The bitter taste of the Core Awakening Serum slid down Fan Yumei's throat. She crossed her legs, steadied her breathing, and focused. Pain surged through her like wildfire. Her father's training had prepared her for endurance—but not like this. She clenched her teeth as her veins burned with what felt like liquid fire.
Still, she persevered—circulating her three forces, focusing on the breathing patterns she had created to cleanse and harmonize the powers in her core.
The pain intensified, tripling with each completed cycle. She forced herself to push forward, calling on the invisible particles surrounding her—barely perceptible, but undeniably present. She urged them inward, guiding them gently, yet firmly, through her meridians.
Bit by bit, she unlocked the first six nodes of her core route, weaving them into a consistent, flowing current. The energy pushed through her veins, dislodging impurities and stagnation.
Fortunately, thanks to her father's rigorous body training, there wasn't much to cleanse.
Twenty cycles. That's how long it took—slow, grueling, but thorough. She finished with a stable flow, now finally merged and running to clean her core. She began refining it, focusing on its purity while pressing inward to sense the shape and form of her core.
As she worked, her father's voice echoed in her mind—words from a secret conversation.
⸻
"I found something in a Secret Realm years ago," he'd said. "An incomplete mental six-star cultivation book. It spoke of multiple-profession users. Said the purer the body, the mind, the will, the higher the chance of awakening more than one."
He had told her not to rush when her core felt full—to instead meditate, to strengthen the mind, the soul, and refine them into one. Those were her first lines of defense against spirit attacks, soul attacks, and mental attacks.
She began to refine her will, her mind, her heart, her soul, her body—all as one.
The pain was unimaginable, but she held on tightly. Her soul felt like it was being sliced apart—like sawing through cardboard, only somehow worse. In her case, it felt like two pieces had been cut.
⸻
Yumei meditated for four days until her body felt bloated with energy, like she'd eaten an entire buffet by herself. Finally, her awakening took hold.
She opened her eyes. The world felt sharper, colors more vivid, the air heavier with life. Her skin hummed with unseen energy. She felt different. Lighter. Sharper. Stronger.
She blinked down—and froze.
In her lap rested not one, but two eggs.
One was no larger than an adult's hand, pale and faintly glowing. The other was the size of a football, its surface warm, veined with flickering light.
She was completely dumbfounded.
Where did these come from?
Her breath caught as she stared at them, heart pounding in quiet awe. Slowly, carefully, she adjusted her posture and cradled the eggs, rising to her feet. Just as she reached the door, it creaked open—and there stood her uncle, clearly having been guarding her during the entire awakening.
The sight warmed her heart.
Uncle Hanji leapt up from the floor, wide-eyed. "Yumei! Are you alright? Did anything go wro—"
He stopped short, gasping when he noticed the eggs in her hands. He pointed, then shouted incoherently before grabbing her by the shoulders.
"Eggs! Two eggs?! Master Sun—Master Sun! Hurry!"
He bolted down the hall, dragging the old master by the sleeve.
Master Sun needed no explanation. The moment he saw the eggs in Fan Yumei's arms, his eyes softened with understanding—and something else. A strange, knowing glint sparkled in them, the look of a man who'd seen miracles before.
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Even now, I find myself amused by fate…"
With a calm reverence, he reached for the Awakening OniScan Reader.
⸻
Core Test Results:
Rank: A-class level
• Core Purity: 83%
• Soul Power: 392
• Mental Strength: 375
• Star Class: 6-star Core
• Results: Dual Core Awakener — Soul Function and Elemental Caller
⸻
Profession Test Results:
• Beast-master
• Beast Healer
• Rune Master
Triple Professions
The latter two professions were rare—especially in both countryside and city—and among the most demanding in existence. Rune Masters and Mages were more common than Beast Healers, but high-level users were few and far between unless you were in a major city. Nothing like that existed in their small province.
Her uncle suspected she'd inherited it from her father—who, it turned out, had been training a little Rune Master all along.
She sat still for a moment, the weight of the results pressing in. What did this mean? What kind of path was waiting for her now?
Overwhelmed with excitement, Fan Yumei's thoughts drifted to the three beast eggs she planned to raise—her soul beasts—and the cracked one she'd wrapped in herbs and blankets and left in the living room.
Her curiosity bubbled over.
Focus, Yumei. Don't act like a child.
But she was a child. At least in body.
She turned to her uncle. "Uncle, can we leave today?"
Fan Hanji blinked. "What's the rush?"
She hesitated. "I want to ask Dad if I can keep the mythical beast egg."
"Why not call him instead of waiting?" her uncle asked, confused.
Without waiting for a reply, she darted into the other room, phone in hand.
Moments later, a surprised yelp echoed through the house. Uncle and Master Sun rushed in, weapons half-drawn and battle bots ready—only to find Yumei frozen in awe.
The egg had grown to twice its size. The crack? Mysteriously sealed up a bit.
Fan Hanji was the first to break the stunned silence.
"I suddenly feel a giant human-sized omelet would taste divine," he muttered, stepping closer and licking his lips.
"Twice the nutrients means twice the yolk!" he cried gleefully. "That's gotta be worth triple the federation coins!"
Old Master Sun roared with laughter while Fan Yumei's glare could've burned stone.
"Stay away from my beasts," she growled, shielding the eggs protectively.
⸻
They shared one last lunch with the old master. After tidying up and saying a warm, reluctant goodbye, he handed Fan Yumei a small Oni AI space bracelet and a stack of books to study.
"A welcome gift," he explained. "Resources to nourish your three beasts. A few Rune Master manuals and basic spells. Guides on herb gathering, beast identification, bonding, and How to Hatch Your Soul Egg for Dummies. Plus the spoken—and unspoken—rules of the cultivator world and the magical beast realm."
Just as they were about to leave, he handed Fan Hanji a small stack of teleportation scrolls.
"Use them within 180 kilometers. Just speak the name of your destination while picturing a familiar place."
Yumei's eyes sparkled. "I must learn this someday." She took half of them "for reference."
Clutching her uncle's hand with one arm and guiding the cart bearing her massive egg with the other, they activated a scroll.
"Qinghe Safe Zone K."
She pictured her quaint cottage home: the half-tall fence, the little vegetable garden, the pebble path leading to the door…
In a flash—they were home.
⸻
She bolted to the front door, hover cart following behind, flinging it open.
Her parents were inside.
She barely paused—just long enough to register them—before rushing to put the cart gently in a corner. Then a quick hug to her mother—and a full leap into her father's arms. For just a moment, she allowed herself to act her age, snuggling into his shoulder, clinging to his shirt.
"Tell me about your trip, darling," he said, rubbing her head.
"No trouble," she mumbled, unwilling to let go. "Uncle didn't give me too much of a hard time… at first."
Fan Hanji entered next, explaining his side of the story. And, of course—the egg. He pouted as he tried to convince his brother to cook it.
"She won't let me eat it!" he whined. "It's already cracked—it won't hatch!"
Yumei rolled her eyes. "Tell him, Dad. Did you send me with him so I could be awakened… or babysit him to town?"
Her father laughed, stroking her hair. "The egg stays. If it grew in size after your care, then it was meant to survive."
He shooed his brother away.
Fan Hanji muttered as he left, "I swear it whispered 'fry me' when I passed…"
Alone again, Yumei told her parents everything.