Cervine Encounter

He woke up to the sounds of chirping birds and lilting winds. The fog that had haunted his mind for the past few days was finally clearing up, and in his heart, an ember flickered again.

After all, despair changes to hope as easily as hope changes to despair.

His story was not focused on revenge, that was something for petty bastards and monsters.

He wasn't a monster.

He was just a man trying to reunite with his wife and son.

Or so he thought.

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Turning off the mana lamp placed upon the shelf at my bedside, I looked around, taking in the view of the room in its entirety.

A full size bed flanked by two shelves on either side, the shelves containing an assortment of miscellaneous items.

Books, quills, and various steel contraptions that had come into view now that the window filtered in sunlight from the outside.

Other than that, the room had two doors, one leading to an attached bath, and the other leading outside to the hallway.

Surprisingly, this house was much bigger than it appeared to be on the outside.

Some kind of sorcery, no doubt.

Propping myself up, I managed to lean against the headboard in a sitting position.

"Status!", I called out, hoping to get some visual feedback like in all those books I read.

Nothing happened.

"System!"

"Bloodline!"

"Open!"

"Activate!"

After embarrassing myself a few more times, I finally gave up.

"There must be some other way.",

I muttered, trying to hide my embarrassment.

That's when I remembered.

These past few days, I had been feeling something growing inside me. Something restless, something trying to break out.

The feeling was still there, albeit it was slightly pacified after the dream I just had.

Seeing no other way around it, I closed my eyes and focused on that power.

Almost instantly, a set of runes appeared inside my head. I could see them clear as day with my eyes closed.

What's more, I could understand them.

I had no business understanding any runic language and these runes certainly looked different from the ones I had seen before.

Nevertheless, I focused on the runes to try to understand the root of this power.

[Name: Rybane Arkwright]

[Titles: [Dragon's Consort] ]

[Blessings: -- ]

[Legacy: -- ]

[Traits: [Universal Progenitor], [Jinxed], [World walker], [Resilient] ]

[Bloodline: ???]

[Bloodline characteristics: [Omni-Gene] ]

[Skills: [Thunderblade Arts] ]

[Mana: 30/30]

[Stats]

Strength : 18

Agility : 21

Constitution: 11

Dexterity : 14

Intelligence : 15

Wisdom : 6

Luck: 4

Ryne took a deep breath before assessing the contents of the runes.

The name Arkwright was a hateful reminder for him, and he'd rather not see it everytime he had to check his runes.

Moving forward, he focused on the only title he had, making it display a further set of runes explaining its effects.

[Dragon's Consort] : Increases affinity to dragons by 30%. Allows the inheritor to practice the Dragonbrand Arts.

Come to think of it, the Thunderblade style I practiced was probably one of these Dragonbrand Arts.

Moving straight to traits, he analyzed his runes for more information.

[Universal Progenitor] : The inheritor can mate and produce offspring with every creature in the universe.

[Jinxed] : The inheritor is a harbinger of misfortune.

[World Walker] : The inheritor has travelled to multiple realities.

[Resilient] : The inheritor has a strong mental state.

A strong mental state? I highly doubt that.

With all the shit I've been through in my life, id hardly call my mental state normal, much less strong.

And jinxed? Okay, that's understandable. It also explains my luck stat.

World walker probably had something to do with my reincarnation while the last one was actually the most interesting.

Universal Progenitor, so this is what Farya meant by being compatible with her.

How did she know?

Maybe Fardin will know something about this.

Going further, he read,

[Omni-Gene] : The inheritor can inherit characteristics, skills, or abilities of the prey he hunts. 10 percent body mass of the prey needs to be consumed to acquire its properties.

[Basic Beasts] : 0/7

"Holy shit! This is fucking overpowered!" I burst out in excitement.

Barely containing my exuberance, I moved on to the last, and only skill in my arsenal.

[Skill Name] : Thunderblade Arts

[Skill Type] : Weapon Art

[Skill Rank] : Legendary

[Skill Mastery] : Beginner

[1/7 Forms Mastered]

1. Dragon Sword Dance : Raging Thunder

Slash your sword in a perfect sweeping arc to incapacitate your foe in a fast, lethal strike.

Beginner huh? I thought I was fairly decent at it.

Getting out of the bed, it took some time before my legs finally adjusted to the weight.

Placing my hand onto the doorknob, I took a deep breath.

It was time to go East.

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"Are you sure you have to go?"

"I have to. You know as well as I that the Oracle is my only hope."

"True enough. If anyone knows where your son is, it's her." affirmed Fardin.

"Here, take this. It's a family heirloom, it allows you to communicate at long distances."

So, basically like a phone huh.

"You sure I can take this?" I asked doubtfully.

"Of course. How else will you keep me updated? He's my grandson too." Fardin asserted.

That's right. I'm not alone this time.

Just as I was about to head out the door, I suddenly remembered.

"Fardin, do you know anything about traits?" I asked.

"Well of course. That's basic knowledge. Everyone has some traits assigned to them at birth, some people unlock more by training or in rare cases, completing secret dungeons." He informed.

"Ah, is there any way to check someone else's traits?" I asked further.

"That usually requires a high level skill. And it also requires you to be significantly stronger than the one who's traits you want to know."

"Some species, such as dragons and phoenixes actually possess a trait that allows them to see other's traits."

"Ah I understand now. Thanks for the insight."

"No problem. Now if you're gonna go, then leave fast before Farya wakes up. You know how she is."

Smiling at the thought of the little girl who came to cheer me up everyday, I stepped outside.

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I had been tracking it for two days now.

An ivy deer, a straggler that had been kicked from his pack was lapping up water from the edge of a pond.

It truly was a mystical creature with shimmering green fur resembling ivy leaves, graceful antlers adorned with delicate tendrils, and eyes that glimmered like dewdrops in sunlight.

It was obviously the weakest member of its pack, but I couldn't afford to fight the whole pack on my own.

This was my safest bet.

I crouched low amidst the underbrush, scarcely daring to breathe as I watched the Ivy deer at the edge of the pond.

Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across its shimmering green coat.

With each careful step forward, I could feel the weight of my purpose.

The deer, with its mystical aura pulsing faintly in the air, seemed aware of my presence yet remained tranquil, a sentinel of the forest's ancient wisdom.

My grip tightened around the hilt of my sword, its blade gleaming softly in the filtered light.

Every muscle tensed with anticipation as I closed the distance, eyes fixed unwaveringly on my elusive quarry.

The deer lifted its head, locking eyes with mine in a moment of silent understanding.

A gust of wind swept through the trees, carrying with it a whisper of magic that seemed to blur the boundaries of reality.

'Illusion magic huh?'

The Ivy deer shimmered momentarily, a testament to its otherworldly nature.

But I was undeterred.

With reverence and determination intertwined, I adjusted my stance, feeling the cool earth beneath my feet.

This hunt was not merely about conquest; it was a quest to prove my courage against a creature that embodied the untamed spirit of the forest.

As I lunged forward with my sword, the Ivy deer reacted with an astonishing agility, dodging aside with a fluid grace that belied its size.

Its hooves barely seemed to touch the ground as it danced away from my strike, leaving me momentarily off-balance in the dense undergrowth.

Before I could recover, the forest floor seemed to come alive at the deer's command.

Vines erupted from the earth around me, snaking upwards with a rapidity that caught me off guard. I slashed at them with my blade, but they multiplied, entangling my legs and slowing my movements.

The deer, sensing my vulnerability, circled back, eyes glinting with a knowing intelligence. It darted forward, its antlers lowered in a precise charge.

I managed to sidestep just in time, feeling the rush of air as the deer's horns brushed past me.

With renewed determination, I focused on freeing myself from the ensnaring vines.

With each slice of my sword, I managed to sever their grip, though not without effort.

The forest seemed to pulse around us, responding to the deer's command as if it were an extension of its will.

Finally breaking free, I squared off against the creature once more. Its eyes bore into mine, an unspoken challenge passing between us.

As the Ivy deer circled, its movements fluid and unpredictable, I anticipated its next charge.

With a calculated move, I feinted a retreat, luring the deer into believing it had the advantage.

Its eyes narrowed with determination, and it lunged forward with impressive speed, antlers poised to strike.

At the last possible moment, I shifted my stance, planting my feet firmly into the ground. With a swift pivot, I angled my sword horizontally, aiming not to harm, but to redirect.

The deer, committed to its charge, didn't anticipate my sudden change in strategy.

As its momentum carried it forward, the tip of my sword caught the deer's shoulder, guiding its path slightly off course.

With a graceful twist, I used its own speed against it, sending it tumbling past me. The deer recovered quickly, shaking its head to regain its bearings.

It recovered quickly, but not quick enough.

Dashing towards the disoriented beast, I stepped into the first stance of the Thunderblade Arts.

"Raging Thunder.", I muttered as I swung my sword in an upwards arc, beautifully decapitating my foe.

The decollated body fell to the ground with a thud, blood spurting all over my body.

Why did I keep standing there when I could have just easily distanced myself to avoid the blood?

For the same reason I chanted the name of my sword art everytime I used it.

To look cool of course.

Jokes aside, I eyed the deer's resplendent body with a satisfied grin.

It was time for a feast.

And it was time to find out what my bloodline was capable of.