Chapter 30: The Weight of the Unkown

Axton sat on the edge of his bed, his fingers curled tightly around the rough fabric of his blanket. The faint glow of the system screen lingered before his eyes, the words burning into his mind like a brand.

[Bloodline Unlocked.]

[Hidden Potential Stirred.]

[New Pathway Opened.]

He exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling in steady, measured breaths, but no amount of controlled breathing could ease the weight in his stomach. He had received rewards before—stat points, skills, small boosts that made a difference in battle—but this? This was something else entirely.

The system had unlocked something inside him, something that had been buried, waiting for the right moment to stir awake.

A bloodline.

His fingers tightened into a fist. The word carried weight, the kind that could crush him if he wasn't careful. It made sense, didn't it? The strange power surges, the way his elemental affinity seemed to adapt unnaturally, the system's cryptic way of guiding him at just the right moments.

But what did it actually mean?

His hands hovered over the system's interface as he tried to pull up any additional information. All he got was a series of question marks.

[???]

[Details Restricted.]

[Further Awakening Required.]

Axton clenched his jaw. The system had always been frustratingly vague, but this was different. This felt deliberate.

He exhaled sharply. "What is this bloodline stuff? What are you hiding from me?"

No response.

His fingers twitched. "You give me quests, you tell me what to do, and now you suddenly decide to awaken something inside me without an explanation?" His voice was barely above a whisper, but the irritation was clear. "What even is this bloodline?"

A flicker of light crossed his vision.

[Bloodline Information is Restricted.]

[User Insufficiently Developed.]

[Further Awakening Required.]

Axton exhaled through gritted teeth. Insufficiently developed? The words felt like a taunt.

The system had been there when he was in danger, guiding him, pushing him, rewarding him. But now, it was withholding information? Why?

His eyes drifted back to his stats. His attributes were still low, his lightning affinity barely developed, his rank unimpressive. Maybe… maybe that was the reason. If he was too weak, then he had no right to demand answers.

That realization stung.

Axton had never thought of himself as weak before—not truly. But compared to Seraphina, compared to the second and third years they had seen in the academy, he was nothing.

He glanced at his hand, flexing his fingers. The power that had sparked in the forest, the feeling of lightning flowing through him… it had been exhilarating. But it had also been fleeting. He was still far from mastering it.

What if I'm not enough?

The thought crept into his mind like a shadow, whispering its venomous doubts. What if the system didn't choose me because I was special, but because I needed every advantage just to survive?

His grip tightened.

No.

He wasn't going to sit here doubting himself. The system might be withholding information, but that didn't change the fact that he had gotten stronger. He had survived the Dark Fiend. He had unlocked something within himself.

He would figure it out—one way or another.

A notification blinked before him.

[New Quest Issued.]

[Path of the Bloodline: Step 1]

• Increase Lightning Affinity to 20%.

• Unlock Wisdom Attribute.

• Defeat a Ranked Opponent (Minimum: Adept Level 2).

Reward: Partial Bloodline Awakening (Tier 1).

Axton's breath caught.

A Ranked Opponent? At least Adept Level 2? That was insane.

The strongest first-years barely reached Novice Level 9—even Seraphina was only just about to break into Adept. And the system expected him to fight someone already at Adept Level 2?

He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay calm. This was a test. The system had given him impossible odds before, and yet, he had survived.

But this was different.

This wasn't about escaping. This wasn't about surviving.

This was about winning.

Axton closed his eyes. "Fine. I'll play your game."

A flicker of light flashed in his vision.

[System Response: Finally, you're learning.]

Axton blinked.

Did… did the system just talk back?

For a moment, he just stared at the glowing text. Then, he let out a dry chuckle.

"Took you long enough to say something actually useful."

The next morning, Axton stood at the edge of the academy's training fields, rolling his shoulders as he prepared for what was coming. He needed to start pushing himself—if he was really going to increase his Lightning Affinity, he couldn't just rely on instinct anymore.

"You look like you're thinking too much."

Axton turned to see Elias Thorn approaching, his dark hair slightly damp from his own early morning exercises. His best friend's usual grin was in place, though there was an edge of curiosity in his gaze.

"I always think too much," Axton muttered.

Elias snorted. "Yeah, no kidding." He crossed his arms. "So? What's going on?"

Axton hesitated. He hadn't told Elias or Seraphina about his system. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but something about it felt… too personal. Too risky.

Instead, he sighed. "I need to get stronger. Fast."

Elias raised an eyebrow. "Faster than normal?"

"Yeah."

Elias studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Then let's spar."

Axton blinked. "What?"

"You want to get stronger, right? Then fight me." Elias cracked his knuckles. "You're still too slow when you fight. We need to fix that."

Axton knew Elias was right. He was fast, but he lacked refinement. Lightning was an element of speed, but he hadn't yet figured out how to properly harness it.

He exhaled. "Fine. Let's go."

They moved to one of the open sparring rings, where other students were already practicing. The academy was always alive with energy in the mornings, students training in elemental combat, honing their skills.

Axton's breath steadied as he watched Elias shift his stance, firelight flickering in his palms. Around them, other students sparred in the open training field, their elemental abilities clashing in bursts of heat, wind, and raw power. Yet Axton had no intention of drawing attention to himself.

Not yet.

His instincts screamed at him to move.

Speed is my advantage. Use it.

Elias lunged, his fist wreathed in flames, but Axton was already moving. He sidestepped—not by much, just enough to feel the heat of the attack graze past his ribs. The moment Elias overextended, Axton twisted low, sweeping at his legs.

Elias reacted fast. He jumped, twisting midair, his knee driving downward toward Axton's shoulder.

Axton felt it before he saw it. He threw himself back, rolling into a crouch as Elias landed with a sharp thud where he had been a second ago.

A moment of silence.

Elias narrowed his eyes. "You're moving faster."

Axton exhaled through his nose. He hadn't activated any powers. He had just felt the moment coming before it happened. His reflexes, his instincts—everything had sharpened.

But Elias was sharp too. He was starting to notice.

"Been training," Axton replied casually, shaking out his arms as if this was just another normal session.

Elias smirked. "Oh yeah? Let's see how much."

He didn't wait. Fire erupted beneath his feet as he launched forward, using the explosion to propel himself at inhuman speed.

Axton didn't panic. He had fought Elias enough times to recognize patterns in his movements. The way his left foot always pushed off just slightly ahead of his right, the slight shift in his shoulders before he committed to a heavy strike.

Axton moved before Elias even finished his motion.

The moment Elias's strike came, Axton leaned to the side—not dodging completely, just enough to let the attack pass an inch from his face. Then he pivoted, twisting around Elias's exposed side, his momentum carrying him out of reach before Elias could counter.

A small rush of satisfaction swelled in his chest.

I'm getting faster.

Elias skidded to a stop, staring.

Axton didn't like the look in his eyes.

"Alright," Elias muttered, rolling his shoulders. "Let's see how far that speed of yours goes."

They continued sparring for nearly an hour.

Each time Elias attacked, Axton slipped just past his strikes. Not dodging by exaggerated margins, not jumping away like a rookie—just moving efficiently. Small shifts, slight angles, every motion designed to conserve energy while keeping himself just out of reach.

It was working.

Elias was strong, but he was burning stamina at a rapid pace, his flames scorching the air with each attack. Axton, on the other hand, wasn't tired at all. His breathing was steady, his muscles relaxed.

It was strange. He felt… light. His body felt like it moved on instinct, his reactions faster than his thoughts.

It was exhilarating.

Axton saw the next strike coming before Elias even moved. The subtle tensing of his leg muscles, the slight twitch in his fingers.

Right hook.

Axton dodged.

Flame kick.

He shifted left.

Elias's frustration started to show. His attacks became more aggressive, his movements sharper. His pride wouldn't let him slow down.

But Axton wasn't worried.

For the first time since coming to the academy, he knew he could win.

And that feeling was dangerous.

Unbeknownst to them, others had begun to take notice.

Seraphina stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her sharp eyes analyzing every exchange. She had been casually watching at first, but the longer the fight went on, the more focused she became.

At first, she had assumed Elias would dominate. After all, Axton was strong, but Elias had been training at a higher level for longer. Yet as the fight dragged on, something became clear.

Axton isn't just dodging.

He was reading Elias's movements. Not just reacting to them, but predicting them, adapting in real time.

It was subtle, but undeniable.

Most people wouldn't notice the difference. But Seraphina did.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

What exactly is he hiding?

Salazar's Observations

From the shadowed edge of the training grounds, Professor Salazar watched in silence.

Unlike the students, his trained eyes didn't miss a single detail. The fight between Axton and Elias wasn't an ordinary match.

Axton's movements were too precise, too instinctive. There were no wasted motions, no hesitation. He wasn't just reacting—he was anticipating.

Salazar's fingers curled behind his back.

He isn't just fast. He's thinking faster than he should be.

It wasn't normal.

This was something else entirely.

Salazar's lips pressed into a thin line. He had always kept an eye on Axton, but now, there was no doubt about it.

Something was changing in that boy.

Something important.

Breaking the Pattern

Elias wasn't stupid. He knew when something wasn't right.

He stopped mid-motion, lowering his arms. His breathing was heavier now, sweat glistening on his forehead. He glared at Axton with something between frustration and curiosity.

"Alright," he said, "what the hell is going on?"

Axton wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, feigning confusion. "What do you mean?"

Elias narrowed his eyes. "You're faster. Way faster. And it's not just speed—you're reading my moves." He crossed his arms. "That's not normal, Axton."

Axton's mind raced.

If he denied it outright, Elias would know he was lying. But if he admitted too much…

He sighed. "I've been pushing myself harder. That's all."

Elias didn't look convinced. "Bullshit. You weren't moving like this last week."

Axton shrugged. "Maybe you're just getting slower."

Elias scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Or maybe you've been holding out on me."

Before Axton could respond, another voice cut in.

"He has."

Axton turned his head sharply.

Seraphina.

She approached with her usual cool confidence, arms crossed, her gaze sharp as ever.

"You're not fighting like someone who just 'trained a little harder.'" Her voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable weight behind it. "Your footwork is too refined. Your reaction time is too sharp."

Axton held her gaze, keeping his expression unreadable. "Maybe I'm just talented."

Seraphina's lips quirked slightly. "Maybe. Or maybe you're more than you let on."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Elias looked between them, exasperated. "Okay, you two are doing that weird thing where you stare at each other like you're trying to read minds, and I hate it."

Seraphina ignored him.

Axton forced a chuckle. "You're overthinking it."

Seraphina studied him for another second before shrugging. "Maybe." But something in her eyes told him she wasn't letting this go.

And in the distance, Salazar continued watching.

He had seen too many warriors rise and fall in his lifetime.

Axton wasn't just improving.

And Salazar needed to know why.