The previous night after putting Soobin to bed, Yuna was sitting in the sofa, deep in thoughts, while Seojin was cleaning everything up. Just when Seojin was about to got to his room , Yuna without even looking at his direction said "did u feel it too".
"Hmm... if you've felt it too... it cant be a mistake then.."
The happy , warm, expressive Seojin with a expression as cold as ice , such that no one would believe it was the same man panicking for his son a few minutes ago , replied.
"i first thought i might be wrong, but when i went to his room, i felt it again... Soobin has a spirit energy core" Says yuna.
"Should we go ask him about it?" Seojin suggested.
"Let him rest for now... we can ask him tomorrow.. i want to know just what kind of adventure my little baby went on today."
"ok true..."
Present day
The living room was a cozy blend of warmth and subtle mystical touches. Soft light filtered through crystal-like windows infused with spirit energy, casting a gentle glow across the room. Family portraits and holographic plaques of his parents' heroic deeds adorned the walls. A floating orb in the corner adjusted the room's temperature, powered by spirit energy. A rug woven with ancient runes lay beneath their feet, and a glass-like table in the center shimmered with different colors. Soobin and his parents were gathered. He sat on one side , and them on another. His mother, Yuna and father, Seojin, were seated across from him, their eyes filled with concern and curiosity. Soobin sat opposite them, his hands resting on his lap, his gaze lowered to the floor, feeling the weight of the questions that were about to come.
"Soobin," his mother’s soft voice broke the silence. "Why can I sense a spirit energy core from you? Just... what happened?"
Soobin didn't understand.. him having a spirit core? from where did his mother get this idea. Sure he got his status window last night. But the main reason he got his status window is because he didn't have a spirit core. Just what in the world is happening?
'Wait... doesn't this make stuff easier for me??' Soobin thought. He now did not have to explain the reason he could form contracts or even use spirit energy despite having a status window.
At the end, he just decided to believe that the status window or the legacy artifact , gave off the illusion of a spirit core so that he could fit in this world.
'how oddly specific' soobin thought... There seemed to be so much more to this artifact than just being something the mc came across for sometime.
While soobin was lost in this thoughts...
"SOOBIN"
His mother called his name again... this time with a bit more voice .
He didn’t look up. His thoughts were racing, he now had to explain yesterday's shenanigans. Finally, he spoke, his voice low but steady. "Mom, since you already know about it, I can now join the academy. I wanna go to the Spirit Contract Ceremony next week. Please... come with me."
His mother didn’t let it go so easily. Her brows furrowed, her voice firm but filled with worry. "That's not what I asked, Soobin. You’ve never had a spirit energy core... and even yesterday morning, there was nothing. Then you came home hurt and in tatters with wounds from shadowfang wolves...." Yuna’s voice trailed off, her expression changing as memories of the previous day flashed before her eyes. "Something happened yesterday, right? Where did you go?"
Her voice grew colder, sharper with suspicion.
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"I didn’t go anywhere… you don’t need to worry about it. Please, Mom, I’m fine now. Why do you need to know?" Soobin’s words came out faster than he intended, his tone unintentionally distant, his frustration got the better of him. There was a part of him, deep inside, that still held back from being entirely comfortable around them. He could feel it—something leftover from the previous life.
Yuna's eyes softened as she looked at her son. "Because I am your mother," she said quietly, her words cutting through the distance Soobin had built around himself. The warmth in her voice melted something in Soobin's heart. He felt a pang of guilt for shutting her out.
Just then, his father, Seojin, chimed in, his tone thoughtful. "Oh, wait. I remember Jane from the guild mentioned something about you borrowing a sword for training yesterday?"
Yuna turned to her husband and then back to Soobin, her eyes narrowing slightly. "A sword? Soobin... where did you go? Please, just tell us."
Soobin paused, exhaling slowly before answering, trying to keep his voice calm. "I went to Dreadwood Expanse yesterday. I had some... business there. But I promise, it wasn’t as dangerous as it sounds. I can even show you the receipt if you don’t believe me."
Yuna's face tensed at the mention of the forest. "The Dreadwood Expanse? so that explains the wounds.. they have a lot of shadowfang wolves in that area.. Why would you go there? That place has a high concentration of shadow energy. It’s forbidden especially for people without energy cores. "
Soobin kept quiet, unsure of how to explain without revealing too much. He finally replied, "I had some work there. I can’t tell you everything right now, but I promise it’s nothing bad. I was careful. I wasn’t in any real danger."
" oh yeah... then why did you come home like that then ..? " his mom asked angrily and sarcastically.
"that...."he kept quiet.
Yuna and Seojin exchanged glances before turning back to him. They didn't want to press any further.. Seojin spoke this time, his voice calm but firm. "If it’s something you can’t tell us, that’s okay. We just want to know that you’re safe and not doing anything reckless."
A wave of relief washed over Soobin as he slumped slightly into his seat, tension easing from his shoulders. "I’m fine, really. And now that I have a spirit core, I can attend the ceremony. I’ll be able to form a contract, just like everyone else. You won’t have to worry about me anymore. You... and even 'he' won’t have to be ashamed of me."
His mother’s expression shifted at that, a flicker of anger flashing in her eyes. "We were never ashamed of you, Soobin. Not ever." Her voice was soft but firm, her gaze unwavering. "And 'he' loves you too, even if it doesn’t seem that way. He just... has trouble showing it sometimes. You both have always been special to us."
Soobin looked up, feeling his parents' warmth surround him. He didn't care whether that cared about him or not, but every time this topic came up, a strange irritation stirred within him. Maybe it was the previous owners feelings acting up.
Yuna and Seojin stood up, their previous worry melting into excitement.
"well it seems you were a late bloomer soob" Seojin spoke up
"We’ll make the reservations for the ceremony next week!" his mother declared, already reaching for her phone. The atmosphere in the house shifted, becoming lighter and more cheerful.
Yuna began calling relatives and friends, sharing the good news that her son had finally awakened his spirit energy core. Seojin, also made a few important calls to his guild, discussing Soobin’s future. Now that he believed Soobin had an energy core, the guild would likely offer their support, no matter how much potential he held.
Soobin watched as the room filled with laughter and the soft hum of excited conversations. He let out a small sigh, rubbing his face in his hands before smiling to himself. Normally, he wasn’t a fan of all this noise and commotion—he preferred things to be quieter, more peaceful. But right now, for some reason, it didn’t bother him as much. There was a warmth in the air, and it made him feel... at home.
Yuna came over to him, a wide smile on her face as she playfully shoved a jelly snack into his mouth. "Oh, by the way, while I was calling taehyun's parents, it seems like Taehyun overheard the conversation and is rushing over here right now."
Soobin blinked, caught off guard by the name. 'Taehyun?' he thought, pausing mid-chew. 'He was the other soobins best friend, the kid who lived few minutes away ... right?'
And then, something clicked in his mind, and his chewing slowed. "Taehyun… Wait. Could it be… Kang Taehyun?" His heart skipped a beat. "No, it can’t be. There are lots of people with that name. It’s probably just a coincidence."
He tried to dismiss the thought, but the name nagged at him, tugging at the back of his mind. Kang Taehyun, the one who was the protagonist’s greatest rival in the original novel—the one who was always just a step behind the hero, always trying to surpass him. But later, he got caught up in that incident.
Just as Soobin was lost in thought, the front door creaked open, and a lively voice called out from the entrance. Soobin looked up, and there he was—Taehyun. White hair, light blackish eyes, a sharp jawline, and a warm but mischievous smile that immediately filled the room with a contagious energy.
Soobin’s heart sank. "Ah… so it is him."
image [https://i.imgur.com/BzMtWSU.jpeg] image [https://i.imgur.com/lyDz9Bt.jpeg] image [https://i.imgur.com/xtFNHqC.jpeg]