At this moment, Ray was sitting in Diana's room, which was completely covered by a formation. The air felt heavy with power, and ancient runes shimmered faintly along the walls. Diana, his mother, had sealed the space with a high-level defensive formation—an unusual act, even for someone as cautious as her. It wasn't just the room that was strange; Diana's recent behavior had been... off.
First, she had cloaked her room with layers of formations. Second, she had begun teaching Ray formation arts for protection, something most six-year-olds wouldn't be allowed near. And third, she had gifted him a small bangle-like object—a disk imbued with a formation. If activated, it would form a protective shield around him.
Ray stared at her, the bangle in hand. "What's going on, Mother?" he asked, a frown forming on his young face.
Diana sighed, a short chuckle escaping her lips. "You always see through me too quickly."
She sat down beside him and began explaining, "You won a fight against Reggie. That alone will make others in the family take notice. I fear some of the other children may begin to target you."
Ray blinked. "Mother, I understand being cautious. But… would they really bully me? I'm just six years old."
"They wouldn't just bully you," Diana said seriously. "They would try to kill you. What I've given you is an early bronze-stage formation. It's far above your current level, but it's necessary."
Ray frowned and tilted his head. "Then… shouldn't you be giving me a golden-level formation instead?"
Diana smirked. "You can barely activate peak iron-level formations with your current soul strength. I'm hoping that once you break through to the Wood Soul Stage, you'll be able to barely activate bronze-level formations. That's why I'm helping you prepare."
Ray sat back, deep in thought. A wild idea formed in his mind. What if I could combine talismans with formations? He imagined using one talisman as a controller and another to store energy like a battery. This way, he wouldn't always need to use his soul force to power a formation. He could save it for critical moments.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. A wide grin spread across his face.
Thwack!
A sudden chop landed on his head. "Ow!" Ray looked up at his mother, rubbing his scalp.
Diana crossed her arms, ignoring his pained expression. "Were you ignoring me while I was talking? What's with that creepy grin?"
Still nursing his head, Ray explained, "I was thinking… What if I could combine your formation with talismans? I could use one talisman to act as a controller and another to store energy. That way, I wouldn't have to rely as much on my soul cultivation during battle."
Thwack! Another chop landed.
"Ow, again? What was that for?" Ray groaned.
"You're overcomplicating things," Diana said, though her tone was more amused than angry. "You don't need talismans to do that. All you need are crystal stones to activate the formation. And your own soul cultivation to control it."
"But that's not efficient," Ray argued. "The remote-control talisman I'm talking about could automatically adjust the formation based on the enemy's strength. If I use my soul energy for both controlling and repairing the formation mid-battle, I'll run out quickly. But if I have an automated controller, I can reserve my soul force for more important things—like staying alive."
Diana didn't respond immediately. Her smile faded, and she looked at her son carefully. What he said made sense—too much sense for a six-year-old. After a moment, she nodded.
"You're right. It might work," she admitted. "But before any of that, you must break through to the 1st Wood Soul Stage. Until then, you're staying here. No going outside. This will be your closed-door cultivation period. I'll guard you personally."
Ray nodded seriously. "Understood."
Diana gestured around the room. "I've already prepared everything—formation-enhanced soul cultivation arrays, soul pills, and cultivation stones. Your sword master and your third mother have been informed that you've entered a period of enlightenment."
Once she left to inform Mary to let no one enter, Ray sat in a meditation pose. But instead of cultivating the formation scroll she expected him to study, he pulled out another: the talisman soul cultivation scroll Selene had given him.
This time, he was cultivating not just to grow stronger but to attempt something dangerous.
He had already formed one soul core—used for formations. But now, he aimed to create another, dedicated to talismans. As he followed the complicated process from the scroll, he took a few soul pills into his mouth, ready to swallow them when the pain hit.
And then—it happened.
The moment he succeeded in forming a second core, chaos erupted. The formation soul core rejected the talisman soul core violently. A clash between the two cores erupted inside him, shaking his very consciousness. His body trembled, and sweat poured from his forehead.
Ray gritted his teeth, pushing through the pain. He couldn't let this fail.
"I am the boss of you both," he whispered to himself, stubbornly forcing the two cores together. Slowly, slowly, they began to respond—not by merging into a single orb, but by forming something entirely new.
Instead of the traditional spherical core, what formed inside him was a 3D cube, a black matrix. It pulsed unnaturally, absorbing not just energy but also every memory from both this life and his past one.
Pain. Real, overwhelming pain seized his head. He rolled onto the ground, his body writhing as if being torn apart from within. Tears streamed from his eyes, but he didn't stop. He swallowed more pills, trying to dull the agony. Around him, the formation arrays intensified, feeding him more energy. Cultivation stones cracked and dissolved as they were drained.
The box—his new mutant soul core—was still incomplete. Its surface started turning darker, while floating characters, numbers, and ancient symbols appeared and shifted across its surface. It wasn't just a core anymore—it was becoming something else.
Hours passed.
When Diana returned, her heart dropped.
Ray lay on the ground, his veins bulging and glowing with strange energy. His eyes were shut tight, his face scrunched in agony.
"Ray!" she rushed to him, placing his head on her lap. "What happened to you?!"
She tried to probe into his soul—but something blocked her. All she could see was a glowing white orb. She had no idea that deep inside, a black cube—the matrix—was hidden, evolving.
Ray couldn't speak. He simply curled against her, seeking comfort. The pain dulled slightly in her arms. Diana wrapped her arms around him, whispering calming words as he shivered.
Then suddenly—the breakthrough came.
Wood Soul Stage.
Diana felt the shift instantly. The pressure in the room lightened. The chaotic energy settled. Ray's breathing slowed, and his tears dried. His trembling stopped.
She looked down at him, still concerned. "Are you okay, son?"
Ray pulled away gently, his breathing calm now. He opened his eyes—calm, but sharper than before.
Inside those eyes, he saw something no one else could.
[Initiating system...]
[Welcome to the System.]
[Congratulations! You have successfully activated the system.]
A floating status window appeared in front of him. Ray blinked in surprise as information unfolded before him:
Name: Ray Walker
Spiritual Cultivation: Not Awakened
Soul Cultivation: 3rd Wood Stage
System: 2/3
Attributes:
Strength: 5
Stamina: 5
Health: 120
Agility: 12
Intelligence: 15
He could see tabs for his swordsmanship, formation techniques, and talisman paths—and even folders containing every book he'd read in both his lives.
He wanted to explore more, but he blinked, and the display vanished as his mother's voice cut through the silence.
"Ray?" she asked again, her voice gentler now.
Ray smiled, sitting up straighter. "I've finally broken through, Mother. I think with this new strength… I can use your bronze-level formation now."
Diana smiled softly, though she still seemed unsure of what just happened. But one thing was clear—her son was no ordinary child. Not anymore.
And this was only the beginning.