The courtyard was still charged with excitement as more children stepped forward under the stone arch where the Hope Gu fluttered patiently.
Each child kneeled, eyes closed, following the elder's calm instruction. The process was silent—internal—but every success was followed by gasps, cheers, or sighs of relief.
From the group of young mortals, most awakened successfully.
A stocky boy named Liu Zhen from the western hunting families clenched his fists when the elder announced:
"C grade. Primeval aperture capacity: average."
"Thank the heavens!" his mother cried from the crowd, tears in her eyes.
Another girl, Liu Mei, delicate but with sharp amber eyes, received B grade.
"She has potential!" one of the elders whispered.
Cheers came and went. Hope bloomed in some eyes, and faded in others.
And then came the moment that made the entire square tremble.
A tall, quiet boy named Liu Yuchang stepped up.
He was the grandson of Elder Liu Jinhai—the one who hated outsiders. The elder's expression was calm, but there was a gleam in his eyes as the boy knelt.
When the Hope Gu fluttered over his heart and released a vibrant pulse of green starlight—
"A grade. Primeval aperture capacity: superior."
A moment of silence. Then, applause. Cheers. Some even bowed.
"A blessed seed!" someone shouted.
"An A grade again! Our clan is truly in fortune!"
And as if fate wanted to twist the knife further, only a few turns later, another A grade was awakened—this time from a quiet girl named Liu Shuang. Both stood together, pride swelling in their hearts.
Now, only a few children remained.
One of them was Zhang Wei—Ethan.
He stood awkwardly in line, feeling the stares of the crowd.
"…Why is he even here?" someone whispered.
"He's not even a Liu."
"I heard he was just a stray they picked up."
"Waste of a Hope Gu."
"Maybe he'll break the record for worst talent—hah!"
Even some of the children who got C grade looked down on him with mocking grins. The air around Ethan grew heavier with each second.
From the side, Liu Tieshan stood silently, arms crossed. His expression unreadable.
But in truth, his heart ached.
"You saved my son… but this world is cruel. If the Hope Gu doesn't respond, they'll eat you alive, boy."
Ethan stepped forward.
He knelt.
Closed his eyes.
Silence.
The Hope Gu fluttered in the air… and passed by him. Not once. Not twice. But three times.
It didn't stop. It didn't react.
Whispers began to rise like smoke.
"…Is it broken?"
"No way."
"Not even D rank?"
"…Maybe he's just not meant for this."
[Awakening Condition Met.]
[System Assistance Available.]
[Begin Aperture Awakening? (Y/N)]
Ethan's lips twitched.
"...Of course," he muttered.
He selected Y.
Suddenly—
The Hope Gu froze in mid-air.
Its wings trembled as if caught in an invisible wind. And then, in the next heartbeat, it shot downward, latching onto Ethan's chest with a burst of blinding green light.
The square went silent.
The glow wasn't the usual soft pulse. This was a storm of light, wild and radiant, causing several elders to step forward in alarm.
Within Ethan's mind, he felt like he was falling into a vast ocean.
His consciousness plunged deep, far deeper than any ordinary mortal's. Down past skin, flesh, bone… until it reached his lower dantian.
And there it was.
A closed aperture.
Like a gate locked by fate.
Until—
____________
[System Notice: Foreign Soul Detected. Interference in native aperture formation.]
[Unique Effect: Soul interference synchronizing with Otherworldly Dao MArks.]
[Result: Aperture Awakening Mutated. Primeval Sea Formed: Astral Soul Core.]
[Aptitude Grade: A.]
[Aperture Type: Primodial Vein Patterned Core]
[You have awakened.]
______________________
Back in the square, the Hope Gu burst upward in a spiral of stars, as if shocked.
Ethan opened his eyes.
His body shimmered faintly with a deep-blue glow, swirling with stardust and ethereal threads—like strands of dream and soul energy overlapping his skin.
The elders stared in stunned silence.
"…A grade again?!" one muttered.
Liu Tieshan felt his knees buckle slightly as he rushed forward, eyes wide.
Ethan, exhausted but standing firm, looked up at the crowd of stunned faces, breathing heavily.
And for the first time since entering this world, he felt it.
Power.
He had climbed one step higher.
The notifications faded from his mind, leaving Ethan with a strange, almost humming sensation deep in his core—no, deeper than that. It was like something ancient had taken root in his soul. His eyes flickered open, and for a moment, he just… smiled.
He felt complete.
He turned his head toward the gathering, where murmurs had turned into full-blown chatter. Then he looked to the edge of the field, where Liu Tieshan stood, arms folded, worry creasing his forehead.
Ethan stood up, brushing the dust from his knees, and walked straight toward the man.
Liu Tieshan's eyes widened slightly. "Zhang Wei?"
"Uncle Tieshan," Ethan said, voice light and cheerful, grinning ear to ear. "I awakened. A Grade."
The words hit like thunder.
Tieshan blinked once. Then again. "You—what?"
"I awakened A Grade talent," Ethan said again, barely able to contain the joy bubbling up from within. "I did it!"
Liu Tieshan's serious face cracked—splintered, then collapsed into laughter. He stepped forward and caught Ethan in a hug, gripping the boy's shoulders with both hands.
"You brat!" he laughed. "You actually did it! Hah! I knew it! I knew Heaven wouldn't turn a blind eye to you!"
"Uncle, I—" Ethan started, but before he could finish, a little whirlwind of energy slammed into his side.
"BIG BRO!" Xiaofan shouted, wrapping around Ethan's waist like a monkey. "You really did it?! You really awakened A Grade?!"
"I did," Ethan chuckled, ruffling the kid's hair.
Xiaofan immediately turned to the other stunned children—some still recovering from their own awakenings, some too busy whispering about what they'd just seen.
"Did you hear that?!" he shouted, puffing out his chest. "That's my big bro! The strongest one here! A Grade! Bow before me, mortals!"
A few older kids scowled. One of them, still dusting his robes after awakening B grade, scoffed, "He's not even from our tribe—"
"Silence, worm!" Xiaofan declared, stamping his foot. "You can't even compare! Go polish your boots and wait for instructions from my brother!"
The mood broke with laughter, several younger children giggling as Xiaofan marched around like a miniature warlord. Even Liu Tieshan chuckled under his breath, though his eyes didn't leave Ethan's.
"You really did it, boy," he said again, softer this time. "A Grade. Just like that…"
He didn't know about the system. He didn't know the notifications or the Astral Dream Core. But what he did know was that the boy he had taken in, the boy who saved his son, had just made history in the Liu Tribe.
"Thank you," Ethan said, bowing slightly. "For everything."
Tieshan's jaw flexed, but he gave a small nod.
"Dont worry kid you did great" Tieshan said as he went back to his usual cold and aloof self.