The morning sunlight was soft, filtering through the sheer curtains of Apollo's room. Birds sang outside, their melody faint but grounding. Apollo woke up to that familiar sound — and for a second, he forgot that this world wasn't the one he'd died in.
Then the System's voice hummed softly in his head.
> [Good morning, Apollo.]
He blinked away sleep and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Morning," he muttered, his tone groggy but steady. "Let's see how bad I am today."
Even at twelve, he was striking — handsome in a way that hinted at the Yamazaki blood that flowed through him.
And yet, there was a softness in his expression — the kind only someone reborn could carry.
> [System synchronization stable. Physical body: age 12. Environment secure.]
"Right," he whispered. "Still real."
He stood, flexing his arms. They were slim but coordinated — built for movement, not power. His instincts told him he could fix that.
> [Experience integration system update:]
Experience Points (XP) now serve dual function:
① Currency to acquire techniques or items.
② Catalyst to enhance physical stats and neural pathways.
XP = Growth. Growth = Strength.
Apollo blinked. "So, the more I fight and train… the stronger I literally get?"
> [Correct.]
Accumulated XP automatically reinforces muscular coordination, reaction time, and mental processing speed.
Advanced talents require tier ascension to unlock.
He grinned faintly. "That's… actually perfect."
> [Would you like to access your current System Panel?]
"Yeah," he said, exhaling. "Let's take a look."
---
[SYSTEM PANEL – USER: APOLLO YAMAZAKI]
Name: Apollo Yamazaki
Age: 12
Tier: F (Base Progress: 20/100)
System Level: 1
Experience (XP): 1000
Bloodlines:
• Yamazaki – Active (23%)
• ??? – Dormant (Locked – Insufficient System Level)
Attributes:
• Strength: F (20/100)
• Speed: F (22/100)
• Reflex: F (22/100)
• Stamina: F (20/100)
• Focus: F (10/100)
• Aura: F (7/100)
• Instinct: Locked – Ultra Instinct (Unlocks at Tier A (Titanium))
Talent: Observation (Prototype)
System Abilities:
– Talent Scan (View opponent tier, skill level, and combat potential)
– Experience Assimilation (Convert XP to stat growth or currency)
– Bloodline Resonance (Accelerates growth during stress/adrenaline state)
> [System Note: XP acts as both energy and essence. Accumulated combat experience enhances all aspects of growth — physical, cognitive, and bloodline resonance.]
"Bloodline resonance?" Apollo asked, curious.
> [Analyzing Bloodlines…]
[BLOODLINE ANALYSIS]
1: Yamazaki Line (Active 23%)
Origin: Ancient Japanese Martial Lineage
Core Trait: Dominion through Insight.
Known Abilities:
– Black eye (ultra instinct)
– Combat Perception (Dormant)
– Neural Sync: Motion Analysis (Locked)
– Aura Vision (Locked)
– Emotional Control (Passive)
Notes: Descendants of the Yamazaki Clan are born with unparalleled tactical instinct and aura discipline. When fully awakened, they can predict enemy motion by reading neural intent and micro-muscle impulses.
2: ??? Line (Dormant 0%)
Origin: Unknown. Genetic encryption beyond system authority.
Warning: Classification requires System Level 3 or higher.
Potential detected — signature anomaly.
Notes: Traces show non-human synchronization markers — possibly divine or experimental in origin.
Tier Structure:
F → E → D → C → B → A → S→ SS→SSS→ Z → Transcendent Omega
(Each tier requires ×10 XP to evolve; F = 1/100, E = 1/1000, etc.)
Apollo's eyes scanned the screen, his expression unreadable.
"F in everything, huh?" he muttered. "Figures."
> [To improve from Tier F → E requires 100 total points per category. XP consumed equals progress. After E, cost increases tenfold.]
Apollo stared at the panel hovering before him. His looked… basic. The interface was clean but dull — muted silver edges, thin white lettering. Nothing about it screamed "power."
"Still a beginner," he sighed. "F-tier nobody with two mystery bloodlines. Great start."
He rubbed the back of his neck. The system flickered again.
> [Experience can be allocated directly to physical or aura-based stats. Caution: overuse without training will cause instability.]
"So XP's both currency and energy…" Apollo murmured. "The more I fight and train, the stronger I get. No shortcuts."
He smiled faintly. "Fine. That's fair."
He flexed his fingers, watching small veins pulse beneath smooth, untrained skin. This was still a child's body, but beneath it — there was promise. Something pulsing, restrained.
The smell of grilled mackerel and rice drifted through the air. His stomach growled, and he took that as his cue.
Apollo walked downstairs, the polished wooden steps creaking faintly under his bare feet.
When he entered the dining room, the first thing he noticed wasn't the food — it was the aura.
His mother, Sara Yamazaki, was standing by the kitchen island, hair tied loosely, sunlight catching the faint streaks of silver in her black locks. Her movements were elegant, measured — even while flipping fish in a pan. Every motion had control. Precision.
She turned and smiled warmly. "Good morning, sweetheart."
"Morning, Mom." Apollo slid into his seat. "You're up early."
"I always am." She served him rice and soup, her tone gentle but firm. "Discipline builds strength, even in the smallest habits."
That was her — warmth with steel underneath. The Yamazaki blood ran deep in her posture alone.
Across the table, his father Park Tae-Yun sat silently with a newspaper in hand, sipping coffee. His frame was lean but his presence dense — like gravity warped subtly around him. His expression was calm, even harmless.
But Apollo had felt it before — the quiet, almost invisible heaviness whenever his father was near. It wasn't hostility. It was suppression.
He hides it well, Apollo thought. Too well.
> [Talent Scan – Active]
[SARA YAMAZAKI – PANEL VIEWED (LIMITED)]
Tier: S+
Bloodline: Yamazaki (Awakened – 97%)
Talent: Crimson Insight
– Ability to read opponents' aura and body rhythm with near-perfect precision.
– Grants predictive reaction time and countering instinct.
– Can synchronize aura perception with motion flow, nullifying sneak attacks.
Unique Skill: Scarlet Veil (Locked)
– An aura suppression field that hides intent from lower-tier opponents.
Combat Focus: Aura-based countering and precision-based domination.
Condition: Sealed – operating under self-restraint (Power Output: 20%).
Apollo blinked. Even her status screen looked elegant — lines of shimmering gold, red highlights, intricate crest marks across the edges. His panel looked like a training manual; hers looked like a relic of power.
He swallowed his amazement and activated the next scan.
[PARK TAE-YUN – PANEL VIEWED (LIMITED)]
Tier: SSS– (Dormant Mythic Potential)
Bloodline: Unknown (??? Signature)
Talent: Anima Lock
– Ability to suppress aura signatures, concealing both strength and presence.
– Nullifies lower-tier detection and prevents system readings.
– Converts killing intent into concentrated force output when released.
Unique Skill: Black Domain
– Spatial combat field that amplifies user reaction and density within a set radius.
– Duration depends on heart rate and emotional state.
Combat Focus: Hybrid close-range destruction and stealth suppression.
Condition: Dormant. Aura restrained. System unable to fully access.
The screen flickered violently, lines of text collapsing as if the System couldn't maintain the reading.
Apollo exhaled, shaking his head. "As expected of the man who married the sister of a monster."
Sara raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"Ah—nothing, Mom," he said quickly, spooning rice into his mouth.
She chuckled softly, eyes full of quiet amusement. "You've got your father's habit of muttering."
"Guess I do," he mumbled through a mouthful.
Across the table, Park Tae-Yun turned a page without looking up. "A man who mutters is often thinking too much," he said mildly.
"And men who say that," Sara replied with a teasing smile, "usually think too little."
Apollo's laugh came out awkward, but the warmth that filled the room was real — a rare peace.
Even if both of them were holding back terrifying power, they still felt… human.
After breakfast, Apollo excused himself and returned to his room. His reflection in the mirror greeted him again — black hair falling neatly over sharp eyes that gleamed with curiosity and calculation.
He stood there, staring for a long time, then whispered, "System, open Shop."
[SYSTEM SHOP – LEVEL 1 ACCESS]
Available Functions:
– Martial Arts Techniques
– Combat Talents
– Bloodline Enhancement
– Aura Training Manuals
Newbie Package Claimed.
Rewards Applied:
• +1000 XP (added to pool)
• Passive Talent: muscle growth [10% faster]
• Skill: Opponent Scan (Enhanced)
• Passive: Adaptive Growth (Increases stat gain efficiency by 5% when training manually)
> [System Note: Bloodline Activation at 70% or at titanium level— Yamazaki]
Ultra Instinct (Dormant – Black Eyes)
Innate to Yamazaki Lineage. Unlocks automatically upon reaching Tier Titanium. Grants instinctive reaction, heightened perception, and enhanced combat coordination.
Apollo's pupils flickered, almost imperceptibly darkening. Even dormant, the black-tinged shimmer hinted at the power coiled within him.
He whispered, "Step by step… I'll awaken it. No shortcuts."
Apollo scrolled through the lists of available techniques — a cascade of familiar names and origins from PTJ universes.
Each glowed faintly, separated by colored rings showing their rank.
> [Basic Boxing Fundamentals – Lookism] (E Tier – 200 XP)
[Street Kick Combo – Viral Hit] (E Tier – 250 XP)
[Observation Step – Weak Hero] (E Tier – 300 XP)
[Reversal Grapple – Manager Kim] (D Tier – 350 XP)
[Foundation Guard – The Breaker] (E Tier – 250 XP)
[Wolf Fang Counter – To Not Die] (C Tier – 400 XP)
There were dozens, each name a spark of nostalgia.
He could almost picture the fights — Daniel Park, Ben Park, Gray, Gaeul, Gun — all of them fighting like gods in human skin.
Now those same techniques were just… lines of code, waiting to be earned.
> [Note: Cannot purchase advanced techniques until reaching Tier E.]
"Right," he said softly. "Earn it."
He closed the Shop. "System, analyze XP growth conversion."
> [At Tier F: 1 XP = +1% progress in stat.]
[At Tier E: 1 XP = +0.1% progress.]
[At Tier D: 1 XP = +0.01% progress.]
Growth slows exponentially with tier ascension.
Apollo nodded slowly. "So experience doesn't just buy power… it is power. Every punch, every bruise, every drop of sweat — they all count."
> [Correct. The System amplifies growth through experience feedback loops. The hungrier you are for growth, the faster you evolve.]
He grinned. "Good. I was born hungry."
[POV RETURN — APOLLO]
The wind stirred outside his window. Apollo sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes half-closed, breathing steady. He could feel it now — faint pulses under his skin, rhythm aligning with his heartbeat.
The Yamazaki bloodline was stirring.
And beneath it… something else. Darker. Older. Sleeping.
> [System Update:]
Strength: F (20/100)
Reflex: F (22/100)
Bloodline Resonance (Yamazaki): 25%
??? Bloodline: Dormant (No synchronization detected.)
Apollo opened his eyes, and for a brief instant — his pupils shimmered faintly silver.
He smiled. "Step by step… I'll get there."
Outside, thunder rolled faintly in the distance — though the skies were clear.