The man leaned against the door.
"So you were here…"
"You still leave the key under the mat."
"Wait. Were you sleeping? Do you even know what time it is?"
Luck blinked, still half-dazed.
"Uh… early?"
"Early?" — his uncle arched a brow.
He strode into the room without hesitation. With a sharp pull, he threw the window open. Sunlight flooded the room in a harsh glow.
Luck squinted against the glare, his vision slowly adjusting to the sudden brightness.
"I wouldn't call midday early."
"I saw Red in the front yard — he looked tired too."
"Are you two staying up late?"
Kaj's eyes narrowed. "You're still going to that place, aren't you? I told you not to get involved with that man…"
Luck snorted. "So what if we are? I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle myself."
"And I think you're exaggerating. He's not that bad… didn't he even help Grandpa take care of the former owner of the coliseum?"
Kaj sat down on a nearby chair, his gaze fixed on Luck.
"Yeah, he helped. But not out of kindness. Don't forget he became the new owner right after it all happened. People like him always have their own interests."
He leaned back slightly.
"But you're right — you're not a kid anymore."
"Just… let me know if anything happens."
A pause hung before he shifted the subject.
"So… it's been a while. How are things going? Still stuck at Novice?"
"Yeah," Luck admitted. "But I'm fine with it. I don't see the need to rush into the next layer. The Thought Link is enough for now. I can talk to Red — that's all I really need."
"My focus isn't on myself anyway. I'd rather put everything into helping Red reach his complete form."
Kaj raised his brows, a flicker of surprise in his tone.
"So he's still incomplete? Strange… Red already stands as tall a few of his kind at full form. How much bigger will he get once he evolves?"
He shook his head, muttering almost to himself.
"I've never seen a Crimson Fist that size."
Then his gaze sharpened again.
"Still… you shouldn't neglect your own progress just for his sake. There are moments when you can only rely on your own strength."
"Yeah, I know," Luck said after a pause. "Grandpa used to tell me the same thing. But… I have my own pace."
"Sure," Kaj muttered, tone firm. "But the world doesn't follow your pace."
Silence hung in the room for a moment.
Then the uncle spoke again."Velric is already a Specialist."
"Fourth layer, huh? Good for him…" Luck answered.
"He cleared a Rank B dungeon recently," Kaj said. "Managed to take down the boss — an Adaptive Belligerent beast."
"His progress in the Tower isn't bad either. He's already started running the intermediate floors."
Luck smirked faintly.
"Good for him."
"So... what are you here for, then? It wasn't just to brag about your son, was it?
Kaj let out a short laugh.
"No, not at all. I came here to bring you this."
He reached behind his back and pulled out a piece of cloth, carefully wrapped around a something.
"It's your birthday, isn't it? Seventeen already…" Kaj's lips curved in the faintest of smiles. "Consider this a gift."
Luck frowned at the box, tilting his head."A gift…?"
The boy pulled back the cloth, uncovering a narrow box marked with the symbol of two intertwined lines spiraling together, converging into a blade at the center.
"The sigil of the Spiral Forge… awesome."
He lifted the lid, the hinges creaking softly, and inside lay a blade resting on velvet.
A single-edged dagger of black steel, its pommel crowned with a crimson orb. From it, straight labyrinthine lines ran across the weapon, tracing the edge in a geometric glow.
Kaj leaned forward slightly, watching Luck's eyes catch the gleam of the blade.
"It's a Resonant Dagger," he said. "Not easy to forge — resonance cores don't get along well with metal."
"It wasn't cheap, but hey… it's not every day you turn seventeen."
"Thanks… really. It's a great gift." the boy paused, narrowing his eyes at his uncle.
"But you don't usually go around handing me expensive stuff. What's the catch?"
"Nothing at all. Do whatever you want with it."
"I just want to see you back in action. Running a few gates, maybe exploring some of the lower floors of the Tower. Warm yourself up again."
"Velric's more than willing to help you, you know. You two used to get along so well…"
I can still picture it like it was yesterday, the both of you exploring the bottom floors of the Tower for the first time."
You were just kids, barely strong enough to carry your own packs, but grinning like you owned the place.
"Stabbing every slime you came across as if they were your sworn enemy — until one of them latched onto you and left you completely covered in goo."
Both of them burst into laughter at the memory.
Then, as the sound faded, a brief silence settled between them.
...
"I don't do that kind of thing anymore… you know," Luck said quietly.
Kaj let out a slow sigh, his expression turning serious. "We miss you."
"...I know Father's disappearance hit you hard. It wasn't easy… but it hasn't been easy for any of us. Everyone feels his absence."
"That's why, especially now, the family has to stay together — to keep standing on what he built."
"It's already been one year since he's gone. We all miss him, Luck… but it's time we hold together and move forward."
He leaned forward, his tone firm.
"The clan's position within the guild has weakened a lot since then. Even though I'm the current Guildmaster, if someone else reaches a S rank designation, my place could be at risk."
"Before, it was father, your mother, and me. Then your mother was gone… and now Father too..."
"I've been left on my own."
"Velric is climbing, but he's still just one Specialist. And my other children haven't even gone through their core decantation yet."
Kaj's eyes hardened as he met Luck's.
"We need you more than ever."
"I'll wait for your answer. Think about it."
Luck said nothing. Silence hung heavy in the room.
The man rose from the chair, gave a final glance at his nephew, and headed for the door.
"Don't vanish on us, Luccas."
The sound of his footsteps faded as he left the house, leaving Luck alone with the box in his hands.
"Move forward... easier said than done."
Luck's eyes fell back to the dagger resting in the box.
"So let's take a look at this fancy toy."
Slowly, Luck reached up and untied the red bandana around his forehead.
The cloth slipped free, revealing a mark etched into his skin — the symbol of a magenta eye that he kept hidden.
He focused on the blade then a soft chime echoed in his mind, and a translucent screen flickered into view:
[Resonant Dagger]
[Attribute] Resonance - Vibration
[Grade] Belligerent (B)
[Type] Weapon – Dagger
[Description] A handcrafted blade forged by a master blacksmith through the unstable fusion of metal and a resonance core.
[Effect] The edge vibrates at a molecular level, weakening defenses on contact allowing cuts beyond conventional steel
Luck let out a long breath, closing the box
He rose from the bed and walked toward the tall mirror standing in the corner of his room.
As his reflection stared back at him, another translucent screen slid into view — his own.
Although the mirror showed nothing but the boy's weary face. A reminder that the text was his sight alone.
The details hovered before his eyes alone, sharp and luminous.
[Luccas Sunrise]
[Attribute] Psychic
[Influences] Telepathy, Clairvoyance
[Class] Pontiff
[Core Layers] 1 – Novice
[Skills] Neural Web (Lv.1), Seven Veils of Perception (Lv.1),
[Relics] Third Eye (S)
His gaze lingered on the last line. Then, as his focus sank into the symbol on his forehead, another screen unfolded.
[Third Eye]
[Grade] Sovereign (S)
[Type] Relic - Symbiote
[Description] The eye of an omniscient. Fuses with flesh and mind, expanding perception beyond natural limits for those that can endure the power.
[Effect] Grants Clairvoyance opening the Seven Veils of Perception.
[Veils]
1st — Veil of Imprint (Unveiled)
2nd — Sealed
3rd — Sealed
4th — Sealed
5th — Sealed
6th — Sealed
7th — Sealed
The boy let out a deep sigh.
"Advancing means seeing that again… I don't know if I can handle it."