….
By the time Yoo Jin-Ho stepped out of his room, the house was already alive - servants bustling through hallways.
He descended the staircase, new memories overlapping with the familiar layout like a double-exposed photograph.
The dining hall doors loomed before him, tall and heavy.
He paused, drew in a breath, and pushed through.
Five figures sat waiting at the long table.
At the head sat Yoo Myung-Han - the patriarch.
Beside him, Jin-Ho's mother, Yoo Eunae, offered a fleeting smile, soft and apologetic.
His brother, Yoo Jin-Sung, sat rigid with a phone in hand, scrolling through hunter reports without acknowledgement.
His sister, Yoo Jin-Hee, chin propped on one hand, watching with mild amusement.
Jin-Ho dropped into his chair. "Morning."
The tone wasn't rude - just too relaxed for this family's taste.
"Good morning, sweetheart." His mother's voice was barely a whisper.
"Hmm…" He looked at her, forcing a bright, too-perfect smile that almost hurt his cheeks. He turned his head away before it could settle into something real.
"You are late." Yoo Myung-Han said, not even looking up from his cup.
Jin-Ho rolled his shoulders, unfazed. "My bad. The clock must be broken again."
Jin-Sung's head snapped up, eyes sharp. "You used to at least pretend to be sorry. Can't even manage that anymore? Maybe if you put half the effort into your grades that you do into your attitude, Father wouldn't be embarrassed every month."
Jin-Ho's jaw tightened. "Noted."
"Jin-Ho." Yoo Myung-han set down his coffee cup. "I hear your grades are slipping, and your… behavior is questionable. Do you intend to waste this family's name?"
The table went silent.
Yoo Jin-Hee rested her chin on her palm, smirking. "Maybe he is just in his rebellious phase, Dad. Our little Jin-Ho's finally growing up. How adorable."
"I am not cute." Jin-Ho muttered darkly.
Jin-Sung snorted. "He is growing up, alright. Just vertically."
Jin-Ho's head whipped toward him, eyes ice-cold. "Say that again."
"See?" Jin-Hee laughed. "Definitely rebellious."
He clicked his tongue, stabbing at his eggs.
A new world.
A new identity.
A system.
And a family who would never know the truth.
….
The silence stretched, filled only with silverware against porcelain.
Jin-Ho's mind ran through his checklist:
- Explore the so-called [System].
- Get Strong. Fast. Regardless of the means to achieve it.
- Have Fun.
If he was being honest he really existed about the kind of strong opponents will be able to face in the future.
His eyes shine brightly.
Jin-Ho pushed eggs around his plate, appetite nonexistent.
Fine, since this 'whatever' is happening with him, Jin-Ho decided he might as well try and have fun.
But to do that he needed to get stronger…
He needed to understand his limits. Even awakened, he was clueless about his full capabilities. But one thing was certain - whatever power he had now wasn't enough.
That much he was sure of.
Something nagged at him though. In the original story, Yoo Jin-Ho awakened at twenty-two, which should be exactly two months before the protagonist stumbled into the double dungeon.
Yet here he was at seventeen, five years early.
His transmigration had to be the trigger.
Either way, I need freedom to do what I need to do. So–
Hunter License.
He set down his fork.
"Father, I have awakened."
?!!Then the air changed.
His mother's smile vanished.
Jin-Sung's scrolling froze mid-swipe.
Even Jin-Hee straightened in her seat.
"…What?" Yoo Myung-han turned slowly.
Before Jin-Ho could speak, it happened.
Clink–!
The butler, halfway through pouring water, flinched.
The glass slipped from his grasp, tipping forward, a sparkling arc of water cascading toward the table—
—but it froze midair.
Every drop hung suspended, glittering under the chandelier like a frozen waterfall.
Jin-Ho sighed, rubbing his neck. "Seriously… that's annoying."
He waved lazily. The water reversed, flowing back into the glass. It settled upright on the table with a soft tap - not a single drop spilled.
Dead silence.
His mother's breath hitched.
Jin-Hee's mouth fell open.
Even Jin-Sung, always so composed, looked stunned.
Jin-Ho cleared his throat, looking away. "See? That is… what I meant. I think I, uh… might have awakened."
Yoo Myung-Han studied him with new intensity. This wasn't the same impulsive, desperate-for-approval youngest son. That hot-headed brat was nowhere in sight.
For the first time, the patriarch's mask cracked. Interest gleamed in his eyes. "…When?"
Jin-Ho didn't flinch. "This morning, I woke up feeling weird and dizzy. I thought I overslept, but… well, that happened."
Then, because he couldn't help himself, he threw in. "That's why I was late, by the way."
His eyes slid toward his brother, just for a second.
His mother, voice trembling, whispered. "Jin-Ho… are you okay, dear?"
Jin-Ho looked away again. "...I am fine."
"Tch. You? Awakened?" Jin-Sung made a mocking sound. "The world really is ending."
Jin-Ho's head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing. "Keep talking an-"
"Jin-Ho!"
His mother gasped, but Jin-Hee laughed softly–
"Of course you awakened."
Jin-Ho's ears burned. "Don't - it's not that big a deal, okay?"
The butler remained frozen in place, face pale, eyes wide with confusion.
Jin-Ho noticed this and sighed. "What are you standing there for? You messed up, yeah, but it's not the end of the world." He looked away. "Just... go back to your position already. People don't make mistakes on purpose."
The butler blinked, then gave a shaky nod and stepped back, eyes glistening with gratitude.
Jin-Ho pretended not to notice, stabbing at his food again.
Finally, his father opened his mouth. "What do you intend to do now?"
Not a question, a test?
On the surface, it sounded like he was offering Jin-Ho a choice - but Jin-Ho could tell, it wasn't really a question.
His father had already made up his mind.
Under normal circumstances, he would have just said it outright - ordered Jin-Ho to join their guild, and expected him to follow through.
But this time, his father was probing for weaknesses, inconsistencies. He is trying to see if the subtle difference he had noticed in his son, from the moment he walked in until now, was real… or just his imagination.
But, frankly?
The current Jin-Ho didn't care.
He didn't crave approval or recognition.
He didn't want to prove himself.
He didn't want a shot at being the successor.
He didn't want anything they had to offer.
He just needed leverage.
If he were being brutally honest, he didn't wish to care about the people sitting at this table.
Tch. What a pain.
He just stabbed another piece of toast, muttering. "Hunter license and rank evaluation first. No point if I just get E-rank, awakened or not."
He declared. "I am aiming for at least D."
"Very well, let's do that." Yoo Myung-Han studied him, then stood reasserting his authority before leaving.
As he left, Jin-Ho's mother followed suit, but touched his shoulder. "Even if you get an E-rank during the evaluation, just awakening as a Hunter is already a great achievement."
She left offering a reassuring smile. "Your father, and me… we are proud of you."
Jin-Ho muttered. "Thanks…."
Now, only the siblings were left at the dining table.
Jin-Hee lingered, smirking. "First Yoo awakener. Nice."
"Never mind that - when are you leaving for America?" Jin-Ho asked his sister, fragments of memory stirring.
"Next week. Why, worried about me?" She placed meat on his plate. "So cute. Eat more, little brother."
"Huh? I don't need your leftovers."
She laughed softly. "Then don't eat it."
"Tch…"
Jin-Ho pretended to stretch as he reached over, not to push the plate away, but to steady the dish closer to her side. The table's edge was just within her reach, and she was leaning too far forward.
"I am just moving it." He muttered quickly, refusing to look at her. "You will drop it and make a mess again. That's all."
Jin-Hee smirked knowingly. "Sure, sure."
Jin-Ho clicked his tongue again, leaning back in his chair. "Do what you want. Not like I care."
But the way he justified it made it even funnier.
She nodded briefly, then stood up.
"Good luck with the test." She wished as she was about to walk away, but paused near the door and looked at her elder brother. "And don't be too hard on Jin-Ho, brother."
Now only Jin-Ho and Jin-Sung remained.
"I was a bit apprehensive when you said you had awakened." Jin-Sung admitted with a slight shrug. "But I forgot about the rank test. You will probably get an E-rank."
He rose and gave Jin-Ho a casual glance before walking off. "So don't stress, and don't let it get to your head."
Jin-Ho didn't even look at him.
Finally alone.
He looked down at his hand, where the faint rooster mark was barely visible on his skin.
A dull throb pulsed behind his temples, the price of his first use of the power.
It wasn't unbearable, just enough to remind him that he still hadn't gotten used to his abilities.
"That went better than expected." He murmured in a light tone, massaging his forehead briefly.
Jin-Ho finished the last bite in silence, chewing slowly.
When the plate was finally empty, he dropped his chopsticks with a soft clack.
"Guess that's that." He pushed his chair back with a dull scrape and stood, stretching lazily.
As he turned to leave, the old butler, still standing by the corner, straightened quickly and bowed. "Thank you again, young master."
Jin-Ho stopped, mid-step, glancing back.
Then he clicked his tongue, turning away. "Tch. Don't thank me. I didn't do anything."
But as he walked off down the corridor, his tone softened just enough to betray him. "...Just be careful next time, old man. Father isn't a really patient person."
The butler's faint chuckle followed him out, and Jin-Ho found himself walking a little faster.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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