Aelric's bloodline, Max's own bloodline, and the statue were somehow connected. That much was obvious from the fight itself. But the question was how.
What truly disturbed Max wasn't the connection itself. It was the way his own blood had responded to it.
The moment Aelric's forbidden bloodline mark appeared, something inside Max's foundation had stirred again. Not just the Tier 4 Primordial Bloodline. Not just the Heavenly Luminance Divine Bloodline or the Black Dragon Chaotic Bloodline. Something deeper had reacted, something that didn't clearly belong to any bloodline he could name.
It felt like his body had heard a call.
For the first time, Max realized that this reaction might not stay passive. Maybe it could be tested.
His eyes moved toward the statue of the First Progenitor standing at one end of the arena. The stone figure stayed silent, its eyes closed, its massive form towering over the Bloodline Legacy Battle like an ancient judge.
