The sun hung high, baking the streets in a golden haze as Haejin Suho stepped out of the Awakening Center. The memory of shattered crystals and flickering monitors was already fading from his mind, replaced by a far more pressing concern: what to eat for lunch.
"Maybe something less burnt this time," he muttered, rubbing his stomach and scanning the busy city around him. Students and mages bustled past, proudly showing off new sparks of magic or flaunting freshly unlocked skills.
Haejin, on the other hand, looked like he'd just taken a long nap—messy hair, casual clothes, and a yawn ready to escape his lips at any moment.
He wasn't special. At least, that's what everyone thought.
Because while others focused on mastering a single skill tree, Haejin carried a secret so big, it could rewrite the rules of the world.
Fifty-three skill trees slept inside his soul, waiting.
The problem? None of them had woken up yet.
And waking one was supposed to be the easy part.
Haejin scratched the back of his neck and pulled out a crumpled flyer he'd grabbed at the center: "Skill Tree Mastery Academy — Start Your Journey Today!"
"Huh. Might as well," he said, stuffing it in his pocket. "If I'm gonna pass this Awakening thing, gotta do more than not die."
With a lazy shrug, he started walking, the city alive around him with possibilities.
He didn't know where this path would lead.
But if there was one thing he was sure of—he'd make sure no skill tree was left behind.
...
Haejin sat cross-legged on a bench outside the Awakening Center, flipping through the pamphlet he'd grabbed. The cover was flashy — bright colors, flashy fonts, and a picture of a kid glowing with energy.
"Welcome to the world of Skill Trees!" it declared.
He skimmed the pages. Most of it was obvious stuff—what skill trees were, how people usually got one during the Awakening Exam, and how ranks worked.
But then he hit the section titled "Awakening Your First Skill."
"Skill trees don't unlock all at once," the pamphlet explained. "Instead, you awaken skills branch by branch — starting with your root skill. This first ability is the foundation of your magic, the key to unlocking your tree's full potential."
"To awaken a skill, you must focus your mind and body on the skill's essence—connect with it deeply. This often happens in moments of intense emotion, concentration, or necessity. Some awaken naturally, others require deliberate training or extreme circumstances."
Haejin scratched his head. "So basically, don't just stand there like a goof."
The pamphlet went on: "Once you awaken your first skill, you gain access to your tree's growth path. Training, battles, and quests increase your skill experience, allowing you to unlock branches and higher ranks."
Haejin muttered, "Easy for them to say."
After feeling that faint spark inside, Haejin raised a hand instinctively.
A soft hum filled the air, and a translucent holographic screen shimmered into existence just above his palm.
The interface displayed dozens of icons — each a small, glowing emblem representing one of his skill trees.
Almost all icons were locked, grayed out with a faint "?" symbol, But one pulsed faintly, teasing him with potential.
He tapped the glowing emblem labeled Martial Arts Tree — and a cascade of branching skills spread out before him, like a luminous web.
He scrolled down to the root skill and tapped on it.
Root Skill: Qi FocusCost: 100 Spirit PointsDescription: Focus your internal energy to awaken your martial potential. This skill unlocks further branches in the Martial Arts Tree.
Haejin frowned. Spirit Points? How much did he have?
He tapped the "Inventory" tab, and a small counter blinked: Spirit Points: 0
"Figures," he muttered.
The pamphlet was clearly made for people with only one skill tree, so he threw it away behind him and continued reading what was on the display.
"To awaken a skill, you must accumulate Spirit Points by training, meditation, or battle. These points act as currency to 'buy' skills on your tree. You cannot unlock branches without sufficient points."
Haejin leaned back, half amused. "So I gotta grind this like a game."
The screen flickered. Another message popped up:
"Warning: You have multiple dormant trees. Your potential exceeds standard limits. Please proceed with caution."
Haejin smirked, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
He closed the console and stood up, ready to start whatever weird grind this was going to be.
...
Haejin flipped through the pamphlet lazily, skimming the boring instructions about "Basic Physical Training" and "Energy Accumulation."
"Ugh, all these fancy moves and rituals," he muttered. "Who has time for that?"
He glanced around the park behind the Awakening Center. Everyone else was doing crazy acrobatics or chanting weird stuff.
Haejin scratched his head. Then his eyes landed on a sturdy-looking tree nearby.
"Well... what if..." He smirked.
He walked over and gave the tree a light kick.
THUD.
The bark barely moved.
"Okay, okay... not much," he said, scratching his chin.
He kicked it again, a little harder this time.
CRACK.
A small chip of bark flew off.
Suddenly, he felt a weird buzzing inside his chest.
System Notification:[+10 Spirit Points][Current Spirit Points: 10 / 100]
He blinked. "Wait, what?"
He kicked again. And again.
Each time, the buzzing grew stronger.
"Dude, I'm actually training by kicking a tree."
Nearby, a fire mage doing flips stopped and stared.
Haejin grinned and kicked once more. "This might actually work."
Haejin Suho proceded to kick trees for five hours, only stopping once to go buy a sandwich.
...
By the time he returned, his legs were sore, his shoes scuffed, and his shirt smeared with dirt—but his Spirit Points had climbed to a respectable 350.
System Notification:[+350 Spirit Points accumulated][Skill is now available]
"Not bad for just kicking some trees," Haejin muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. He glanced at the pamphlet again, but honestly, he didn't need it anymore.
"This whole magic awakening thing might be easier than people think."
Nearby, a group of serious-looking students paused their rigorous drills to watch him with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
One whispered, "Is that really how he's training?"
Another shook his head. "No way... that's gotta be a joke."
Haejin grinned. "Guess I'm a natural."
As the sun dipped low, Haejin gave one last solid kick to a particularly gnarly tree stump.
System Notification:[Spirit Points reached 400][Skill Available: Martial Arts Root Skill – "Qi Control" (Cost: 100 Skill Points)]
"Nice." He said to himself as he tapped on the emblem for the skill, and then tapped "Unlock".
A warm glow spread from his chest outward, and suddenly a translucent holographic screen shimmered into existence before him.
At its center floated the emblem of his Martial Arts skill tree—a stylized fist wrapped in flowing energy.
Below it, three shimmering branches sprouted like glowing veins, each labeled with a distinct style:
1. Wing Chun — A close-quarters combat style focusing on rapid strikes and efficient defense.2. Muay Thai — A powerful striking style emphasizing devastating kicks and clinch techniques.3. Taekwondo — A fast, dynamic style centered on high, spinning kicks and agility.
Haejin rubbed his chin, unimpressed but curious. "Okay… Qi Focus, huh? Sounds fancy."
He poked the "Wing Chun" branch, and a brief description popped up:
"Master the art of close-range combat. Quick strikes and strong blocks."
He flicked over to "Muay Thai":
"Harness brutal power. Knock opponents out with knees and elbows."
Finally, he checked "Taekwondo":
"Unleash speed and agility with dynamic, flashy kicks."
Haejin shrugged, smiling to himself.
"Well, might as well start somewhere."
Haejin tapped on the Wing Chun branch without hesitation.
System Notification:[Skill Unlocked: Wing Chun Basics – "Chain Punch"][Cost: 300 Skill Points][Skill Effect: Rapid series of straight punches that overwhelm opponents.]
The holographic screen shimmered, and a simple diagram of a punching motion appeared, illustrating the flow and rhythm.
"Chain Punch, huh? Sounds like a fancy name for just punching fast," Haejin muttered with a smirk.
He practiced the motion a few times, feeling an odd but pleasant pulse coursing through his arms.
System Notification:[Wing Chun Skill Progress: 10%][Skill Points remaining: 100]
The screen flickered and the other branches—Muay Thai and Taekwondo—still glowed invitingly on the side.
Haejin glanced over. "I guess I can poke around those later," he said casually. "No need to put all my eggs in one basket… or trees."
With that, he began practicing the chain punch, a faint glow tracing his fists with each strike, his confidence quietly growing.
Haejin Suho had successfully awakened the root skill and unlocked his first true martial arts ability!