Gojin was still sleeping when Taro barged in. The announcement was important, so Taro had no choice but to wake him up.
He stepped outside the room and used his technique to vanish, reappearing in the clan's kitchen, which was seemingly larger than a four-bedroom flat.
Inside, three female servers and two female chefs were busy preparing a variety of breakfast dishes for the clan members.
Taro instantly went to the snacks, picking up a pouch filled with four muffins.
He knew Gojin would do anything for food, even in his sleep.
Taro reappeared in Gojin's room and opened the pouch. A sweet chocolate aroma wafted from it. He held it closer to Gojin's nose, and instantly, Gojin shot up from sleep, looking as if he were under a spell.
He seemed more agile than ever.
"What's that sweet smell?" Gojin asked, turning to see Taro standing there with a wide grin, holding the muffins in one hand.
"Morning! Food is ready and set in the dining area, but first, I have an announcement. The decision was just made yesterday due to the rising—"
Gojin's yawn interrupted him. Taro sighed and continued.
"Firstly, you will be delayed in your entry to the academy until you turn 17. It's not practical for us to allow kids under the age of 10 to enter when there's literally nothing for them to do until they reach 16 and start exorcisms. So, once you begin the academy at 17, you'll also start exorcism training, and by the age of 19, you will graduate as an acknowledged exorcist. Yes, the training period has been shortened to two years, which includes test exorcisms."
"Ryu, Yuki, and the other students already enrolled will continue and graduate earlier at 17, starting their journeys. Unfortunately, you and many others who were supposed to enter next year will be delayed by 12 years. Now, let's go eat! Here are your muffins—enjoy them with us for the next 12 years; you'll be more talented by then."
Gojin paused, a barrage of thoughts swirling through his mind before it all went blank, like an abyss.
Taro had already vanished, leaving Gojin trapped in thoughts and nightmares to come.
"Is the author crazy? I know I promised not to talk or think about the real world anymore, but this is just too gruesome—12 years?? 12?? What kind of plot twist is that? Is he trying to turn me into an introverted bastard and then a psycho? Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!!"
Gojin used a pillow to muffle his scream, his fury so intense that a crack appeared on the wall behind him.
"Fine then! I'll endure these 12 years, and along the way, I'll maximize my potential. Oh, and I have a question for the system."
His furious expression shifted to an evil grin as he removed his black blindfold and replaced it with the white one.
"System, these heavenly eyes, along with the techniques I've learned and my current level—do they all belong to me? If you get deactivated, will I still have them?"
[Yes, all this belongs to the host. Since you already possess this potential, remember: you weren't bound to the system, so this is all for you. If the system deactivates, you will retain everything.]
Gojin's eyes widened in awe. He tightened his fist and yelled, "Yes!!"
"So can I get more without the system? And how can the system be deactivated?"
[First Question: No, the system serves as the base for collection. Second Question: There is no definite answer for this.]
"That's good, though. Once I obtain all six heavenly eyes, I'll find a way to get rid of this system. It feels like a waste of time to me."
"Man, I'm hungry. I have to go eat now."
Gojin sprang up from his bed and dashed outside the room in his pajamas.
(Time Leap >> 12 Years Later)
Gojin, now 17 years old, strolled through the palace garden, he wore a black round sunglasses over his eye. He was now about 6'4" tall, he had undergone a remarkable transformation, his potential had soared as he mastered more than eight techniques within the last years.
Yet, to him, that progress felt painfully slow. Despite his efforts, he hadn't acquired any other heavenly eyes or leveled up; being confined within the palace walls had stifled his growth.
Tomorrow marked a pivotal moment—he would finally leave the clan and embark on his journey at the academy. The thought both excited and unnerved him although he wasn't ready to mingle with the others.
He had learned countless new things, far beyond his initial expectations. One of the most astonishing was a delayed aging technique, allowing its user to extend their lifespan by up to 200 years without aging.
To his surprise, the clan head had been using this very technique, albeit at a tremendous cost of Ki—over 60 just to stave off 20 years of aging.
It was no wonder the clan head still appeared as youthful as he did a dozen years ago.
Taro and Satoshi had also adopted the technique, though Satoshi had only recently begun. The stark contrast in their ages was striking; L was now 54, always quick to remind others of his actual age, while Taro was 39, and Satoshi, despite being 78, still looked like a man in his 50s.
....
"Oh man, can't wait till tomorrow. It's 2pm now, what will I be doing till then?" Gojin wondered.
He stretched his hands forward, and wanted to try one of his technique just for fun. He then raised his hands toward the sky, focusing his Ki.
A swirling mass of golden energy began to coalesce around his palms, it resembled flames but more brighter.
"Tensu!!" Gojin muttered. This meant "Celestial grasp."
The golden energy expanded into a brilliant sphere of light, and a heavy wind rushed past him.
Gojin released the sphere into the sky, the movement alone created a thunderous sound and leaving a slight crack in the ground below.
As it struck the sky, a larger roar echoed. A grin spread across Gojin's face.
"Just my kind of hit! Let's see who's the strongest."
This was merely a glimpse of the eight new techniques Gojin had mastered; the rest? Let's not even begin with those yet.