Blades clashed in a blur of motion.
Russ ducked under the assassin's swing, his new Shade Claw slicing upward in desperation. Sparks flew as metal scraped against Void-imbued energy, and the shockwave sent them both skidding across the ruined apartment.
"Russ!" Minny shouted from the corner, blood trickling from her forehead. "You're syncing with the system—don't resist it!"
"I'm not!" Russ yelled back, breath ragged. "This thing's driving itself!"
> [Warning: Bloodline Instability. Sync Rate: 12.6%]
[Cognitive strain increasing. Suggestion: Initiate emotional anchor.]
"Emotional anchor?!" Russ snarled, narrowly dodging a thrust that would've split his head in half. "Now is not the time for therapy!"
The assassin advanced, eyes glowing red beneath his mask. "Your awakening has begun, Heir. But it will not be completed. Your father sealed my gods. I will return the favor… with your corpse."
Russ spat blood. "You talk too much."
He lunged.
The assassin struck first—slamming the halberd's butt into Russ's chest. Ribs cracked. Russ hit the wall and slid down, vision spinning.
> [Vital Signs Critical. Sync Rate: 15.9%]
[Blood Instinct Protocol: UNLOCKED.]
Suddenly, everything slowed.
The pain faded.
Russ's heartbeat grew louder, deeper… ancient.
And then came the voices. Dozens. Hundreds. Echoes of battles fought by Quinn—cries, roars, commands. They weren't hallucinations. They were memories—genetic imprints encoded into the Talen bloodline.
Russ stood up—eyes glowing with a faint violet hue.
He wasn't thinking. He was moving.
The next strike came fast—too fast for human eyes—but Russ turned, caught the halberd with one clawed hand, and shattered its shaft with a growl.
The assassin staggered.
Russ leapt, shoulder-slamming the enemy through the wall and into the fire escape outside.
They tumbled three stories to the street.
> [Legacy Trait Unlocked: Combat Echo – Progenitor Reflex Lv. 1]
Russ rolled onto his feet like a predator. "Okay... I take back everything I said about hating my bloodline."
The assassin coughed, trying to rise—but a boot slammed into his chest. Russ stood over him, claws ready, breathing heavy.
"You're gonna tell me who sent you," Russ growled. "Or I'm gonna let whatever this system is turn you into a science experiment."
The assassin's mask cracked—revealing pale, cracked skin and bloodshot eyes. "You're… already too late. The seals are weakening. Your birth was the signal."
"What seal?! What are you talking about?!"
The assassin grinned, coughing blood. "Ask your father… in the Void."
Then his body ignited in crimson flames.
"Shit!" Russ leapt back as the corpse turned to ash in seconds—no trace, no answers.
Minny appeared beside him a moment later, limping. "Self-destruct protocol. Standard for cult assassins."
Russ's knees buckled. The adrenaline crashed, and the pain returned tenfold.
He collapsed.
> [Trial Phase 1: Complete.]
[Survival Confirmed. Bloodline Path Stabilized.]
[Legacy System Calibration in Progress…]
Minny caught him before he hit the ground. "You did it, kid."
He looked up at her with a dazed expression. "I just killed someone… using powers I didn't know I had."
She smiled faintly. "Welcome to the family business."
> [Sync Rate: 22.4%]
[Next Trial: Unlocked – "The First Memory."]
[Location: The Broken Moon.]