The Bloodline System Chapter 5 - Echelon Academy

Realizing his blunder, Gustav felt bashful and kept his gaze fixed on the floor in embarrassment, wearing a foolish grin.

"I think I’ll just go with the next set," a man in the crowd remarked before stepping out of the circle. He moved more than seven feet away to ensure he didn't interfere with the transportation process for those remaining.

Several others followed his lead, and within seconds, only about seven people remained in the circle, including Gustav, making the space feel quite roomy.

Zwing!

The teleportation circle hummed to life, and the occupants vanished instantly.

-Thirty minutes later

Gustav finally reached the school. The campus was massive, comparable in scale to a university, despite only hosting middle and high school students.

A prominent sign was suspended at the main entrance.

»ECHELON ACADEMY«

Tall, silver-hued structures rose from the grounds, with various buildings dedicated to different academic disciplines.

Luxurious vehicles could be seen gliding in, hovering a few inches above the pavement.

As Plankton City was ranked among the six greatest cities on Earth, every educational institution within its borders was high-class.

Echelon Academy held the second-highest student population and was globally renowned for one specific reason: many elite mixedbloods currently in the MBO Organization had attended this school in their youth.

The MBO (Mixed Blood Organization) was a government-established body designed to manage matters concerning bloodlines. Because mixedbloods possessed extraordinary abilities, ordinary people and standard methods were insufficient to handle them.

Consider the difficulty of trying to apprehend a mixedblood capable of moving faster than light. It would be an impossible task for a normal human, which is why the MBO dealt with criminals who used their bloodlines for malice.

The MBO consisted of various branches for different scenarios. Some functioned like police, patrolling the streets to deter mixedblood crimes. Others focused on mixedblood terrorists or those trafficking in mixedblood organs.

The most prestigious branch, however, was the one that explored the galaxies. Since the arrival of the Slarkovs, the existence of extraterrestrial life had been confirmed. Utilizing Slarkov technology, humanity had ventured into deep space and established treaties with other worlds. Though thousands of years had passed, the era of human exploration continued.

Gustav had dreamed of joining the MBO since childhood, driven by a desire to travel the stars and encounter alien species. However, without a high-tier bloodline, such a dream was a fantasy, as the MBO only accepted the strongest mixedbloods into their ranks. Space exploration was fraught with peril, so they exclusively recruited and trained those with high-grade bloodlines. At minimum, a C-grade bloodline was required for consideration. Even then, candidates had to endure four years of rigorous training at an MBO military camp.

-

Gustav sprinted into the school as fast as he could. While other students arrived in their parents' vehicles, he was forced to travel to his classroom on foot.

It would take nearly twenty minutes of running to reach Block C, situated in the eastern wing of the campus.

Beyond training mixedbloods, Echelon Academy also provided instruction in standard academic subjects like mathematics and English. Upon high school graduation, a mixedblood could choose to attend a specialized university. If accepted, their curriculum would focus entirely on bloodline cultivation. In high school, however, every student—whether human, Slarkov, or mixedblood—studied the same core subjects alongside mixedblood extracurriculars.

Gustav’s running attracted immediate attention, drawing strange looks from those around him.

"Oh, it’s that trash again!" "Why is he even still at this academy?" Some students, watching from their parents' luxury cars, looked at him with pure disdain.

While there were normal humans without powers at the school, they differed from Gustav because they would never awaken an ability due to their standard bloodlines; thus, they were ignored. Gustav, however, was considered a disgrace to mixedbloods because of the bloodline he had awakened. Despite the bloodline grading system that dictated social rank, even those with low-tier bloodlines were usually respected by humans. Gustav’s situation was unique; he was loathed by both mixedbloods and humans. Unlike everyone else, his bloodline didn't even have a name or a grade.

He was also famous throughout the school for another reason. In junior high, he had confessed his feelings to the most beautiful girl in the academy, Yuhiko Kaira.

Yuhiko had always seemed kind and fair to everyone, which led Gustav to develop a crush on her. Three years ago, gathering a sudden burst of courage, he approached her after school to confess.

That was when she revealed her true nature. Gustav was quite literally crushed by his crush.

Yuhiko’s bloodline allowed her to transmute matter into whatever she desired. Enraged that someone like Gustav would dare profess love to her, she turned her hairpin into a massive boulder and dropped it on him.

Gustav’s body was mangled under the weight, resulting in over a hundred broken bones.

He was only saved because a teacher intervened, fearing the school's reputation would be ruined if a student died on campus. If not for that, he wouldn't be alive today.

"Tch, he actually showed up today after I told him to kill himself two days ago! Just wait until I break every one of your fingers!" A male student inside a blue car muttered with pure hatred, watching Gustav through a small monitor. Gustav, currently jogging and gasping for air, was oblivious to the eyes watching him from the passing vehicle.

After twenty minutes of exertion, he finally approached three large buildings connected in a 'U' shape. These were silver and even more opulent than the others, each standing three stories high.

"It looks like I made it! How did I run all this way without stopping, and why don't I feel as exhausted as usual?" Gustav wondered as he walked toward the entrance.

This was the specialized block for mixedblood students. Gustav was in class 3c, now in his final year of high school.

Academically, Gustav was brilliant. He consistently outperformed the mixedbloods in his class in subjects like English and math. However, in this society, intelligence meant very little.

Even if one were a genius aspiring to be a scientist, top universities wouldn't accept a candidate without a strong bloodline unless they possessed powerful social connections.

Gustav eventually reached his classroom, located in the central section of the three buildings.

As he entered, the entire class turned to look at him for a moment before returning their attention to the teacher at the front.

He heard snorts and hisses of contempt as he made his way to his desk in the southwest corner, far removed from the other students.

The male teacher didn't even acknowledge his presence, treating him as if he were nothing more than a passing breeze.

The room was set up like a standard classroom with rows of desks and a projection on the wall. The display showed a body chart illustrating how a mixedblood channels power through their internal systems.

Gustav sat in his isolated corner and focused on the lecture.

The teacher was discussing the final exams coming up in six months, which would determine their placement in higher bloodline institutions.

While Gustav was listening, a notification chime echoed in his mind.

A blinking blue rectangular light appeared in the upper left corner of his vision.

"Damn, I forgot about this!" Gustav blurted out as a message manifested before him.

[Daily task completed (1/3): Travel 3km √ ]

"Daily tasks?" Gustav whispered, his expression turning bewildered as he read the text.

Suddenly, he felt an uncomfortable prickling sensation all over his skin.

Noticing the sudden quiet in the room, he looked up to find every student staring at him.

His eyes went wide as he realized he had spoken his thoughts out loud instead of keeping them internal.

"So he’s not just trash, he’s gone crazy too?" a female student whispered.

The class looked at him with collective disgust.

Gustav stood up to apologize, and the teacher resumed the lesson without a word.

'This cursed thing,' Gustav grumbled internally, feeling deeply uneasy.

[Host is the definition of a cursed thing!]

As soon as the message flashed before his eyes, Gustav felt like he might cough up blood from frustration.

'This...' He almost yelled again but managed to restrain himself.

Once he regained his composure, he thought back to the previous notification.

'Daily task?'