"...what."
Soobin stared at the glowing screen of his watch-phone, his face caught in the pale blue light.
He scrolled down the SHIN SOOBIN APPRECIATION THREAD. It was a complete disaster. It wasn't just people talking about his Platinum rank—it was a terrifying, hyper-fixated avalanche of comments dissecting every single second of his screen time.
User_882:omg did u see his face tho when the phoenix landed?? he looked so bored and unbothered. kinda hot tbh.Nova_Strike:He was so cute! The messy hair, the dark outfit... definitely going to be the Academy's top visual.
SilverLining:Wait, is he friends with KANG TAEHYUN?? They were standing near each other at the gate. OUR BEST DUO. The edgy quiet one and the chaotic loud one! I'm already making edits.
User_234: omg did u see his face tho when the phoenix landed?? completely unbothered. kinda unhinged actually. kinda—
Hot_girl_61: THE MESSY HAIR. THE JACKET. THE WAY HE JUST STOOD THERE. SIR.
Tae_tae_fan01: wait is he friends with KANG TAEHYUN?? they were literally standing together the whole time. our best duo. the quiet broody one and the loud chaotic one i'm already making edits
Awakened_beauties: he has such an innocent face but then ALSO??? i can't explain it
Kangtaehyunsgirl_01: omg did you see when taehyun just shoved candy at him without looking and he just took it like that was normal THEY'RE SO—
Soobin physically recoiled, tossing the phone onto the mattress like it had burned him.
"Ugh," he groaned, rubbing his temples.
He didn't understand this at all. He had seen this kind of obsessive, idol-worshipping culture from afar in his past life, usually directed at K-pop stars or actors. But being on the receiving end of it? It made his skin crawl with second-hand embarrassment.
He pushed himself off the bed and walked over to the mirror attached to his wardrobe. The room was dark, illuminated only by the neon city lights bleeding through the curtains, casting long shadows across his face.
He leaned in, examining his reflection. The messy black hair, the sharp blue eyes, the slight permanent scowl. The Beuran jacket still on because he'd never taken it off. The blue strips along it catching the city light through the curtains.
He leaned in slightly.
"Am I actually cute" he whispered to his reflection.
He tilted his head, trying to see what the internet saw. Then, a wave of profound cringe washed over him. He slapped both hands over his face.
"What the f*ck am I doing?" he muttered into his palms.
He turned away from the mirror, thoroughly embarrassed by his own behavior. The viral fame was already starting to rot his brain. He needed to go to sleep before he did something even more stupid. He collapsed onto the bed, pulled the covers over his head, and forced his eyes shut.
The Morning After
"Yawn..."
Soobin stretched, his joints popping in protest as the morning sun hit his face. The ache in his ribs from yesterday had faded into a dull throb. He showered, threw on a clean oversized t-shirt and sweatpants, and headed downstairs.
As he walked into the kitchen, the smell of toasted bread and brewing coffee filled the air. His parents were already sitting at the dining table.
"Good morning," Soobin mumbled, pulling out a chair.
"Good morning, Soobin!" his mom said. "Morning, son," his dad chimed in.
Soobin paused, his hand hovering over a carton of orange juice. They had spoken at the exact same time. He glanced between them. His dad was grinning into his coffee mug, and his mom was practically vibrating with poorly concealed excitement. They looked at each other, shared a secretive smile, and looked back at him.
Soobin narrowed his eyes, suspicious. He sat down and poured his juice. "Okay, what is it? You guys are acting weird."
"CONGRATULATIONS!" they shouted in unison.
Soobin jumped, nearly spilling his juice. "What? For what? Yesterday?"
His mom rushed over, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "We didn't even get to tell you how proud we are of yesterday! A Platinum, Soobin! A Platinum!"
"Mom." He carefully extended the juice glass out to the side. "I'm still holding this."
She let go. Straightened up. Smoothed his hair once. Went back to the sofa looking completely satisfied with herself
"Yes, yes," his dad hummed, his chest puffed out with pride. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a sleek, heavy envelope sealed with glowing blue wax. "But there's more good news.I filled in your application the day you awakened your core. Sent it before the ceremony. And guess what arrived via courier this morning?"
He slid the envelope across the table.
Soobin stared at the silver crest stamped into the wax: a sword wrapped in vines.
The Arcane Spirit Academy.
"They sent your acceptance letter," his dad beamed. "You're officially enrolled."
Soobin let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Oh... the Academy." He picked up the heavy envelope. "Well, that's good. I was actually going to talk to you guys about enrolling today. Thanks, Dad. This saves me a lot of time."
"We're just so proud," his mom said, wiping a stray tear. "But you have to be careful, okay? The kids there... they're from massive Guilds. The training is intense."
"I know, Mom. I'll be careful," Soobin reassured her.
He excused himself shortly after, taking the envelope up to his room. He sat on the edge of his bed, breaking the wax seal and pulling out the heavy, holographic parchment.
THE ARCANE SPIRIT ACADEMYOffice of Admissions
Dear Applicant Shin Soobin,
By the decree of the Grand Council and the Headmaster, we are pleased to inform you that you have been formally accepted into the Arcane Spirit Academy for the upcoming academic year.
Your performance at the Spirit Contract Ceremony has been noted. You are expected to arrive on campus for the Opening Ceremony and Orientation in exactly two days.
Soobin stared at the glowing blue text.
The Arcane Spirit Academy. It was one of the most prestigious academies in the world—number one in Korea, and easily top five globally. Wealthy families and elite Guilds practically killed each other for the privilege of securing a spot for their children. Almost every major plot point, rivalry, and disaster in the novel occurred within its walls.
It was a place he absolutely had to go.
But as he stared at the letter, the initial wave of excitement faded, replaced by a cold, sobering reality. In all the chaos of the contract ceremony and the viral fame, he had almost forgotten the most important fact about the world he was now living in.
This novel wasn't a heroic fantasy. It was a tragedy.
Characters died. Horribly. If he walked into that Academy relying only on a shiny Platinum bird and a viral internet reputation, he was going to end up as collateral damage in someone else's boss fight.
"The opening ceremony is in two days," Soobin muttered, doing the math in his head. "They must have waited for the contract ceremony results to finalize the roster. I have zero time."
He swiped his hand through the air. "Status window."
=========================================
[LEGACY STATUS WINDOW]
=========================================
Name: Shin Soobin
Level: 5
Spirit Name: ELYNDRIS, THE AZURE PHOENIX
Spirit Rank: Platinum
Hero Rank: [Unavailable]
Experience: 0 / 250
-----------------------------------------
[ ATTRIBUTES ]
Strength: 10
Defense: 7
Agility: 9
Intelligence: 10
Unallocated Status Points: 22
-----------------------------------------
[ BOND STRENGTH ]
Bond Level: Basic (Levels 0–25)
-----------------------------------------
[ SKILLS ]
▼ Luminous Conduit (Passive)
▼ Luminous Blade (Active)
▼ Phoenix's Flicker (Active)
↳ Phoenix's Resurgence (Passive — Cooldown)
-----------------------------------------
[ INVENTORY ]
1. S-Rank Spirit Blade
2. Defective Blue Nuclei Core Locket
3. Shadowfang Wolf Nuclei Core
4. Jinsoo's Dark Metal Ring
=========================================
"After getting crushed by Kim Jinsoo yesterday, I definitely need more bulk," Soobin said. He tapped the floating screen. He dumped 4 points into Strength and 3 points into Defense.
Strength: 14 / 25Defense: 10 / 25Remaining Points: 15
He felt a sudden, strange warmth wash over his muscles, followed by a settling weight in his bones. It wasn't a massive transformation, but he felt noticeably sturdier.
He looked at the acceptance letter still hovering softly above the desk.
He should go practice. He had today and today only before the opening ceremony and there was no version of him that was walking into Arcane Spirit Academy having never once tried to properly use a single one of his skills.
He closed the window and hurried back downstairs. "Dad? Is there anywhere I can practice today?"
His dad perked up. "Practice? Of course! You can use the private training facility at our Guild headquarters. I can even come down and show you some basic stances—"
"Actually, I'd really like to just get a feel for my spirit on my own first," Soobin interrupted gently. "If that's okay?"
His dad looked slightly disappointed but nodded understandingly. "Of course. A Platinum spirit is sensitive. Take all the time you need. I'll call ahead and tell them you're coming."
The Guild Training Hall
The Shin family's Guild—The Fairy of Flames —wasn't a massive combat powerhouse like the Golden Zone. It was a respected, mid-tier organization that focused on resource management, crafting support, and securing lower-level dungeons. The headquarters was a modest, five-story building in the commercial district.
Soobin walked through the automatic sliding doors and approached the reception desk.
Sitting behind the holographic monitors was Jane. She was the Guild's head receptionist—a sharp-eyed woman in her late twenties who was currently chewing a piece of bright pink bubblegum and typing at the speed of light with long, pristine acrylic nails.
Pop. She blew a bubble, snapped it, and looked up. A genuine, bright smile broke across her usually bored face.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the new sensation of Korea" Jane teased, leaning over the counter. "Congratulations, Soobin. The whole Guild was watching the broadcast yesterday. You gave the Guildmaster a minor heart attack, you know."
"Thanks, Jane," Soobin chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Dad said he called ahead? I need a room."
"Yeah, he told me." Jane tapped a few keys, her acrylics clicking rhythmically against the glass screen. "I'm putting you in Sub-Level B. The reinforced hall."
She grabbed a keycard and walked around the desk, gesturing for him to follow. They took the elevator down into the basement. When the metal doors slid open, Soobin's eyes widened.
The training hall was massive. It looked like a high-tech bunker, lined with shock-absorbent hex-plating, automated training dummies, and heavy mana-shielding along the walls. It was way too high-end and combat-focused for a logistics and support guild.
"This is..." Soobin trailed off, looking at the pristine, barely-used equipment.
"Yeah, it's nice, isn't it?" Jane said softly, her teasing tone fading into something more subdued. "The Guildmaster built this hall specifically for the previous Young Master. Sourced the best tech, calibrated the shields himself."
Soobin felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Kai. His dad had built this state-of-the-art combat room for his older brother. But Kai had abandoned the family guild the second he got a better offer from the Golden Zone, leaving this beautiful facility to gather dust.
"Well," Jane sighed, clapping her hands together to break the tension. "He doesn't need it now. But you do. It's all yours, Soobin. Train to your hardest, okay?"
"I'll do my best," Soobin said with a small smile.
Jane gave him a thumbs-up and walked back to the elevator, leaving him completely alone in the massive underground bunker.
Soobin walked to the center of the room. He took a deep breath, the silence of the hall ringing in his ears.
"Okay. Let's see what you actually are."
He opened his inventory and selected the S-Rank Spirit Blade [Active].
A flash of blue light materialized in his hand. The weight of the weapon dropped into his palm.
Soobin looked down.
"What... is this?"
It wasn't a sleek, glowing weapon of mass destruction. It was a dull, heavy, rusted chunk of metal shaped vaguely like a sword. The edges were chipped, and it looked like it had been sitting at the bottom of the ocean for a hundred years.
"Is this a scam?" Soobin muttered, swinging it awkwardly. Swoosh. Swoosh. It felt heavy and dead.
"The system said the restrictions were lifted. Do I need to... channel mana into it?"
He didn't have an internal core to pull energy from, but he closed his eyes and focused anyway, tightening his grip on the rusted hilt. Come on.
Suddenly, his body began to heat up. A strange, vibrating hum echoed in his ears.
[Passive Skill: Luminous Conduit activated.]
'Huh why?' Soobin didnt understand why this skill activated when he tried using his mana, but he let it go, he wanted to concentrate fully.
The ambient spirit energy in the room shifted. Soobin felt it before he saw it — a pressure change, like the air deciding to move. The energy swirled inward, pulled toward him, drawn into his skin and through his veins in a rush that made his fingers tingle.
He forced the energy down his arm and pushed it directly into the rusted hilt.
CRACK.
A sharp, fracturing sound echoed in the empty hall. Soobin opened his eyes.
A glowing blue fissure had appeared on the dull metal.
CRACK. CRACK.
The fissures spread like a spiderweb. Then, with a blinding flash of light, the entire rusted outer shell shattered into a million pieces.
SWAAAAAA!
A shockwave of air blasted Soobin's hair back. He stood there, panting heavily, his eyes locked on the weapon in his hand.
The rust was gone. In its place was a flawless, razor-sharp katana. The blade was forged from what looked like pure, crystallized blue light, glowing with an intense, freezing azure energy that illuminated the entire bunker.
"Wow," Soobin breathed, his chest heaving as the ambient energy continued to cycle through his glowing blue veins. "Amazing."
He gripped the hilt with both hands, feeling the terrifying density of the S-Rank weapon humming against his palms.
"It's not over," Soobin whispered, his eyes narrowing in concentration. "Now for the best part."
He shifted his stance, pulling the glowing blue katana back.
Ting.
[Skill: Luminous Blade has been activated.]