“Are you okay, brother?” Ha-Yoon asked, kneeling beside him. Her hazel-grey eyes scanned him with worry before she added, “How did you make your kunai appear out of thin air? I’ve never seen anything like it!”
Lirin, standing just behind her, was still awestruck. Her wide eyes were glued to Z, who perched near the edge of the platform, his chest heaving slightly from exertion. “Forget that!” Lirin exclaimed, her voice tinged with amazement. “What in all the lands did Z just do? A whiteblood wyvern firing a premature version of a world-ending breath? I’ve read about them, but witnessing it in person is... terrifyingly beautiful.”
The system window popped up in front of Si-Woo’s eyes, causing him to blink in confusion. It read:
Main Mission Complete
Rewards Acquired: - 5 Levels Gained
- Insight Skill Unlocked
- 5 STAT POINTS
Si-Woo groaned slightly, thinking to himself, So I didn’t actually need to land a hit on Minho to complete the mission? Frustration bubbled within him as he sat up. And I still didn’t get to see Minho’s berserk state… What a letdown.
Minho approached him, a proud smile on his face. He extended a hand to help Si-Woo to his feet. “You’ve made incredible progress, Si-Woo,” Minho said, his midnight-blue eyes shining with pride. “And your bond’s performance was nothing short of extraordinary. You’re well on your way to becoming a formidable fighter.”
Before Si-Woo could respond, Princess Deane stormed up behind Minho and grabbed one of his long ears with a firm yet playful grip. “Didn’t I tell you to show a little restraint, Minho?” she scolded, her light blue eyes with specks of green sparkling with mock irritation. “Look at him! He’s 11 years old, and you’ve already knocked him out cold. How are you going to explain this to his sister?”
Minho chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. “I did hold back,” he muttered, avoiding the princess’s piercing gaze. “I only used 25 percent of my power, Your Highness. Si-Woo needed a challenge, and he’s more resilient than most.”
Ha-Yoon, standing protectively beside her brother, crossed her arms. “I think you enjoyed that fight a little too much, Minho,” she said, glaring at him.
Mai giggled softly at the scene, while Lirin, still mesmerized by Z, muttered, “This is why I need to study that wyvern more.”
Si-Woo, now fully awake, glanced at the system window still hovering before him and quickly dismissed it with a thought. As he looked around at the supportive faces of his friends and mentors, a small smile tugged at his lips. He felt a newfound determination welling up inside him. This was only the beginning.
Lying on his back in the quiet of his room, Si-Woo stared up at the skylight above. The stars twinkled faintly, their serene glow a sharp contrast to the whirlwind of events that had transpired throughout the day. Next to him, Ha-Yoon lay curled up, her light grey eyes shut as she breathed softly in her sleep. The peaceful moment gave Si-Woo time to reflect.
Today was something else, he thought. The congratulatory remarks from the fae still echoed in his mind, and he couldn’t forget the numerous questions hurled his way about his awakening. Fae from every corner of Yohen seemed to have heard about his feat, and their excitement was palpable.
One moment stuck out in particular—he was pretty sure he’d caught a glimpse of Sol lingering in a distant crowd, but the figure disappeared before Si-Woo could confirm it was him. Why would Sol even bother being there? he wondered, though the thought quickly faded as he remembered another encounter.
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King Morey, in his humble disguise, had paid him a surprise visit, his cryptic but supportive words still fresh in Si-Woo’s memory. Then there were the recruiters. Their valiant and overly persistent attempts to sway him into their families had been exhausting but also amusing in hindsight. Fae really take recruitment seriously, he mused, a small grin forming on his face.
Shaking off the day’s events, Si-Woo decided to focus on something more pressing. He opened his system screen, the familiar bronze-colored interface hovering before him. The glowing text read:
Daily Quests Completed
EXP Gained: 150
Total EXP: 150/350
LEVEL: 5
STAT POINTS: 5
Si-Woo sighed when he realized that the system increased the experience cap by 50% with each level. “Of course it wouldn’t be that easy,” he muttered to himself. Still, he now had five available stat points to allocate.
He tapped his finger thoughtfully on the mattress, debating whether to use them immediately or save them for when he might need them more.
The allure of boosting his stats now was tempting, but something told him to hold off.
“System, what do you think?” he asked, his voice low enough not to wake Ha-Yoon.
The system responded almost instantly, its tone laced with sarcastic snark: "TELL ME, WOULD IT MAKE SENSE TO WASTE THEM WITHOUT THINKING AHEAD? DOES THAT SOUND INTELLECTUAL TO YOU?”
Si-Woo rolled his eyes and groaned. “You could’ve just said ‘save them’ like a normal system.”
"IM YOUR SYSTEM. NORMAL DOESN'T APPLY,” it retorted.
“Whatever,” Si-Woo grumbled, deciding to save the points for later. He dismissed the screen with a wave of his hand and glanced at Ha-Yoon, who stirred slightly but didn’t wake.
“Guess I’ll figure it all out as I go,” he whispered to himself, his gaze drifting back to the stars. The stillness of the night wrapped around him, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt a strange mix of peace and anticipation.
...
A few weeks later, Ha-Yoon awakened. Her awakening wasn’t as sudden or chaotic as Si-Woo’s, but the gravity of the moment was palpable. Princess Deane, having foreseen the event, arranged for Ha-Yoon to meditate in a secluded field of flowers. The vibrant meadow stretched wide, surrounded by soft hills, with colors so vivid it seemed the ground itself was alive.
The group stood at a cautious distance, over a hundred steps away. Si-Woo, standing beside Princess Deane, couldn’t help but voice his concern. “Why aren’t there any military officers setting up barriers around her like they did for me?” he asked, his gaze fixed on Ha-Yoon.
Princess Deane’s expression was calm but carried an undertone of gravity. “Because they would lose their lives,” she said simply.
Si-Woo turned to her sharply, confused and alarmed, but before he could press further, his attention was drawn back to Ha-Yoon. Her Serein, a wonderous deep blue, visible even from their distance, began to seep into the earth like roots spreading beneath her. The grass and flowers around her dulled, their vibrant colors draining as if life itself was being pulled from them. A moment later, the color and vitality returned, only for the process to repeat over and over in an almost rhythmic cycle.
The phenomenon left almost everyone silent, even Minho and King Morey, whose expressions were marked with a mix of awe and concern. Si-Woo felt a chill run through him. There was something eerily beautiful but deeply unsettling about the display.
Then, as abruptly as it began, the cycle stopped. Ha-Yoon’s Serein surged back into her body, and she stood still for a moment before turning and walking toward the group. King Morey, his arms crossed tightly, muttered under his breath, “This is too similar to...” but he didn’t finish his thought, his expression darkening."This is very otherworldly," Minho added in awe.
Ha-Yoon came to a halt directly in front of Minho, her gaze piercing and unwavering. Her face was devoid of its usual warmth, replaced by an unreadable intensity that even Si-Woo struggled to recognize. For a moment, the air was heavy with tension.
Then Ha-Yoon held out her hand, her posture firm and resolute, as if demanding something. Minho hesitated, his hand hovering near his side. After a long pause, he reluctantly reached into a satchel and pulled out an object wrapped in a thin white cloth. With careful precision, he unwrapped it without directly touching it, revealing Ha-Yoon’s Grimoire of Oblivion.
The change in Ha-Yoon was instantaneous. The intensity in her eyes softened, and a broad smile spread across her face as she clutched the grimoire close to her chest. “I did it,” she declared brightly, the joy in her voice unmistakable.
Si-Woo, relieved, broke into a grin. “Congratulations, Ha-Yoon,” he said warmly. His words seemed to break the spell, and soon the others joined in, offering their congratulations.
The tension from moments before melted into celebration as the group gathered around her. Even the flowers in the field seemed to bloom brighter, as if reflecting Ha-Yoon’s newfound strength. For a fleeting moment, everything felt right.