A sleek black sedan glided to a stop before a massive estate.
The building towered over its surroundings like a silent king overlooking its domain. Elegant white stone walls stretched outward as far as the eye could see, while towering pillars framed the entrance. Every detail screamed wealth, influence, and power.
The rear door of the sedan opened.
Zoey stepped out.
She was still dressed in her hunting gear from earlier. Her bow remained slung across her back, and traces of exhaustion lingered on her face after the long day she had endured.
She had barely taken a few steps toward the entrance when the enormous front doors slid open.
A man walked out.
He appeared to be in his forties and possessed the sort of appearance that would make people instinctively stop and stare. His features were sharp and refined, carrying a natural charm that seemed effortless.
More importantly, he carried an aura that was difficult to describe.
If an ordinary person stood before him, they would feel as though they were facing a sword hidden within its sheath. Calm.
Controlled.
But capable of unleashing terrifying destruction at any moment.
At the moment, however, none of that could be felt.
The man was smiling.
A bright, warm smile that could probably charm half the women in the city.
The moment he spotted Zoey, that smile widened even further.
"Zoey, my dear daughter!" he called out happily. "How was your day? How did today’s hunt go?"
Zoey immediately rolled her eyes.
"It was alright, Father."
Then something crossed her mind.
"Have you heard from Mom lately?"
The man’s smile faltered slightly.
Immediately.
"Anything wrong?" he asked.
Zoey’s expression darkened.
"The next time you speak to her, tell her to keep that little brat of her new husband under control."
Her voice grew colder.
"I won’t be merciful next time he bothers me."
For a moment, silence hung between them.
Then the man’s expression became serious.
"I understand."
Then the next moment he vanished without warning.
One moment he was standing there.
The next moment he was gone.
Zoey wasn’t even surprised.
She simply stared at the empty space for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh.
To outsiders, she was one of the luckiest people alive.
After all, her parents were legends.
Her mother was known throughout the world as the Saintess.
A healer capable of regenerating lost limbs and curing injuries that would leave most people crippled for life.
Not only that, but she was also the daughter of the Sword Saint himself, one of humanity’s pioneers and one of the strongest Awakeners alive.
Then there was her father.
Unlike her mother, he lacked an illustrious family background.
Yet his own accomplishments more than made up for it.
He was widely acknowledged as the strongest member of the younger generation. Countless experts believed he would one day become the next Pioneer and possibly the youngest in history.
His sword talent was so monstrous that many compared him to a younger version of the Sword Saint himself.
From the outside, they looked like the perfect couple.
A legendary family.
Only Zoey knew the truth.
They were headaches.
Massive headaches.
Sometimes she genuinely wondered whether they were the children and she was the adult.
Whenever they had an argument, instead of behaving like mature adults and resolving it properly, one of them would run off and marry someone else out of spite.
The first time it happened, Zoey had been shocked.
The fifth time, she had been concerned.
By the twentieth time, she had stopped caring.
Some of those marriages lasted a few weeks.
Others lasted a few days.
A few had ended within hours.
The current situation was caused by her mother once again.
Apparently she had gotten married a few days ago.
Again.
Zoey didn’t even know what her father’s crime was this time.
Nor did she care enough to ask.
Normally she ignored their nonsense entirely.
Unfortunately, this time she couldn’t.
Marcus.
The son of her mother’s current husband.
The idiot had somehow convinced himself that he was her older brother and had begun involving himself in her life.
At first she ignored him.
Then he kept pushing.
Then he attacked Adam.
That was where she drew the line.
The moment her father heard about it, Zoey already knew what would happen.
He had probably been looking for an excuse to visit her mother anyway.
By tomorrow, her mother would likely be divorced again.
By next week, the two of them would probably be acting like newlyweds.
Again.
Zoey massaged her temples.
A headache was already beginning to form.
Normally her grandfather kept both of them under control.
Unfortunately, he had been in seclusion recently while pursuing further enlightenment in his Sword Path.
Without him around, her parents had immediately returned to causing chaos.
With another sigh, Zoey pushed those thoughts aside and entered the estate.
The interior was just as extravagant as the exterior.
Long hallways stretched across the enormous building.
Servants moved quietly in the background.
Paintings, sculptures, and expensive decorations lined the walls.
Zoey ignored all of it.
She continued walking until she eventually arrived before a massive wooden door.
Stopping there, she knocked lightly.
"Grandpa, it’s me. Zoey."
A brief silence followed.
Then a calm voice emerged from inside.
"Come in."
Zoey pushed the door open.
Beyond it was a vast dojo.
The room was almost completely empty.
The floor was covered with polished training mats.
Weapon racks lined the far wall, displaying countless swords, spears, axes, and other weapons.
At the center of the room sat a single man.
White hair.
Handsome features.
A refined gentlemanly appearance.
Yet the aura surrounding him was terrifying.
Unlike her father, who felt like a sword hidden within its sheath, this man felt like a blade that had already been drawn.
Sharp. Dangerous. Absolute.
The moment Zoey stepped inside, the man opened his eyes.
Brilliant green eyes met hers.
For an instant, Zoey felt as though a cold wind swept through the entire dojo.
Then, just as quickly, the sensation disappeared.
The terrifying aura receded completely.
The man’s face broke into a warm smile.
"Zoey, my dear child."
His voice immediately softened.
"You finally came to visit this old man."
A genuine smile appeared on Zoey’s face.
Unlike with her parents, her relationship with her grandfather had always been straightforward.
No drama.
No nonsense.
Just affection.
Walking over, she sat down across from him.
"Sorry, Grandpa."
"I’ve been busy."
"First there was preparation for the Hunter Exam, then the Tower Tutorial, and after that everything else."
She shrugged.
"Besides, you were in seclusion. I didn’t want to disturb you."
The Sword Saint chuckled.
"Isn’t my granddaughter considerate?"
Then his expression grew curious.
"So, how have things been progressing?"
Zoey smiled proudly.
"Pretty well."
"I’ve already reached Level Twenty."
The Sword Saint’s brows immediately furrowed.
Then his expression became serious.
"Zoey."
His tone carried far more weight now.
"I know leveling seems like the fastest path to strength."
"But if all you do is chase levels, you’ll only cripple your future."
"You need experience, combat, discipline and a path."
Zoey couldn’t help smiling.
Clearly, her grandfather thought she had used some leveling center to reach Level Twenty this quickly.
To be fair, it was a reasonable assumption.
Without Kael carrying them, reaching this point would have taken far longer.
"You don’t need to worry, Grandpa."
"I understand that."
"I actually entered a Rift today."
Her smile widened.
"I got carried by a friend."
The Sword Saint’s expression eased slightly.
Though only slightly.
Being carried wasn’t ideal either, but it was certainly better than artificially farming levels.
Since Zoey seemed aware of the issue, he decided not to lecture her further.
"Very well."
Then he tilted his head.
"So why exactly did you come here today?"
Zoey’s smile became mysterious.
"Grandpa."
"You still don’t have a disciple, right?"
The Sword Saint raised an eyebrow.
"I don’t."
"Why?"
A faint chuckle escaped him.
"Do you have a candidate in mind?"
He asked it mostly as a joke.
Over the years, countless geniuses had sought to become his disciple.
Some possessed extraordinary talent.
Others came from powerful families.
Many were considered monsters by ordinary standards.
Yet none had met his requirements.
Talent alone was never enough.
Character mattered.
Willpower mattered.
Temperament mattered.
Because of that, even Hank, Zoey’s own father, had never been accepted as a true disciple.
The most he had received were a few lessons.
After so many years, the Sword Saint had practically given up on finding a successor.
Which was why he found Zoey’s suggestion amusing.
Yet to his surprise she nodded.
Seriously.
"Actually, Grandpa..."
"I do."
The Sword Saint blinked.
For the first time, genuine interest appeared in his eyes.
"You know my standards are extremely high."
"I know."
Zoey’s smile only widened.
"That’s exactly why I’m recommending him."
The Sword Saint leaned forward slightly.
"Oh?"
Zoey met his gaze directly.
"Because I think this person doesn’t just meet your requirements."
A strange light appeared in her eyes as memories of today’s events resurfaced.
The battle.
The Sand Worm.
The plunderers.
Kaels power.
"I think he surpasses them."
# #
[AN_ Hey guys, it’s your author here. We’re already halfway through the month and privilege Chapter unlocks have been slowed down significantly. To hit the first Win-Win tier, I’m planning to add another privilege tier. What do you guys think?]