Most tunnels in Settlement 9532 were narrow, damp, and cramped, hardly allowing one to stand upright. But the corridor Ryan Carter followed Captain Harris down now was different—more than twice as wide and high enough to walk through comfortably.

  Being able to stand fully upright might sound trivial, but Ryan knew the human labor and resources required to carve out such a passage were immense.

  At the tunnel entrance, Ryan noticed two muscular warriors standing guard, weapons ready. They greeted Harris respectfully but eyed Ryan suspiciously, clearly wondering why someone like him was allowed inside. Ryan realized immediately: without Harris escorting him, he'd never have been permitted here.

  At the end of this wide passage stood a surprisingly spacious hall—about the size of a basketball court, supported by ten huge concrete pillars. Its walls, floor, and ceiling were all reinforced with concrete, a rare luxury underground.

  "Captain Harris!"

  "Hey, boss!"

  Several warriors paused training, greeting Harris warmly. Ryan could feel their powerful vitality and surging strength from across the room.

  "You guys keep training," Harris responded calmly, then turned to a sturdy young man nearby. "Greg, keep an eye on Ryan here. I'll be over shortly to test his bloodline strength."

  Greg was around twenty-five or twenty-six, clearly older than Ryan by nearly a decade, and didn't seem thrilled about babysitting.

  "So you're Ryan Carter?" Greg scrutinized him curiously, then smirked slightly. "Well, aren't you a pretty one."

  Ryan didn't particularly like Greg's teasing tone, but he nodded politely.

  Greg suddenly hollered across the hall, "Hey boys, come quick! Tiger Girl's husband just walked in!"

  Instantly, a group of warriors dropped their training and rushed over excitedly, staring at Ryan like he was a rare zoo animal.

  You're Tiger Girl's husband, not me! Ryan fumed silently, though he forced himself to remain expressionless. Greg was clearly just a loudmouth, not worth losing his temper over.

  "To land a girl like Tiger, and to impress Captain Harris—kid, you've gotta have something special going on!" A short, stocky man named Louis stepped forward, smirking arrogantly. "Come on, let's test your strength!"

  Greg's teasing had been annoying, but clearly harmless. Louis, however, clearly intended to humiliate him.

  Ryan glanced around at the growing audience and realized backing down now wasn't an option. In this harsh underground world, weakness was always exploited.

  "Alright," Ryan agreed quickly. "Just be gentle, I'm not a bloodline warrior yet."

  Louis snorted pridefully. "Relax, kid, I promise I won't use my bloodline power."

  Greg rolled his eyes in disgust; none of them had actually awakened any real bloodline powers yet, after all.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Ryan put on a nervous expression. "But what if I can't handle it?"

  "Just shout if it hurts," Louis reassured mockingly, clearly enjoying Ryan's apparent fear. "I'll stop right away."

  Ryan shakily extended his hand, playing up his "fear." Greg muttered a warning, "Louis, remember, Harris brought this kid personally. Go easy on him."

  "I know my limits!" Louis scoffed, gripping Ryan's hand firmly and immediately squeezing with all his might.

  Louis, nearing bloodline awakening himself, was extremely strong. He intended to embarrass Ryan thoroughly. Yet, despite his full strength, Ryan—thanks to his fifth-level Iron Body Technique—felt nothing at all. His bones and muscles were as tough as steel.

  Ryan calmly stood there, quietly enduring Louis's grip without a hint of discomfort, making Louis increasingly frustrated. The boy was supposed to scream from the first squeeze!

  Across the hall, Harris stood beside a middle-aged man, quietly observing. Harris chuckled softly, "Louis is about to embarrass himself. He's been getting cocky lately—this will do him good."

  The middle-aged man studied Ryan skeptically. "Even if Ryan awakened some bloodline strength, catching Louis's level should take time."

  But just as he finished speaking, Ryan suddenly tightened his grip. Louis immediately felt sharp pain shoot through his hand. He knew the sensible thing would be to immediately surrender—but remembering his earlier boasting, he desperately clenched his jaw, enduring silently.

  Within moments, Louis's face began contorting from pain.

  Ryan suddenly cried out dramatically, "Ahh! Big Brother Louis, please let me go! You're hurting me!"

  Louis nearly exploded from rage. Clearly, he was the one in agony, yet this brat was loudly begging mercy! Louis stubbornly held on, praying Ryan would soon tire. Yet every passing second felt like iron rods crushing his bones.

  "Please, Big Brother, have mercy! I can't take it anymore!" Ryan wailed theatrically, his voice echoing through the hall.

  Louis finally snapped—and opened his mouth to curse Ryan—but instead unleashed a piercing, pig-like shriek of agony.

  "That's enough, Ryan," Harris intervened firmly, approaching quickly.

  Ryan instantly released Louis, immediately adopting a pitiful expression. "Captain, Big Brother Louis is so strong. Did I embarrass myself badly?"

  Greg watched, stunned. This Ryan kid seemed innocent and timid, but he was clearly ruthless! Louis had provoked entirely the wrong person. "Note to self," Greg thought, "don't mess with Ryan."

  Ignoring their exchange, Harris produced a glass test tube partially filled with clear liquid. "Ryan, drip your blood into this."

  Ryan hesitated inwardly. He knew his bloodline hadn't actually awakened; his sudden strength was entirely from the Skill-Stealing Card. But retreating now wasn't an option. He pricked his finger, dropping blood into the tube.

  Instantly, the clear liquid bubbled, shifting rapidly between colors—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Harris watched intently, hopeful at first, then slowly growing disappointed as the colors flickered rapidly—and finally returned to clear.

  "No awakening?" Louis whispered incredulously. After experiencing Ryan's strength firsthand, this result made no sense.

  Even Greg and the others seemed puzzled. They'd all taken this test before and knew exactly what qualified as awakening.

  "It doesn't make sense," Harris murmured thoughtfully. Then, looking kindly at Ryan, he explained gently, "This test is extremely basic—it can only detect common bloodline awakenings. Since your strength surged dramatically in battle, your awakening could be something rare and powerful—something our basic test can't detect."

  It sounded reassuring, but experienced warriors knew better. New, unknown bloodlines rarely appeared. Ryan's sudden strength without clear bloodline awakening had a specific term in the settlement: "Partial Awakening."

  But Ryan wasn't upset. He knew exactly why he'd grown stronger: his Skill-Stealing Card. He'd gained his Five Tigers Blade Technique from his father, and his Iron Body Technique from Tiger Girl herself. He didn't need bloodline awakening to become powerful.

  "Deputy Overseer," Harris suddenly addressed the middle-aged man respectfully, "I propose we grant Ryan a vial of Bloodline Potion. It may significantly increase his bloodline purity."

  Instantly, Louis, Greg, and the others reacted visibly. Bloodline Potions were exceedingly precious. The settlement received only a limited amount each year, and every warrior desperately desired one. If Ryan received a potion, their own chances would diminish.

  All eyes instantly turned anxiously toward the Deputy Overseer, awaiting his decision.