Reincarnated as Duke’s Heir
Copyright© 2025 by TheSmartOne
Chapter 9: Blindfold
Silence.
A silence so profound, so suffocating, that no one dared to break it.
The entire training ground stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened.
A five-year-old boy had awakened his mana core.
But no—this wasn’t just a normal awakening. This wasn’t something that could be explained by mere talent or luck.
It felt otherworldly. Monstrous.
Mana core awakenings required an awakening stone—a conduit to help someone touch mana for the first time, to gently guide it through their body. But Lucas had done it without one. He had done it with sheer will.
The destruction around them told the full story.
The training ground was unrecognizable. The once-solid earth had been reduced to cinders. The equipment? Burned beyond existence. Every structure, every piece of metal, every inch of the ground bore the mark of a god’s wrath.
If not for Noah’s protection, they would not have walked away unscathed.
And that thought alone filled them with something they had never expected to feel toward a child.
Fear.
Orion clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white. His entire body was trembling—not with cold, but with something far worse.
A primal instinct. A voice in his head whispering—step closer, and you will burn.
It infuriated him. His pride screamed in denial. How could he fear a five-year-old?! But no matter how hard he tried to suppress it, the feeling wouldn’t go away.
Selena and Caius, both known for their unshakable calm, had nearly suffered a heart attack.
Dante, ever the smug and confident one, had gone completely silent. There was no humor left in him—only the lingering presence of death.
Even Aldred, who feared no opponent, who had fought on countless battlefields, found himself standing still.
A five-year-old should not feel like a threat. And yet, he did.
And Ester?
She didn’t hesitate.
The moment she saw her son standing there, eyes wide, body trembling with the aftershock of his own power, she ran to him.
Noah was still.
He didn’t need to process it. He already knew.
His son had awakened.
And when he looked into Lucas’ eyes—
He took a step forward.
Lucas’ POV
None of this concerned Lucas.
Because right now—he was drowning in euphoria.
Something inside him had clicked into place.
He felt whole.
It was like a missing piece of his very being had suddenly woken up—aware, alive.
Before him, a golden screen floated in the air.
[Congratulations, Host. You have awakened.]
Lucas’ lips twitched. ‘Oh, now you show up?’
After all this time without a sign of the system, after nearly giving up hope that it even existed, now it decides to greet him?
He wanted to laugh—but before he could focus on the screen, voices called out to him.
“Lucas.”
“Son.”
Ester’s eyes were filled with worry. Noah’s face, usually so unreadable, was tense with concern.
Lucas met their gaze, and warmth filled his chest.
They weren’t afraid of him. They weren’t staring at him like a monster.
They cared. They only wanted to know if he was alright.
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