The Black Stone's Trial

Provocative Awakening. A power utterly distinct from magic. When the first Gate opened, it flowed in from beyond the outer dimension—a controllable force akin to a natural disaster. "Stand up." Lee Cheonhwa took my hand and pulled me to my feet. "You know how Awakening works, don't you?" He smiled faintly. I nodded. Of course I did. Awakening usually occurred when an ordinary person was pushed to the absolute limit. Someone on the verge of being hit by a train suddenly unlocking teleportation. A suicide jumper sprouting wings from their shoulders just before impact. Most cases were like that. When the mind was driven to the farthest extreme—when death loomed directly ahead—only then did a handful of people Awaken.

"When death stands before you, you Awaken," Lee Cheonhwa began. "That's the usual way, isn't it?" Our eyes met. I nodded again. A cool dawn breeze slipped between the folds of my clothes. "But now there's no need for that." He rummaged in his pocket and drew out an artifact. A small black sphere that seemed to swallow every trace of light around it. Wait—this looked familiar. Lee Cheonhwa stroked his chin, then pressed the artifact into my hand. "With this, you won't have to experience real death."

I turned the sphere between my fingers. It was roughly the size of a glass marble. Up close, I could see the tiny Lee family crest etched into its surface. "This… is it what I think it is?"

"Mm-hmm." Lee Cheonhwa nodded. "An artifact that manifests the mental world. The Black Stone of the Black Stone and White Stone pair."

He produced another artifact from his pocket—this one pure white. The Black Stone and the White Stone. Hold the Black Stone and you were pulled into the mental world; the person holding the White Stone coordinated the simulation. It was an insane device designed solely for Awakening—by forcing the user to experience death inside the mental realm, or at least believe they had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠died.

"Care to give it a try?"

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. I couldn't afford to waste this chance. The only way to know whether I could Awaken was to experience it myself. Magic at least had mana as a measurable medium to gauge talent, but psychic abilities had nothing of the sort. Occasionally—very occasionally—someone Awakened spontaneously without any artifact. "Follow me." People like the family head standing right in front of me… and Lee Arin. In the world of espers, if you possessed monstrous talent, you could even Awaken in your sleep. But fuck, that wasn't me. I needed to brush against death. I had to experience an overwhelming crisis—one that would make yesterday's combat training look like children's playtime. The kind of terror that crushed everything else.

I followed Lee Cheonhwa to the sofa in the reception room and lay down. "Make yourself comfortable." I let every muscle go slack. "Right, you said you killed Fenrir, didn't you?" Eyes closed, I nodded. "Then… shall we set Fenrir as your opponent? Would that be all right?"

What? "W-well…" The moment I heard his words, fear surged up from my toes. I still remembered. I hadn't seen it since I was seven, but the mad gleam in that white wolf's eyes when it dragged my father away was burned into my mind. The Silver Wolf that had bitten my father and vanished between the buildings in the dead of night now floated above my head. I could face that monster again? "It's fine." It was fine. No—it was good. I clenched my teeth. "Understood. Wait just a moment."

I slowly closed my eyes. "Since the goal is Awakening, there's no need to push yourself too hard. You don't have to try to fight—" Just think of it as preparation. My eyes snapped open. Pitch-black darkness surrounded me. Not a single speck of light.

"Haa…" I walked forward slowly. In the distance, a single wolf appeared. At first it was no larger than a dot, but with each passing second its size grew exponentially. An overwhelming pressure pressed down on my entire body. Golden eyes stared straight at me. Every step it took made the ground tremble. I met the gaze of the white wolf—at least three meters tall. Terror. Simply locking eyes with it sent fear spiking to its peak. My instincts screamed. I'm going to die. "Grr." Fenrir licked its lips. This was on an entirely different level from Kang Jia. Even the slightest movement was impossible. Every cell in my body howled at me to run. Fighting this monster—this creature—was impossible from the start. Fenrir drew closer until its snout was right in front of my face. Its hot, rancid breath washed over me. The stench was unbearable. I wanted to plug my nose, but moving meant death. I couldn't even tremble. I could only stand frozen. The sole thought filling my mind was the primal urge to survive. I want to live. "Sniff, huff." Fenrir circled me, licking its chops. It was gauging the perfect moment to devour me. No. I can't let it end like this. I want to live. I don't want to die. The one who should die isn't me—it's Fenrir. My eyes flew wide, teeth grinding, fists clenched. I drew a breath. Move. My goal is right in front of me. I can't just stand here powerless, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠doing nothing, waiting to die. So move. Take one step. Just one step. My foot—crack. "Hrrraaagh—!" I jolted upright. My entire body was drenched in cold sweat. Lee Cheonhwa was right beside me, rushing over to ask if I was all right. I quickly told him I was fine. It took roughly three minutes to calm down. Lee Cheonhwa spoke. "Ahem. Do you feel anything?" He poured green tea into a cup. Deep in my chest… something was moving. "If you feel a foreign sensation in your chest or nearby… you've succeeded." "I… can feel something, a little." "Oh! You can already sense it? How quick." Lee Cheonhwa looked impressed. "Is it just wriggling? Or do you feel anything cold—or hot?" he asked while sipping his tea. "Just the foreign sensation." "Hmm… then it's most likely a body-enhancement type." "Body enhancement?" Body enhancement—the most common, practically default psychic ability that came to mind when thinking of espers. "How strong is the sensation?" "Not very strong. It feels like two or three grains of rice are lodged in my chest…" "Hmm? Not just one?" "No." "That means you have more than one ability." "What?" More than one? "Hmm… but you said you only feel the foreign sensation and nothing else?" "Yes, that's right." "Then identical abilities must be overlapping." "Uhh…" "Within a day at the earliest, or a week at most, the sensations will merge into one." "Merge?" "Yes, they usually do. If they haven't merged after a week, come back to the Lee family." "Understood."

After a brief exchange, Lee Cheonhwa glanced at the clock and gently asked if it was time for me to leave. I still had many questions about psychic abilities, so we talked a little longer before I finally stepped onto the stone path outside the main hall. "It's done." I had Awakened. I'd given up on everything after hearing that Awakening required surviving a brush with death, pouring all my effort into magic instead—yet here was an unexpected path forward. It felt strangely wondrous. Like I'd taken one more step toward my goal. Now I just needed to head home… "All finished?" Lee Arin approached. "Where's Father? He went back to his room, right?" She drew closer. Something about her felt ominous. Cold sweat trickled down my back. "We still have some time left. So…" Want to see my room? "No, that's—" "Come with me." Lee Arin grabbed my wrist and pulled. Fuck. She forced me into her room and sat me on the bed. The walls were covered in cool blue wallpaper. Sliced cheese sat nearby, ready to eat, and a dusty exercise machine rested at my feet. "The artifact arrives tomorrow, right?" I nodded. "Then you might not be able to have sex starting tomorrow?" What? Lee Arin smiled brightly. She placed a hand on my chest and slowly pushed me down onto the bed. "Don't worry, Taeho. Just once. Only once… hnn." She raised her hand and cast a silence spell around us. Even when I tried to stop her, she didn't budge. Before I knew it, she'd pulled down my pants and underwear, freeing my cock. "Wait… I'll make it big right away… haup♡" She took me into her mouth all the way to the base, her tongue brushing my balls. Fuck, just a second? Her tongue was already cold, her throat working as she swallowed me endlessly. "Chuurp, lrp, hnn♡ haup, chururup, mmph, chururup♡" My cock hardened without end. I'd thought I was finally heading home, only to be milked again. Her movements were skilled. She stimulated me from root to tip, clinging stickily as if begging for my release. "Churup, mm, hooup, hnn♡ chup… puha— haa… haa… It's gotten bigger now?" Saliva and precum dripped from beneath Lee Arin's lips. "I can't hold back… I can't either… hnn, mm, haa…♡" She stripped off her clothes in a rush. In seconds everything but her skirt was gone. She climbed onto me. "Really, mm, just once. Don't worry, okay? Father's here, and there are people around… hnn, I mean it♡" Lee Arin slowly pressed against me. My spit-slick cock gradually sank into her pussy. The hot, clinging walls clouded my mind. Cowgirl. Facing me. "Hnn, mm, haa… mm, haa… mm, it's all the way in?♡" Our bodies were completely joined. This was insane. No matter what I did, I ended up being fucked. I couldn't refuse, and even in a place like this, it was the same. It felt like fate. Inevitable. "I'll move, okay? Hnn, mm, haa… haa…♡" Her breath brushed my nose. Lee Arin hugged me tightly and rocked her hips. The wet sound of my glans sliding through her folds echoed through the room. Her head rested on my shoulder. Soft moans tickled my ear. "I like it, mm, I love you… Taeho, mm, I love you, I love you… Keep loving me, mm, I love you♡" Her movements grew rougher. My cock throbbed inside her. Her sweat-slick breasts pressed flush against me, sticking wetly. Her face drew closer. "Haa, mm, hnn, good, mm, haa… mm, should we… kiss?♡" The moment the words left her, her tongue slipped into my mouth. We tangled wetly, exchanging saliva. My mind grew hazy. "Churup, chup, haup, mm, chup, churup♡" My glans battered her cervix. Between breathless, rough kisses, pleasure-drenched moans overlapped. "Chup, haup, hooup, chururup, mmph, chururup♡" Our sweat-slick bodies clung together as if becoming one. My mind was fogged. Even as I grew accustomed to the pleasure, it was still too much to bear. "Cum, mm, hooup, chup, chururup, mm, haa… mm, chururup, chup, chuuup♡" Cum was already rising from the base of my cock. Lee Arin stopped rocking and began grinding her hips in slow circles. "Can't hold it? Haup, chup, chururup, hooha— pour all the cum in your cock, mm, into my womb?♡" I couldn't hold back any longer. My glans pressed tight against her cervix as thick white cum flooded into her. "Hnn, mm, hnn, mm, haa… mm haa… haa… haa…♡" Lee Arin covered her mouth with one hand, head thrown back. Rough breaths spilled above me. "Haa, mm, haa… Did you finish? Hnn, haa… ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠haa…♡" She slowly rose. Thick, sticky cum dripped down, forming a small puddle on the wooden floor. "Haa… haa… mm, you came a lot. Haa… just a moment…" Lee Arin pulled out an artifact and cleaned the area. Cum, love juices, and saliva were all sucked into it at high speed. In an instant, my cock and the floor were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠spotless. "Haa… mm, haa… Taeho. Even if the artifact arrives, don't worry." My hazy mind gradually cleared. I slowly pulled my pants back up. "What?" "I won't lose either." Once my pants and belt were secured, Lee Arin dispelled the silence magic and opened the door. "No, really, don't worry." She smiled brightly. "See you later, Taeho!" I stepped back onto the main hall's stone floor. Walking the long, wide path, my body felt ready to collapse. Accumulated fatigue made my vision swim. Ha, fuck. Let me rest already. Only now could I finally catch the bus home. "Haa…" My whole body was heavy. I felt like I might melt into the bus seat. Sleep crashed over me. Ah… I just want to rest. * * * There would be no rest. "Here, puppy." Han Yerin pressed an artifact into my hand. Circuits packed densely inside made it look extremely expensive. "You can start today. It has a recording function, so… don't say anything weird." This was insane. Han Yerin sat down, glancing at me sideways. Lunch break was coming soon. She quietly took my hand. "Haa…" Fuck. She studied my expression, then let go. She kept stealing glances for a long while. Finally the bell rang. I shot up from my seat and left the classroom. "Huu…" I couldn't adapt to this. I didn't understand why Han Yerin was acting this way, and I didn't particularly want to know… Instead of treating me like an idiot, she was trying to be considerate, and my entire body rejected it. As I trudged down the hallway, I felt something else strange. "Hmm." The stares had changed. Ever since the combat training with the Special Force yesterday, the students' usual contemptuous looks had lessened. Some avoided me, others watched with curiosity. It felt odd. Either way, I still couldn't adapt. Fuck. While walking aimlessly, someone tapped my arm. "Heeeyyy…" It was Seola. "Where are you goiiing?" She naturally took my hand. "Bench." I sighed shortly. "Is something wrooong?" "No, no? Nothing. Don't worry." I waved it off. There was actually a lot, but I glossed over it. "Oh, right, Taehooo…" "Yeah?" "I was thinking… I said I'd teach you magic but never did, diiid I?" Magic? Right, now that she mentioned it… with everything that had happened, I'd completely forgotten. "Want to eat first… then study together at the library laterrr?" Seola smiled. There was no reason to refuse. When I nodded, her smile brightened further. We reached the bench and sat down quickly. "Oh, and Taehooo…" "Yeah." "What did you do yesterday at Arin's hooouse?" The artifact vibrated slightly. Fuck, wait a second. She was asking about that? Cold sweat beaded on my forehead. "Uh, um, what?" "Arin said she'd help youuu…" She did help. But fuck… this was insane. "How was the trainiiing? Wasn't it hard?" "It wasn't that hard. Actually, it was more like an Awakening test than training…" "I seeee… Did you Awaken?" "Yeah. I didn't think I would, but it worked." "Ooh…" Seola let out a short sound of admiration. We talked a bit more. As I opened a bread bag, my phone buzzed. "Ah, one second." I checked the screen. — Can you come to the flowerbed for a bit? It was from Lee Arin. I tried desperately to ignore it. Buzz. — Hurry!!!! Fuck. She was determined to drag me out. I scratched my head furiously, then stood up. If I went, Han Yerin would kill my girlfriend. If I stayed, I'd die. This fucked-up situation had finally reached its breaking point. It was one or the other. Whether I died or my girlfriend died. "Fuck." "Huh?" "Nothing. It's nothing." The answer was already decided. No matter what happened, I would never go to Lee Arin. I'd rather die socially. Yu Seoha. My girlfriend. Simply because I loved her. Because I liked her. And because I yearned for her. My resolve hardened. "Is something wrooong? Your phone keeps ringing…" "No." Nothing was wrong. "…Realllly?" I nodded. "Really, nothing's wrong." I had to catch Fenrir… fuck. The messages were making my mind race. "I'm going to the bathroom for a second." "Huh? Uh, okay…" My head was a mess. Just as I reached for the bathroom door, someone grabbed my wrist. "Haa… haa… Why aren't you reading my messages?" Lee Arin stood in front of me. I struggled to escape, but she held on tight. The artifact vibrated like crazy. She snatched it from my hand. Fuck? "Taeho, it's really nothing. I'll say just one thing and give it back." "What?" Wait. "Don't worry, Taeho. Your girlfriend won't die, so don't be nervous. Even if someone tries to kill her—I'll do my best to stop them. So just listen for a moment." No matter how much I thrashed to get the artifact back, the accumulated fatigue made my body creak uselessly. Fuck. Lee Arin whispered something to the artifact. It vibrated violently again. She returned it. "Taeho, don't worry." Our eyes met. She smiled. "I'm on your side." "The Lee family isn't weak. No matter what happens, I'll protect you, so don't worry. That's why—" It's okay to lean on me a little. What? Lee Arin leaned in. Her breath brushed my nose. "Honestly… you hate it, right? Han Yerin. You hate her so much. Everyone at the Academy knows that, don't they?" The artifact vibrated like mad. "I'm getting tired of it, Taeho. A good guy like you being treated like a dog by Han Yerin. Even you think it's fucked up, don't you? Right, Taeho." She whispered into my ear. "Don't you think it's time to get out of that situation?" "The Lee family and the Null Group are honestly on equal footing. If you add everything up, the Lee family has more advantages. Why keep living as a slave under the Null Group's second daughter? It's time to break free, isn't it? Hm? Taeho." "So what I'm saying is… I want you to join the Lee family." …What? The artifact vibrated hard enough to break. "Honestly, think about it. She kept you for over a year and never did anything proper for you. You didn't even get scraps—just got fucked. Right?" "Taeho, we haven't even known each other that long, but I've already done more for you than the Null Group's granddaughter who supported you for over a year. Doesn't that seem strange?" Lee Arin chuckled. "Just throw Han Yerin away. What? She's trying to kill your girlfriend? Don't worry. I'll stop her. I'll stake the Lee family's name on it." "So come to the Lee family. Live with us. And when the time comes—" Our eyes met. "You know, right?" …Know what? "It's calmed down a bit now." Lee Arin looked at the artifact in my hand. My mind couldn't keep up with the situation. "Ah, right." She took it again. Her mouth drew close to it. "Listen carefully, Han Yerin." "I had sex with Taeho?" Silence. "Whoa." The artifact vibrated so violently it started smoking, then crackled and died. "Well then, Taeho." Lee Arin placed her hands on my shoulders. "See you after school." She gave me a quick peck on the lips, then gradually faded from view. Just now… what the hell… happened? …After school?