Knock. Knock. Knock.
Taegyun stood in front of the old wooden door and gave it three firm taps with his knuckles.
A voice called out from inside—raspy, low, but laced with a smooth charm that somehow made it sound both ancient and alluring.
"Come in, the door's open."
The kind of voice that belonged to an old man in his early-sixties who still knew how to flirt like a seasoned sugar granddaddy.
Taegyun turned the knob and stepped inside.
The room was dimly lit, with only the faint orange glow of a ceiling light casting long shadows across the shelves and books piled along the walls. Seated comfortably in an armchair was a handsome older man who looked no older than in his early-sixties, his white hair neatly combed back, silver-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. In one hand, he held a tablet-like smartphone, casually scrolling through an e-newspaper.
This was his grandfather.
The man lifted his eyes and grinned.
"What is it, my dear grandson? Have you finally come to learn the ultimate technique to win over women from me?"
Taegyun exhaled sharply through his nose and rolled his eyes.
The shameless old man was always like this.
Still… a part of him did want to learn that technique. Especially now.
Ever since Miss Anna had started acting strangely around him, the idea of completely winning her over had been brewing in the back of his mind.
But that would have to wait.
He had come here for something far more important.
"Grandpa," he said, stepping further into the room, "I'm here to talk about something serious."
The older man tilted his head, lowering the tablet onto his lap. "Oh? How serious are we talking?"
Taegyun did not hesitate.
"I want you to forge me a fake Awakened license."
The words hung in the air like a stone dropped in a silent pond.
His grandfather's smile vanished instantly. His brow furrowed.
"A fake license?" he repeated, the confusion clear in his tone. "Why on earth would you need something like that?"
Taegyun let out a quiet sigh, rubbing the back of his neck before speaking.
"I… actually Awakened. Last night. After midnight. So technically, today."
His grandfather froze for a moment, eyes widening behind his glasses. Then, all at once, he shot to his feet.
"What?! You really Awakened?" he blurted, excitement cracking through his voice. "Are you serious?"
Taegyun nodded. "Yes."
"Ha! That's incredible! My grandson's finally Awakened!" the old man shouted with a wild grin, throwing his arms up in the air like he had just won a jackpot. "I honestly thought you were going to be a late bloomer forever! Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
Taegyun raised both palms in a calming gesture, trying to contain the old man's enthusiasm.
"I didn't have time," he said firmly. "Had to go to the academy today… and I needed to test my abilities first."
He paused, eyes turning serious.
"But now I need you to promise me something."
His grandfather's grin slowly faded as he noticed the shift in his grandson's tone. Straightening his back, he gave a solemn nod.
"All right. Go on. I'm listening."
Taegyun walked over to the bed and sat down, placing both elbows on his knees. He gestured for his grandfather to stay seated in his chair.
Then he leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"You see, Grandpa… my Awakening wasn't natural. It was different. Completely unlike the others."
The older man's brows drew together. His fingers tapped against the tablet unconsciously.
"What do you mean? Not natural?"
Taegyun met his gaze. "I don't use mana."
Silence fell.
The old man's expression became unreadable, the lines on his face hardening with focused attention.
"I don't have a mana core. No signature. Instead… I have something else. I don't even know what to fully call it yet, but I named it Void Energy."
His grandfather's expression stiffened.
"What? You don't have mana?" he asked slowly, eyes narrowing. "Void Energy? What are you talking about? Is this some kind of prank?"
Taegyun shook his head, firm and serious.
"No. This isn't a joke, Grandpa. I'm not messing with you. Trust me."
Then, without hesitation, he told him everything—everything except the Absolute Void System. He spoke of his Awakening, the strange emptiness he felt when trying to sense mana, and the eerie, alien force he found instead. The energy that did not burn or shine but cold and darkness.
Throughout the explanation, his grandfather's expressions twisted and shifted—from disbelief, to curiosity, to outright unease. His brows furrowed, eyes darkening with a strange tension.
It was almost comical how dramatically his face changed, as if he were reacting to a bizarre theater act he could not pause.
Finally, Taegyun stood up from the bed and said, "I think it'll be easier if I just show you."
He raised his right hand and activated Darkness Manipulation.
In an instant, his palm was engulfed in a swirling black flame, it was more like a starless ink, a shadow that flickered and rippled between substance and energy. The darkness pulsed, silent and cold, absorbing the light around it without casting any of its own.
His grandfather's eyes widened.
A dreadful sensation washed over him like a crashing wave. His heartbeat stilled for a second. A chilling sense of death slithered through his spine. His mouth dried. Sweat beaded on the back of his neck.
And yet… he reached out.
He hesitantly extended one finger and touched the black flame.
The reaction was instant.
"Ah—!"
He yanked his hand back, eyes wide with shock. His finger—it was being absorbed. Pulled in. As if the flame was trying to consume not just his flesh, but his very existence.
His body froze.
He could feel it—death, right there at the threshold. Waiting for one more second of hesitation.
"Grandpa! Are you okay!?" Taegyun shouted, eyes wide.
But the old man was already moving.
With practiced speed, he spun toward the nearby desk, yanked open a drawer, and pulled out a sharp blade. Without hesitation, he sliced clean through the tip of his finger—the part that had made contact with the darkness.
The severed finger hit the floor with a wet thud.
Taegyun watched, stunned.
The black flame vanished the moment he deactivated his ability, and the strange heat consuming the old man's flesh disappeared as if it had never existed.
All that remained on the wooden floor was a dried, lifeless husk of a finger—darkened and shriveled, like something that had died a thousand years ago.
"G-Grandpa…" Taegyun murmured, his throat dry. "Are you okay?"
The old man stared at the blackened stump of his own finger for a long moment before lifting his gaze.
His eyes were sharp now. Cold. Calculated.
"If I was even one second late… I'd be dead right now," he said flatly.
Taegyun swallowed hard. "Y-Yeah... I didn't know it was that dangerous..."
A long sigh escaped the old man's lips as he sat back down, the weight of what he had just experienced slowly sinking in.
"You're right," he said softly. "This Awakening of yours... it's not natural. Not by any means."
He paused, staring down at his own trembling hand.
"I couldn't sense any mana in that ability at all. Not even the faintest trace. In fact... I think I have some idea of what it is."
Taegyun tilted his head. "Huh?"
The old man continued, his voice low and thoughtful.
"It felt like... Soul Energy."
He shook his head slightly, frowning.
"But that's impossible. The soul isn't supposed to be an energy source. It's... metaphysical. Intangible. Not something you can manipulate like mana."
He muttered under his breath as his thoughts spiraled.
"It felt like soul... and yet, not soul. There's something else mixed in there. Something superior. Like... like some kind of evolved force—mutated, even. A superior blend of essence."
Taegyun pressed a palm to his forehead as his temples began to throb.
"Grandpa! Stop! You're giving me a headache," he groaned. "What are you even saying? Soul energy? I told you already—it's called Void Energy!"
His grandfather snapped out of his thoughts, blinking slowly as he focused on Taegyun.
"You forgot about my specialties?" he asked, a wry grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "You know what kind of skills I have, don't you?"
Taegyun rolled his eyes. "Those shameless skills of yours... Soul Purification and Soul Pleasure. Tch. You've really turned into a perverted old man."
The names alone made him grimace.
Soul Purification helped cleanse, stabilize, and refine soul—useful in healing damaged souls, purging spiritual contamination, or aligning chaotic essence.
Soul Pleasure, on the other hand, was... questionable. It gave relief. Deep comfort. Emotional ease. It relaxed both body and mind on a spiritual level, breaking down resistance and lowering one's guard entirely. Not inherently dangerous—but in the hands of a smooth-talking charmer like his grandpa?
Deadly.
The combination of those two skills made it nearly impossible for anyone—man or woman, young or old—to maintain emotional distance from him once the effects kicked in. Personality, background, age—it all stopped mattering.
That old bastard could seduce anyone.
"Anyway," the old man coughed lightly, bringing the topic back. "What I'm saying is... whatever this Void Energy is, it contains properties of Soul Energy. But it's mutated—enhanced with something even greater. Something I can't explain yet."
He leaned forward, serious once again.
"And that makes you something completely different from any Awakened I've seen before, Taegyun."