"He is beaten up so badly."
"He isn't even a Coreborn; why are we even treating him?"
"Ugh, I'm wasting my break for this."
A few nurses whisper amongst themselves.
One younger nurse hesitated—she opened her mouth, then shut it again. Sympathy costs too much here.
****
"Where...where am I?"
Jaemin mutters to himself, everything was pitch black around him.
"Scum."
"Not even CoreBorn."
"Useless piece of shit."
"Weak."
"Twink."
Jaemin starts hearing voices from all sides.
"Hey, your Rent is due. It's been 7 months. Pay up or l'll kick ya out."
"Oppa....It's time to pay my uni fees..."
"Hello, sir, it's time for the monthly payment of your mom's hospital bills."
"I...wait...wait."
Jaemin falls to the ground, overwhelmed by everything pouring from every direction.
"WAIT...GIVE ME A DAMN SECOND TO BREATHE!!!."
He says as he bursts into tears.
"Son?"
He hears a soft and familiar voice.
He looks up and sees a woman facing away from him, with long black ebony locks wearing a long white veil.
"If anything happens to me... you'll take care of it right...like your dad?"
He looks with teary eyes as the woman turns around to face him with a smile.
"Mo-mo-mom????."
"My little Jaemin... you've grown so muc-"
Gasp.
Jaemin's eyes flutter open as he jerks up.
He looks around the room, breathing heavily as if he woke up from a nightmare.
"The healing room..."
He says to himself quietly.
The door opens as a nurse enters.
"You're awake?"
"Thank god, took you long enough, do you have any idea how much of my time you just wasted staying unconscious?"
Jaemin gets up quickly and gives a respectful bow.
"Sorry, ma'am, for such an inconvenience."
He quickly cleans up the bed, which was the nurse's job and quickly changes his hospital clothes to his own.
In the mirror, he caught a glimpse of himself—frail frame, back marred by bruises, abdomen wrapped in plain bandages. Not even from an Abyssal…These scars were from training. From Coreborn, who should've had his back.
Jaemin's phone buzzes, which snaps him out of his thoughts.
[Notification: Amount deposited to your Bank Account: ₩3,200,000.
Take the quick survey and rate your Banking Experience!]
"Freelancer pay came in—scouting jobs, late-night supply runs, and running intel through the back channels, turning rift dust to crystals. The kind of work a Coreborn wouldn't even blink at."
[Notification: Amount deposited to your Bank Account: ₩1,100,000.
Take the quick survey and rate your Banking Experience!]
"The café gig... barely pays minimum wage, but it covers scraps. Just a mop, a cracked basin, and a manager who never remembers his name."
He quickly opens his bank's app on his mobile phone to see his total amount.
[Total Amount:₩4,300,000]
He navigates through the tabs to his outstanding Bills.
[Cradle Public University Tuition (instalment): ₩2,500,000]
[Seoul Hospital Bill: ₩4,000,000]
[Rent (3-room unit): ₩850,000]
"My mom's hospital bills, my sister, Han Nari's Uni bills and...ugh."
He mutters to himself, exhausted from the start.
Jaemin sat under the flickering fluorescent light, the ₩4.3 million he earned already carved up in his mind. Tuition, bills, and not a single won left for rent. Again.
"Maybe if I skip dinner this week... and next."
His phone buzzed.
[Reminder: Rent is overdue. 7 months pending. Eviction notice next.]
Jaemin's eyes widen in frustration.
"Damn!!, what do i do now."
He says as he dials the landlord's number on his phone.
"You Again??"
"Good morning, sir...Please, I'm begging you, just a few more months... I'll catch up on the rent soon."
"That's what you said two months back, you brat."
"I mean for real now!!."
"Look, you may not be paying rent cuz you have your shit to deal with, but you not paying the money puts me into financial problems...SO QUIT acting like you're the only one with problems."
"..."
"I'm letting it slide for just two more months now...After that pay up or get the fuck out!."
"YES, SIR! Promise I'll pay up... Thank you so much!!"
The phone ends abruptly... insufficient balance.
Jaemin sits down and ruffles through his hair. He takes a deep breath and gets out of the room and walks towards the reception...the least he could do is thank them.
The receptionist printed a paper...a bill.
"A bill?"
Jaemin asks as he fixes his glasses.
"I thought the medical services were free."
"It is...for coreborns...we practically wasted our time and resources on you... So pay up."
Uni fees due, Rent due, His mother's Hospital bills due, and now this...
He takes a look at the bill.
Healing Room Charges – Not Covered (Non-Coreborn)
Medical Attention & Bandaging: ₩80,000
Nurse Care Time Dedication Fee: ₩25,000
Facility Use (Room, Bed, Basic Meds): ₩110,000
Non-registered Coreborn Penalty Fee: ₩35,000
Admin & Processing Charges: ₩15,000
Total Outstanding: ₩265,000.
"Four million for Mom. Two and a half for Nari. Eight fifty for rent. Minus two sixty-five from this bullshit bandage job. I’m broke. I’m fucking broke again."
Jaemin pays up the amount and bows at the receptionist and leaves with a lifeless expression.
His phone suddenly buzzes again. He grabs it out of his pocket and looks at it.
[Job alert: Freelancer Coreborn or non-Coreborn required for an abyssal raid]
Jaemin's eyes widen, a perfect opportunity to earn more money.
Jaemin gets up quickly and gives a respectful bow.
"Sorry, ma'am, for such an inconvenience."
He quickly cleans up the bed, which was the nurse's job and quickly changes his hospital clothes to his own.
In the mirror, he caught a glimpse of himself—frail frame, back marred by bruises, abdomen wrapped in plain bandages. Not even from an Abyssal…These scars were from training. From Coreborn, who should've had his back.
Jaemin's phone buzzes, which snaps him out of his thoughts.
[Notification: Amount deposited to your Bank Account: ₩3,200,000.
Take the quick survey and rate your Banking Experience!]
"Freelancer pay came in—scouting jobs, late-night supply runs, and running intel through the back channels, turning rift dust to crystals. The kind of work a Coreborn wouldn't even blink at."
[Notification: Amount deposited to your Bank Account: ₩1,100,000.
Take the quick survey and rate your Banking Experience!]
"The café gig... barely pays minimum wage, but it covers scraps. Just a mop, a cracked basin, and a manager who never remembers his name."
He quickly opens his bank's app on his mobile phone to see his total amount.
[Total Amount:₩4,300,000]
He navigates through the tabs to his outstanding Bills.
[Cradle Public University Tuition (instalment): ₩2,500,000]
[Seoul Hospital Bill: ₩4,000,000]
[Rent (3-room unit): ₩850,000]
"My mom's hospital bills, my sister, Han Nari's Uni bills and...ugh."
He mutters to himself, exhausted from the start.
Jaemin sat under the flickering fluorescent light, the ₩4.3 million he earned already carved up in his mind. Tuition, bills, and not a single won left for rent. Again.
"Maybe if I skip dinner this week... and next."
His phone buzzed.
[Reminder: Rent is overdue. 7 months pending. Eviction notice next.]
Jaemin's eyes widen in frustration.
"Damn!!, what do i do now."
He says as he dials the landlord's number on his phone.
"You Again??"
"Good morning, sir...Please, I'm begging you, just a few more months... I'll catch up on the rent soon."
"That's what you said two months back, you brat."
"I mean for real now!!."
"Look, you may not be paying rent cuz you have your shit to deal with, but you not paying the money puts me into financial problems...SO QUIT acting like you're the only one with problems."
"..."
"I'm letting it slide for just two more months now...After that pay up or get the fuck out!."
"YES, SIR! Promise I'll pay up... Thank you so much!!"
The phone ends abruptly... insufficient balance.
Jaemin sits down and ruffles through his hair. He takes a deep breath and gets out of the room and walks towards the reception...the least he could do is thank them.
The receptionist printed a paper...a bill.
"A bill?"
Jaemin asks as he fixes his glasses.
"I thought the medical services were free."
"It is...for coreborns...we practically wasted our time and resources on you... So pay up."
Uni fees due, Rent due, His mother's Hospital bills due, and now this...
He takes a look at the bill.
Healing Room Charges – Not Covered (Non-Coreborn)
Medical Attention & Bandaging: ₩80,000
Nurse Care Time Dedication Fee: ₩25,000
Facility Use (Room, Bed, Basic Meds): ₩110,000
Non-registered Coreborn Penalty Fee: ₩35,000
Admin & Processing Charges: ₩15,000
Total Outstanding: ₩265,000.
"Four million for Mom. Two and a half for Nari. Eight fifty for rent. Minus two sixty-five from this bullshit bandage job. I’m broke. I’m fucking broke again."
Jaemin pays up the amount and bows at the receptionist and leaves with a lifeless expression.
His phone suddenly buzzes again. He grabs it out of his pocket and looks at it.
[Job alert: Freelancer Coreborn or non-Coreborn required for an abyssal raid]
Jaemin's eyes widen, a perfect opportunity to earn more money.
****
He quickly arrives at the location and...all of them are Coreborns...ALL OF THEM.
"Oye, lost your way in?"
He hears a voice from behind him as he turns towards a man in his battle armour, all over him except his face.
"I'm the team leader for this raiding team. What are you here for, boy?"
He asks, as he looks up and down, trying to see what Jaemin exactly was...
"I'm hoping to join the raid... but I'm a Non-Coreborn."
Even though he has said the same phrase over and over again for almost his entire career, it always leaves him embarrassed.
"I see, you're in luck, kid, we can use an extra pair of hands, just stick close to us, aye."
Jaemin's eyes soften as he agrees.
"We have 20 mins left before we head into the Abyssal rift, take a look at the board and familiarise yourself with how a team works."
Jaemin nods at his words, even though he knew how things worked, he still went and took a look just in case.
He gets close to the board and reads the raiding information in his mind. There is full detailed information on how everything works:
CORE ENERGY SYSTEM – "The Corewheel"
All living beings generate Core Energy, but only a few can awaken it after coming in contact with the fragments or shards of the giant rock. Coreborn are those who have formed a complete Corewheel—a metaphysical construct that aligns their mind, body, and soul with elemental or combat traits.
CORE TYPES:
Each Coreborn forms a Corewheel with one of the following Core Types at its centre. These types are vital in building team dynamics:
Velocity Core (Speed):
Enhanced movement, reflexes, and agility.
Can manipulate kinetic force at higher tiers.
Bastion Core (Tank):
High endurance, pain suppression, defensive aura generation.
It can harden the body or redirect damage.
Precision Core (Strike):
Accuracy, ranged weapons mastery, enhanced vision and spatial awareness.
Can manipulate micro-core threads (used for sniping, surgical attacks).
Auxiliary Core (Support):
Healing, buffs, sensor abilities.
Can tune into the Corewheel of allies to enhance efficiency.
Flux Core (Hybrid):
Rare. Capable of switching aspects in battle (speed to tank to strike, etc.)
Very unstable in lower tiers. Requires high mental stability.
ELEMENTAL OVERRIDES:
Only seasoned Coreborn can imprint Elemental Signatures into their Corewheel:
Cryo – Ice manipulation, stasis, freezing aura.
Volt – Electricity, speed boosts, electromagnetic disruption.
Inferno – Flame bursts, area denial, heat pressure zones.
Terra – Earth-based defence, terrain control, quake pulses.
Aether – Rare. Manipulates soul essence, illusions, and afterimages.
"Hmm, so these elemental overides are only used by seasoned hunters, and by the looks of it, it seems like no one on this team has an elemental signature in their corewheels."
Jaemin scans the board, mentally piecing everything together like second nature. He'd studied raid formations so many times, it almost felt like muscle memory — even if his body couldn't yet match it.
The team is made of 12 Coreborns and 1 or 2 Non-Coreborns if needed:
The teams are divided into:
3 Tanks,
6 Dps or damage Dealers and,
3 Supports or healers.
The team leaders by default are tanks; should another Coreborn step forward for the role of tank, then voting should be done.
"Oye! Non-Coreborn."
Jaemin looks back with a surprised face and sees all the members are decked up in light to heavy armour in front of the Abyssal crack on the floor, which forms an upwards-moving rift to the abyssal world.
The Abyssal crack pulsed with a dim, violet glow. From the outside, it looked like a tear in the world — but to Jaemin, it was a lifeline. Or a death trap.
"cmon, it's time"
Jaemin looks at him with a determined face and grabs a Dull sword with him since that was free, and acts as an extra sword in case.
"Stay close, kid, we are aiming for zero injuries or death"
The leader of the team, who is a tank, says as they all step forth into the abyss.
He quickly arrives at the location and...all of them are Coreborns...ALL OF THEM.
"Oye, lost your way in?"
He hears a voice from behind him as he turns towards a man in his battle armour, all over him except his face.
"I'm the team leader for this raiding team. What are you here for, boy?"
He asks, as he looks up and down, trying to see what Jaemin exactly was...
"I'm hoping to join the raid... but I'm a Non-Coreborn."
Even though he has said the same phrase over and over again for almost his entire career, it always leaves him embarrassed.
"I see, you're in luck, kid, we can use an extra pair of hands, just stick close to us, aye."
Jaemin's eyes soften as he agrees.
"We have 20 mins left before we head into the Abyssal rift, take a look at the board and familiarise yourself with how a team works."
Jaemin nods at his words, even though he knew how things worked, he still went and took a look just in case.
He gets close to the board and reads the raiding information in his mind. There is full detailed information on how everything works:
CORE ENERGY SYSTEM – "The Corewheel"
All living beings generate Core Energy, but only a few can awaken it after coming in contact with the fragments or shards of the giant rock. Coreborn are those who have formed a complete Corewheel—a metaphysical construct that aligns their mind, body, and soul with elemental or combat traits.
CORE TYPES:
Each Coreborn forms a Corewheel with one of the following Core Types at its centre. These types are vital in building team dynamics:
Velocity Core (Speed):
Enhanced movement, reflexes, and agility.
Can manipulate kinetic force at higher tiers.
Bastion Core (Tank):
High endurance, pain suppression, defensive aura generation.
It can harden the body or redirect damage.
Precision Core (Strike):
Accuracy, ranged weapons mastery, enhanced vision and spatial awareness.
Can manipulate micro-core threads (used for sniping, surgical attacks).
Auxiliary Core (Support):
Healing, buffs, sensor abilities.
Can tune into the Corewheel of allies to enhance efficiency.
Flux Core (Hybrid):
Rare. Capable of switching aspects in battle (speed to tank to strike, etc.)
Very unstable in lower tiers. Requires high mental stability.
ELEMENTAL OVERRIDES:
Only seasoned Coreborn can imprint Elemental Signatures into their Corewheel:
Cryo – Ice manipulation, stasis, freezing aura.
Volt – Electricity, speed boosts, electromagnetic disruption.
Inferno – Flame bursts, area denial, heat pressure zones.
Terra – Earth-based defence, terrain control, quake pulses.
Aether – Rare. Manipulates soul essence, illusions, and afterimages.
"Hmm, so these elemental overides are only used by seasoned hunters, and by the looks of it, it seems like no one on this team has an elemental signature in their corewheels."
Jaemin scans the board, mentally piecing everything together like second nature. He'd studied raid formations so many times, it almost felt like muscle memory — even if his body couldn't yet match it.
The team is made of 12 Coreborns and 1 or 2 Non-Coreborns if needed:
The teams are divided into:
3 Tanks,
6 Dps or damage Dealers and,
3 Supports or healers.
The team leaders by default are tanks; should another Coreborn step forward for the role of tank, then voting should be done.
"Oye! Non-Coreborn."
Jaemin looks back with a surprised face and sees all the members are decked up in light to heavy armour in front of the Abyssal crack on the floor, which forms an upwards-moving rift to the abyssal world.
The Abyssal crack pulsed with a dim, violet glow. From the outside, it looked like a tear in the world — but to Jaemin, it was a lifeline. Or a death trap.
"cmon, it's time"
Jaemin looks at him with a determined face and grabs a Dull sword with him since that was free, and acts as an extra sword in case.
"Stay close, kid, we are aiming for zero injuries or death"
The leader of the team, who is a tank, says as they all step forth into the abyss.
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