Darkness enveloped the room, thick and suffocating like a wet blanket pulled tight over the world. The only light came from a sliver of moonlight bleeding through the narrow window, barely illuminating the figure sprawled motionless on the bed. Jun Lion lay there, his eyes wide open, fixed on the cracked ceiling. His thoughts swirled like a tempest—vague shapes, half-formed memories, and quiet despair.
A faint creak broke the silence.
The door pushed open slowly, its old hinges groaning in protest. A tall shadow appeared in the frame, backlit by the dim hallway torchlight.
"Hey… Jun… Are you awake?" Shan Lion's voice was low, hesitant, almost brittle.
Jun blinked. His gaze shifted from the ceiling to the silhouette now stepping into the room. "Hmm… Father… Why did you come?"
"It's nothing much… I just wanted to talk with you," Shan replied, forcing casualness into his tone, though discomfort lingered beneath.
Jun sat up slightly, the blanket falling away. His heart raced with confused tension. "You want to talk with me?" His voice trembled with disbelief. In sixteen years, conversations like this were rare—too rare.
"Yeah… Are you scared of that incident?" Shan asked, his brows furrowed as he leaned against the wall beside the bed.
Jun's mouth opened, then closed again. "No… Father…" His voice trailed off, his gaze drifting to the floor. Shadows shifted there, and in them, memories stirred.
"Then why did you lock yourself in this room?" Shan's voice tightened, edged with frustration.
"I… I can't tell you…" The words fell like stones between them, too heavy and too painful to lift.
Shan's expression hardened. "I see… So, are you angry?"
Jun Lion didn't respond, but his silence screamed volumes.
Shan Lion exhaled through his nose, jaw clenched. "Hmm… Don't think too much about it. I know you're angry about that incident. And probably angry at me too. I couldn't investigate that matter back then. But you could have told me something, Jun. Anything. How am I supposed to chase shadows when I don't even know what I'm looking for?"
Jun's eyes widened slightly. The sudden rawness in his father's voice caught him off guard.
"I wanted to tell you… but I was scared, Father."
Scared. The word hung there, absurd and impossible in Shan's mind.
Inside, a silent storm raged.
(You monster... In twenty-one years, you will destroy the whole world without blinking—without fear—and you're telling me now that you were scared?)
But Shan swallowed the bitter thought. He took a breath, steadying himself.
"I see… But if you want revenge, then you need to grow stronger. Don't just lie here like a wilted flower. Come with me."
Misunderstanding flickered across Shan's face. What Jun meant was not fear of the incident—but fear of people. Fear of betrayal. Of trusting anyone again.
Jun looked up slowly, caught off guard. "Where, Father?"
"To the training ground."
Suddenly—
[Ding...]
[You've met the requirement to awaken the Monarch System.]
[Please proceed to the training ground to unlock system facilities.]
Jun stiffened. "(What the… What is this? A system? It wants me to go to the training ground?)" He hesitated, staring at his father's retreating figure. "(Should I tell him? No… not yet. Let's just go… and see what happens.)"
The halls of the Lion estate echoed with each step as Jun followed his father in silence. Servants paused mid-task, some gasping, others whispering behind sleeves as they caught sight of Jun—who hadn't left his room in days.
Why is the outcast walking beside the Clan Head?
Has something changed?
The buzz followed them, but Shan paid it no mind. Jun's eyes stayed forward, his face blank, though inside, confusion and tension warred for dominance.
The moonlight bathed the training ground in a cold glow as they stepped through the wooden gate.
[Ding...]
[You have entered the training ground.]
[Conditions met for unlocking system facilities.]
[System facilities are now available.]
[Calculating rewards…]
Jun's eyes widened as glowing blue panels began to appear in front of his vision, floating like spirits.
[Reward calculated.]
[You have received: Skill Book – Black Sword Technique (?)]
[You have received: Weapon – Black Sword (?)
Black Sword (?)Description: A sword formed from pure mana. Usable as long as mana is available. The sword can slice through any material in the 12 Universes as long as mana flows through it. It cannot be broken by any known means.Note: Currently unusable.Condition: Level 50 required.]
Jun's heart thudded in his chest. (Two rewards? I thought this was some prank or hallucination… But this… it's real? That sword—what kind of weapon is that?! And I can't even use it yet? Level 50…?)
[Ding...]
[Level: A measure of your overall strength. The higher the level, the more powerful the host becomes.]
Jun blinked. (Okay… so it's like a game system. Then—what's my current level?)
"...Status Window," he whispered.
[Status WindowName: Jun LionLevel: 1Title: NoneJob: NoneSTR: 4HP: 100MANA: 10INT: 6AGL: 4]
Jun stared at the screen, his heart sinking. (Level 1… I'm trash.)
Before he could process further, footsteps echoed behind them.
Vermin, the butler of the family, arrived carrying two wooden swords.
"Good," Shan said. "Vermin, give them to me."
Vermin bowed and handed the swords over before stepping back silently.
Shan turned and locked eyes with Jun, his face firm with resolve.
"Take the sword."
Jun looked at the wooden blade as though it were a viper. "Huh? What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Of course…" Shan's lips curled into a sharp grin. "You're going to fight me."
Jun's breath caught. "What?! Are you kidding me?"
His voice cracked, panic rising like a tide. In his hand, the wooden sword felt ten times heavier than it should have.
His father was serious.
And the fight was just beginning.
To be continued...