Next day, the old man will use his own qi to make Arthur's organs powerful so he can breakthrough to next realm.
Then he will tell arthur to compress the new iron bar to 10th of its size in just 1 hours and if he can't then continue from a new one again and again.
Login rewards of 10 days and a monthly mission of getting a soul ring.
A monthly mission of getting his first soul Ring.
A monthly mission of breaking through body Tempering realm and entering qi gathering realm.
A monthly mission of getting in the academy.
----
Then Seok Sung looked at him—not with disdain or arrogance this time, but with something far more cautious. His eyes narrowed, and his voice lost all its usual mockery.
"Either you're a fool with a death wish... or you're something this world hasn't seen in a long, long time."
Arthur smirked faintly. "Can't I be both?"
---
"Don't joke around," Seok Sung snapped, dragging a hand through his hair. "You should've awakened your Soul Spirit at six. I don't get it. Normal logic doesn't apply to you. What am I even supposed to say here?"
Arthur chuckled, trying to ease the tension. "Hey, hey, calm down. Just tell me how to awaken it already."
Seok Sung let out a long sigh. "Any soul cultivator with sufficient control can awaken someone else's Soul Spirit. So yeah, I can do it. If you even have one."
Arthur's eyes lit up. "Then let's do it. Right now."
With a flick of his wrist, Seok Sung pulled out a translucent blue orb from his space ring. The orb glimmered faintly in the sunlight, and Arthur's attention was instantly hijacked by something else.
"A space ring…" Arthur eyes widened with surprise, wide-eyed with childlike fascination. "I've only seen those in novels." he thought.
Seok Sung gave him a sidelong glance. "Focus, will you?"
He held the orb between them. "Place your left hand on the orb. Focus all your soul force in your right hand. Slowly, let it flow through you."
Arthur did as instructed, laying his left palm on the cool surface of the orb. Then he closed his eyes and channeled his soul force into his right hand. There was a moment of silence. And then—
A faint glow burst from Arthur's hand.
A weapon began to take shape in the air. Slowly, steadily, a slender spear emerged—wreathed in faint traces of azure light, its shaft adorned with intricate scale-like engravings that shimmered like dragon hide. Its very presence exuded something primal and commanding, as if forged from something more ancient than the forge itself.
Arthur's eyes widened in awe. "Look, Seok Sung! I awakened it!"
Even Seok Sung's brows twitched in surprise. "You actually did it... Even though you're years late... you really awakened your Soul Spirit."
He stepped closer, eyes narrowing on the spear. "Wait… that doesn't look like an ordinary tool-type spirit. Look at those engravings. They almost look like... dragon scales."
Arthur held the weapon out, his fingers tightening around the hilt. His eyes sparkled with excitement. "Right? It looks so cool. I'm gonna call it… the Heavenly Dragon Spear!"
Seok Sung's jaw slackened. "You're naming it? Seriously?"
"Of course I am!" Arthur said proudly. "It's my soul spirit, and I'm the one who awakened it. If it doesn't have a name, I'll give it one!"
"You're really something else," Seok Sung muttered, rubbing his temple. "You name it like it's a character in a children's tale. 'Heavenly Dragon Spear'? That's ridiculously dramatic."
Arthur shrugged with a grin. "You don't get it. It just fits. Can't you feel it? This thing is something special."
"Special or not, your naming sense needs work," Seok Sung said, but the smirk on his lips betrayed his amusement.
Then he looked at the spear again—longer this time—and despite himself, he nodded. "Still... you're not wrong. That thing doesn't look like any spear-type I've ever seen. It might be a new kind. A hybrid, maybe."
Arthur continued admiring his spear, turning it in his hands as it shimmered faintly in the daylight. He felt connected to it—not just as a weapon, but as an extension of himself. Its presence felt warm and ancient, as though it had been waiting for him this whole time.
Seok Sung crossed his arms. "Do whatever you want. It's your soul spirit. But if I'm being honest..." His voice softened, barely above a whisper. "I don't know how you're doing this. Walking both paths at once, with no special bloodline, no constitution, no divine blessing…"
He glanced at Arthur, his usual arrogance fading.
"…You're either walking a road to greatness, or walking off a cliff."
Arthur gave a small smile, tightening his grip on the Heavenly Dragon Spear.
"Then I'll walk it until the end—whichever it turns out to be."
Seok Sung looked at him for a long moment before giving a short, reluctant nod.
"Fine. But now that you've awakened your Soul Spirit, you'll need to train both paths. Twice the effort, twice the danger. You better not embarrass me for helping you."
Arthur laughed. "Don't worry. If I fail, I'll just say you tricked me into it."
"Shameless bas****" Seok Sung muttered, shaking his head.
"Umm, Seok Yung... can I borrow your blue orb?" Arthur asked, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Seok Yung raised an eyebrow. "The Spirit Orb? Why? You've already awakened your Soul Spirit."
"I'm just… curious," Arthur replied, not quite meeting his gaze. "I'll return it by tomorrow."
"Hmph. Alright." Seok Yung shrugged and handed it over. "It doesn't have any other use except for awakening anyway."
Arthur accepted it with both hands. "Thanks. Really."
Seok Yung gave him a half-smile. "Now that you've awakened your Soul Spirit… let's just hope my grandfather has some advice for you about walking the dual paths."
Arthur's tone turned sincere. "I'll be grateful for any help. And if you ever need something from me, and it's within my ability, I won't hesitate."
After a few more words exchanged, Arthur bowed slightly and made his way back to his room.
Later, in his room—
Arthur flopped onto the bed and took a deep breath. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment before his thoughts stirred, and a familiar mechanical tone echoed in his mind.
[System, will it get dangerous if I continue walking both paths?]
[Answering the host: If harmony between Qi and Soul Force is maintained, the chances of conflict are minimal. However… there is still a small risk of both forces going berserk.]
Arthur's mouth twitched. "So there *is* a risk. You shameless system. Why didn't you tell me that earlier—back when I decided to walk both paths?"
[Answering the host: Because you have me. With my guidance, you can obtain constitutions or divine blessings by completing missions. Normal logic does not apply to you.]
"…Wait, I can buy constitutions in the system shop?" Arthur sat up, blinking.
[Confirmed.]
"How much do they cost?"
[10 million system points for the lowest-tier constitution. Prices increase based on strength and rarity.]
Arthur choked. "Ten million?! How much do I even have right now?"
[Current system points: 340,000 SP.]
Arthur's jaw dropped. "Wha—?! When did I get that many?"
[During your forging session. While in the Engulfed State, you completed numerous hidden missions. You were awarded SP based on focus, endurance, and willpower.]
The system's voice seemed almost smug with pride this time.
Arthur blinked, then slowly grinned. "You know what… you're pretty amazing, System."
[Of course. I am.]**
"…Yeah..." Arthur said after a long silence and then took out the blue orb...
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..
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