"It's been so long since we were all together," Hugo said with a soft chuckle.
"Hello, Dad! How have you been? Did you miss me?" Lina asked playfully.
"Of course, I missed my daughters," Hugo replied with a wide grin. "It feels like ages since your mother and I last saw you face-to-face. Isn't that right, honey?"
Before he could say more, Lina cut him off and rushed across the room toward the cradle.
"Okay, Dad! We'll catch up later. First, let me see the baby!"
She leaned over and gasped in delight. "Oh my! Is this our new little brother? I love him already. He's so cute—I can tease him as much as I want!"
Yuna, who had followed her sister more calmly, walked up behind her. She was more composed, greeting her parents properly before approaching Ivan.
As she looked down at him, a soft smile formed on her lips. "So… you're the newest member of our family. From now on, we're together."
A Few Days Later…
Since his reincarnation into this infant body, Ivan spent most of his time asleep. The transition from the dark void to this world had left his soul severely damaged. Normally, the soul would recover over time, but thanks to the blessings from the mysterious beings, his healing was accelerated.
Once Ivan's soul was fully restored, he was startled by a sudden mechanical voice echoing in his mind:
[Ding!]
[System is loading...]
[Loading complete.]
A semi-transparent blue screen appeared before him. But due to his memory loss, Ivan didn't understand what it meant.
[Ding!]
[System is scanning...]
[Scan complete.]
[Host has lost all memories. Basic system functions will now be introduced.]
[Synchronizing system with current world language...]
[Ding!]
[Transferring data to host...]
[Data transferred successfully.]
Suddenly, Ivan's mind was flooded with unfamiliar knowledge. Now, he could understand the system interface clearly.
[Ding!]
[Would you like to view your status window?]
Yes / No
He instinctively chose:
[Yes]
And the screen displayed:
[ Name : Ivan de Spellbound ]
[ Race : Human ]
[ Rank : 0 ]
[ Talent : Elemental Control ]
[ Skill : Fire God's Wrath ]
[ Blessing : Blessing of the World ]
[ Status : Extremely Healthy ]
[ Task : None ]
[ Task Points : 0 ]
[ Skill Points : 0 ]
[ Origin Points : 0 ]
[ Inventory : None ]
[ System Store : Locked ]
[Ding!]
If you want to know more about any function, focus on it or think about it, and a description will appear.
Ivan was stunned by all the options laid out before him.
[Ding!]
[New task available. Would you like to view it?]
Yes / No
Again, he chose Yes.
[Task: Blink 100 times]
[Reward: Origin Eyes]
[Time Limit: 1 hour]
Lacking common sense, Ivan had no idea whether this task was difficult or not. He simply did what came naturally—and before long…
[Ding!]
[Task complete!]
[Would you like to claim your reward now?]
Yes / No
He accepted.
Suddenly, a warm sensation enveloped his eyes, causing him to instinctively close them. When he opened them again, the entire world seemed to shift.
Though still lying in a cradle, he could now "see" outside just by focusing his mind in that direction.
Elemental spirits became visible to him—so too did the flowing spiritual energy in the air. But beyond that, something else appeared: countless threads in various colors, floating through space.
These were the Laws of Nature—the fundamental rules that governed reality itself. Each color represented a different law.
In this world, only those at the peak of Rank 9 could begin to perceive these threads. Comprehending them was the key to reaching higher cultivation ranks.
[Notes:]
• Mortal Ranks: 1 to 9
• Extraordinary Ranks: 1 to 9
• Transcendent Ranks: 1 to 9
• Divine Rank: Initial, Middle, Perfect, Peak
Each rank also has sub-stages: Initial, Middle, Upper, Peak
[Beyond this, the system will not reveal more at this time.]
But as Ivan experimented with the Origin Eyes, his vision flickered, and he nearly blacked out. The system quickly explained:
To activate Origin Eyes, spiritual energy is required.
Without reaching Rank 1, the user can only sustain the ability for 5 seconds.
Exhausted, Ivan fell into a deep sleep. After all, he was still a baby — and babies could only do three things: sleep, eat, and relieve themselves.
Though he was healthy in every way, one thing continued to worry his parents: Ivan never cried, never laughed, and showed no expression at all.
Concerned, they brought in famous healers to examine him, but none could find anything wrong.
And so, five years passed…
Ivan's Awakening Day – Age 5
Today was a grand occasion — the day all children awakened their talents at age five.
The entire Spellbound estate was festively decorated, colorful lights illuminating every corner. It was nighttime, and the glowing lights made the mansion even more spectacular.
The estate buzzed with activity. Maids hurried in and out, nobles gathered in the courtyard, and the air was thick with anticipation.
The Spellbound family — one of the Top Ten Mage Clans — was renowned across the Human Continent, which was divided into four great kingdoms:
The Arkan Kingdom
The Eldridge Kingdom
The Frost Dragon Kingdom
The Flame Kingdom
The Spellbound estate was located in Arkan, not far from the capital. Due to the great distances between cities, teleportation arrays were used for fast travel.
Today, many noble guests had arrived using these arrays — all eager to witness the awakening of the Spellbound family's youngest heir.
The spectacle stunned many commoners. In the crowd, a man whispered to another:
"Hey, do you know what's going on? Why are so many noble families gathered here?"
"I heard a major family is holding an awakening ceremony for their child."
"Must be one of the top ten clans…"
"Shhh! Be careful what you say. Speaking ill of nobles can get you killed."
The other man took a step back. "Don't drag me into your death sentence. I want nothing to do with this," he said, quickly walking away.
Left alone, the man sighed.
"When will we commoners stop living in fear?"
Many in the crowd felt the same. Nobles ruled the land, and most commoners had long grown resentful, though few dared speak of it openly.
Inside the Spellbound Estate
Inside the grand hall, after everyone had eaten and mingled, a calm voice echoed across the room.
"Ahem. Greetings, everyone."
All eyes turned toward the podium, where Hugo, the current head of the Spellbound family, stood proudly.
He wore a regal formal outfit that made him appear every bit the dignified patriarch.
"As you all know, today marks the fifth birthday and awakening ceremony of my youngest son, Ivan de Spellbound. Many of you traveled great distances to be here, and for that, I offer my deepest gratitude."
"I won't keep you waiting. Let us begin."
He turned to his daughters.
"Lina, Yuna — bring him in."
The sound of footsteps echoed behind the crowd. Everyone turned, and when they saw the two Spellbound daughters approaching—
—the room fell completely silent.