Old Shen had clearly planned to share a celebratory drink with Ryan, but Ryan's enthusiasm had quickly emptied the entire bottle before Shen could even find a cup. How embarrassing!

  Still, the liquor was indeed excellent. Drinking it all in one go left Ryan feeling incredibly refreshed.

  Back in his quarters, Ryan stretched lazily. As a bloodline warrior, he now had the privilege of a proper, spacious room in which he could stand upright comfortably. He had invited his father, Hank Carter, to move in with him, but Hank had politely declined—understandably, given the companionship he'd found.

  Picking up the Mystic Unity Blood Essence Technique manual again, Ryan was amazed to find he now understood every word effortlessly. He could even recite the entire manual easily. Practicing it became second nature, like an experienced driver effortlessly passing a beginner's driving test.

  Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Ryan began circulating the technique. In mere moments, he successfully separated a stream of energy from his bloodline.

  Energy Transformation!

  This first step—separating energy from bloodline power—was usually fraught with risk for new bloodline warriors. Many feared losing control, potentially harming themselves permanently.

  Yet, for Ryan, it posed no difficulty whatsoever. The separated energy smoothly circulated throughout his body, forming a complete cycle in just fifteen minutes.

  Next came opening the "Energy Sea"—the dantian. According to the manual, the size of one's Energy Sea greatly influenced future strength and potential. Opening this space in one swift breakthrough was ideal, creating a vast foundation. Gradually grinding it open would severely limit one's potential.

  Thanks to already mastering the Fifth Level of the Mystic Unity Blood Essence Technique, Ryan enjoyed immense advantages. He easily surpassed this critical milestone, successfully opening his Energy Sea.

  However, upon examining his newly opened Energy Sea, Ryan felt disappointed. It was roughly thirty meters wide—among the largest in the settlement, certainly, but insignificant compared to humanity's true prodigies.

  The manual described legendary talents with Energy Seas spanning hundreds of meters, even lakes or mountains in immensity. Such individuals were considered true geniuses—possessing a "Talent of the Heavens."

  Clearly, Ryan's current body was no such genius. Had he possessed innate talent matching his mastery of the technique, his Energy Sea would have been vastly larger.

  Still, for now, it sufficed. Perhaps later he'd encounter real prodigies and could "borrow" their talents using his Skill-Stealing Cards.

  Deciding quickly, he continued practicing, transforming more bloodline power into Blood Essence and storing it within his dantian.

  Practicing at the fifth level meant his efficiency was five times higher than beginners. After an hour, Ryan stopped—not because his Energy Sea was full, but because he'd hit a cultivation bottleneck described clearly in the manual. Breaking through this barrier required either patient effort or rare natural treasures.

  He opened his status panel:

  Energy: 32

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  Stamina: 101/102

  Strength: 107/121

  Spirit: 23/23

  Skills:

  - Iron Body Technique Lv.6

  - Five Tigers Blade Technique Lv.4

  - Thousand-Mile Leap (Minor Mastery)

  - Mystic Unity Blood Essence Technique Lv.5

  - Clock of Time (Basic)

  Bloodline:

  - Toxic Mist Bloodline (Basic)

  After cultivating the Mystic Unity Blood Essence Technique, Ryan clearly sensed his strength and stamina had skyrocketed. His Iron Body Technique had even advanced another level, though other skills remained unchanged.

  This progress satisfied him greatly. Although unable to directly see others' stats, Ryan felt certain he now ranked highly among the settlement's warriors.

  Rather than feeling exhausted after a night of cultivation, Ryan felt refreshed. After a quick meal, he ascended to the surface, gazing at the rising sun and feeling a strange, emotional gratitude.

  Wasn't this exactly why he'd struggled tirelessly since arriving in this dangerous future—to see each sunrise?

  "Deputy Captain Ryan, good morning!"

  "You're here early, sir!"

  Patrol members arriving for the shift greeted him warmly, clearly trying to curry favor. Deputy Captain Ethan Cole, however, remained sullen and coldly indifferent as usual.

  "The Mystic Unity Blood Essence Technique isn't easy," Ethan remarked sourly. "You should practice harder."

  Then, as if suddenly recalling something, he added, "Oh, and Aaron Hale's nephew, Michael Hale, is awakening his bloodline soon. You awakened first—wouldn't want him surpassing you quickly, would we?"

  Ryan inwardly sighed. Ethan's hostility clearly stemmed from personal grudges against Captain Harris. Ryan couldn't care less. Why should he cower before this petty man, just because Ethan had seniority?

  Deciding to neither flatter nor openly challenge Ethan, Ryan calmly drew his Tiger Roar blade with a casual smile. "Oh dear, Michael's awakening—I'm trembling. Better calm myself down."

  He swung his blade swiftly, channeling Blood Essence instinctively. The blade released a sharp tiger's roar, accompanied by a three-foot-long grayish blade energy, effortlessly splitting a large, waist-high boulder in half.

  "Blood Essence blade energy!" several warriors gasped in admiration.

  Ryan smiled modestly. "I'm still new to the Five Tigers Blade Technique. Please advise me well."

  The warriors quickly praised his humility, while Ethan's expression darkened further. With a cold snort, Ethan turned sharply away.

  "Ryan, that really slapped Ethan in the face," Greg whispered gleefully.

  "He already dislikes me because of Harris. Even if I bowed and scraped, he'd still despise me," Ryan replied nonchalantly. "He needs reminding—just because I don't show my fangs doesn't mean I'm harmless."

  Greg nodded heartily. "Exactly! Strength earns respect. You're a real bloodline warrior now—fear no one!"

  Suddenly, panicked shouting interrupted their conversation. A patrol member rushed toward them, terrified.

  "Terrible news! Ron Dalton...Ron Dalton's dead!"

  The news hit Ryan like a gut punch. Ron Dalton had been his closest acquaintance since arriving here. They'd studied together, joined patrol ranks together. Though Ryan quickly advanced, Ron remained a simple patrol member.

  Shocked memories filled Ryan's mind—the cheerful, goofy Ron asking naive questions about the sun. How had he died so suddenly?

  "What happened?" Ryan urgently grabbed the messenger's collar.

  "Ron... he's up ahead... It must be the Gray Mist Blood Bat!" the messenger stammered, visibly shaken.

  Ethan Cole quickly approached. "Show us immediately."

  Ron Dalton's remains lay at the edge of the sweet potato fields, once considered a safe patrol area. Now, reduced to bones wrapped in shriveled skin, Ron's lifeless eyes stared blankly upward in horror.

  "Life's short, Ryan. Drink wine, find joy—we won't live long anyway."

  "Don't blame me for choosing first, buddy—we can finally get married now!"

  Ron's earlier jokes echoed painfully in Ryan's ears. Though not exactly brothers-in-arms, Ron was the first friendly face he'd encountered in this bleak world. A wave of sorrow surged through Ryan.

  "It's definitely the Gray Mist Blood Bat," Ethan confirmed grimly after inspecting the scene. "Ron didn't even have time to signal for help."

  Ryan nodded wordlessly, grief silently gripping his heart.

  Meanwhile, deep underground in a steel-lined communications room, Captain Harris carefully translated a terse radio message from Guardian Fortress:

  "No resources available. Good luck."

  Fury and helplessness filled Harris's eyes as he read those cold, indifferent words aloud.