The grand dining room remained cloaked in a heavy silence. Even the soft clinking of cutlery felt like a thunderclap against the hushed atmosphere. Each member of the family moved with an almost ethereal grace, their postures refined, their grip on the exquisite utensils a testament to perfect etiquette. Merely observing them dine felt like a privilege, a glimpse into a world of unparalleled sophistication.
"Child, is something amiss?" The matriarch's voice, surprisingly gentle, sliced through the quiet, making Woon flinch. He quickly regained his composure, his face settling into an impassive mask.
"Nothing at all, Madam."
Woon picked up his steak knife and fork, beginning to cut. The steak itself was a work of art, cooked to an unimaginable perfection. As he savored the first bite, a wave of warmth spread through him. It was more than just food; it was the distilled passion of the chef, poured into every fiber of the meat.
'Is this the taste of true luxury? It's like heaven,' Woon mused internally, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The meal concluded, and with swift, silent movements, the maids cleared the table. The Victor family remained seated, their gazes fixed on Woon, a collective, almost palpable evaluation.
"So, Woon, is that what they call you?" The dark-haired man, Jin, finally spoke, his voice smooth but with an underlying edge.
"Yes, sir!" Woon replied, perhaps a little too quickly.
"Drop the 'sir' bullcrap. I can't stand it." Jin's tone was sharp, dismissive.
"Yes..." Woon's voice trailed off, barely a whisper.
Jin leaned forward, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "By the way, I heard you and Alicia shared a bed last night! How was it?"
Woon's poker face crumbled. "Wh-what?! It's just a misunderstanding!" His voice was still low, laced with a desperate need to maintain respect.
"Stop it! Forget everything that happened earlier!" Alicia's voice was a sudden, chilling cut, like a blade warning Woon of impending doom.
"No, no, no! I know the whole story. Wanna hear it, Jin?" Victor, a mischievous grin spreading across his face, clearly relished the moment.
"Ooh, what is it?" Jin asked, genuinely intrigued, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Stop it!" Alicia protested, slamming her hand onto the table, a furious blush creeping up her neck.
"She apparently snuck into Woon's room in the middle of the night, hehehe!" Victor practically sang, openly teasing his sister.
"So, has my little cold sister finally escaped her ice-bound heart phase and welcomed romance?" Jin chimed in, enjoying Alicia's discomfort.
"I was drunk! I don't even remember entering the room!" Alicia snapped, her voice strained.
"Oh, is that so, sweetheart?" The matriarch's voice, though soft, held a knowing lilt, further cornering Alicia.
"Mom, not you too!" Alicia groaned, burying her face in her hands.
'Please, for the love of everything, stop! I feel like I'm going to end up dead at any moment!' Woon screamed internally, his anxiety mounting.
"May I excuse myself?" Woon finally managed to interject, hoping for an escape.
Alicia's head shot up, her eyes locking onto his, cold and sharp as daggers. "Stay right there. If you move an inch, you'll end up dead."
"Yes, ma'am!" Woon choked out.
'Fuck! I don't want this!' Woon's internal cry was a silent scream of despair.
"Being possessive now? How romantic!" Victor chuckled, adding fuel to the fire.
"NOOO!" Alicia roared, truly exasperated.
'Please, I'm begging all of you, don't make it worse!' Woon internally wailed, feeling the weight of their teasing crush him.
"Hey, thanks to you, we can actually make fun of her!" Victor whispered to Woon, a conspiratorial grin on his face.
"Please stop! I'm going to end up dead any second!" Woon whispered back, his voice laced with genuine fear. 'Don't make it worse!'
"Let's stop here. It seems our guest is a bit uncomfortable," the matriarch said, her voice finally signaling an end to the playful torment.
Alicia stormed out of the room, her departure swift and silent. Woon, Victor, and Jin followed, walking together down the long, opulent hallway.
"You seem strong, Woon. Want to spar a bit?" Jin asked, a hint of challenge in his voice.
"Yes, sure!" Woon replied, a surge of adrenaline finally replacing his earlier anxiety.
"Woon, just a warning: he's not like anyone you've faced before," Victor said, a serious note in his tone.
They entered a massive, cavernous room, filled with an array of exotic weapons mounted on the walls. In the center, a vast circular platform dominated the space. Woon's jaw nearly dropped. This room was easily ten times larger than Ron's training hall.
'This is huge!'
"By the way, my weapons aren't with me. Can I borrow something here?" Woon asked, gesturing to the gleaming displays.
"No, I already ordered a butler to get your weapon. Just wait a bit." Jin's response was curt.
A moment later, another person entered, carefully carrying Woon's katana.
"Sir Jin, this is the weapon you asked me to get!"
"Here!" Jin tossed the katana, its hilt warm from the butler's grip, to Woon.
Woon expertly caught it, the familiar weight a comfort in his hand. "Should we start now?" His voice was confident, eager.
"I like your confidence. Let's start." Jin's words were a challenge, a low hum of anticipation.
They both stepped onto the platform, facing each other. Woon, however, noticed something peculiar. Jin stood empty-handed.
"Do you... not have a weapon?" Woon asked, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.
"It would be overkill if I brought one with me," Jin replied, a smirk playing on his lips. "But let's begin!"
Woon wasted no time. He lunged forward, unsheathing his katana in a fluid motion. With a burst of speed, he unleashed a Lightning Thrust, a blindingly fast strike aimed to end the fight swiftly. But Jin simply dodged. It wasn't a sidestep or a block; he moved as if he wasn't there, a blur of motion, rendering Woon's precise attack utterly useless.
"He's gotten better!" Victor murmured, watching with keen interest.
Woon pulled back, a flash of frustration crossing his features. His initial attack, usually devastating, had been meaningless. He took a deep breath, centering himself. His blade pointed forward, his grip firm. He closed his eyes, focusing his divinity to sharpen his senses, visualizing Jin as a glowing orb, a single, vulnerable target. Moments passed, Woon remaining utterly still. Jin, however, knew. He recognized the intense concentration, the gathering of power for a single, decisive strike.
"Sir, I advise you to dodge this," Woon's eyes snapped open, his voice calm, yet radiating an undeniable intensity.
"Giving advice, huh? You don't seem to know me very well. Come, give it your all!" Jin's voice was filled with a chilling confidence, an almost playful taunt.
Woon unleashed it. A Precise Thrust, the culmination of his secluded training. It was an attack like a bullet – impossibly fast, unnervingly accurate, all power focused on a single point. To execute it, he needed to extend to the very edge of his blade's reach, every muscle, every fiber of his being, channeled into that one, piercing strike.
As Woon's katana lunged, just centimeters from Jin's head, Jin vanished. He wasn't there. Woon's eyes darted around, searching. Then, suddenly, Jin reappeared directly behind Woon. But Woon reacted with incredible speed, twisting and unleashing a furious barrage of slices. Jin shimmered, disappearing like mist, yet Woon sensed he was still within reach. And then, Jin materialized again, and Woon, driven by instinct, unleashed a lightning-fast slice that connected.
Blood spattered across the platform. Woon stared, horrified, as Jin crumpled. He killed him. He killed Jin, right in front of Victor. Panic clawed at his throat.
"Wh-what? I didn't mean to!" Woon stammered, his voice trembling, his katana clattering to the floor.
"You... you killed my brother!" Victor's voice, choked with raw anguish, ripped through the silence.
"No... no, no! I didn't mean to strike him like that!" Woon cried out, his gaze darting to Victor, his body shaking uncontrollably.
"You traitor!" Victor roared, his face contorted with rage.
As this horrific scene unfolded, Woon remained oblivious. The entire grim tableau was an illusion, meticulously crafted by Jin before Woon had even unleashed his concentrated thrust. Jin had cast the spell the instant Woon focused.
"Damn, bro, you're a demon!" Victor chuckled, looking at Woon, who was still staring blankly into the air, lost in the illusion.
"I just wanted to see his reaction if that ever happened," Jin said, a faint smile on his lips.
"That's never going to happen, even if you didn't use the hypnosis," Victor replied, shaking his head.
"You're complimenting me so much, I'm embarrassed," Jin said, feigning humility.
"I think it's time to stop now," Jin stated, a flick of his fingers dispelling the illusion.
Woon blinked, the horrifying scene melting away. He saw Victor and Jin standing side-by-side, perfectly alive, perfectly whole, before him.
"Sir... Jin! I thought I killed you!" Woon gasped, his voice still ragged with shock.
"I'm alive, aren't I?" Jin replied, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"No, I felt it... the warmth of the blood, the feeling!" Woon insisted, the vividness of the illusion still clinging to his senses.
"Idiot, it was just an illusion! This prick is playing with you!" Victor interjected, a teasing smirk on his face.
"Illusion? It felt so real!" Woon was still reeling, trying to reconcile what he'd experienced with reality.
"It's Absolute Hypnosis. All your senses go according to his will. Within five kilometers, he's basically the god of his own world," Victor explained, a touch of awe in his voice.
"Hypnosis... that's terrifying! And five kilometers? That's insane!" Woon breathed, truly astonished.
"I'll challenge you again someday, so be ready!" Woon declared, a newfound resolve hardening his gaze.
"Hoo? You're challenging me despite knowing my ability?" Jin's eyebrow arched in amusement.
"Because you're one of those prodigies," Woon said, a respectful admiration in his voice.
"Prodigy, huh? It's true that I'm exceptional among my peers. I'll wait for that time to arrive." Jin's smile widened.
"Hypnosis won't work on me next time. So be ready!" Woon stated, a promise in his voice, as Jin began to leave the room.
"You're getting yourself into trouble, huh? I like that!" Victor said, clapping Woon on the shoulder.
"It's nothing. I'll overcome that hypnosis," Woon replied, determination etched on his face.
Woon and Victor followed Jin out of the room. Just before they exited, Woon remembered something.
"Bro, my hilt is broken again. Do you know any good blacksmiths here?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. We do. And it was made of darkwood, yet it still got destroyed!" Victor shook his head.
"It's not strong enough to handle my grip. It just... happened," Woon explained, though he knew there was more to it.
"It's not because of your grip. It's that technique you performed! The vibration that flowed through it completely wrecked your hilt!" Victor corrected, a knowing look on his face.
"Is that so? Well, let's just go to the blacksmith and get this fixed. I have money on me," Woon said, ready to settle the bill.
"Money, my ass! This is our home; it's free as long as you're with me!" Victor scoffed.
"No, I have money. I'll pay for it!" Woon insisted.
"Alright then. Fifty gold," Victor said, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"What?! Excuse me?" Woon's jaw dropped.
"Fifty gold," Victor repeated, unwavering.
"That's absurd! It's just a hilt! Ron only charged me twenty gold!" Woon protested, his voice incredulous.
"Because he only charged you half! He's the one who made that blade, anyway!" Victor retorted. "That's why it's free if you're with me, as long as we're in our territory!"
"Fine! But I'll pay you back next time!" Woon conceded, though still grumbling.
"Don't bother with it!" Victor laughed, pulling Woon along.