The afternoon sun casted a golden light over Seoul, but it did little to help ease the tension that always settled over the Jeong family's penthouse during dinner.
Jeong Junseo sat at the far end of the long black marble table, posture straight, eyes downcast. The faint clinking of silverware echoed across the room. No one was talking to him and that wasn't new.
His father, Jeong Minho, was scrolling through a tablet, his expression unreadable. Tall, broad-shouldered, and always composed, he was one of South Korea's top-ranked hunters — an S-class guild master and a symbol of strength. The kind of man even government officials bowed down to.
Across from him, Junseo's older brother, Taemin, leaned back in his chair in arrogance, wearing his half-unzipped academy uniform with the guild insignia stitched over the shoulder. Even at twenty-three, he looked like he'd been carved out of expectation — confident, powerful, the perfect heir.
Their sister, Rina, sat diagonally from Junseo, one leg crossed over the other as she scrolled through her messages, her manicure shining in the soft dining light. She was eighteen and already ranked B-class — a prodigy.
The only voice that eventually broke the silence belonged to Minho.
"Gate opened near Gangnam this morning. Class B." His tone was flat, like he was reading the weather.
"Did Jinha's guild respond?" Taemin asked, setting his fork down.
"They tried," Minho replied. "But Silver Fang cleared it before they arrived. The Association was late again."
Rina smirked without looking up. "Maybe they're finally realizing we don't need their approval anymore."
Junseo didn't speak. He kept his eyes on his food, untouched and slowly going cold.
Minho's gaze drifted to him without warmth.
"Junseo."
He looked up immediately.
"You've been at the Academy three years," Minho said. "And still no progress."
Junseo's throat tightened. "I'm still training. It's not uncommon for people to awaken late."
"You've taken enhancement injections. Mana resonance. Meditation. You've studied the theory inside and out. You've had private instruction from two A-class mentors. And yet, still—nothing."
Minho leaned forward slightly.
"Your siblings had awakened before they were fifteen. Taemin had control of flame shaping at thirteen. Rina created her first barrier at fourteen. You're seventeen."
Junseo felt heat rising in his chest, but he kept his voice steady. "I'm not giving up."
Taemin scoffed. "Maybe it's time you did."
Minho didn't respond to that. He simply pushed his plate aside and stood.
"If there's no sign of awakening before the end of the semester, I'll reassign you to civilian track. You can still serve the guild in logistics. Quietly."
He left the room without another word. The silence he left behind was heavier than his presence.
Rina finally looked up. "You could always work PR. You're not ugly."
"Or maybe you'll awaken just in time and surprise us all," Taemin added with a mocking smile. "Wouldn't that really be something?"
Junseo stood up slowly, his chair scraping the floor. "May I be excused?"
No one answered. So he left.
The Academy dorms sat near the ridge of Seoraksan Mountain, where clouds often hung low and the wind was sharp. Junseo returned there late that night, walking past students who were laughing in groups or practicing mana techniques in the open-air courtyards. A few of them glanced his way — mostly with pity. Some with contempt.
He entered the dorm quietly, climbing the stairs past his room and up to the roof.
It wasn't locked. It never was. No one came up here.
From the edge of the rooftop, the entire campus could be seen below him. Lights from the training buildings flickered. In the far distance, gates pulsed like lightning storms — small ones that were contained for now.
He stood there for a while, not moving. The wind pulled at his blazer. His mind spun.
It wasn't like he hadn't tried. Every method the doctors recommended. Every therapy. Every bitter herb and energy stimulant. Hours meditating in silence. Days spent pushing his body until his hands bled.
Nothing.
And yet, the Academy still allowed him to stay.
Not because they believed in him — but because of his name.
Jeong Junseo, son of the country's top hunter. And still powerless.
His fingers curled into fists. He hated the feeling of being allowed to exist. Being tolerated.
Is this all I'll ever be? A reminder of what I could have been?
He stayed there until the sky dimmed to black, only stars above him now.
And then, just as he turned to leave, he felt it.
Not a breeze. Not a sound.
A pressure.
It began in his chest — soft, like static. Then it spread slowly, like frost crawling over skin. He staggered backward, one hand on the wall for support.
"Wh—what…"
His breath caught. Something was there. Inside him.
Then—
[SYSTEM DETECTED…]
A faint ding echoed in his ears.
His vision blurred as a faint blue interface flickered into view, glowing faintly in the night air.
[Welcome, Jeong Junseo.]
[Unique Growth System Initializing…]
[Compatibility: High. Latent Potential Detected.]
[Trial Required to Unlock Core Ability.]
He stared at it, blinking hard.
"…No," he whispered.
He took a step back. The display didn't move.
"This… This isn't real."
He looked around. The rooftop was still there. The cold metal railing. The wind. Nothing had changed.
But the interface hovered steadily, pulsing faintly.
[To unlock access, complete Gate Trial Simulation. Duration: 24 Hours.]
[Warning: Failure will result in Termination of Binding.]
His heart beated hard against his ribs.
"Is this some kind of trick?" he asked aloud, breath fogging. "Another scam software? Some illegal awakening booster?"
But he knew it wasn't. This wasn't tech. It felt deeper. Older.
Real.
Still—he didn't reach out. Didn't accept.
He just stood there, watching it. Breathing.
"…Why me?" he asked.
The system didn't answer. It only waited.
And Junseo — after everything — didn't move.
Not yet.