Supreme Bloodline Evolution System

Chapter 175: Human Bloodline Mutation

"Interesting," the Arbiter’s deep voice cut through the tension.

He watched Max differently now, his masked face tilting just a little as if the change in Max’s aura had finally become worthy of his attention. The long golden smile did not move, but the way he stood changed. It was small, almost impossible to notice, yet Max could feel it. Aurelian was no longer looking at him like some mortal waiting to be judged. He was studying him.

"Unlike the others..." Aurelian said, his calm voice carrying through the broken palace. "You are blessed with a natural talent for magic."

Max did not understand what the man was talking about, nor did he care enough to ask.

The last chain snapped.

And Max shot forward.

His claw tore through the air, wrapped in that strange shining darkness, while his feet pushed against the shattered ground hard enough to leave cracks spreading behind him. His anger was hotter than the flames still burning through this old palace, hotter than the pain in his body, hotter than the humiliation of being trapped while Agnia had been forced to rush to his aid.

Agnia rose to her feet near the broken wall, still shaking, her wounded arm hanging lower than the other as her eyes widened at the sight of him.

"Go, Max! Kill that bastard!" she shouted, blue flames crawling over her palms again as she prepared to support him from the side if she had to.

But in that moment, new auras rushed toward her.

Agnia turned sharply, her flames rising at once as the wall beside her shattered and several women burst through the dust, their bodies wrapped in the strange spirit aura she had already felt around Max. For one breath, she thought they were enemies, and her fingers curled, flames waiting on her palms, ready to burn anything that came too close.

"We are the servants of the Spirit Sovereign. We are here to help you," the spirit women said as they landed before her and dropped to their knees in respect.

Agnia was taken aback.

But what shocked her even more was how quickly they moved after that.

Before she could even decide whether to trust them or burn them away, several hands grabbed her carefully, yet firmly, pulling her back with a strength that made even Agnia feel powerless in her current state.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!" she snapped, struggling against them.

"Master is fighting in rage right now. This place will be completely destroyed if you stay here," one of the spirit women said quickly, her voice tense but respectful. "You and the child are in danger. Come. You must come with us."

Agnia’s eyes turned back toward Max, her lips parting as if she wanted to argue, but the next shockwave swallowed her words.

Max finally clashed with the Arbiter.

His black claw shone with darkness, yet that darkness carried a strange light inside it, consuming everything in its path as if the mana in the air, the broken stones, and even the lingering golden radiance around Aurelian were being dragged toward his hand against their will. The closer Max came, the colder the room felt, as if the void was eating the heat from the flames and leaving only pressure behind.

Aurelian’s head tilted again.

For the first time, his golden light flickered.

The Arbiter felt his own magic being slowly consumed, and a faint snort escaped him as he struck out with his palm, meeting Max’s claw with a burst of golden brilliance. The light spread from his hand like a holy spirit had taken over his body, clean and merciless, forming a wide shield of radiance before Max’s attack could reach his throat.

Darkness and light collided.

The palace could not withstand it.

The shockwave tore through the thick walls, splitting stone apart as if it were nothing more than dried sand. Pillars cracked from top to bottom. The ceiling groaned above them. The floor beneath Max’s feet caved in, but he did not stop. He drove his claw deeper into the golden brilliance, teeth clenched, black eyes fixed on the masked man as the shining darkness wrapped around his arm and tried to devour the light blocking him.

Aurelian pushed back with one hand.

Max pushed forward with everything he had.

The air between them twisted, bending under the pressure of two powers that should not have existed in the same place. Golden rays cut across Max’s shoulder and chest, opening thin wounds over his scales, while the black mist crawled along Aurelian’s light like poison, eating small pieces of it little by little.

Behind them, Agnia was dragged farther away, still fighting against the spirit women’s hold.

"Max!" she shouted.

But her voice was drowned out as another wave of darkness and light burst from the clash, and the entire palace finally began to collapse around them.

"Only in the Second Magic Soul Realm, yet already so terrifyingly powerful..." the Arbiter said calmly, as if his clash with Max was nothing more than a warmup for him. "I truly underestimated the Forgotten Creator and her choice of servants."

Max narrowed his eyes, feeling his claw slowly being pushed away despite using every bit of strength in his arsenal. His muscles screamed. His bones trembled. The shining darkness wrapped around his hand kept trying to devour the golden brilliance before him, but it was not enough.

His magic was not powerful enough.

Even after all this time, after growing so tremendously, after devouring bloodlines, conquering enemies, and forcing kingdom after kingdom to fear his name, he was still beneath someone else.

And that pissed him off.

His blood boiled as if it had heard his anger and decided to answer it.

All of a sudden, the system’s voice filled his ears. But this time, it was not the voice of the creator. It was the system itself, the thing that had recently evolved into something far more conscious than before.

[A mutation in the Human Bloodline has been detected...]

[Your human potential has reached the criterion for evolution.]

[Would you like to proceed despite the danger of the battle?]

Max smirked.

That small change on his face made the Arbiter tilt his head curiously, as if even he could not understand why a mortal being pushed back beneath his light would smile in such a situation.

"Of course I’d like to proceed!" Max roared.

And then, something inside his human bloodline finally woke up.