"I'm a mage," Raven said bluntly.
"No, I mean, was that magic just now?" Killer Croc asked, gesturing with his claws.
"That was telekinesis. It counts as one of my abilities, I suppose. Right now, it's the one I control best." Raven sighed softly, turned around, sat back down, and continued watching TV.
But Killer Croc's eyes lit up. "Can that ability be learned? Can I learn telekinesis?"
"You can't." Raven continued in a cold tone. "It's a bloodline ability. Unless your father was also a great demon, you can't learn it."
"I don't know who my father was, but he definitely wasn't a crocodile." Killer Croc shrugged.
Raven suddenly froze. She stood up again, turned back, and examined Killer Croc closely. "You mean both your parents were human, but you grew up looking like this?"
Killer Croc nodded.
"An ancestral bloodline?" Raven said thoughtfully. "Ancestral bloodlines usually don't only change someone's appearance. Do you think you're different from ordinary people in any way?"
"Does being especially strong count? I rarely get tired, and I can keep going for a long time without eating much."
Raven shook her head. "It must be more than that. Animal-type ancestral bloodlines usually come from blessings bestowed by ancient animal gods. Goddess Aze told me that, back when humans still needed the protection of all kinds of gods, many beast gods blessed the strongest warriors in tribes."
"These warriors would gain some animal traits, or even transform directly into beasts. They possessed tremendous strength and could use some of the beast gods' magic, leading their tribes through the wilderness and preserving their bloodlines."
"But humans reproduced too quickly. Generation after generation diluted those precious bloodlines, so they're basically unseen now. Still, there are occasionally lucky people who suddenly awaken an ancestral bloodline."
"You mean