trailed Michael's taxi to the Golden Rise Group's flagship hotel. Knowing he couldn't act within the hotel's domain, he stationed his men outside to keep watch. Michael, unaware of the brewing storm, was indifferent to his past. But by returning, he had stepped back into a world that remembered him. The Michael of today, however, was not someone they could easily handle—a fact their elders would likely understand far better than they.
Michael checked into his suite, specifically requesting one with a private training room—the best available. He removed his cloak, armor, and upper garments, unsure of what the bloodline awakening would entail.
Standing in the center of the training room, he focused his mind. "System, extract the blood from the ancient beast."
A digital chime echoed in his consciousness.
[Extracting blood... 1%... 2%... 5%....... 100%]
[Extraction complete. Host has obtained 100 drops of Ancient Demon Blood.]
A crystal vial materialized before him, filled with a dark, shimmering liquid.
"System, how do I use it?"
[The host must consume the blood drop by drop. Do not ingest multiple drops at once. The energy contained is immense and could cause the host's body to rupture.]
Michael didn't hesitate. He uncorked the vial, and the mere scent of the blood made him lightheaded, a testament to its potency. With iron will, he controlled the urge and drank a single drop before sealing the container.
The effect was instantaneous and violent. Excruciating pain erupted through his body as his heart hammered wildly against his ribs. A primordial roar echoed from the depths of his soul, and he felt as if something long dormant was tearing itself awake within his very blood.
A torrent of scorching heat surged through his veins, spreading to every capillary. His skin began to glow, and intricate patterns of black and gold light traced a path up his arms and toward his neck. His body convulsed, trembling under the force of the transformation.
Lost in the agonizing process, Michael was unaware of the physical changes: his short black hair lengthened and shifted to a dark silver hue. A massive concentration of energy vortexed over his chest, and the raw aura of his awakening bloodline began to leak out, pressing down on the room around him.
The reinforced floor beneath him cracked under the pressure, and the very space in the room wavered for a moment before stabilizing.
He remained in this state, utterly motionless, for fourteen days, receiving an inheritance from a bloodline whose origins were yet unknown.
On the fourteenth day, a luxury car was parked across from the Golden Rise Group Hotel. Inside, a group of young men waited.
"Rowan, are you absolutely sure it was him?" asked David, the boy sitting in the passenger seat.
"I'm sure, David. I could never mistake that face," Rowan replied, his eyes fixed on the hotel entrance.
"What the hell is he doing in that hotel? If it were anywhere else, we'd have dragged him out by now. But here… we can't make a scene. We have to wait for him to come out." David glared at the imposing structure, not daring to confront the establishment that represented the most powerful figure on Blue Star.
"Today is the auction. We can't miss it. We'll leave a couple of guys here to keep watch. But when he emerges," David said, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper, "we won't let him off this time."