(Ren's POV)
BOOM!
The loud explosion shattered the floor beneath him. Lamps, tables, and walls were all caught in the blast.
Ren stood in the middle of it all, his entire body glowing red.
[๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐!]
[๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐]
[๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐]
[๐ผ๐จ ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐, ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐๐ช๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐ช๐ฃ๐ก๐ค๐๐ ๐๐!]
[๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐]
[๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐]
[๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐! ๐๐๐ ๐ช๐จ๐๐ง'๐จ ๐๐ค๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ง!]
"Uwahhh! Uwahhh!" Baby Ren cried.
"Ahhh!!" I screamed in agony, as the system forcibly opened my mana core.
It felt like needles stabbing through my chest. I didn't know how long it lasted, but it felt like an eternity.
[๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐จ๐ฉ'๐จ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐๐ช๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐!
๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐จ ๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ก๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐'๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ!]
[๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐]
[๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐]
[๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐!]
DOOMM!!
Another explosion erupted, even larger than the first. Ren convulsed in pain, his body tingling all over. But before he could find relief, another notification struck him.
[๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ก๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐'๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ 5 ๐จ๐๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐จ!]
Ren cursed loudly. He still hadn't recovered from the agony of his bloodline awakening.
...
[1]
[๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐]
[๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐]
[๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐]
[๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ก๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐'๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐!]
Suddenly, Ren felt searing pain in his eyes. He screamedโit was as if molten steel had been pressed onto them. The agony was unbearable.
"Uwaaaahhh!!"
Ren cried even harder. If not for Karl's soul and the system's protection, he would have died long ago.
No baby could endure such torment.
"Ahhh!! Ahhh!!" Ren shrieked. He had never experienced such pain before. He kept screaming untilโ
BOOM!
Another explosion shook the room. Ren gasped for air, trembling in pain, until finally the agony subsided. His entire body now glowed a bright blue, and he floated in midair.
[๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ก๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐'๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐!]
[You have leveled up!]
...
Just as Ren heard the notification, someone entered the room. It was Himmel and Lisa.
Moments later, the light enveloping Ren's body faded, and he slowly descended.
"Hahhโฆ" I felt like I was about to faint, but I was caught in Himmel's arms. He gently held me close.
Feeling the strong arms of the old man, Ren could no longer endure and drifted into sleep.
"Good nightโฆ" Himmel whispered, watching Ren sleep peacefully in his embrace.
Lisa approached, standing beside him.
"What happened to him?" she asked. She still hadn't forgotten the strange scene she had witnessed earlier.
"I don't know," Himmel admitted.
"But one thing is certainโthis could be either a blessing or a disaster for this world, if he's not guided properly."
Lisa nodded. "You're rightโฆ"
"We must keep this a secret from the nobles," Himmel added firmly. Lisa nodded again.
"Understood."
Himmel looked at the sleeping Ren once more. His instincts told him that he must raise this child carefully. If discovered by the wrong people or the nobles, chills ran down his spine at the thought.
He shook his head to banish the terrifying thoughts and muttered:
"Fate truly is realโฆ" he whispered.
Lisa tilted her head in confusion, unable to hear clearly.
"What is it, Master?" she asked.
"Nothing," Himmel quickly replied. "Let's clean up this mess first." He carried Ren downstairs to Lisa's room.
"May I borrow your room for a while, Lisa?"
"Of course, Master," Lisa replied.
Himmel nodded and left. Lisa looked around the wrecked room and sighed.
"Hahhโฆ time to clean up."
---
(Ren's POV)
The next morning.
In Lisa's room, a child lay sleeping peacefully on the bed. His snow-white hair shimmered like silk as birds chirped outside, welcoming a new day.
Tweet~ Tweet~
Before long, the child's closed eyes slowly opened. Ren, who had just awakened since the awakening of his bloodline and blessings, began his new day.
'Where am I?' I thought. Suddenly, I remembered something. My eyes widenedโreflected in them was a crystal-blue glow.
I tried to recall the events of last night, when I had awakened my blessings and fainted.
'That was terrifyingโฆ' Just imagining enduring that torment again made my whole body shiver.
Without wasting time, I called out to the system.
'System.'
[๐๐๐๐๐ด๐ผ ๐๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฐ๐๐ธ๐ฝ๐ถ! ๐ฟ๐ป๐ด๐ฐ๐๐ด ๐๐ฐ๐ธ๐!]
====== System =======
Name: Ren Ozawa
Race: Human (???)
Age: 5 hours
Level: 2(120/200)
Mana Core: White (Unlocked)
Blessings: Mana Emperor (Locked)
God of War (Unlocked), God's Eye (Unlocked)
Techniques: -
Skills: Imagination <(requires mana)>
Affinities: Lightning, Crystal Ice (Unique), Water, Blue Fire (Unique)
Stats:
- Strength: 5
- Endurance: 9
- Agility: 5
- Intelligence: 18
- Stamina: 11
- Luck: -
- Mana: 25
- Charm: 20
Points: 100 | Stat Points: 4
Quests:
- Build mana core (Completed) | Reward: 30 points, 50 exp
- Awaken blessings (Completed) | Reward: 50 points, 80 exp
=======================
I looked at the system screenโso many changes! My stats had skyrocketed, and two blessings were already unlocked.
Seeing it all, my fear vanished, replaced with joy at gaining new power.
'So this is what they mean by "endure the pain, reap the reward"?'
Just then, someone entered the room. Lisa, carrying a milk bottle in her hands.
She placed it on the table, then noticed Ren was already awake. Shock filled her face.
"..! Ren!"
She hurried over, exclaiming, "You're awake!" Overjoyed, she lifted Ren in her arms and swung him left and right.
Ren, only a day old, could only endure it helplessly as Lisa kept rocking him through the air.
'Blegh! I'm gonna puke! Please stop!' I thought, nauseous.
But Lisa didn't hear him and kept swinging him around.
"Hahaha! You're awake! Awake! Hahaha!"
Lisa swung him harder.
"Bleghhh!" Ren vomited and nearly fainted.
Seeing this, Lisa panicked.
"!! Hey! What's wrong!?" she cried. "Are you hungry? Do you want milk?" she asked frantically, afraid Himmel would find out.
Lisa quickly grabbed the bottle and shoved it into Ren's mouth.
Slurp!
Ren's mouth filled with milk. He drank it to wash away the bitter taste of vomit.
Creak!
The door opened. Himmel entered, only to see Lisa holding Ren while feeding him.
Lisa looked at the door and froze under Himmel's gaze, laughing awkwardly.
"H-haโฆ good morning, Master," she said, trying to hide that she had nearly killed Ren by accident.
"Good morning, Lisa," Himmel replied. "I didn't know you liked children so much," he chuckled.
"Haha, of course I do! Haha!"
"โฆ What's wrong, Lisa?" Himmel asked, noticing her tense demeanor.
"N-nothing, Master! I'm just happy you praised me!" she replied quickly, her eyes trembling.
Himmel narrowed his eyes at her.
"Youโฆ"
He stared for a long moment, making Lisa break into a cold sweat. Slowly, his mouth openedโ
Pffft~
A fart echoed.
Both of them turned toward the source.
It was Ren, still in Lisa's arms.
Ren blushed with shame. He had been holding it in, but Lisa and Himmel hadn't left him alone.
Now he wanted to dig a hole and hide forever.
'Damn this baby body!' I cursed at my body that I couldn't control.
"Oh, is he about to poop?" Himmel asked.
"Maybe," Lisa answered.
She began unwrapping the cloth around Ren's body. Ren flailed desperately, or at least tried to.
But in Lisa and Himmel's eyes, he just looked like a normal baby, waving his arms and legs.
'No! Please, don't do it!' I screamed inside, but Lisa didn't hear.
"He's so lively!" Himmel chuckled.
Lisa nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Ren, whose cloth had already been removed, burned with embarrassment while swearing nonstop inside his head.