"That's five already! Incredible—we've hit our goal!" Greg shouted excitedly, staring at yet another fallen Skyblade Antelope lying on the ground.

  Greg, Louis, and the others had regrouped with Overseer Marcus and his team, swiftly working in pairs to harvest the valuable horns from each slain antelope.

  Ordinary Skyblade Antelopes didn't possess beast crystals—their true value lay only in their sharp horns. Initially, the appearance of the powerful Spirit General-level antelope had plunged their entire hunting party into despair, even terrifying Overseer Marcus himself.

  But never in their wildest dreams had they expected Ryan Carter—a mere rookie—to emerge as their savior. Not only did he awaken a bloodline ability at the brink of death, but he'd even fearlessly pursued and killed multiple Skyblade Antelopes!

  "Greg, hurry up! There are more ahead!" Louis shouted urgently, clutching his communicator.

  Greg shook his head incredulously, grinning like a madman. "Ryan's completely insane!"

  As they moved forward, the trail left by the antelope herd was a wasteland, littered with fallen beasts.

  Standing atop a small hill, Overseer Marcus Stone gazed at another muscular antelope carcass lying ahead, his face alight with pure joy.

  "That's the tenth one!"

  Since becoming the leader of Settlement 9532, Marcus had never witnessed such a spectacular hunting result—and to think it was achieved almost entirely by one young man.

  Captain Harris, standing behind Marcus, laughed warmly, "Overseer, Ryan Carter is truly a gem!"

  Marcus nodded eagerly. "More than a gem—he's priceless. We must nurture him carefully."

  Harris smiled proudly, working even faster to harvest the horns.

  Nearby, Aaron Hale silently stared at a badly mangled antelope corpse lying in a shallow ditch. Seeing the shredded body brought Aaron a small sense of relief—at least this one wasn't killed by Ryan.

  The young nobody Aaron had previously scorned had suddenly soared to such dazzling heights during this hunt—it was unbearable and humiliating.

  Victor Shaw, examining the corpse closely, praised loudly, "Ryan's blade-work is amazing—clean, precise, ruthless! Aaron, look at this cut through the neck. Even I couldn't match such accuracy!"

  Aaron's face heated up in embarrassment. He protested weakly, "Deputy Overseer, we can't be certain Ryan killed this one. Look at its body—"

  Victor shook his head firmly. "Aaron, you're talented but you lack experience. Clearly, this antelope's corpse was scavenged by Long-Eared Hounds. But ask yourself—could those slow dogs possibly catch a Skyblade Antelope?"

  Aaron's face burned hotter, bitterness rising in his chest. He silently cursed: I've respected you for so long—would it kill you to praise me just once?

  Long-Eared Hounds were among the weakest creatures around; comparing them to Skyblade Antelopes was laughable.

  When Marcus and the others finally found Ryan, he stood calmly beside another antelope corpse, holding his blade at the ready. Around him, dozens of Long-Eared Hounds circled warily.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Each hound possessed the strength of an ordinary warrior, and over a hundred had gathered. Normally, even a bloodline warrior would hesitate facing such numbers. Yet now, none dared initiate an attack against Ryan.

  "Quickly—harvest those horns and let's leave immediately," Marcus commanded, scanning the area cautiously. "Other beasts drawn by the herd's passing will soon arrive."

  Approaching Ryan warmly, Marcus asked, "You alright?"

  "I'm fine," Ryan answered calmly. He'd stopped chasing the herd partly because the antelopes outran him, and partly because his energy was dangerously low. In these dangerous wilds, conserving energy was critical.

  Marcus clapped Ryan firmly on the shoulder, excitement clear in his eyes. "Well done, kid! Fifteen Skyblade Antelopes—impressive!"

  Without delay, Marcus led everyone swiftly back toward the settlement. Although the group was filled with excitement, they remained vigilant and silent, knowing a single careless mistake in the wilds could be fatal.

  Thankfully, due to the antelope herd's passing, dangerous beasts were either chasing after the herd or hiding in fear—allowing Marcus and the others to safely reach Settlement 9532 once again.

  Settlement guards anxiously awaited their return at the entrance. Each year's antelope hunt carried immense risk; uncertainty wore heavily on everyone's hearts.

  "Overseer—how'd it go?" someone called nervously.

  Greg proudly raised a pair of massive horns overhead, shouting triumphantly, "See for yourselves!"

  The guards gasped, counting quickly. "Fifteen pairs? How is that possible?"

  Marcus proudly declared, "Today's success belongs entirely to Ryan Carter. Without him, we'd have returned empty-handed—or worse, lost half our hunters."

  "Harris, spread the word—we'll celebrate tonight!" Marcus instructed. "Celebrate both our successful hunt and the birth of a new bloodline warrior—Ryan Carter!"

  Harris grinned broadly, "Yes sir! Should we distribute some meat to everyone in the settlement?"

  "Definitely," Marcus agreed heartily. "Make sure everyone knows they're eating thanks to Ryan Carter. He's earned it."

  Ryan stood silently behind Marcus, inwardly reminding himself: Stay humble, stay low-key...

  But before he could speak humbly, Marcus already beckoned him forward. "Ryan, come with me. Victor, you too—let's discuss Ryan's reward."

  Reward? Ryan instantly perked up. Beast crystals were vital to him; politeness could wait. He quickly followed Marcus and Victor into a clean cement-walled office in the training area.

  Marcus eased comfortably into a worn computer chair—an ancient relic from the past. Stretching lazily, he smiled warmly at Ryan. "Ryan, can you describe how it felt awakening your bloodline?"

  Awakening process? What am I supposed to say? Tell them about my Skill-Stealing Card?

  Ryan quickly concocted a believable story. "Honestly, I panicked so badly I nearly wet myself. Didn't think at all—just ran desperately. Then suddenly I realized I was running faster and leaping farther. Before I knew it, I'd left those antelopes behind!"

  Marcus burst out laughing, delighted. "Exactly! Awakening at life's crossroads is impossible to replicate safely—unfortunately, most attempting it perish. Your success is truly rare."

  Victor added seriously, "Ryan, we'll test your bloodline shortly to identify it clearly and provide suitable resources."

  Ryan didn't expect much from the test—after all, his Thousand-Mile Leap came from his Skill-Stealing Card, not a bloodline awakening.

  "Overseer," Ryan asked carefully, "about my reward..."

  Marcus exchanged a glance with Victor, who replied warmly, "You killed fifteen Skyblade Antelopes. As promised, you'll receive fifteen beast crystals and 100 settlement points per antelope."

  Settlement points allowed residents to exchange for nearly anything—these were generous rewards indeed.

  Marcus continued, "And since you're officially a bloodline warrior now, you'll join our settlement's decision-making council. Currently, we have seven bloodline warriors, including myself as the only high-level warrior."

  Marcus smiled proudly. "With your new status comes both privileges and responsibilities. Starting today, you're promoted to Deputy Captain of the Field Operations Team."

  Ryan knew Harris led Field Ops; two deputy captains already served under him. Ryan would become the third deputy.

  "Understood," Ryan nodded eagerly, then asked again cautiously, "When can I get those beast crystals?"

  Victor laughed heartily. "Relax—you'll get them soon enough! But first, testing your bloodline is our priority."

  Just then, Harris entered holding a small glass vial. "Overseer, the testing solution's ready. Shall we begin?"

  Marcus nodded decisively. "Do it now."

  Ryan quickly pricked his finger, dripping blood into the vial. Though not expecting much, his heart still held a tiny hope—after all, his Thousand-Mile Leap had come from a powerful bloodline-level antelope. Maybe it would bring him some unexpected surprise this time?