Eren sat at his desk, the pen in his hand still cool to the touch. He pulled out a rough sheet of paper from the cupboard, laid it flat, and took a deep breath.
He needed to know if it really worked.
Through the window, he saw Tang San making porridge over the fire outside his house, carefully stirring as the steam rose. Without hesitation, Eren brought the pen to the paper and began to write:
[ When Tang Hao starts drinking the porridge Tang San made, the contents will turn into piss. Tang Hao, enraged, will beat Tang San.]
He smirked, set the pen down, and waited.
From across the yard, Tang San walked inside with the bowl and placed it in front of his father.
"Father, it's time for lunch," he said, his voice soft as usual.
Tang Hao didn't speak. He simply picked up the bowl and began to drink without a second thought. At first, nothing seemed wrong. He took two full gulps.
Then his brows twitched.
His nose wrinkled.
The next moment, he froze completely. A foul, bitter stench spread across his tongue and rose into his nose like poison. His eyes opened wide. He lowered the bowl and looked inside.
The liquid had changed color. A pale yellow now filled the bowl, and the smell was unmistakable.
Tang Hao stood up slowly, his expression darkening by the second.
Tang San, completely unaware, continued eating his own share with a peaceful look. But his instincts stirred. His father's aura shifted—calm turned to pressure. San looked up and saw Tang Hao approaching step by step, one hand clenched into a fist, the other opening into a heavy palm.
"Father, how was the porr—"
Before he could finish the sentence, a slap struck his face so hard that he flew through the window, crashed onto the ground outside, and rolled twice before stopping.
Dazed, Tang San clutched his face. A bright red palm mark had formed across his left cheek. His mouth opened to ask what happened—why?
But he had no chance.
A second later, the same bowl, now filled with the foul liquid, flew through the air and hit him square on the forehead. The contents splashed across his hair and shirt. He sat there stunned, humiliated and soaked.
Eren couldn't stop laughing.
He rolled across his bed, clutching his stomach as tears formed at the corners of his eyes. He slammed a fist against the cushion as another wave of laughter broke free.
He had never laughed like this in his previous life.
Not once.
And yet now, after just one stroke of the pen, the world had given him something he had never felt before—satisfaction.
After a long while, his laughter calmed. He sat up, breathing slowly, wiping the corners of his eyes.
"So it really works," he whispered.
His gaze fell back to the pen resting on the table.
Today was his martial soul awakening ceremony. But if he changed too much too quickly, he risked drawing attention.
For now, he would stay low.
He picked up the pen again and wrote carefully:
[Today, I will awaken a rare martial soul known as the 'Lotus of Life'. Mix of rainbow in color.It possesses perfect healing ability—able to cure any disease, poison, curse, or negative effect.]
My innate soul power will be level 3, and I will receive two quotas for Nuoding Academy.
That would be enough. Rare, but not godlike. Valuable, but not impossible.
He paused… then thought of something else.
A grin formed.
Tang San would awaken today too.
He dipped the pen once more and added:
[Change Tang San's martial souls.
His first martial soul shall be the Blue Silver Pig.
His second martial soul shall be the Clear Sky Bamboo.]
Just imagining Tang San's face when he learned the truth made Eren chuckle.
"Let's see how the mighty prodigy handles that," he muttered.
His stomach growled. Loudly.
Eren sighed. "Right… I haven't eaten yet."
He looked toward the window again, then down at the pen.
A sudden thought crossed his mind. His eyes lit up.
"How did I forget?"
He brought the pen to the paper and wrote one more sentence:
[Inside my pillow, I will find the Gourmet Tablecloth from Doraemon. It can summon any food the user asks for.]
After finishing, he placed the pen down, walked over to his bed, and lifted the pillow.
His hand reached into the cloth... and pulled out a folded blue tablecloth with a large G printed at the center.
Excitement rushed through him.
He laid it flat on the floor. The moment it touched the ground, it doubled in size.
He stepped back, looked at it with anticipation, and spoke clearly.
"I want a Big Mac burger and a glass of ice-cold Coke."
In seconds, both items appeared on porcelain-white plates—perfectly formed, steaming hot, and fresh. The scent filled the room, triggering memories he never got to experience.
Eren sat down and began eating like a starved wolf. He took a bite of the burger and moaned with satisfaction. The Coke fizzed gently as he drank.
Back in his past life, he had never once been allowed to eat this kind of food. His heart had been too weak. His body too fragile.
But now… now he was free.
After he finished, he changed into his best clothes, combed his hair neatly, and looked at himself in the mirror.
There was still a faint boyishness to his face, but his eyes had already begun to change.
He stepped outside, the sun warm on his skin. Then, with calm steps, he made his way to the Martial Soul Branch Hall at the center of Holy Spirit Village.
Today was the beginning.
And no one—not Tang San, not fate, not even the heavens—would know what had truly awakened.