The light in the orb flickered... and for a split second, a whisper brushed the edge of his consciousness.
Not a voice. Not a word.
Just presence.
Watching. Remembering. Waiting.
Arthur's heart pounded like a war drum. The glow of the orb slowly faded, returning the room to its dim, hushed stillness.
But the silence no longer felt comforting.
Something had awakened.
He sat frozen on the edge of his bed, staring at his hand in disbelief. "I… really awakened my second Soul Spirit," he whispered, barely able to process the words as they left his mouth.
Hovering above his palm was a creature unlike anything he'd ever imagined.
Its sleek body shimmered with polished white-silver scales, each one catching the light like it was forged from stardust. Twin golden eyes stared back at him with ancient clarity and quiet pride. Broad, translucent wings fluttered faintly, as if drawing breath for the first time. The aura it exuded was noble—untamed, but dignified—coiling through the air like a slumbering tempest.
Arthur's throat tightened.
"Is… thi—this…" His voice cracked. He couldn't even finish the sentence. The thought alone made his mind reel.
"A dragon?" he finally muttered, almost in disbelief. "Is this… really a dragon?"
Ding!
> [Congratulations, Lord. You have awakened your second Soul Spirit — Trueblood Dragon.]
> [You have achieved an unimaginable feat. As a reward, you may select a Soul Ring from a Gold-rank beast.]
Arthur blinked as the system prompt materialized in front of him. He read it twice, then a third time.
His eyes widened.
"This really is a dragon… and I can pick a Gold-rank Soul Ring for it?"
An electric rush of joy surged through him. His lips parted—and before he knew it, laughter burst out of him like an overflowing spring.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he howled with unrestrained glee. "This is insane! This is unbelievable!"
He clutched his head, wild-eyed with excitement. "System! Show me the Gold-rank Soul Rings!"
> [Answering to the host — Access Denied.]
His laughter died on the spot.
"…What?"
He stared blankly at the screen, waiting for the punchline. But nothing changed.
"You damn troll of a system… are you playing with me?!"
> [Answering to the host — While your current spirit power is sufficient to obtain a Soul Ring for your Heavenly Dragon Spear, your newly awakened Trueblood Dragon requires its own progression.]
> [Spirit power is shared, but Soul Spirits synchronize over time. You must circulate and infuse Soul Force directly into your second Soul Spirit to raise its compatibility and spirit power.]
Arthur's jaw tightened. "So… I've got to manually cultivate my connection with this one too."
> [Correct. The stronger your bond with a Soul Spirit, the higher your spirit power grows. With two Soul Spirits, your effort must double — but so will your potential.]
He slumped back on the bed, grinning to himself despite the headache forming in his thoughts.
"Tch… double the grind, huh?"
But in his heart, a fire had already been lit. One stronger than fear or doubt.
"Fine," he muttered, eyes still locked on the floating dragon. "If I have to climb twice the height… then I'll reach twice as far as anyone else."
The dragon's golden eyes met his—calm, yet fierce. Like it understood.
Arthur grinned.
"This is just the beginning."
After the burst of wild laughter and the dizzying high of awakening a second Soul Spirit, Arthur decided to reward himself the best way he knew how—by devouring the feast laid out for him.
He ate like a man possessed.
Grilled beast meat soaked in spiced broth, steamed dumplings stuffed with golden root vegetables, crispy spiced rolls, and soft rice cakes drizzled in sweet sauce—he ate it all. The room echoed with the clatter of chopsticks, the scrape of ceramic, and Arthur's muffled chewing as he polished off plate after plate.
By the time he finished, he was slumped back on the bed, hands resting lazily on his bloated stomach.
"Ack… I can't eat another bite," he groaned, voice thick with satisfaction. He stared at the ceiling with a grin on his face, the room gently lit by the lanterns on the wall. The warmth of the food, the excitement of the day, and the soft hum of contentment all blended into a sleepy haze.
But then his smile slowly faded. A serious glint flickered in his eyes.
"Should I… tell Grandpa?" he murmured aloud.
He stared at the wooden ceiling for a moment, deep in thought. "No… no, that's a bad idea."
The scene in Seok Hung's chamber flashed through his mind—how the old man, despite his strength and pride, refused to train him. And how Grandpa Kim, despite always being headstrong, didn't press the matter. The air in the room had been shifted… subtly. Unspoken tension. Hidden truths.
Arthur clenched his jaw slightly.
"I don't know why… but I've got a bad feeling. A gut instinct. Telling them about this second Soul Spirit… it might bring trouble. I'll keep it to myself for now."
He rolled over on the bed, exhaling slowly.
"Well, whatever. Time for something lighter."
He grinned, reaching out mentally.
"System, let's grab my daily login reward."
> [Congratulations, Host. You have acquired: Spirit Pill x1]
Arthur sat up slightly. "Spirit Pill? What's that?"
> [Spirit Pill — A rare pill infused with dense Soul Force. Upon consumption, it increases the Soul Force reserves of the host's body.]
His eyes lit up. "That's amazing… I can use it to boost my Trueblood Dragon spirit power!"
He took the pill out from the system's inventory, holding it up against the light. It was a deep azure-blue, semi-translucent, with fine silver lines dancing through it like veins of starlight. It shimmered faintly in his palm—calm, but powerful.
Without hesitation, Arthur swallowed it whole.
The moment the pill hit his stomach, warmth exploded outward.
A powerful wave of soul force surged through his core, rushing up his meridians and toward the center of his forehead—where his soul force resided. He closed his eyes, feeling the energy coursing through his body, spiraling in tight, controlled bursts.
Ten minutes passed in deep silence.
Then—
Ding!
> [Congratulations, Host. You have consumed the Spirit Pill.]
> [Soul Force increased by 100 units.]
> [Spirit Power of Soul Spirit: Trueblood Dragon has risen to Level 7.]
Arthur's eyes snapped open, his entire body feeling lighter and sharper.
A grin stretched across his face.
"Hahahaha… what kind of day is today? A miracle buffet?!"
His laughter bounced off the stone walls again as he sat upright.
"Just three more spirit power levels… and I'll be eligible for a Gold-rank Soul Ring for my dragon."
His hands clenched with resolve.
"Yeah right, i have not yet saw the login rewards for the last 7-8 day. But the system already warned me about not getting any reward if i miss my login chance." Arthur said with a hint of regret "i was so busy with my training that i completely forgot about the login rewards."
[Answering to the host— you are right host, you cannot get the login rewards that you have missed.]
[But, you have received many other rewards, that you have gotten while you were training. That time system has given you many daily missions and even weakly missions related to your training. Which you have completed and the rewards is in your inventory.]
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