The Bloodline System Chapter 4 - Non-existent Family Bond
Previously on The Bloodline System...
"Wait a second, perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself," Gustav muttered, perching on the bathtub's rim and resting his chin in his hand once more. "What if I've finally lost my mind?" He began to doubt his own sanity.
"Is there any way to prove what I'm seeing is actually real? Am I able to test these skills? If this is legitimate, isn't it just too perfect?" He questioned, his voice thick with skepticism.
[To utilize an unlocked skill, mentally recite the name of the skill while adding 'activate' either before or after it.]
Directly above the skills and abilities interface, a new notification materialized in his field of vision.
He squinted as he read the prompt. "Activate... but which one should I test first?" Gustav was desperate to know if his brain was playing tricks on him, driven by a need to verify the system's existence immediately.
His gaze returned to the skills and abilities panel.
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[Skills and Abilities]
»Dash - Level 1
»Regeneration - Level 1
»Morph - Level 1
»Toxin immunity - Level 1
»Recreation - Level 1
»Bloodline acquisition level 1
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Scanning the list, he quickly realized that Dash was the only practical choice for a quick confirmation.
Gustav stood up and headed toward the door across from the tub.
Looking around the room more closely, he saw it was entirely empty save for the tub in the center where he had slept and a small cabinet tucked into the eastern corner.
"Close system interface!" Upon his command, the panel vanished, and the floating text dissolved into nothingness.
He decided that the best place to test the Dash skill was outside.
Exiting through the door, Gustav entered a narrow hallway that opened up into the main living area.
"Endric, I have full confidence you will excel today," a soft, affectionate female voice drifted from ahead. "I've heard rumors that the inspectors will be granting scholarships to the MBO academy."
"Don't worry, mother, I'll make you proud," a high-pitched male voice replied confidently. "The inspectors would have to be blind to overlook me; after all, I'm the top-ranked mixed-blood in the whole school." Pride dripped from the boy's words.
"That's my boy," the woman answered. "Come, let me take you to school." Just as she spoke, Gustav stepped into the living room.
The living room was compact but neatly organized. Light blue tiles that emitted a faint glow lined the walls. Green sofas were arranged in an L-shape, facing a cabinet several feet away. Atop the cabinet sat a spherical device projecting a seven-foot holographic image of three individuals.
The hologram displayed a middle-aged man with a square jaw and dirty blond hair, a woman in her early forties with long brown hair, and a young boy who shared Gustav’s features but possessed beautiful, curly black hair.
The woman who had been speaking stood by the front door, accompanied by a five-foot-tall boy dressed in the same maroon school uniform as Gustav.
They were the living versions of the figures in the hologram.
These were Gustav’s mother and his younger brother. They glanced back as they noticed him emerging from the hallway.
"Let’s go," his mother said, ignoring him completely as she pushed the door open. "Hmph," Endric grunted in agreement.
"Mom, aren't you going to give me a ride too?" Gustav interjected before they could depart.
"You should be grateful my parents even let you live here and pay your tuition, even if it is a complete waste of money!" Endric chimed in.
"I truly don't understand how Liam and I managed to produce such a pathetic creature like you!" his mother added.
Gustav looked down, dejected by their mockery. Though he was accustomed to such treatment, the sting of their words never truly faded.
He could tolerate the world's cruelty, but when it came from those who were supposed to be his family, the pain was beyond words.
He didn't entirely blame his younger brother; the boy's personality had been forged by the society they lived in.
"Trash like you should be walking to school," Endric stated, turning away and pulling his mother’s arm.
Slam!
The door was thrown shut, leaving Gustav standing alone in silence, consumed by self-pity for a long moment.
He thought back to when Endric was five. They used to play together outside, and back then, his little brother had been kind, playful, and affectionate.
He remembered a specific game of hide-and-seek where Endric had been hurt. Gustav took the blame and was punished with over two hundred lashes from his father's whip. He could still recall the agony of that day, his skin bleeding as he sobbed for mercy. His father remained unmoved. "YOU TRASH! YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL MY ONLY TALENTED CHILD!" his mother had shrieked from the sidelines. It had been a simple bruise that would have vanished in hours, yet they beat him as if he were a murderer. In this era, even a lost limb could be regrown, let alone a tiny scrape.
By the time Endric turned eight, his demeanor had shifted to match the rest of society. He had once used his bloodline abilities to strike Gustav, leaving a deep, seven-inch wound on his back.
The very parents who had whipped Gustav for a minor bruise years ago laughed and congratulated Endric for his growing mastery over his powers. To this day, Gustav still bore the jagged scar because no one had bothered to treat the wound.
After standing still for a while, Gustav finally found the strength to move. "What was I even expecting? This is how it's always been, hasn't it?" He let out a bitter laugh and walked out the door. "The MBO inspectors arrive today! I have to get to school!" Gustav exclaimed, his expression turning to one of excitement as he began to run.
In his rush, the skills and abilities he meant to test slipped his mind. His only goal was reaching the school quickly, knowing the inspectors were visiting. After they finished evaluating the middle school—where his brother's class was—they would move on to the high school.
Gustav sprinted through the streets like a madman, drenched in sweat like a convict fleeing a crime scene.
He was on 34th Street in Plankton City, a commercial district on the outskirts dominated by low-rise buildings. Most structures were octagonal with a futuristic aesthetic; some could even change their shape or retract into the earth at the owner's whim.
As he progressed, the buildings grew taller. Flying vehicles zipped through the sky above, a magnificent sight that was mundane to someone born in this era.
Plankton City stood as one of the world's six technological hubs established after the arrival of the Slarkovs. The city was filled with enchanting, sci-fi towers. Some featured massive video displays covering their facades, broadcasting advertisements. One building ahead, shaped like an inverted conical flask, displayed a commercial for a new medical breakthrough. A blue-haired woman in a lab coat spoke while holding a small red vial.
"Foton Lab has developed a revolutionary Grade A solution designed for bloodline fortification..."
The sound reached Gustav as he dashed past, but he ignored it, focused purely on his pace.
He grinned when he spotted a glowing blue circle on the pavement near the road.
Pedestrians stepped into the blue light and vanished instantly.
The circle was wide enough to accommodate fifty people at once, allowing the light crowd to enter without slowing their stride.
"Just two more teleportation circles after this and I'll be at school," Gustav whispered, stepping into the glow.
These teleportation hubs were scattered throughout the city to facilitate travel. This specific one was for foot traffic, saving hours of walking across the sprawling metropolis.
The mechanism triggered once ten people were inside and no one else was within a seven-foot radius.
When Gustav entered, there were already thirty people waiting. A man in a business suit stepped in beside him. As more people filled the radius, the man's expression twisted in irritation. After a few seconds, he moved away to stand near a woman instead.
'Huh?' Gustav wondered why the man looked so uncomfortable until he caught a scent of himself.
"Crap! I didn't wash today!" In his realization, he shouted out loud, causing everyone in the teleportation circle to turn and look at him with pure disgust.