William observed everything quietly.
A strange feeling stirred in his chest—something he had never experienced before.
So this is what family feels like…
In his previous life, he had been an orphan.
Slowly, he extended his right palm.
Elder Poko began inserting the needles, his movements careful and gentle—for the king's sake. This procedure was notorious for its pain.
Every child before him had screamed.
Some had fainted.
In the past, William himself had always cried the loudest—often collapsing midway, humiliating both himself and the king.
But today—
The elders of the Second Family were already prepared to mock him.
Yet their words died halfway.
William didn't even groan.
Not a sound escaped his lips.
Poko froze.
This… isn't normal.
Something about the boy's temperament had changed completely.
After inserting the final needle, Poko stepped back and spoke carefully.
"Alright. Release all your pain… and your emotions."
William followed the instructions.
But nothing happened.
Time passed.
One minute.
Two.
Three.
The needles remained embedded in his palm—motionless.
Elder Gyro burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! The Seventh Prince really tried his best!"
"Look at him—poor thing!"
Mocking laughter followed from the Second Family line.
Shanon and Pandit both took a step forward, fury rising—
But a calm voice stopped them.
"Elder."
Everyone froze.
William spoke again.
"This won't do."
Poko was already reaching for the needles to remove them.
William stopped him.
"Do you have enough needles?"
Poko paused. "What do you mean?"
William's gaze was steady.
"This is my last chance. I won't stop here."
He lifted his head.
"Do you have enough needles to cover my entire body?"
A chill ran through the hall.
"Yes," Poko replied slowly, then shook his head. "But I must warn you—no human can endure that pain. Theoretically it's possible… but anyone who tries will lose their sanity."
"You will go insane."
William didn't hesitate.
"Little Silver," he called.
The girl immediately ran to his side.
"You'll always be my best brother," she said sincerely. "I'll always protect you."
William smiled faintly.
"Then help me."
Silver nodded without hesitation.
"Fine," William said calmly. "Use your dagger. Cut my clothes."
Silver froze.
"Please… don't do this," she pleaded, tears welling up. "You'll go insane."
"Who said I'll go insane?" William replied evenly. "That old man is exaggerating. Don't listen to him."
"I can't," Silver sobbed.
"Silver!" William shouted.
"If you don't do as I say, then I'll never consider you my sister again. Do it."
The words struck her like a blade.
Crying uncontrollably, Silver drew the dagger from her waist and began cutting his clothes. Fabric fell to the ground, leaving William in nothing but his thin inner linen.
William turned toward the hunched old man.
"Can you continue?"
"Prince, this—"
"Old man," William interrupted coldly. "Do your job."
A chill ran through the hall.
Even the elders stiffened.
Elder Poko was not just anyone—he was an elder of the Blood Awakening Tower, someone even kings treated with respect.
Yet today, William had called him old man, insane, and ordered him to work.
And still—
Poko wasn't angry.
Shanon Drake took a step forward, about to object—
But Pandit Drake raised his hand, stopping him.
He spoke through telepathy.
Don't. This is his decision. The king isn't stopping it either. Let him try.
If he breaks, we intervene.
Shanon hesitated, then nodded.
Poko glanced at the king.
King Midas returned the look—then nodded faintly, even smiling.
Is he truly this ruthless… or merely pretending?
Poko felt a trace of disappointment.
Very well, he thought. You asked for it.
Mockery erupted from the Second Family.
Especially Elder Gyro.
"Hmph! What a ridiculous performance. Acting tough won't change anything," he sneered.
"Trash will always be trash."
Before anyone could react—
Silver turned around, pointing at him, her face streaked with tears.
"Hey, baldie!" she shouted.
"Shut your mouth! Your breath stinks! Shut up or get out!"
The hall went silent.
Gyro didn't retort.
He only smiled.
King Midas spoke calmly, breaking the tension.
"Silver," he said gently, "do not speak to your elders like that. Otherwise, others will say you lack palace etiquette."
Silver bit her lip—but she didn't look away.
The jeering continued as Elder Poko began inserting more needles into William's left palm.
He expected the boy to scream.
To beg.
To collapse and end the process.
But William didn't even flinch.
The pain intensified with every passing second. Although his body was still weak and untrained compared to his previous life, his will was not.
Pain tolerance had been carved into his soul.
This was nothing.
He had endured far harsher training when he was barely three years old in his past life. Compared to that, this was child's play.
Poko was stunned.
"Shall we… continue?" he asked cautiously.
"Continue," William replied.
Poko went on.
This was no simple poking. He had to precisely locate nerves, blood vessels, and energy points. One mistake could cripple a person permanently.
Yet William remained unmoving.
Not even a twitch.
Half an hour passed.
Even the elders of the Second Family grew serious.
They had all undergone this ceremony in their youth. They knew exactly how brutal it was. And now, needles covered William's body—from head to toe.
Even if he failed—
He had already earned everyone's respect.
Poko inserted the final needle into William's chest and stepped back.
"It's done," he said solemnly. "You've done extremely well. Now—listen carefully. Release everything."
William closed his eyes.
Inside his mind, he spoke calmly.
Dragon. I did exactly as you said.
Now give me your best essence blood.
The black dragon had been watching everything.
Even it was shaken.
Without hesitation, it raised a claw and tore into its own chest. A single drop of deep crimson blood floated out—then vanished.
The moment it entered William's chest—
Agony exploded.
Pain so intense it tore at his soul.
William roared.
His heart thundered.
Blood surged violently as if it were about to burst from his body.
Every needle embedded in him was blasted away, shooting into the air and freezing in mid-flight.
"Yes!" Shanon shouted first. "He did it!"
William felt as if he were about to explode—
Then—
A seal spread out inside him like a spider's web, etched with strange, ancient symbols. It wrapped around the raging drop of blood, binding it tightly.
Sweat poured from his body.
Before everyone's eyes, a phantom burst forth and began to materialize.
The hall fell deathly silent.
Then laughter broke it.
"Hahaha! What's that?" Elder Gyro sneered.
"A caterpillar?"
"Seventh Prince, you really didn't disappoint us!"
This time, it wasn't just the Second Family.
Elders from other family lines joined the mockery.
The black caterpillar-like phantom hovered in the air, a pair of azure horns curving from its head.
It sensed the ridicule.
And it reacted.
Thousands of needles shot forward at once—
Their tips ignited with black flames.