Chapter 10: Tears and Hatchings

When I showed my father and mother the two soul beast eggs—and the massive, mythical one that had recently grown taller than me—he blinked in confusion, mouth slightly open.

I grinned.

"So… um, surprise? The family kind of got bigger while I was gone."

My mother leaned in, puzzled. "Yumei… what are these? Soulcraft displays?"

"Nope!" I said, placing a hand on my hip dramatically. "They're mine. I mean, technically, I birthed them, so—congrats! You're both soul grandparents now."

My mother choked on a laugh. "Soul what?"

"I'm not saying I'm a single mom," I continued, fighting a smirk, "but I might need help raising them until they hatch."

My father burst out laughing, wiping his eyes. "This girl…!"

My mother shook her head with a laugh of disbelief. "What sort of child says these things?"

"A star-class one," I said, handing over the folded parchment. "Here. Before the next joke, you should probably read this."

My father took the paper, brows furrowing. My mother leaned over his shoulder.

As their eyes moved down the page, the laughter faded. Replaced by stunned silence.

Then awe.

Then tears.

Core Test Results

Rank: A-class level

• Core Purity: 83%

• Soul Power: 392

• Mental Strength: 375

• Star Class: 6-star Core

• Core Classification: Unusual Core – Dual-Origin Type

• Results: Dual Core Awakener — Soul Function and Elemental Caller

Profession Test Results

• Beast-master

• Beast Healer

• Rune Master

My father's hands trembled as he held the paper. His eyes welled, and then the tears spilled freely.

He pulled me into his arms. "You won't be trapped here in this small world," he whispered, voice cracking. "You've carved your own path. Just like you always wanted."

My mother turned away, quiet as always. But I saw the way her shoulders trembled. She wiped her eyes with the corner of her sleeve and sniffled once, muttering something about dust.

Later, my father sat in a stool beside me in the front courtyard, gently placing a hand over one of the smaller soul beast eggs. His touch was reverent.

"Since you're also a Beast Healer," he said, "spend a few days nurturing them. Don't rush the bond. Send your energy into the eggs—especially the mythical beast one. Heal it. Let them feel your spirit. That'll strengthen the qi thread bond."

I nodded eagerly, already closing my eyes, beginning to feel the faint heartbeat pulsing through the shells.

He glanced toward the largest egg in the corner of the room—the one now nearly as tall as the windowframe. Its surface shimmered with runic light.

"Do you know what kind of beast she is?"

I opened my eyes and smiled.

"I don't know yet… but I think she'll be a majestic sight to see."

The evening had settled quietly over our small home. After finishing dinner with my parents, the comforting warmth of family still lingered in my chest. I absently touched the Oni Ai bracelet Master had given me—an ancient, strange artifact from a distant teacher. As I fiddled with it, a small compartment popped open, revealing a glossy, qi energy fruit.

Without much thought, I plucked it and popped it into my mouth.

Almost instantly, a violent surge of energy shot through me like wildfire. My core, usually steady and calm, felt overwhelmed—swelling beyond all limits. My soul felt like it was bursting, too full to contain. The Oni Ai bracelet responded, its adaptive support brace flickering erratically.

The room's qi sensors nearby blinked and buzzed in confusion—failing to register the unprecedented frequency. A C4-class overload. Federation-ranked Tier One cultivation phase—something far beyond what most could handle so suddenly.

The world spun, and my knees buckled beneath me.

"Yumei!" My mother's voice cracked with panic as she lunged forward.

My father—his gait uneven, missing a leg and with a scarred eye covered by a worn patch from the last beast raid—was quicker than he looked. He caught me just before I hit the floor, steadying my trembling body with one arm while balancing himself with a carved wooden crutch.

"Hold on, darling," he urged, worry pooling in his visible eye.

They carefully carried me to my room, my father limping beside us but never faltering.

⸻

There, something else caught their attention.

My soul beast eggs—resting on the soft blanket—began to glow softly, pulsating rhythmically with a life of their own. Neither of them had ever witnessed anything like this before. The birth or hatching of a soul beast was a mystery to us all.

My mother looked to my father, uncertainty in her eyes.

He hesitated, then instinctively slid down beside the eggs, placing his scarred hand gently next to them. "Stay here, Yumei. You need to rest."

Minutes later, I came to, coughing lightly—small streaks of blood on my lips.

"It's too much," I rasped. "There's too much power flooding my core. It hurts… I don't want to become some kind of C4 energy bomb."

My father's eye softened behind the patch. "Tell us what you feel."

I closed my eyes, trying to focus despite the burning in my chest.

I'm still learning about this world… these powers. "It feels like it's pushing me beyond what I can hold."

He nodded, thoughtful.

"Have you broken through yet? Entered the Phase Stage?"

"It's too much," I rasped. "There's too much power flooding my core. It hurts… I don't want to become some kind of C4 energy bomb."

My father's eye softened behind the patch. "Tell us what you feel."

I closed my eyes, trying to focus despite the burning in my chest.

I'm still learning about this world… these powers. "It feels like it's pushing me beyond what I can hold."

He nodded, thoughtful.

"Have you broken through yet? Entered the Phase Stage?"

"No," I shook my head weakly. "It's just… my core is strained—overflowing."

"That means you've taken in too much energy too fast," he explained. "But your body is strong. Your core is trying to break through the first phase—the Initiate Stage. It's the base level, low tier."

He guided me gently through a series of meditative breaths and mental validations—old techniques from his own training. Slowly, I felt the pressure ease.

"Now focus on adjusting your core's flow," he instructed.

As I followed his guidance, something stirred deep inside my soul. A warmth blossomed, spreading outward like the dawn.

I gasped, blinking open my eyes.

The glowing eggs beside me pulsed faster, their shells cracking. Tiny fissures appeared, letting out faint glimmers of light.

The hatching had begun.