The room was silent.
Too silent.
Liam sat on the edge of his bed, breathing slowly, his hand still pressed against his chest. The warmth hadn't faded—it pulsed steadily, like a second heartbeat layered atop the first.
Not weak.
Not unstable.
Power.
He closed his eyes.
"Status," he whispered, half-expecting nothing to happen.
A translucent blue screen unfolded before him.
[Status Window]
Name: Liam Vale
Age: 16
Core Grade:Legendary Red (Sealed)
Core State: Dormant
Mana Capacity: ???
Affinities: Locked
System: Core Ascension System
[Note: Core power currently restricted to avoid detection.]
Liam's breath caught.
Legendary… Red.
The same core spoken of only in myths. The same rank said to appear once per generation—if at all.
And it was his.
"…Sealed?" he muttered.
[Explanation:]
Legendary Red Core detected. Host body insufficiently tempered.
Forced exposure may result in bodily collapse or death.
Recommended action: gradual synchronization.
Liam clenched his jaw.
Even now, recklessness meant death.
So this world isn't forgiving either.
Another window appeared.
[System Function Unlocked: Core Tempering]
Description: Strengthens host body to safely contain and wield core power.
Method: Training, combat, mana circulation, missions.
Warning: Growth speed depends on host determination.
Liam leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
Determination?
That was something he had in abundance.
In his first life, he had endured stress, exhaustion, loneliness—day after day—without collapsing until the very end. Compared to that, pain meant nothing.
A soft sound came from the doorway.
"Brother…?"
Liam turned.
His little brother stood there in oversized sleepwear, rubbing his eyes. "You're still awake."
Liam stood instantly. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"
The boy shook his head and padded closer, climbing onto the bed without asking. "Did your awakening go bad?"
Liam hesitated.
Then he smiled gently and ruffled the boy's hair. "A little. But it'll be fine."
The boy yawned and leaned against him. "That's good. As long as you're okay."
Something tightened in Liam's chest—different from the system's power. Something fragile.
A reason.
After his brother fell asleep, Liam carried him back to bed and tucked him in carefully.
Standing alone again, his expression hardened.
In my last life, I had no one.
This time… I do.
A new notification blinked.
[Hidden Quest Generated]
Quest: First Step Toward Ascension
Objective: Circulate mana for the first time
Reward: Core Synchronization +1%, Basic Skill Unlock
Failure: None
Liam sat cross-legged on the floor.
Mana circulation was something every awakened student learned eventually—but for a Yellow Core, it took months.
For a Red Core?
He inhaled slowly.
Following instinct rather than instruction, he guided the warmth in his chest outward.
Pain struck instantly.
His veins burned as if molten metal rushed through them. His muscles spasmed. Sweat drenched his body.
Liam didn't scream.
He endured.
Minutes passed. Maybe longer.
Then—
[Mana Circulation Successful.]
[Core Synchronization: 1%]
[Skill Unlocked: Basic Mana Reinforcement]
The pain vanished.
Liam opened his eyes.
The world looked… clearer.
He clenched his fist. Mana surged to his arm, subtle but undeniable. The wooden floor beneath him cracked slightly.
He stared at it, stunned.
"…At one percent?"
A quiet laugh escaped his lips.
Tomorrow,
He would return to the academy as the trash Yellow Core student everyone mocked.
No one would suspect a thing.
And that was perfect.
Morning came quietly.
Liam walked through the academy gates with his usual calm expression, uniform neat, posture relaxed—nothing about him suggested danger. To everyone else, he was still the same student from yesterday.
The trash Yellow Core.
Whispers followed him as he entered the training grounds.
"There he is."
"The only yellow in our class."
"What a waste of space."
Liam ignored them.
He had already learned something important last night—
Power didn't announce itself.It waited.
The class assembled for their first post-awakening training session. Instructor Halvors stood before them, arms crossed, eyes sharp as ever.
"Today," he said, "you will begin learning mana control. Those with higher cores will advance faster. Those without talent—"
His gaze briefly flicked to Liam.
"—will struggle."
A few students smirked.
Training began.
Students practiced circulating mana under supervision. Blue and green cores glowed faintly around the field. Even Daniel progressed smoothly, lightning flickering briefly around his hands.
Liam sat at the edge, pretending to struggle.
Inside, his core responded instantly—too instantly. He had to suppress it with absolute focus, keeping synchronization deliberately low.
One mistake… and everything changes.
Then—
A shadow loomed over him.
"Move."
Liam opened his eyes.
Three students stood before him. One of them, tall with a blue core emblem on his collar, sneered openly.His name is alpha,
"You're in the way, trash."
Liam stood calmly. "There's space everywhere."
The boy laughed. "Talking back now?"
Without warning—
A boot slammed into Liam's stomach.
He was sent skidding across the ground, breath knocked from his lungs.
Gasps echoed around the field.
Instructor Halvors turned—but did not intervene.
"Settle your disputes properly," he said coldly. "Pain is a teacher."
Alpha walked toward Liam, mana flaring around his fist.
"You think you belong here with us?"
At that instant—
Time seemed to slow.
A sharp mechanical tone echoed in Liam's mind.
[WARNING: Hostility Detected.][Threat Level: Intent to Cause Severe Harm.][Emergency Condition Met.]
[Emergency Quest Generated.]
A crimson interface flooded Liam's vision.
[Emergency Quest: Eliminate the Threat]Target: Unknown Student (Hostile)Condition: Target has shown intent to severely injure or kill hostObjective: Neutralize the threat permanentlyTime Limit: ImmediateFailure: Host death
[Note: Mercy not recommended.]
Liam's pupils shrank.
Eliminate…?
The word wasn't symbolic.
It wasn't metaphorical.
It was absolute.
Alpha raised his fist, mana surging violently.
"You should've stayed asleep forever."
Something deep within Liam shifted.
Not rage.
Not panic.
Cold clarity.
So this system… doesn't protect me.
It ensures survival.
The Red Core trembled behind its seal, power begging to be released.
Liam pushed himself to his feet.
Everyone watching felt it—
A pressure.
Invisible. Heavy. Wrong.
The attacker hesitated. "W-what…?"
Liam lifted his head.
His eyes were calm.
Too calm.
"Step back," Liam said quietly.
Alpha laughed nervously. "You think you can scare me?"
He swung.
Liam moved.
To onlookers, it looked like luck.
To reality—it was precision.
Liam twisted aside, grabbed the boy's wrist, and released just enough mana to reinforce his grip.
Bones cracked.
A scream tore through the air.
Liam slammed the boy into the ground, knee pressing into his chest. Cracks spread beneath them.
The field went silent.
The system's warning pulsed again.
[Target still hostile.]
Liam leaned down, voice low enough that only the boy could hear.
"In my last life," Liam whispered, "I died because I was weak."
His grip tightened.
"In this one… I don't have that luxury."
Alpha's mana flickered violently—then vanished.
Unconscious.
Alive.
Barely.
The system paused.
[Emergency Quest Status: Threat Neutralized.][Judgment: Temporary Mercy Accepted.][Warning: Repeated hostility will override mercy protocols.]
Liam stood and stepped back.
Only then did the world resume breathing.
Instructor Halvors stared at him—no longer indifferent.
Something unreadable flickered in the instructor's eyes.
"Enough," Halvors said slowly. "Medical team."
Students stared at Liam in silence.
Fear crept into their expressions.
The trash Yellow Core had just crushed a Blue.
Liam lowered his head and walked back to his position, hiding the tremor in his hands.
So that's the rule.
Anyone who truly tries to harm me… becomes a target.
He exhaled slowly.
This second life wasn't just a chance to become strong.
It was a path where hesitation meant death—and mercy was a privilege, not a right.
The system paused for half a second.
Then—
A deep chime echoed in Liam's mind.
[Emergency Quest: Completed]Evaluation: Acceptable outcomeResult: Threat neutralized without fatal exposure
[Rewards Issued:]
Core Synchronization +3%
Skill Upgrade: Basic Mana Reinforcement → Intermediate Mana Reinforcement
Passive Effect Unlocked: Hostile Intent Detection (Low-Level)
Liam's breath hitched.
Warmth surged through his body—not violently this time, but smoothly, like a tide rising under control. His muscles tightened, bones strengthening subtly, mana flowing more naturally through his veins.
Three percent… just from that?
He clenched his fist.
The sensation was different now—more efficient, more obedient. Mana no longer felt like something foreign he had to force into place.
Another notification appeared.
[Passive Effect: Hostile Intent Detection]Description:
Automatically detects killing intent or extreme hostility directed at host
Effective range: Limited
Trigger Condition: Conscious malicious intent
[Note: Emergency protocols will activate automatically if threat level escalates.]
Liam's eyes darkened slightly.
So I won't even need to see it coming.
He looked around the training ground.
Students avoided his gaze now. Conversations died the moment he passed. Fear had replaced mockery.
Good.
Liam lowered his head and exhaled slowly, hiding the faint curve of a smile.
In my first life, I had no protection.No warning.No second chances.
This time—
Anyone who truly wished him harm would be marked.
And the system would make surehe lived long enoughto become something the world could no longer ignore.