NOVPUBSeojun barely had time to steady himself as he teleported in his home, in the familiar living room of his house. The scent of home—freshly cooked meals and lavender—hit him first. But before he could take another step, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him, squeezing him with surprising strength.
"Mom?" Seojun muttered, eyes widening. He hadn't even heard her approach.
Seoyang grip only tightened, her face buried in his chest. "Do you have any idea… any idea how worried I was?!" she cried out, her voice trembling.
Seojun blinked, still processing. "Worried? What do you mean?"
She suddenly pulled back, her expression switching from relief to frustration. Her hand shot out, and she started hitting his shoulder repeatedly—not too hard, but enough to feel. "You… reckless… foolish… boy! Fighting in a live broadcast? Destroying an island?! Are you out of your mind?!"
"Mom, wait! Ow—ow! Okay, okay, I get it!" Seojun tried to shield himself, his hands up defensively. "It's not what it looked like!"
"Not what it looked like?!" she shouted, pausing for a moment before smacking his shoulder again. "The whole world saw it!"
Seojun rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I'm fine, Mom. See? Not a scratch," he said, spreading his arms.
Seoyang pulled back, wiping her eyes quickly. "Fighting Daewon? What were you thinking?"
Seojun blinked in surprise. "You watched the whole thing?"
Seoyang scoffed. "Of course I did! The whole world did! Even the Chairman called me."
Seojun scratched his head, not expecting that. "I guess... things got a bit out of hand."
"Out of hand?! I nearly had a heart attack!" Seoyang eyes were misty now, her fists shaking. "I know you're strong, but why do you always have to be so reckless?"
He sighed, "I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to worry you."
Her expression softened, and she reached up, cupping his face. "Just… please be careful, okay? I can't lose you again," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly.
Seojun's eyes softened, and he placed his hand over hers. "I promise."
Seoyang took a deep breath, composing herself. "Good. Now, go wash up. I made dinner, and your sister and brother will be back soon. And don't even think about sneaking out."
Seojun chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it."
Seojun entered his room, closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath before activating the Global System screen. Instantly, holographic panels popped up, and the trending topics flashed before his eyes.
Unsurprisingly, the main headline was the skill he had used, Clips of the massive black sphere consuming the monsters played on repeat. The comments and analysis were endless, with people speculating its origin and power.
Seojun rubbed his temples in frustration. "Didn't I tell you to make sure no cameras were around?!" he scolded,
[Hehehee, sorry Host, I was just so excited to see that skill again! Thank you for accepting my favor.]
Seojun's eye twitched. "Shut it. You begged on purpose, didn't you? Just so the world would see it?"
There was no reply from the System, just a suspicious silence. Seojun let out a long sigh, slumping into his bed.. "What the heck is wrong with you? Can't you help me maintain a low profile for once?"
The System's message blinked back almost instantly, attempting to change the subject [Host, you acted really hurt when Seoyang was hitting you. I didn't know you were so soft!]
Seojun blinked, holding his shoulder. "It was a reflex! And why am I even explaining myself to you? don't you change the topic."
Seojun just ignored the system's rambling and headed straight to the bathroom for a shower. The warm water washed away the tension from the fight, and he let out a deep breath. After a while, he stepped out, got dressed, and made his way to the living room.
Nathan and Elshienne were lounging on the sofa, chatting quietly. The moment Ahye saw him, she dashed over with bright eyes. "That was amazing, brother! Teach me that!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.
Seojun chuckled and lifted her up effortlessly. "When you become an adult," he replied with a grin.
"Yay!" Ahye cheered, squirming out of his arms and running straight to Jonathan, who was setting food on the table. "Daddy! Brother said he'll teach me that skill when I grow up!"
Jonathan laughed heartily. "Is that so? Well, for you to use skills like that, you'll need a lot of mana. And to have a lot of mana, you need to eat more vegetables and fruits," he said, picking her up and placing her on a chair in front of the lunch spread.
Seoyang walked in, wiping her hands on a towel. "Let's eat," she called out warmly. Seojun took his seat, glancing around the table where his family gathered.
[You're lucky with your family, Host. They don't make a big deal of whatever you do,] the system suddenly spoke up.
Seojun didn't respond, only shaking his head slightly as he grabbed his chopsticks.
As they began eating, Jonathan turned to Nathan and Elshienne. "You two don't have afternoon classes?"
Elshienne shook her head. "No, we were dismissed because of what happened," she explained.
Jonathan laughed and gave Seojun a teasing look. "I bet they're looking for you right now."
Seojun just smirked, continuing to eat as if it didn't matter.
Suddenly, Huno appeared in his dog form, tail wagging as he padded over to the table. Ahye's eyes sparkled, and she quickly reached for a piece of meat, handing it to him. "You did good, Huno! Hehe, good boy! Here's more!" she giggled, patting his head. "Wasn't Huno amazing too? He saved them!"
Seojun glanced at Huno, who was happily munching away, and couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, he did good."
After lunch, Nathan excused himself, heading to his room with a quiet nod. Elshienne followed soon after, leaving Seojun alone in the living room. He leaned back on the sofa, closing his eyes for a moment. The cool breeze from the window brushed against his face, a welcome contrast to the chaos of Elarion Isle. Huno, still in his smaller dog form, curled up at his feet, snoring softly.
Seojun stood up and walked out to the backyard. The sunlight was gentle, casting long shadows on the grass. He took a deep breath, stretching his arms. It was quiet—so different from the battlefield just hours ago. He rubbed his shoulder, feeling the slight ache from the punches he took. "He really didn't hold back," he murmured with a small grin.
"You're right, he didn't," came a familiar voice from behind. Seoyang stepped out onto the patio, her arms crossed but her expression soft. She walked over, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeves. "You really like giving your mother a heart attack, don't you?" she said with a sigh.
Seojun scratched his cheek, looking away. "It wasn't planned," he replied. "Daewon found me, not the other way around."
Seoyang raised an eyebrow. "And you couldn't run away?"
"Would you believe me if I said I tried?" Seojun joked, earning a light smack on his arm.
"I saw that skill you used," she continued, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Voidflame Gluttony... That wasn't something I expected to see today."
"You heard it Mom?"
"Others don't but me, Yes i heard it."
Seojun's expression grew serious. "I didn't plan to use it. It just… happened."
Seoyang looked at him, her eyes searching his face. "You know what this means, right? People won't just sit back and watch. Questions will come. Doors will open… and close."
Seojun nodded, his gaze steady. "I know. But I can handle it."
There was a moment of silence before Seoyang sighed and patted his arm. "Just… don't keep scaring me like that," she said softly.
Seojun gave her a gentle smile. "I'll try my best."
Seoyang looked at him for a long moment, then finally nodded. "Come inside soon, it's going to get chilly." She turned and walked back into the house.
Seojun stepped back inside the house, catching Seoyang in the kitchen wiping down the counter. He snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and leaning his chin on her head. "Mom, are you still mad?" he asked with a playful grin.
Seoyang huffed, brushing him off lightly. "Of course I am! Do you know how scared I was seeing you fight that Battle maniac Daewon?" she said, crossing her arms but failing to hide the small smile tugging at her lips.
Seojun chuckled. "Come on, you know I can handle myself. I'm your son, after all," he teased, squeezing her shoulders gently.
"Flattery won't work this time," she replied, shaking her head. But Seojun just kept hugging her tighter, rocking her side to side. "Alright, alright! Stop it! I'm getting dizzy!" she laughed, finally patting his arm. "You're still in trouble, but I guess you're forgiven... just a little."
"Just a little?" Seojun pretended to be hurt, clutching his chest dramatically. Seoyang laughed shaking her head.
Meanwhile...
In the vast expanse of a floating skyland, surrounded by endless clouds and ancient ruins, a small golden ball of light flickered into existence. Its glow was bright and pure, floating gracefully over shimmering paths of mana. It paused in front of a giant stone door engraved with runes, humming softly.
System in golden ball of light form hovered there for a moment, then reached out with a thread of light, clicking open the inventory menu. "Alright, time to get to work," it murmured to itself,
"Just what do you think you're doing?" came a sharp, clear voice.
System flinched, spinning around. "Oh, Zyraena! You startled me!" it said, its golden glow flickering slightly.
Zyraena, standing tall and ethereal, her eyes sharp as crystal, crossed her arms as she watched from the edge of a floating fountain. The water inside rippled with images of the world below, showing glimpses of Seojun, Daewon, and even the aftermath of the island explosion.
"That human brain you're using is creepy as hell," she commented, raising an eyebrow. "So... what are you trying to do? Begging Seojun to use that skill, hmm?"
System bobbed up and down, almost as if shrugging. "Well, let's just say it was a... gentle push," it replied, its voice cheerful. With another wave of light, System opened up Seojun's inventory, and dozens of insect monsters—now lifeless—appeared, neatly arranged.
"I got a hard time making sure these guys weren't turned to dust," it said proudly.
Zyraena's expression darkened as she glanced at the pile. "You... you're still offering sacrifices at Seojun's altar? Is that why I can still feel it?" she asked, her tone sharp.
System floated closer, almost whispering. "Shhh, it's for his own good. Someday, he'll thank me," it replied, already moving toward a small stone altar carved with strange symbols.
System carefully placed the insects on the altar, and with a soft hum, they began to dissolve, their mana flowing into the runes and disappearing into thin air. Golden light spread across the skyland, illuminating the ruins with a soft glow.
Zyraena watched with narrowed eyes, then finally sighed. "You better hope he doesn't find out," she muttered.
System only hummed, its light flickering mischievously. "That's a problem for future me," it replied cheerfully, continuing its ritual.
