The sun had dipped low by the time Jae-sung found a spot in the slums to call shelter for the night. The air was thick with the smell of smoke from cooking fires and the damp earth from a recent drizzle.
He ducked under a low beam into a cluster of tents patched together from old metal sheets and torn fabrics.
The place was crowded, with people huddled around small flames, sharing what little food they had. Clang! Clang! rang out from a nearby worker hammering a new support, trying to make the shelter stronger.
Jae-sung adjusted the blanket around Yoo, his steps heavy from the long walk. "This spot's better than nothing—got walls, at least. The kid needs rest, and so do I," he thought, his muscles aching.
A random woman by a fire looked up as he approached. "New here? You and the little one look worn out," she said, stirring a pot of thin soup. Her voice was kind, but her eyes were tired, like she'd seen too much loss.
Jae-sung nodded. "Yeah, just got out of the bunker. Any room?" The woman pointed to an empty tent.
"Take that one—it's dry enough. Food's scarce, but share if you can."
"Poor guy with a baby... wonder if he lost his wife too," she thought, handing him a small bowl of soup. Jae-sung thanked her, thinking, "People are still helping each other. That's something in this mess."
He settled into the tent, a rickety thing made from scrap metal and old blankets. Yoo wiggled in his arms, his baby eyes blinking at the flickering firelight through the flap.
"This place is rough... but it's safe for now,"
Yoo thought, his adult mind scanning the surroundings. The energy surge from the core still tingled in his tiny body, like a whisper of something big waiting to wake up. "I need to figure out this power... but as a baby, how do I even start?"
Jae-sung rummaged in his pack for the cheap baby food he'd bought from a slum vendor earlier—a pack of mushy nutrient paste that cost most of his last coins.
It wasn't much, but it was soft enough for a baby. "Here you go, little guy," he said softly, scooping some on his finger and offering it to Yoo.
Yoo slurped it hungrily, the taste bland but filling. "This stuff's awful, like eating paste... but it'll give me energy," Yoo thought, his baby gurgles hiding his disgust. Jae-sung smiled, watching him eat. "He's eating good... tough kid. Makes me feel like I can keep going."
A random kid peeked into the tent, eyes wide with curiosity. "Mister, your baby's eating funny!" the boy said, giggling. Jae-sung laughed.
"He's hungry, just like us. Want some soup?" The boy nodded and sat down, slurping from a bowl the woman had shared. "My name's Min-ho. You from the bunker? I heard monsters ate everything up there."
Jae-sung nodded. "Yeah, it was bad. But we made it out." "Kid's got spirit—reminds me of when I was young, before all this," Jae-sung thought. Min-ho looked at Yoo. "He's quiet. My baby sister cries all the time." Yoo gurgled, thinking, "Quiet? If only you knew what's in my head."
Once Yoo was fed and dozing, Jae-sung pulled out a worn book from his pack—a training guide he'd scavenged from the bunker during the escape.
The cover was faded, but the title read clear: Gi and Aura: The Path to Strength. He flipped it open, his eyes scanning the pages under the dim light of a small lamp. "If that reawakening made me stronger, I need to learn how to use it. For the kid," he thought, his fingers tracing the words.
The book started simple: "Gi is the internal energy inside you—the core of your power. Aura is how it shows outside, like a shield or weapon." Jae-sung nodded, feeling the warm flow in his body from the surge.
The book went on: "With precise control, you can hide your aura to avoid detection. There are techniques to make Gi flow smooth through your body, even slip through loopholes in enemies' senses for deadly attacks."
The Female neighbor from earlier poked her head in. "Training book? Good luck—Gi's tricky," she said, chuckling. Jae-sung looked up.
"You tried it?" The woman shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm still Iron. Can't get the hang of it. My husband was Gold before... well, you know."
"Poor guy, trying so hard with a baby. Hope he makes it," she thought, walking away with a sad smile.
The book warned: "Control helps learn techniques, but your level depends on them too. Choose wisely—don't waste time on heavy techniques when low rank. It takes time and won't maximize your potential."
Jae-sung flipped to the next part, his eyes widening, "When you fight with Gi normally, it flows random and weak. It makes control hard and attacks soft. But with channeling, you master it and deliver powerful hits."
Jae-sung set the book down, closing his eyes. "Okay, let's try," he thought. He sat cross-legged, breathing deep. Gi stirred like a river inside him.
He guided it, but it slipped away. "Come on..." he muttered. Tried again—failed. "Damn it!" A third time—still random. The kid Min-ho outside laughed. "Mister's talking to himself!"
Jae-sung focused deeper, ignoring the world. The flow started slow, then steady, like a muscle remembering how to move.
"Yes... that's it," he thought, immersed. Hours slipped by, the sun setting, fires crackling outside.
The neighbor woman whispered to another, "He's been at it for ages—dedicated, huh?" A random old man nodded. "Training is the thing to do now after the surge, but for us low ranks without any connections, it feels pretty pointless.
"Wish I had his drive," the old man thought, poking the fire with a stick. Crackle! Pop!
Waa! Waa! Yoo's cry snapped Jae-sung back to reality.
He blinked, rubbing his eyes. The tent was dark, and the book lay open beside him. "How long was I out?" he whispered, scratching his head in confusion and embarrassment.
"Lost track of time... silly me. The kid's hungry again." He picked up Yoo, who was fussing, and scooped some leftover mush.
"Sorry, little guy. Let's eat." Yoo slurped it, thinking, "He was practicing Gi? Smart—I'll remember that flow." Jae-sung smiled. "He's calming fast... good sign."
The evening went normal—Jae-sung shared soup with the female neighbor, talking low by the fire. "Heard more about the surge?" she asked, stirring the pot.
Jae-sung shook his head. "Just that it made us stronger...did you feel it?" The woman nodded. "A bit—Iron rank now, I think. My boy's playing with energy sparks." A random woman by the fire chimed in.
"My husband's Gold—says it's like a new muscle. But low ranks like me... it's hard." "Life's unfair, but we keep going," she thought, handing out bowls. Yoo listened to the chatter, his baby gurgles hiding his thoughts.
"Energy's everywhere... I'll train too, when I can move." A kid poked Yoo gently. "Baby smiles funny!" Jae-sung laughed. "He's happy, I guess."
Later, as the fire died down, Jae-sung tucked Yoo in a blanket pile. "Goodnight, little one," he whispered. Yoo drifted off, thinking, "This guy's kind... but the world's tough. Need to grow fast."
The old man by the fire sighed. "Night's quiet—monsters still out there." "Hope we make it to morning," he thought, staring at the stars.
The next morning, Jae-sung's comm beeped. A message from his slum friend: "Hey, got a job—excavation site. Group paying 200k for carrying gems from dead monsters and mining minerals in a dungeon.
Stay at the back, pick stuff up—easy, right?. You in?"
Jae-sung's eyes lit up. "200k? That's huge—I couldn't earn that in a year." He replied: "Count me in. When?" Friend: "Meet at dawn—bring your weapon."
A random trader nearby overheard. "Excavation? Dangerous, but those gems are gold!"
Jae-sung nodded. "Worth the risk." The trader grinned. "Good luck—bring back extras to trade!" "That guy might make it big," the trader thought, packing his wares.
Yoo woke to the buzz, thinking,
"Gems? Sounds like power sources... dangerous, but I want to see." Jae-sung picked him up.
"Huge day ahead for you, tiny champ!" The neighbor woman waved. "Be careful out there—" Jae-sung nodded, stepping out into the dawn light, the adventure calling.