Zev squinted, unsure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Strange things were happening right in front of him, things that made no sense. A translucent screen appeared, floating in the air as if he were inside a game. A message flashed across it:
[You have reached Spiritual Power I]
Spiritual power. This was the ability people had awakened after the appearance of the portals and the arrival of monsters. With it, they could harness magical energy and enhance their physical capabilities. Spiritual power was divided into stages, and each stage marked a significant increase in strength.
Spiritual Power I.
It was the first stage of mastering spiritual power—like a baby taking its first steps. Reaching Spiritual Power I allowed a person to begin materializing their spirit outside their body, while also slightly enhancing their physical strength.
Zev, however, wasn't surprised to have reached this stage so easily. He had already experienced this path in his previous life. What truly stunned him was the screen itself.
It was a notification, a clear message showing what he had just achieved.
"What the hell is this?" he muttered.
He remembered seeing the same screen before he died. At the time, he had thought it was a hallucination, a trick of the mind as his life slipped away. But now that it had appeared again, he was certain it was real.
Name: Zev Quellen
Age: 8
Awaken Gene: None
Skill(s)
Swordmanship I
Spiritual power I
"Can you see this, Harin?" Zev asked, pointing at the floating screen with his index finger.
Harin glanced at the spot Zev was indicating, but when he saw nothing there, he quickly looked back at him. In his mind, the boy was clearly trying to avoid his question.
"Is your head still hurting? There's nothing here. And why aren't you answering me? How did you manage to control spiritual power?"
Suddenly, Zev realized what he had done. If his memory was right, he had first reached Spiritual Power I at the age of ten. Back then, his control over it had been far from perfect, there were still many flaws.
More importantly, achieving Spiritual Power I at such a young age was an extraordinary feat. In recorded history, no one had ever done it. The thought of revealing that he had returned to the past crossed his mind. But he quickly shook his head and dismissed the idea. He had no way of knowing what might happen if he said it out loud.
'I should just play with it.'
"Really, Harin?! I was able to control my spiritual power? This is great! I should challenge Leron to another duel," Zev exclaimed, already moving toward the door.
As expected, Harin stepped in before he could leave. Zev knew Harin well—he wouldn't let something like this get out so easily.
"You're rushing things, Sir Zev. And we don't even know if it was just luck," Harin said firmly.
Zev looked up at the ceiling, his expression lighting up like a child who had just made an exciting discovery. "Is that so?" He turned around, walked back to the bed, and sat down. "Hmm, you might be right, Harin."
Harin smiled, watching Zev with a mix of amusement and curiosity. Despite the boy's confidence, he still acted like a child in many ways. Harin was starting to believe that Zev's breakthrough might have been a stroke of luck, or perhaps the result of his powerful bloodline. After all, Zev came from one of the most formidable families, and that lineage couldn't be ignored.
"I saw you when you materialized it," Harin said. "You seemed to have control, and I noticed you absorbed all the energy. You should try feeling the power within your body. You can release it whenever you choose to."
Zev smirked. He had no intention of doing that. Still, he understood exactly why Harin had said those words. It was a subtle test—to see whether his success came from a lucky accident or from true potential.
Zev closed his eyes and focused, channeling the spiritual power throughout his body. When he opened them again, a dim light shimmered around him. "Is this the spiritual power?"
Though Harin had seen this before, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. He chuckled softly. "That's it, Sir Zev. But could you try to enhance it a little more?"
Harin knew it was too soon for such a display, but the excitement was irresistible. It was the first time in a long while that he felt this level of anticipation. He struggled to control his emotions, eager to see how far Zev had come.
Zev nodded, closing his eyes once more. I hope this will impress you, he thought.
Suddenly, the dim light surrounding Zev doubled in size, and Harin could feel the power radiating from it. It wasn't overwhelming yet, but for an eight-year-old, it was nothing short of incredible.
Zev held the form for about forty seconds, but the effort began to take its toll. Just as he was about to collapse, he spoke weakly, "This is how far I can go."
Before Zev hit the ground, Harin moved swiftly, catching him in his arms. A genuine smile spread across Harin's face, his eyes gleaming with happiness.
"I think I pushed you too far," Harin muttered softly. "Please rest now, Sir Zev. You've made this old man truly happy today." With a gentle hand, he stroked Zev's head, his voice filled with admiration.
-
The next day, Zev woke up in the same room, a slight headache throbbing in his head. He recalled what had happened the day before—how he had exhausted his spiritual power.
A sigh escaped his lips as he thought about the opportunity he had missed to see Harin's reaction. Such a waste, he thought to himself.
He stood up and drank the spiritual potion that had been left on the table. Settling down on the floor, he focused and began to materialize the spirit once more. He wasn't doing it to push further, just to recover the energy he had spent the previous day.
It didn't take too long.
Harin returned to his room and prepared his meal. After eating, they made their way to the training ground to focus on physical conditioning. The body had to be in peak condition before the awakening. Why? Because if it wasn't prepared to handle the monster's gene, the consequences could be severe—ranging from debilitating injuries to, in the worst case, death.
Harin stood off to the side, watching intently, ready to step in if Zev needed anything.
Zev started his training.
He began by running laps around the training ground.
Before the awakening, I need to enhance my stamina.
Four hours passed, and Zev continued running without pause. His endurance caught the attention of others around him, who couldn't help but notice his unwavering focus and determination.
Is that really Zev?
Why was he running all day?
Was he planning to run until he passed out?
No one dared to say anything against him, recognizing Zev as the son of the Black Sigil Guild Leader. Besides, Harin's presence was enough to keep anyone from speaking out.
"Someone sabotaged my awakening. I initially dismissed it as a coincidence, but now I'm certain. Someone in this family wants me dead."
He didn't say these words without reason—he had his suspicions.
During his days as a mutant, clearing monsters and portals, Zev had experienced multiple assassination attempts by an unknown group. At first, he believed it was because he had provoked some guilds and made a name for himself as Scar Face. However, he quickly realized his assumption was wrong—he wasn't influential enough to threaten a large organization.
The turning point came when he managed to capture one of the assassins and demanded to know who was behind the attacks. But before he could get an answer, the assassin took their own life. The only thing Zev was certain of was that the weapons they had wielded came from Black Sigil.
Of course, it came to his mind that someone was using the Black Sigil, that's why he needed to investigate it thoroughly.
"That's enough, Sir Zev," Harin said, handing him a water bottle.
Zev stopped, catching his breath. In his thoughts, he had lost track of time—he hadn't realized he had been running for hours.
"Y-yes, Harin."
Two years. He had two years before the awakening, and he needed to ensure his body was fully prepared. But more than that, he had to uncover who was behind the sabotage. He couldn't afford to lower his guard, especially now that someone might try to kill him the moment they discovered he had reached Spiritual Power I.
Zev glanced at Harin, knowing that, eventually, he would report everything to his father.
"Let's go, Harin. I need to stabilize my spiritual energy first."
Just as he was about to leave, a man with red hair and blue eyes appeared on the training ground. It was Leron, who had become intrigued after hearing that Zev had been running all day.
"Aren't you going to greet your big brother?" Leron teased.
Zev spun around, his eyes narrowing as he tracked the source of the voice. Seeing Leron standing there made his blood boil, memories of all the bad experiences he'd had with him flooding back. However, he managed to rein in his emotions. He couldn't be sure if Leron had been manipulated back then, or if it had simply been his true nature. As a child, it was easy to be influenced.
"I didn't notice you, Brother Leron. My apologies for my rudeness, but I really must be going." Zev turned away, his voice cold. "Let's go, Harin."
Leron gritted his teeth, feeling the sting of Zev's apparent disregard for him. Fueled by anger, he rushed forward and swung his fist, channeling spiritual energy to enhance his physical strength.
But just before Leron could make contact, Harin intercepted him, grabbing his wrist and stopping him in his tracks. "That's dangerous, Sir Leron. Zev could be severely injured if he's hit by that."
"Let me go, Harin. You're just a butler!" Leron snarled, trying to free his arm.
"I understand that," Harin replied calmly, "but I am also here to protect Sir Zev, just as your butler would."
Zev turned, his voice cold and dismissive. "Let's go, Harin. We don't have time to waste."
Leron's rage flared, and with a furious jerk, he broke free from Harin's grip. Harin could have stopped him, but when he glanced at Zev, he saw the look in his eyes—an unspoken message to just let Leron go.
Harin sighed, not because he feared Zev would lose, but because he was concerned for Leron. He knew Zev's understanding and control of spiritual energy far surpassed Leron's.
Thud!
Suddenly, Leron collapsed to the ground. Zev's voice was cold and steady as he stood over him. "Since you want to fight, I'll give you one. But don't expect me to be merciful."