The Kim Family Manor was less of a home and more of a fortress. High walls, magical wards, and guards who were all at least C-Rank Hunters patrolled the perimeter.
The black sedan glided through the iron gates, the gravel crunching beneath the tires like grinding bones. Han-wool sat in the back, his eyes closed. He was shifting gears. He had to put away the cold, calculating eyes of "Sung Jin-Woo" and wear the mask of "Kim Han-wool," the thirteen-year-old failure.
"We have arrived, Young Master," Logan announced, opening the door.
Han-wool stepped out. The air here was cleaner than the city, filtered by expensive mana devices, but to Han-wool, it felt suffocating.
"Logan," Han-wool whispered as they walked toward the massive oak doors. "Make sure the smell of goblin blood is completely gone from my clothes."
"I took the liberty of applying a scent-masking spell on your suit before you put it on, sir. You smell of lavender and disappointment—the perfect disguise for a family dinner," Logan replied with a straight face.
Han-wool almost chuckled. "You have a wicked tongue, old man."
"I merely serve, Young Master."
The Great Dining Hall was a cavernous room lit by a chandelier made of mana crystals. At the head of the long table sat Kim Hyeon, the Patriarch. He didn't eat; he simply sat there like a statue carved from granite, his aura suppressing the air in the room.
To his right sat the eldest son, Kim Do-hyun (21 years old).
To his left sat the second son, Kim Min-ho (19 years old).
And next to Do-hyun sat the new star, the Golden Child, Kim Hajin (10 years old).
Han-wool walked in silently and took the seat furthest from the Patriarch—the seat of the outcast.
"You're late," Kim Do-hyun sneered, not bothering to look up from his steak. He was handsome in a sharp, predatory way, his Purple-Rank aura flaring slightly just to make Han-wool uncomfortable. "Doing what? Crying in your room about your trash class?"
Han-wool kept his head down, his voice trembling slightly on purpose. "I... I was just studying, Brother Do-hyun."
"Studying?" Do-hyun laughed, a cruel, barking sound. "You can study all you want, but a Red Grade is a Red Grade. You're a stain on the Sword Saint's legacy. Isn't that right, Father?"
Kim Hyeon didn't respond immediately. He sliced his meat with surgical precision. "Eat. The food is getting cold."
The command was absolute. The clinking of silverware against porcelain echoed in the silence.
Han-wool picked at his food. Compared to the raw, visceral power of the Goblin Cores he had eaten earlier, this expensive steak tasted like ash. He watched Hajin, who was looking at him with worried puppy eyes. Han-wool gave him a subtle, reassuring wink.
Don't worry, Hajin. Let them bark.
"Father," Do-hyun spoke up again, wiping his mouth with a silk napkin. "I have a proposal regarding Han-wool."
Han-wool's hand paused over his glass of water. Here it comes.
"Since Hajin has awakened the Golden Rank and the Swordmaster class," Do-hyun smiled, his eyes gleaming with malice, "it is clear who the future of this family is. Han-wool remaining here... it's confusing for the public. Rumors are already spreading that the Kim family is harboring a defect."
"So?" Kim Hyeon asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
"I suggest we send Han-wool to the Yeon-Hwa Academy in the countryside. It's a boarding school for... lesser talents. It would keep him out of the public eye and stop him from embarrassing Hajin during his training."
Han-wool's internal temperature dropped to absolute zero.
Yeon-Hwa Academy?
In his previous life, he hadn't been sent there. He had stayed in the manor, enduring abuse until he ran away. Why was the timeline changing? Was it because he didn't cry during the ceremony?
"Yeon-Hwa..." Kim Hyeon mused. "It is far."
"It is necessary," Do-hyun pressed. "I only want what is best for the family's reputation."
Han-wool gripped his fork under the table until his knuckles turned white. Yeon-Hwa Academy wasn't a school. It was a dumping ground where noble families sent their illegitimate or failed children. The mortality rate there was high because the "teachers" encouraged bullying to weed out the weak.
If he went there, his plan to raid the Mount Chiri dungeon in four months would be ruined. He would be locked in a cage.
I have to stop this.
But he couldn't just shout "No." He had no power here. He needed leverage.
He looked at Do-hyun. Why was the eldest brother so eager to get rid of him? Do-hyun had always been a bully, but this felt... desperate. Urgent.
Han-wool narrowed his eyes.
'System. Activate Skill: Eye of the Thief.'
Usually, Eye of the Thief was used to see the potential of the dead. But Han-wool had discovered a sub-function in his later years: Insight. It allowed him to see the status window of others—to appraise the goods before stealing them.
> [Skill Activated: Eye of the Thief]
> [Analyzing Target: Kim Do-hyun]
> [Rank: A (Purple)]
> [Class: Magic Swordsman]
>
Han-wool scanned the status window. It was normal. High stats, decent skills.
Wait.
He scrolled down to the bottom, to the "Titles" section. In his past life, he had never been able to see this deep into someone's status. But now, with his past knowledge of his Red Grade class, the information unspooled like a ribbon.
There, glowing in a sickly, pulsating violet text, was a hidden title.
> [Hidden Title: Contractor of the Abyss]
> [Description: This individual has signed a blood pact with the 'Cult of the Black Sun' in exchange for accelerated growth.]
> [Current Objective: Isolate the 'Swordmaster' (Kim Hajin) and eliminate the variable (Kim Han-wool).]
>
Han-wool's heart stopped.
A traitor.
His own brother. The eldest son of the Sword Saint family.
In his past life, Do-hyun had died mysteriously just before "The Day of Beginning." Everyone assumed he was assassinated by monsters. But the truth was far darker. He was a cultist.
He wants to send me away so he can isolate Hajin, Han-wool realized, a cold sweat breaking out on his back. He plans to sacrifice Hajin to the Cult.
The "Cult of the Black Sun." They were the fanatics who worshipped the end of the world and viewed dungeons as the purifier of humanity. They were the ones who sabotaged the magical defenses of Seoul when the Lich King emerged.
Han-wool's grip on his fork loosened. His anger evaporated, replaced by a terrifying calm.
So that's how it is. The enemy isn't just outside. It's sitting right across the table.
"Father," Han-wool spoke up. His voice was soft, timid, but clear.
Do-hyun glared at him. "Shut up. Adults are speaking."
"I... I understand if I have to go," Han-wool said, standing up. He looked small and fragile. "But before I go... Brother Do-hyun, may I shake your hand? I want to congratulate you on your recent promotion to A-Rank. I heard you cleared the 'Red Valley' dungeon last week."
Do-hyun looked confused, then smirked arrogantly. He stood up, enjoying the submission. "At least you know your place. Fine. Shake the hand of the man who will lead this family."
Do-hyun extended his hand.
Han-wool reached out.
You want to send me away to clear your path? Han-wool thought. Let's see you walk that path when you can't even stand.
As their skin touched, Han-wool mentally screamed the command.
'System! Skill: Steal!'
The Steal ability usually allowed Han-wool to steal from the dead by eating their parts or magic stones. However, later in his life, he had discovered he could steal from the living if he satisfied specific hidden conditions.
Right now, the condition was:
A Thief didn't just steal items. A Red Grade Thief could steal concepts. He didn't take Do-hyun's mana; that would be too obvious. He stole the stability—the ability to control the flow.
> [Target: Kim Do-hyun]
> [Stealing... 'Mana Circuit Stability'.]
> [Ding!]
> [Theft Successful.]
> [You have stolen 40% of the target's Mana Control.]
>
"Thank you, Brother," Han-wool smiled innocently and pulled his hand back.
"Hmph. Useless brat," Do-hyun sneered. He sat back down and reached for his wine glass.
But as his fingers touched the stem, his mana—which high-ranking Hunters subconsciously cycled through their bodies—spasmed violently.
Crack.
The crystal glass shattered in Do-hyun's grip. Red wine exploded outward, staining his pristine white shirt like a gunshot wound.
"What the—?" Do-hyun gasped. He tried to stand up, but his mana flared uncontrollably in his legs.
He lurched forward, his knees buckling. He slammed chest-first into his plate of steak and potatoes. Gravy splattered across the table, landing on Kim Hyeon's cheek.
Clatter! Crash!
The room went dead silent.
The A-Rank genius, the pride of the family, was currently face-planted in his dinner, twitching like a malfunctioning puppet.
"Do-hyun?" Kim Hyeon's voice was low, dangerous.
"I... I don't..." Do-hyun stammered, trying to lift himself up, but his mana surged again, firing a small, uncontrolled shockwave that knocked his chair over. He fell onto the floor in a heap of food and wine. "My mana! It's... it's not listening!"
"Pathetic," Kim Hyeon wiped the gravy from his face with a napkin. His eyes were cold enough to freeze hell. "You cannot even control your own aura at the dinner table? And you wish to advise me on family matters?"
"Father! No! It's—something is wrong!" Do-hyun screamed, panic rising in his voice.
"It's an attack!"
"There is no attack. The wards are silent," Kim Hyeon stood up. "It seems your promotion has made you arrogant and lax in your training. To lose control like a novice..."
Kim Hyeon looked down at his eldest son with sheer disappointment.
"The discussion about sending Han-wool away is postponed. You, Do-hyun, will go into seclusion in the Meditation Chamber until you relearn the basics of mana control. Get out of my sight."
Do-hyun's face turned purple with humiliation. He glared around the room, his eyes landing on Han-wool.
Han-wool was drinking his water, looking terrified and confused—the picture of innocence.
Enjoy the meditation, Brother, Han-wool thought, taking a sip. By the time you fix your mana circuits, I'll have already stolen everything else you have.
"Hajin," Kim Hyeon said.
"Y-Yes, Father?"
"Do not learn from your brother's disgrace. Diligence is the sword's edge."
"Yes, Father!"
Kim Hyeon left the room without another word.
As the servants rushed to clean up the sobbing Do-hyun, Han-wool quietly finished his meal. The steak suddenly tasted delicious.
Later that night, back in his room, Han-wool stood by the window looking out at the moon.
"Logan."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Change of plans regarding the investigation," Han-wool said, his voice hard. "Keep investigating Baek Woojin. But I need you to open a new file."
"Name?"
"The Cult of the Black Sun."
Logan paused. "That is... an obscure group, Young Master. Dangerous fanatics."
"I know," Han-wool turned around, his eyes glowing with the Red light of his class. "Find out where they are gathering. We aren't just going to raid dungeons, Logan. We're going to hunt traitors."
He looked at his hand—the hand that had shaken Do-hyun's.
"The Day of Beginning isn't just about monsters," Han-wool whispered. "It's about the humans who opened the door. And I just found the one holding the key."
> [System Alert]
> [Because of your interference, the timeline has shifted.]
> [Time until 'Amartya' Awakening: 3 Months, 2 Weeks.]
>
Han-wool cursed under his breath. He had bought himself safety, but the cost was time.
"Two weeks shaved off," he muttered. "I need to eat more cores. A lot more."