The long night had finally faded, replaced by a day that slowly began to rise. The sun hung high in the sky, its rays piercing through the apartnt window, reflecting off the floor like fragnts of light dancing in silence.
A bird still perched on the plant pot out on the balcony, its beak occasionally pecking at the soil, searching for scraps of breakfast that might've been left behind.
This was how the world kept turning—without pause, without rcy. Day after day, people were thrown back into the grinding wheel of routine: working, fighting, surviving for a tomorrow that wasn't guaranteed.
Inside that apartnt room, Ronan awoke. His eyes opened slowly, still lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling as if trying to rember where he was.
The clock read 09:13 a.m.
"Fuck, I'm late," he muttered quietly.
He was sure he'd set the alarm the night before. He had even gone to bed by two—not that late, by his standards. But for so reason, his body had refused to wake up that morning.
With reluctance, Ronan sat up on the edge of the bed. He rubbed his face, a light headache still lingering in his head—a side effect of sleeping too deeply.
His gaze fell to the fingers of his right hand.
The ring was still there.
Pitch black, with faint engravings that were nearly invisible unless viewed under certain lighting.
A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Last night wasn't a dream. It all really happened. A night that had felt almost like so absurd fairy tale—yet entirely real.
But he quickly shook his head, dismissing the lingering nostalgia. There was no point in drowning in mories. What mattered now was the next step.
And unfortunately... he had missed an important day at school. The day when representatives from various Orders and Academies would be present—offering rare opportunities for final-year students to shape their future.
Slightly annoyed, he reached for his phone.
As usual, the screen was filled with digital silence. No notifications, ssages, or missed calls. Ronan had gotten used to that. At school, he was a nobody. A shadow, never quite noticed.
But he didn't mind.
He tapped on Elliot's na from his recent contacts.
The call rang several tis before finally connecting.
"Yo, Elliot. You at school?" Ronan asked.
"Yeah. Why, you sick?" Elliot's voice ca through the line.
"No. Overslept. Damn it. I really wanted to see the presentations from the Orders and Academies..."
"Haha, you're lucky, bro," Elliot cut in. "They didn't show up. Most of them got involved in sealing off an S-class Rift in Lurdtown. Teacher said they'll be coming tomorrow instead."
Ronan's eyes widened. "Seriously? Damn, talk about luck..."
"Yup. You might as well go back to sleep," Elliot replied casually. "Oh, by the way—you're famous now."
"Huh? What do you an?" Ronan frowned.
There was no imdiate answer. Only the sound of footsteps and a faint hiss in the background.
"Elliot? You still there?"
But before he got a response, the call abruptly ended.
Ronan stared at the phone screen, brows furrowed.
"What the hell was that...?"
He sighed. Elliot did have a habit of ssing around. Maybe it was just another one of his weird jokes.
He placed the phone back on the table.
There was nothing he had truly missed today. Nothing to really worry about.
His grades were still above average, and graduation was just a few weeks away—maybe a month or two at most. Everything was proceeding as it should.
And even though the day had started off ssy, at least... the world kept turning.
---
By 10:13 p.m., Ronan had already showered and was now sitting on the couch, munching on toast he had just made, eyes fixed on his laptop screen.
On it was a familiar na and face—Kyle Ashbourne. Now he understood why Edward had been willing to give him a spatial ring and a VIP card just because he was close to Kyle. Turns out, Kyle was the heir of the Ashbourne family. The future leader.
There were tons of articles about Kyle, a young genius under thirty, ranked in the national top 10 young talents—which ant across the entire empire, not just a single city.
But that was just the young talent category. In terms of overall Awakener rankings, he still wasn't at the top.
His unique ability, even though Kyle had already explained it to him, remained extraordinary. Harnessing energy from the surroundings and amplifying it several tis over.
And more terrifyingly, the Ashbourne family itself—far more powerful than he had ever imagined. He had never paid much attention to those ancient houses until now.
Now he realized just how complex this world really was.
There were ancient families known across the empire for their strength and legacy—like Redfield, Varlaine, Thorne, Dravenhart, and others. From the articles he read, there were 25 officially known ancient families in the Allbion Empire—likely even more in reality.
Ronan took a sip of water as he continued reading news about academies he might enroll in.
He had his eyes on several: Aethermoor, Leyndell, Emberwing, Ironbull, and Blacknight. Those five were the top academies in the entire empire.
He had already done his research. Each academy had its own uniqueness, and all were located outside of Lincolnville.
What drew Ronan's attention the most was Aethermoor—due to its proximity to a forest that served as a corridor for soul beasts.
Not only that, the academy was also close to an Awakener outpost—a special base established near frequent soul beast appearances, similar to a military base, but made specifically for Awakeners.
Ronan fell silent for a mont, a thought surfacing in his mind.
He imdiately searched online for the Awakener outpost near Aethermoor Academy. It ca up right away, and its na was Redburn Base.
He clicked the official website and began looking for what he needed. All of Awakener Base was affiliated with the House of Wisdom, and they rewarded Awakeners for their hunts.
Ronan's eyes locked onto the Awakener bulletin section, where various roles were posted.
[Led by Lucas Erikson, Class B Awakener, 5-person team to explore Area A. Seeking Awakeners with basic ice magic.]
[Led by Verdant Sha, Class B Awakener, 8-person team to resolve a small F-rank dinsional rift. Seeking Awakeners with physical strength and brute force.]
[...]
Multiple postings filled the Redburn Base site. It was common. But he was looking for sothing else.
It didn't take long before he found it.
[Requirents for Soul Beast Hunting Permit Registration]
It explained that you needed to bring identification and demonstrate your special ability to the staff, but Ronan frowned when he saw the process took three days—faster if you had a recomndation letter from a strong Awakener or other influential figure.
"Looks like nepotism doesn't die, even in this world," Ronan muttered, shaking his head.
Three days wasn't a big deal, really—but it would be better if he could start hunting now. He needed more skill points.
He was about to close the website when sothing suddenly clicked in his mind.
A smile slowly crept onto his face.
"Maybe he can help," he murmured as he reached for his phone on the table.
On the screen, the na Kyle Ashbourne stood out clearly. He tapped the call icon.
It didn't take long before Kyle's voice ca through the line.
"Wasup? It's only been a day and you already miss ? Should I be flattered or suspicious?"
Ronan chuckled.
"Relax, this is purely business. I'm trying to register for a soul beast hunting permit at Redburn Base. They said it'd be faster with a recomndation from soone influential. So... guess who popped into my head first?"
Kyle let out a breath, clearly amused.
"Should I be worried or proud that you're already exploiting this connection?"
"Hey, I'm just being efficient. Opportunities are like soul beasts—if you don't grab 'em now, they might disappear forever."
Kyle chuckled softly.
"Redburn Base, huh? Alright. That's the closest region to Lincolnville. I happen to know soone there."
"I knew you were a reliable brother," Ronan replied lightly.
"Yeah, yeah. But listen closely—" Kyle's voice turned slightly more serious now. "From this point on, when you walk in there, you'll be carrying the Ashbourne na."
Ronan paused. "Wait, you an... this is an official recomndation?"
"Not just a recomndation. I'll sign the formal docunt. They'll know you're backed by the heir of House Ashbourne. So don't make look like an idiot, Ronan."
Ronan exhaled slowly, a wry grin tugging at his lips.
"No pressure, huh?"
"Exactly. When are you going?"
"Now," Ronan answered without hesitation. "I'm hoping I can get the permit on the spot. Maybe?"
Kyle gave a soft laugh, responding with a calm voice tinged with casual arrogance:
"With soone like making the call? They wouldn't dare delay."
Ronan narrowed his eyes, his tone turning playful.
"Must be nice being a young master, huh?"
Kyle held back a laugh. "If you think that's nice, wait till you see our family's property tax list."
"Touché."
"Alright, I'll call them now. Most likely, your permit will be waiting when you get there."
"Good. Thanks again, Kyle." Ronan stood up from the sofa, pulling the phone away from his ear with one hand.
"Don't ntion it. I might need your help soday."
"Say the word, and I'll be there," Ronan replied with ease.
"Great. I'm hanging up now."
And with a single tap, the call ended. The phone screen dimd, reflecting a faint outline of Ronan's face.
Ronan imdiately got moving, tidying up his laptop and the empty glass on the table. He changed into more fitted clothes—a black shirt, a light jacket, and dark tactical pants. No backpack this ti. Everything he needed was already neatly stored in the spatial ring Edward had given him.
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