All he could see was a smile.
It wasn't your average smirk that anyone could replicate. That honest expression was one of a kind; calling it irresistible would be an understatement.
Jung had a hard time remembering her smell, voice, or even face, but that laugh never left his memory.
It happened in his first life, the girl he loved was everything to him, but against overwhelming fate, he—a mere human—was powerless.
He knew it was a dream, a remnant of a world he'd left behind, yet its echoes still haunted his mind.
Seeing her smile one more time was the only reason he could sleep peacefully.
But his heavy breaths were brutally interrupted.
"Brother, wake up! It's morning," Elara shouted as she dropped onto his stomach.
Jung jumped up from his bed and caught his sister, striking her forehead.
His dream left his recollection, but the feelings were still present.
"Elara, how many times do I have to tell you that you shouldn't act like that?" Jung scolded, expressing his irritation.
"But brother… there's no one to play with me!" Elara whined, grinning widely.
Two years went by after Jung had that conversation with his parents.
Their stance remained the same, no matter how many times he tried to change their minds.
He was eight years old and still without an archetype.
All he could do was train his body.
It was a rewarding experience, as every bit of progress he made felt marvellous.
Lisa and Baki were fine with his actions as long as he didn't push himself too far.
Jung had other plans.
He couldn't just sit still and wait until he was old enough.
Time wasn't on his side, and who knew when Elara would Unleash her archetype?
That was why he had a plan.
Jung was to sneak out of his home, beat any monster he could encounter, slay it, and gain his first abilities—all to convince his parents.
The second part of the plan was the hardest.
It wasn't guaranteed, but he couldn't delay any longer.
It took a couple of hours for his busy father and mother to come back.
Jung decided to stand by even longer.
He made sure his parents were asleep and left his room without making any excess sounds.
After leading so many diverse lives, controlling his body to near perfection was the least he could do.
Stealing the sword that Baki hid in his room would be pushing it. The only weapons he could take with him were ordinary kitchen knives that looked nothing like swords meant for killing.
He could easily wield knives with both hands and intended to do that.
Controlling his rhythm and steadying his breathing, he left his home.
Inbox City was full of an enchanting glow, especially at night.
Jung never strolled the streets alone, and his first examination proved how peaceful everything felt.
He was in a magical world for the first time, and everything looked captivating, yes, but not majestic.
His destination was the forest near the city walls, and sneaking past the guards wasn't something that could hinder him.
Even if his body was only eight years old.
Beyond the city walls, he jogged, and by the time he found the forest, he was out of breath.
"I am still a kiddo," he said to himself and rested for less than five minutes.
'Here we go.'
Entering the forest was the start of his new adventure.
According to the books he had read, finding monsters near the city walls might be hard, but not unheard of.
While studying, Jung gathered all the information about monsters he could find.
He was confident in defeating first- and second-tier monsters.
His explorer and rebel sides stirred inside him.
Looking through tracks, he went after them.
It was hard to decipher what had left them, but since the size wasn't too big, he decided to follow it.
Jung listened and looked around. Trying to find any trace, he paid attention to all his surroundings.
And after walking a bit more, he found a sign of life.
It was a small rabbit, wounded and gasping rapidly.
The animal had a hard time moving, and the gash looked deadly.
'Who did this, and why didn't they finish it?'
Getting closer to the creature, the boy kneeled before it and saw the Mark he was looking for.
The sign was blue in the shape of soil and a little plant.
"Caregiver!" the boy immediately called out with a fixed gaze.
Living as a caregiver was rough for him, containing terrible experiences because there was no one he cared for.
But it was in the past.
The only reason he had risked his last life was to help his sister. Jung was content leading his current life in solitude, as long as he had his family.
With the knives in his hand, he was about to finish the pink rabbit and get his first archetype.
Abruptly, he had to jump away, leaving the creature alone.
In his place, a wolf came crashing into the animal and killing it instantly.
Jung lost his first chance to obtain the archetype, and it was because of this wild beast.
If he were even one step late, his new and last life would have come to an end.
"That was a close call. My sorry ass almost died there," he said, shaking his head with laughter.
Jung squinted his eyes, bared his teeth, and called out to the animal.
"No one eats my prey and lives to bark the tale like the dog you are."
Anger and disappointment were evident in his voice.
"Let me teach you what happened to dogs in the last kingdom I lived in."
Expecting to face monsters, but instead, all Jung got was a stupid wolf that looked like a hungry puppy.
There was a Mark above its face—a black skull, representing a Rebel archetype.
'This is why it is all alone?' he concluded, switching his posture.
Jung waited for the hungry beast to charge at him, but the animal wasn't willing to linger.
The wolf ran in his direction, though he wasn't far away and was within its reach.
Yet the boy was ready.
He ducked and slashed at the monster, targeting its throat.
His aim was off, but not too much.
Jung cut the creature, making it bleed and scream in pain. He wasn't done, and the wolf shared the same intent.
Instead of jumping at it, the animal tried to bite his head off.
It was against the child, and its pride and hunger wouldn't allow it to lose this battle.
Unfortunately for the pitiful wolf, Jung wasn't an ordinary kid.
His senses were keen, his movements were calculated, and he didn't feel fear.
The beast couldn't touch the target, no matter how many times it tried.
Only the accumulated wounds the animal sustained had increased.
"Bleed to death, you archetype stealer!" yelled Jung after successfully dodging claws and stabbing the creature.
He didn't stop there.
He repeated it five more times and made sure that he got his first kill.
[You Slayed Tier I Wolf.]
[There Is No Archetype In Your Possession.]
[You Unleashed Your First Archetype!]
[Quest Completed! You Get Bonus Skill]
[Check Your Status!]
'Finally, moments of truth.'
««Archetype System V1.5»
««Reward: Bonus Skill Based On Your Archetype.»» [Tier I Rebel Pill Is In Your Inventory.] 'Ha! Ha! Ha! Are you for real? Now I even get inventory and shit?' Jung was delighted, but he was pressed for time. Running straight to the home, he watched the wolf's body dissolve into fragments. 'That's what you get when you cross the great rebel.' He was in a good mood. As much as he wanted to check his skills and their description, he was in a hurry, and that exquisite moment had to wait. Jung was unique—while others only gained one skill per tier, he received two. The reason remained unknown, but he suspected he could even possess multiple archetypes. After running and jogging for more than 15 minutes, he reached home. 'Why are the lights on?' he had a bad feeling about that. 'Damn, Baki is going to beat my ass when he sees me.' He went inside, but the picture he saw was bizarre, nothing like what he was waiting for. The house was a mess, things lay scattered, the table was overturned, and most importantly, his parents were crying in dread. Then they saw Jung and ran towards him like madmen, hugging and weeping. "Mom, Dad, what's going on? What happened here, and where is Elara?" he asked. Parents who should have been a pillar of strength were crumbling before him. They took time, but Jung wasn't patient enough. He climbed the stairs and checked the room. There were no signs of Elara. But where could a five-year-old child be? "You won't find her!" said Baki as he sobbed in front of him. It was easy for Jung to remember how happy Baki had been when his daughter was born. There was no trace of such emotions on his face. Baki, alongside Lisa, looked like a child—desperate and overwhelmed. "Where is Elara?" Jung repeated. This time, his voice was a hushed whisper. Lisa had a hard time speaking, but she still found the courage to say it. "She Unleashed her Archetype, and they took her away from us!"