#34 We Did Nothing Wrong.
In the heart of Daejeon stood a massive hanok mansion. It belonged to the Lebadon Guild, one of the Four Great Families. Nearby sprawled countless residences and a gigantic dome-shaped arena. Naturally, commerce had flourished in the area.
Even with civilization rebuilt, the world had changed drastically since Awakeners appeared. In this peace laced with the law of the jungle, the strong dominated. Might made right. In that sense, Lebadon had effectively seized control of all of Daejeon.
Park Sung-jun, age eight, awoke in a cramped corner room of the mansion. He would one day be known by the codename King, but for now, he was just a little boy. The moment his eyes opened, Sung-jun sat up and glanced at the spot beside him. His mother's place was already empty.
It was 5 a.m. Lebadon's official morning started at 7, but his mother rose at 4 to handle all the kitchen chores.
"......"
Sung-jun hurriedly dressed and slipped out of the room. He had morning chores to do.
Beyond the door lay a vast garden. He grabbed a broom and began sweeping diligently. After a while, he stealthily made his way toward the training hall inside the mansion, still sweeping as he went.
The training hall was reserved for direct family members only. Everyone else had to use the external dome arena.
Sung-jun set down the broom, picked up a rag, and mopped the floor while peeking through the crack in the hall's door.
Inside, five men sat cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation.
Mana. Sung-jun knew they were practicing mana cultivation techniques.
His face full of curiosity, he peered through the gap—then froze at the sight deeper within.
How long had he been staring like that? Suddenly, a man appeared before him.
"Ah?"
"......"
He was a man in his sixties, dressed in modified hanbok, hands clasped behind his back. His eyes looked down at Sung-jun.
"G-Guild Master, sir."
Sung-jun bowed his head. The man's name was Kang Tae-yong, an SS-rank Awakener who had founded Lebadon Guild after surviving the war era.
"......"
Meeting Kang Tae-yong's gaze, Sung-jun involuntarily bowed lower.
Suddenly, the man spoke.
"You've awakened, haven't you?"
"Pardon?"
Sung-jun startled—he'd never heard the guild master address him directly before.
"I asked if you've awakened."
"Y-Yes......"
Sung-jun had awakened just last week. Sneaking around the mansion, mimicking the training he observed, he'd somehow triggered it without realizing.
"Hmm......"
Kang Tae-yong narrowed his eyes.
"Can you use your ability?"
"Here?"
Sung-jun knew exactly how to manipulate the mana rippling in his core. It was effortless—almost baffling that anyone couldn't.
He stood, rag in hand, and quietly drew up his mana.
Ziiing—
Extending his hand, a gentle breeze blew, tousling Kang Tae-yong's hair.
Kang Tae-yong's eyes gleamed.
"Wind, eh?"
"Yes......"
"Can you control the intensity?"
It required no special effort. Sung-jun nodded as if it were obvious.
"Is that not possible?"
"Ho......!"
Suddenly, the training hall door slid open.
Creak—!
A teenage boy stood there.
"......!"
Kang Tae-wang. Eyes wide, he was Kang Tae-yong's youngest son, brimming with shock.
He glanced back and forth between Sung-jun and his father. Meanwhile, Kang Tae-yong smirked and asked again.
"You've got talent."
"Th-Thank you......"
"......"
Soon, Kang Tae-wang's gaze turned to Sung-jun. Kang Tae-yong glanced at his youngest son, smiled faintly, and walked past them.
"You."
Sung-jun flinched and bowed.
"Y-Yes, young master......"
"You... wind power?"
"Pardon?"
"......"
"Show me."
"P-Pardon...?"
"Deaf? I said show me."
Sung-jun hesitated, then slowly drew up his mana. Pulling it from his mana core, circulating it through his body, he conjured a light breeze. A soft, warm gust wafted everywhere, ruffling Kang Tae-wang's hair.
"Stronger."
Sung-jun blinked at Kang Tae-wang's command.
"Full power, I said!"
"......Yes."
Sung-jun emptied his mana core completely. A fierce vortex swirled from his fingertips.
"......!"
Kang Tae-wang's eyes widened in shock. Sung-jun cradled the vortex in his palm—a roughly 30-centimeter tornado hovering there.
"Wh-Wha...!"
Kang Tae-wang glared at Sung-jun, then turned and stormed back into the hall.
Bang!
The door slammed shut.
'Why's he like that?'
Sung-jun scratched his head in confusion, oblivious to the reason.
After that, two changes entered Sung-jun's life. First, he was allowed to join the trainees' sessions at the dome arena. Second, Kang Tae-wang's inexplicable bullying began.
Every dawn, while sweeping, he'd pick pointless fights and beat him. Disrupting training became routine.
Sung-jun eventually realized why: jealousy.
And through training, he learned something else.
'Controlling mana flow and ability intensity is hard for normal people.'
Talent. He had innate talent.
Kang Tae-wang had started resenting him for it.
'It's fine.'
Sung-jun endured. His ability grew rapidly. Mana reserves increased daily; control became effortless.
Kang Tae-wang bullied him relentlessly, but enduring it wasn't hard.
They said becoming strong enough would make him a Lebadon guild member.
Sung-jun's dream became joining Lebadon Guild.
As a member, he'd earn a salary. Then his mother wouldn't have to rise at dawn for grueling work.
"Mom."
Before bed, Sung-jun called to her.
"Yes?"
His gaunt mother always smiled kindly. Sung-jun grinned back.
"I'll make sure you live easy someday."
"Aigoo, such a sweet boy."
"Yeah."
But her face wasn't bright. Sung-jun tilted his head, clueless why.
Sung-jun grew stronger. On the first anniversary of his training, at age nine, he defeated a B-rank guild member in sparring. Absurd growth.
"Maybe he's stronger than the fifth young master?"
"No way? Direct lineage learn the family mana techniques."
"Shh. The youngest will flip if he hears."
"You see how he bullies the kid?"
"Whose temper does he take after?"
Guild members whispered.
Lebadon's youngest, Kang Tae-wang, was around Sung-jun's age—natural rivals for the next generation.
Even as bullying worsened, Sung-jun endured silently.
Then, one day, it all exploded.
Jealousy. Everything stemmed from that jealousy.
Crash!
"Auntie, look—a stone in the rice!"
Kang Tae-wang's bellow echoed. Finishing cleaning and heading to train, Sung-jun turned.
The mansion kitchen.
'Mom?'
A bad feeling hit; he rushed in.
Sure enough, Kang Tae-wang sneered at his mother.
Sung-jun's eyes caught the shattered rice bowl on the floor, grains scattered.
Several kitchen ladies were there, but none dared face the arrogant young master.
His mother stared blankly at Kang Tae-wang, then bowed her head.
"I-I'm sorry, young master."
"Sorry fix everything? I could've broken a tooth!"
Kang Tae-wang's eyes flashed murderous. He turned—and spotted Sung-jun, smirking vilely.
"Right......"
He faced her again.
"You eat some too. Then you'll get the pain."
"P-Pardon?"
Sung-jun ground his teeth. Bloodshot eyes.
His mother saw him, waved him off—no.
Kang Tae-wang grew bolder.
"Eat. Hurry."
He scooped scattered rice—with porcelain shards—and forced it toward her mouth.
Sung-jun clenched his fists till his knuckles cracked.
"Ugh......"
Shards pierced his mother's lip; blood trickled.
He'd endured everything else—but not this.
"Stop, you bastard!"
Roooar—
Mana surged wildly from his core.
"You bastaaard!"
Whiiiiiish!
Winds from all directions gathered into a gale, slamming into Kang Tae-wang's back.
Krunch!
"Aaaagh!"
Kang Tae-wang flew, crashing across the kitchen. Blood poured from his back. He'd survived thanks to his artifact gear.
"Urgh......"
Slumped in the corner, Kang Tae-wang rose. Madness gleamed brighter in his eyes.
"You little shit... Fine, let's end this today......"
Mana flooded his body.
Fwoosh!
Flames erupted around him.
"Eek!"
"Y-Young master!"
"Shut up!"
He shoved aside a meddling auntie and hurled fire at Sung-jun.
Fwoooosh!
Sung-jun leaped right, rolling. He summoned wind and fired back.
Fwoosh—Boom!
Flames and wind clashed midair.
"Never liked you, bastard. How dare you have wind powers like Father? Cocky illegitimate spawn......"
"Y-Young master!"
His mother cried out in horror.
'Illegitimate?'
Kang Tae-wang's blazing eyes shot more fire, then activated rings on his hands—mana amplifiers, priceless artifacts for Lebadon direct lineage.
Boom!
Mana doubled in his body.
"Die!"
Overwhelming flames bore down—too much for Sung-jun.
"Uh... uh......"
He froze. No dodging that inferno.
"No!"
His mother rushed in, taking the blast with her body.
"Ah......?"
Sung-jun's eyes bulged.
Sixteen years ago, at Lebadon in Daejeon.
......
Kang-ho silently poured liquor into King's glass.
King continued flatly.
"After that... they excommunicated me. My mother's death got hushed up, and I got kicked out. Like they'd been waiting."
He downed his glass.
"......"
"No one took me in. Daejeon restaurants wouldn't serve me even for cash. So I went to the dispute zones. Lived in ruined video shops, hunted monsters. When I couldn't sleep, I'd watch videos. Darkness kept me awake."
King grinned saying it.
"The world ignored me, but once I hit SS-rank, no one dared."
Kang-ho closed his eyes gently.
'What a shitshow.'
A total dumpster fire. Seeing Kang Tae-yong's character made the family dynamics obvious.
Kang-ho nodded slowly.
"Boring story, right? First time telling my brother."
Kang-ho didn't rush to comfort. He just listened quietly.
"See."
King muttered.
"Mom and I... we did nothing wrong."
Kang-ho refilled his glass.
"For real."
King slammed it back and grinned again.
"No one believes me anyway."
Thud!
He face-planted on the table.
Snore—
He started snoring. Kang-ho stared down at him, then gently lifted the sweat-drenched guy and laid him in bed.