"..."
Darius Morvain hovered silently in the air, a hundred meters above the modest house in Graywood Quarter.
The wind tousled his perfectly styled hair, but he paid it no mind. His eyes, warm and affectionate just moments ago, were now cold and calculating as they stared down at the roof below.
His lips moved, barely a whisper.
"What are the results?"
In response, a melodic voice echoed in his mind, soft and feminine.
[I’ve finished my examination, Master. Her condition remains unchanged.]
Darius’s eyes narrowed slightly.
[The curse is still there. Her pathways are the same as before. Her core...] The voice hesitated briefly. [It’s still broken, Master. I’m sorry.]
Darius absorbed the information without reaction, his gaze shifting to the window where he could sense his daughter’s presence.
"And the boy?"
A different voice answered, crisp and clinical.
[Soren Valmere matches what you said earlier. Ice affinity Grade 7. Wind affinity Grade 5. Two low-grade abilities. Nothing worth mentioning.]
Darius squinted, focusing his perception downward.
Through the walls and roof, he could easily sense two presences.
One cold and broken—Ethea.
One warm and growing—the boy.
Growing faster than he should be.
"He awakened two days ago and he’s already First Circle," Darius murmured. "That’s not nothing."
[The affinity is high,] the clinical voice conceded. [Grade 7 ice is rare. But talent without guidance amounts to nothing. He has no teacher, no resources, no backing. He’ll plateau quickly.]
Darius considered this.
Then a third voice spoke.
This one was different... sinister.
[Master. Should I finish the job that fool failed?]
The other voices fell silent.
Darius’s expression didn’t change, and for a long moment, he said nothing.
His eyes remained fixed on the house below.
Then he exhaled slowly."...No. That won’t be necessary. For now, at least."
The dark voice didn’t respond, but its disappointed silence was clear.
Darius hovered for one more moment, and then, he vanished.
The wind blew.
The sun reached its peak.
And far below, unaware of the eyes that had watched him, Soren was washing the dishes silently.
As he worked, he pulled up the status window that had appeared earlier when Darius first arrived.
═══════════════
Name: Darius Morvain
Status: Healthy
Age: 48
Rank: 7th Circle (Mid Stage)
Current Mana Level: Very High (2,847,391)
Mental State: Warm, Content, Conflicted
Ability: Spirit Contracts
Investment Value: High
Potential: 8th Circle (Estimated)
═══════════════
Soren’s eyes lingered on one word in particular.
...Conflicted.
Aside from that, there was nothing particularly unusual. The rest matched what he’d observed during the meal.
’Was he conflicted because of what he did?’
Soren glanced over his shoulder at Ethea, who sat quietly in her wheelchair, staring at nothing in particular.
He couldn’t tell what she was thinking or feeling. Her expression was as unreadable as always.
But he was somewhat aware that she hadn’t been happy about her father’s visit.
Then again, it made sense she wouldn’t like him after what they did—abandoning her like that.
’No, I can’t judge quickly without knowing the real story.’
Soren shook his head and quickly finished the dishes.
He wheeled Ethea back to the living room and turned on the television, flipping to a comedy TV show.
"I’ll be cultivating for a while," he said quietly. "Call if you need anything."
Ethea gave the faintest nod.
Soren settled onto his futon in the corner, crossed his legs into a lotus position, and closed his eyes.
He began circulating mana.
The Glacial Emperor Scripture guided his breathing. Cold energy flowed through his pathways, slowly, gently. Nothing too intense. Just enough to keep his core active while his body recovered.
Time passed.
A few hours later, the doorbell rang.
Soren opened his eyes.
His hand felt much better. He unwrapped the bandage and flexed his fingers. The skin was still pink and tender, but the cracks had sealed completely. Another hour, and it would be good as new.
He stood and walked to the front door.
Clara stood on the porch, her usual warm smile in place.
"Good evening, Mr. Valmere."
"Good evening, Lady Clara. Please come in."
Clara stepped inside, her eyes immediately scanning him. They landed on his hand, now unbandaged and clearly healed.
She let out a small sigh of relief.
"I see you weren’t exaggerating this morning. It’s already healed." She shook her head slightly. "I was worried all day, you know. Seeing you come back covered in blood like that."
Soren smiled apologetically. "Sorry for making you worry. It looks worse than it actually was."
"Hmm." Clara gave him a knowing look but didn’t push further. "Well, as long as you’re alright. Where is Mrs. Valmere?"
"Living room. Watching TV."
Clara nodded and headed inside.
Soren grabbed his jacket from the hook by the door and slipped it on.
"Clara, I’ll be heading out for a few hours."
"Of course. Take your time."
Soren glanced toward the living room one last time. Ethea was still watching the TV show, seemingly oblivious to his departure.
He stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
"Hmm..."
The afternoon sun was warm against his skin as he walked toward the main street.
His first stop was the Hunter Market.
He needed to sell the mana cores from today’s gate run. Fifty-four regular cores and twenty-three elemental cores. Plus the boss core.
That should net him a decent amount.
He pulled out his phone and hailed a taxi.
While waiting, he opened the Hunter Network app and navigated to the Gate Schedule.
The Azure Slime Forest listing was grayed out now, marked with a small icon indicating it was recharging.
[Estimated Recharge Time: 3 days]
Soren nodded to himself.
Gates needed time to regenerate after being cleared. The monsters inside respawned, the environment reset, and the boss reformed. Three days was standard for low-grade gates.
He scrolled through other available options.
There were several First Circle gates open, but most required parties. A few allowed solo clears, but they were either too far or too dangerous for his current skill level.
’Guess I’ll have to wait or join a party.’
The taxi pulled up.
Soren climbed in and gave the driver directions to the Hunter Market.
As the car moved through the city, he leaned back and closed his eyes.
Today had been exhausting.
But also satisfying.
His first gate was cleared. His first real combat experience was behind him. And he’d learned valuable lessons about his limits and his techniques.
The Frost Palm Strike needed more practice. Way more practice. Using it in actual combat had nearly cost him his hand.
Quick Step was useful, but consumed too much mana for frequent use. He needed to train it more, make it more efficient.
And his spearmanship... Marcus was right. Three or five sessions weren’t enough. He needed more training before attempting another solo gate.
’Tomorrow, I’ll hit the dojo again. Keep building fundamentals. Keep cultivating. Keep growing.’
The taxi continued onward.
And Soren allowed himself a small moment of satisfaction.
He was no longer the unawakened failure his family had discarded.
He was a hunter now.
And he was just getting started.