"Tsk… what am I doing?"
Kai slowed mid-air.
The violent rush of battle had faded, leaving only the cold wind rushing past him as his wings adjusted instinctively, keeping him suspended in the sky. The air currents bent unnaturally around him—subconsciously controlled—allowing him to hover without effort.
For the first time since the fight—
He thought.
Really thought.
Everything that had just happened replayed in his mind.
The battle.
The destruction.
The way people looked at him.
His jaw tightened.
Why should I care…?
His thoughts drifted further back.
To school.
To quieter days.
He remembered helping other students with their studies—explaining things, staying behind, making sure they understood.
And what did he get?
Nothing.
No gratitude.
No appreciation.
Nothing… except from Ashley.
A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
This is the same thing…
I help… and still—
They look at me like I'm the problem.
His eyes darkened slightly.
Didn't they see those monsters?
If I held back like her… I would've been the one hurt.
She was holding back too much…
She would've been overwhelmed eventually.
The wind howled louder around him as his emotions stirred.
So why…?
Why don't they appreciate that I saved them?
He stopped completely in the air.
His wings spread wide, catching the wind. The currents he unconsciously controlled lifted him gently, holding him in place like an invisible hand.
Silence.
Then—
A shift.
"…I need to learn how to fight."
The realization came quietly.
Firm.
Clear.
His power was wild.
Uncontrolled.
Dangerous.
If he kept fighting like that—
More people would get hurt.
I need control.
His thoughts moved quickly now.
Martial arts…
China… Japan… somewhere in the East…
A small spark of curiosity lit up inside him.
Ninja…
A faint grin appeared.
Shuriken… short swords… dual blades…
For a moment—
He forgot everything else.
The guilt.
The frustration.
The confusion.
It all faded beneath the simple excitement of a goal.
Then—
He turned his head.
Far in the distance, barely visible—
A tiny moving dot.
The military truck.
Ashley.
Miss Cambrian.
He watched it in silence.
"…Should I go back?"
The question lingered.
Then—
He shook his head.
They're safe.
I saved them.
That's enough.
His gaze hardened.
You could say I repaid them.
So… I can go.
Without another thought—
He turned toward the horizon.
East.
A deep breath filled his lungs—
And then—
BOOM.
A sonic boom tore through the sky as he accelerated.
His body shot forward, cutting through the air at speeds rivaling an aircraft. The world blurred beneath him—cities, land, destruction—flashing past in streaks of color.
As he flew—
He saw it.
A plane.
Falling.
Spiraling toward the ground.
Screams echoed faintly even from this distance.
Through shattered windows, chaos unfolded—passengers fighting, panicking—
Zombies tearing into them.
Kai's eyes flickered toward it.
For a moment—
He watched.
Then—
He looked away.
His expression turned cold.
And he kept flying.
Hours passed.
The coastline came into view.
Endless ocean stretching beyond the horizon.
But something was wrong.
A low growl echoed from his stomach.
Sharp.
Painful.
"…Tch…"
A year.
Three days.
That's how long he had gone without properly eating.
His body had endured it—
But not without cost.
Dizziness crept in.
His vision blurred slightly.
"…Not now…"
Instinctively, he pushed harder.
Faster.
The world slowed again as he accelerated beyond his limits, lightning bursting around him as he shot forward.
The ocean below—
Split.
Water parted violently beneath the force of his passage.
He became a streak across the sky.
A blur.
A force.
Heading toward—
The land of the rising sun.
Japan.
The shoreline rushed toward him.
Too fast.
His vision dimmed.
His body weakened.
Mana—
Gone.
Mental energy—
Depleted.
"…Damn…"
And then—
Darkness.
He fell.
Like a broken star.
His body crashed into the ocean surface—
SPLASH!
Skipping once—
Twice—
Before slamming into the sandy shore.
Momentum carried him forward violently.
He rolled.
Tumbled.
Smashed through debris—
And then—
CRASH!
Into a building near an airport.
Concrete shattered.
Glass exploded.
He didn't stop.
His body ricocheted like a thrown object, crashing through walls, floors, structures—
Like a tennis ball bouncing without control.
Building after building—
Impact after impact—
Until finally—
He slammed into another structure.
High up.
The fifth floor.
And stopped.
Silence followed.
Dust filled the air.
Cracks spread along the walls.
And in the center of the destruction—
Kai lay still.
Unconscious.
His chest barely rising.
His stomach growling weakly.
He had pushed too far.
Too fast.
For too long.
He wasn't invincible.
He wasn't all-powerful.
He had simply—
Forgotten that.
Then—
Something changed.
His wings.
They shifted.
The dark, ominous presence they once carried faded.
Turning—
Pure white.
Radiant.
Calm.
A soft glow spread from his body.
A barrier formed.
Gentle.
Warm.
Protective.
The air around him shimmered as ambient mana was drawn in—not violently, but steadily—flowing into him through his wings like an endless current.
Healing.
Sustaining.
Suppressing the hunger.
Stabilizing his condition.
Footsteps echoed.
Survivors.
They emerged cautiously from the shadows of the damaged building.
They had been hiding.
Watching.
Waiting.
And now—
They saw him.
A boy.
Seventeen.
Unmoving.
Surrounded by light.
"…What is he…?"
Whispers spread.
Then—
Something strange happened.
The zombies outside—
They avoided the building.
Avoided the light.
Avoided him.
The survivors noticed.
Slowly—
Carefully—
They approached.
One by one—
They stepped closer.
And then—
They bowed.
Not out of fear.
But something else.
Reverence.
Hope.
A small girl stepped forward, clutching a piece of bread tightly in her hands.
She hesitated—
Then walked into the light.
Nothing happened.
She reached him—
Placed the bread gently beside him—
And stepped back.
A boy tried to follow—
But the moment he touched the edge of the light—
Burn.
He recoiled, crying out in pain.
The adults froze.
Understanding dawned.
"…Offerings…"
Quietly—
They began placing what little they had near Kai.
Food.
Water.
Small belongings.
Anything.
A bowl was brought forward.
Filled.
Then overfilled.
The light responded.
It grew brighter.
Warmer.
Expanding outward.
The survivors sat within it.
And for the first time in days—
Weeks—
They felt it.
Relief.
The pain in their bodies eased.
Their exhaustion faded.
Their minds grew calm.
Safe.
No monsters approached.
No zombies dared come near.
Word spread.
More survivors arrived.
Drawn by the light.
Drawn by the miracle.
They saw the boy—
The wings—
The offerings—
And they understood.
They added their own.
And the light grew.
And grew.
Until—
The entire area was covered.
A sanctuary.
A temporary safe zone.
In the ruins of chaos—
Hope was born.
And at its center—
Kai slept.
Unaware—
Of what he had become.
Dawn broke quietly over the ruined city.
Soft light filtered through shattered windows, spilling into the broken building where Kai lay.
For the first time in a long while—
He opened his eyes.
"…Mm…"
His vision blurred, then slowly focused.
The first thing he felt—
Warmth.
Something soft pressed against him.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
And looked down.
A small girl lay on top of him, curled up against his chest.
But—
She wasn't normal.
White fox ears twitched slightly atop her head, her soft breathing steady as she slept peacefully against him.
Kai stared.
"…What…?"
Then—
He smiled faintly.
"…She's kinda cute…"
Carefully, he tried to move his hand—
But it didn't budge.
"…Huh?"
He glanced to the side—
And froze.
A girl around his age clung tightly to his arm.
Not just holding it—
Clinging.
Her arms and legs wrapped around him like a koala, her body pressed close, his arm trapped firmly—uncomfortably—between her chest and legs.
"…What the hell…?"
Kai tried to pull his arm back.
Nothing.
She tightened unconsciously in her sleep.
"…Hey—let go—"
No response.
He lay there, stuck.
And then—
He noticed something else.
A strange heaviness.
Not physical.
Something deeper.
As if the weight of everything around him—
The people.
The space.
The atmosphere—
Was pressing into him.
Not on his body—
But on his soul.
"…Why do I feel like this…?"
Before he could think further—
A faint glow appeared in front of his eyes.
A screen.
Blue.
Translucent.
Floating.
Kai blinked.
"…You've got to be kidding me…"
Words formed across it.
[You have been granted the Evolution System]
He stared at it.
Silence.
"…Of course I have…"
Another screen appeared immediately after.
[Please select a bloodline]
The interface expanded.
________________________________________
SYSTEM
________________________________________
Name: Kai Hogan
Age: 17
Race: Half Demon / Half Angel
[Before any analysis, please choose a bloodline:]
1. Progenitor Bloodline
2. Divine Progenitor Bloodline
3. Primordial Progenitor Bloodline
4. Dragon Progenitor Bloodline
5. Chaos Primordial Progenitor Bloodline
6. Overlord of Chaos Dragon Primordial Progenitor Bloodline
7. Elf Progenitor Bloodline
[Note: Bloodline will not affect current race directly. It will attempt to fuse and create a new race for the host.]
Kai stared at the options.
"…That's… a lot."
His eyes moved down the list slowly.
Each one sounded more ridiculous than the last.
Progenitor… Divine… Primordial…
Then—
He stopped.
Number six.
Overlord of Chaos Dragon Primordial Progenitor Bloodline…
"…That one sounds insane."
He paused.
Thinking.
Not deeply.
Not strategically.
Just instinct.
"…If I'm choosing… might as well go all in."
A faint grin appeared on his face.
"…I choose number six."
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
The system responded.
[Selection confirmed.]
[Initiating Bloodline Fusion…]
The air around him shifted.
The light flickered.