"Jin-ah," Jinwoo said, standing beside the counter. He raised his palm slowly.
With a soft whoosh, a flame ignited—deep violet, streaked with black, radiating heat and power.
"This... is your skill."
"Huh?" Jin-ah blinked in confusion. "That's my skill?"
"Yes," Jinwoo nodded. "Try to use it. Visualize it in your mind."
Jin-ah hesitated for a second, then shut her eyes. She focused on the image of the flame—violet, intense, beautiful. She imagined it dancing over her palm, imagined the heat, the pressure, the fire.
And then—she felt it. Something shift inside her, as if a door had opened. A rush of mana surged from her core into her arm.
Fwshh!
She gasped, eyes flying open.
There it was. The same infernal purple flame now danced over her palm, flickering with life.
"I-It's real!" she exclaimed, staring at it in awe. "This really is my skill!"
"So I really awakened…" she murmured, her lips curling into a proud smile. "And here I thought catching that dagger was just a fluke!"
But then her smile faltered.
"Wait… if this is my skill, then why were you able to use it just now?"
Jinwoo's lips curled into a smug grin. "Because I had sex with you."
"E-EHHH?!" Jin-ah nearly dropped the flame, completely flustered. "What the hell are you saying?!"
"I'm serious," Jinwoo said casually, now calmly finishing his eggs. "One of my skills lets me get stronger by having sex. I gain stat boosts… and sometimes, I can even acquire my partner's skills."
Jin-ah's eyes widened. "There's actually a skill like that…?! That sounds fake!"
"It's real," he said without missing a beat, taking another bite. "It's called Union of Desire."
Jin-ah sat down, blinking rapidly as her brain tried to catch up.
"Wait, then…" she paused, trying to steer away from the awkwardness. "How did you awaken me?"
"That's another part of the skill," Jinwoo explained. "If I have sex with someone unawakened, and their body has the potential, it triggers their awakening. All of your power is yours alone—I didn't give you anything. I just… lit the spark."
Jin-ah's brows slowly lifted. "So… I was destined to be S-rank all along?"
Jinwoo nodded once. "Seems like it."
"Hah! Then say no more!" she stood up proudly. "Prepare to retire, big bro! Your ultra-powerful S-rank little sister is gonna make bank and take care of you!"
Before she could finish her triumphant speech, Jinwoo grabbed her cheeks and gave them a firm squeeze.
"Calm down, you little gremlin."
"Mmgh—hey!" she pouted, squirming in his grip. "Let me have my moment!"
"Also," he continued, still holding her face, "you're going to keep your awakening a secret."
"Huh? Why?" she asked, voice muffled.
"I already awakened one person," Jinwoo said. "If more people close to me suddenly awaken, especially S-ranks, the Korean Hunter Association—and the rest of the world—will figure it out. And then they'll come after me. Try to control me. Force me to awaken others."
Jin-ah blinked, the fire in her eyes dimming slightly.
"...Understood," she said quietly.
Jinwoo finally let go of her cheeks and leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.
"Don't worry," he whispered, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "Once I'm strong enough to stand against the entire world… you won't need to hide anymore."
She looked up at him, eyes wide, heart racing.
Then—
"Now finish your breakfast, get dressed, and go to school."
"Ehh?" she whined, dragging her feet back to the table. "You really ruined the mood…"
...
Jinwoo walked silently into an abandoned construction site on the outskirts of the city. Broken concrete, rusted steel beams, and scaffolding surrounded the half-finished building like a skeleton. The faint echo of his footsteps bounced off the pillars.
"Jinwoo!" a bright voice called out.
Choi Yoora waved enthusiastically from across the lot. She was dressed in a sleek magician's robe, the fabric catching the early light. Beside her stood a group of unfamiliar hunters.
"Yoora," Jinwoo greeted, his tone calm but eyes already analyzing.
"That's really him!" one of the hunters behind her exclaimed. "The Strongest Summoner! So she wasn't bluffing!"
Jinwoo approached with steady steps. The moment he got close, Yoora quickly hooked her arm around his.
"Guys, this is Sung Jinwoo," she said proudly, eyes sparkling.
The group straightened and bowed slightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," several of them said in unison.
Jinwoo's gaze passed over each one, expression unreadable.
"Yoora, who are these guys?" he asked coldly. Something about them rubbed him the wrong way—their eyes lingered too long, their smirks felt too practiced.
"Oh, they're the party I joined after awakening," she explained cheerfully. "They needed a mage, so I tagged along."
She pointed to the broad-shouldered man in front.
"This is Hwang Dongsuk," she said. "He's the leader our party."
The man stepped forward, offering a firm handshake. His frame was bulky, his aura radiating that of a seasoned C-rank hunter.
"I hope we'll get along," Hwang Dongsuk said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Jinwoo accepted the handshake, grip steady, his thoughts already calculating.
'Five of them are C-rank... the other four are D-rank or lower,' he noted internally, reading their mana signatures and posture like pages in a book.
"Yeah—" Jinwoo began, but was cut off.
"Wait a sec!" one of the younger hunters suddenly pointed at him, eyes wide. "That face! Wasn't he... the Weakest Weapon of Humanity?"
A brief silence.
Yoora's eyes widened in alarm. "Hey—"
But Jinwoo chuckled. Just a soft, amused sound.
"That's right," he said without flinching.
The men stiffened. Even Hwang Dongsuk looked surprised.
"What?" the bulky leader muttered, his composure cracking slightly.
"Yeah, he reawakened," Yoora chimed in proudly, squeezing Jinwoo's arm like it was her badge of honor. "He's not the same person anymore."
"Reawakened…?" Hwang Dongsuk repeated slowly, his tone hardening. His eyes narrowed at Jinwoo, and for a moment, something dark passed behind them.
'Why the hell do miracles like this always happen to nobodies?' he thought bitterly, clenching his fist behind his back.
Jinwoo noticed.
And smiled.
But it wasn't a friendly smile.
It was the smile of a predator who had just sniffed out a weak beast trying to bare its fangs.
To be continued...
***
***
How was this chapter? Enjoyed it?
Also, I'll be following the plot for a little, not too much, just borderline.