C1 Bloodline Enhancement System

Jiao Yuanju raced on relentlessly, his hair soaked with sweat from exhaustion, yet he never paused for a moment.

He dared not glance back at the enormous snake on his heels; a moment's inattention would mean being devoured like the slower elders trailing behind him. His only chance of escape was to reach the city encased in a pale blue glow.

As he ran, Jiao Yuanju's face grew increasingly pale, but at last, a vast city shrouded by a light blue energy shield came into view. The silhouettes of skyscrapers were barely visible within, and the city's entrance lay just a few hundred meters ahead. Alongside him, other youths sprinted desperately toward the city's gateway. Dawn was breaking, yet the monstrous roars from behind filled him with dread.

A four-meter-long green snake slithered swiftly in his direction, its jaws flaring open to spray venom.

Ignoring all else, Jiao Yuanju bolted. He finally burst through the city gates, bathed in a golden radiance.

The giant snake halted at the city's threshold, flicking its tongue in frustration before turning to pursue other humans racing toward the sanctuary.

Inside the city, Jiao Yuanju let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the distant streets. His strength was spent, but the sight of the tiny, unopened-eyed snake cradled in his arms brought a weary smile to his face. His dirtied state was of no consequence now; he was on the verge of acquiring his very own Combat Pet.

The arrival of a mysterious meteorite had forever altered Earth's destiny, its intense radiation and the abundant cosmic energy triggering a wave of genetic evolution across countless species. Humans, too, had given rise to numerous individuals with extraordinary abilities. Following six hundred years of the "Dark Age," human technology had soared, segregating cities from the wilds.

In this world, traditional fields such as service, technology, and commerce were complemented by new professions tailored to these changes. For the average person aspiring to distinction, two prime career paths beckoned: Combat Pet Master and Mech Master.

Earth-type Combat Pets were harnessed for construction, while water-type Combat Pets served in marine engineering. Diverse, genetically evolved creatures, once tamed as pets, now propelled the new era forward. It was a noble and esteemed vocation.

Jiao Yuanju's parents were just regular wage earners, unable to afford a Combat Pet for him. To continue his education after junior high, Su Yun needed his own pet, along with the chance to earn a substantial reward of ten thousand Alliance Coins. So, for the sake of his parents and his own future, Su Yun secretly joined others from humble backgrounds in the perilous wilderness to "poach beasts." This was his ticket to qualify for school!

Upon returning home, Jiao Yuanju gazed at the tiny snake in his hand with a tinge of disappointment. "Could this really be just an average Azure Snake?"

He ventured into a shop, spending the thousand Alliance Coins he'd saved over nearly a year on a bloodline talisman, then retreated to a secluded alley. Holding the unopened-eyed, green-hued snake, Jiao Yuanju sighed, "My destiny now rests in your coils."

The bloodline talisman was user-friendly, a Miraculous Technology Talisman designed from biological genetics. Just a drop of the user's blood on the pet, and the bloodline would seamlessly bond, syncing their genes and intentions.

Once the talisman dissolved into the snake's skin, Jiao Yuanju felt its breath and pulse. The creature's eyes fluttered open, instantly bonding with Su Yun as its closest ally, and gently wrapped around his wrist. It was now officially Su Yun's Combat Pet.

With a sense of relief, Jiao Yuanju declared, "From this day forward, you shall be known as Eoldrai."

Abruptly, a synthetic voice echoed in Jiao Yuanju's head, "Ding! Host binding complete. Bloodline Enhancement System activated. Initial functions, including the Bloodline Enhancement Merchant Shop and system analysis, are now online. As a first-time bind, you are entitled to a complimentary Evolution Elixir from the Merchant Shop. Would you like to claim it?"

"What on earth is this?" Jiao Yuanju was baffled. What exactly was this system?

"Is it akin to an online Merchant Shop? But why would it bind to me?"

Though Jiao Yuanju was clueless about the system's origins, he was in dire need of power. His newly hatched pet was diminutive and lacked offensive capabilities. Once registered, it would be sorted into classes based on its strength!

After a brief hesitation, the naturally cautious Jiao Yuanju responded, "Extract!"

To his surprise, a small vial of enhancing fluid materialized in his hand the very next second. The pale golden liquid within it had an otherworldly appearance.

"Did it actually work?"

It took Jiao Yuanju a few minutes to recover from his shock. The idea of being tethered to a system was almost too much to grasp. His excitement was palpable, and his curiosity about this new system deepened.

He gazed at the small snake, which seemed to cling to him, for several seconds before he finally, and very gently, pried open its mouth. The snake cooperated fully. Though it was just an average Evolved Beast, it possessed a level of intelligence far beyond that of ordinary domestic fowl.

Once the snake had consumed the enhancing fluid, the vial vanished into thin air.

Then, the transformation began almost immediately!

The snake's diminutive frame started to expand, quickly reaching half a meter in length. Its delicate scales hardened, its eyes sparkled with a newfound vivacity, but most strikingly, its pupils shifted to a deep purple hue, and a distinctive pattern resembling three bloodlines emerged on its forehead. In a mere moment, the creature had matured into its juvenile phase!