As if reading his thoughts, Dun spoke again.
"I’ve already begun making preparations."
Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Oh?"
"I’ve been gathering evidence for years."
There was a bitterness in Dun’s voice now.
The kind that only came from watching injustice for far too long.
"I started collecting information long before I met you. Financial records. Internal documents. Testimonies. Anything I could get my hands on."
Dun let out a slow breath.
"I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get the chance to use any of it, but I kept gathering it anyway."
Kael remained silent as he listened.
The more he heard, the more respect he gained for the man.
Most people complained when faced with corruption.
Some cursed it behind closed doors.
Very few quietly prepared for years waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike back.
Dun continued.
"I’ve also contacted some of the victims."
"Victims?" Kael asked.
"Yeah."
His voice became quieter.
"People whose lives were ruined because of him. People who were pressured into silence."
A brief pause followed.
"A few of them agreed to step forward when the time comes."
Kael slowly nodded.
That made sense.
People weren’t afraid because they lacked courage.
Most were afraid because they were alone.
Standing against someone powerful by yourself was terrifying.
But when dozens of people stood together?
Things became different.
Suddenly the risk didn’t seem quite so impossible.
Dun hesitated before speaking again.
"So I wanted to ask something."
"What is it?"
"Would your sister be interested?"
Kael frowned.
"My sister?"
"Yeah."
Dun’s tone softened.
"I mean... she’s one of the victims too, isn’t she?"
The room suddenly felt colder.
A dangerous glint flashed through Kael’s eyes.
Even now, merely thinking about what that bastard had tried to do to Lyra was enough to make his blood boil.
Dun seemed to notice it as well because he quickly continued.
"I’m not trying to pressure her."
"I just thought she deserved the chance to decide for herself."
There was a brief pause after Dun’s words.
Kael frowned slightly as he lowered the phone from his ear for a moment before raising it again.
Lyra stepping forward as a victim?
He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
Part of him wanted nothing to do with it. He had no desire to drag his sister back into that mess. She had already suffered enough because of that bastard. The last thing he wanted was for her to be forced to relive those experiences in front of cameras and strangers.
But at the same time...
Dun wasn’t wrong.
The decision wasn’t his to make.
Lyra was her own person.
If she wanted to speak out, then she deserved the chance to choose for herself.
After a few moments of thought, Kael finally nodded.
"Alright," he said. "I’ll let her know about it and get back to you once I hear her response."
"That’s all I’m asking," Dun replied. "No pressure."
The conversation continued for a while after that.
They discussed several details regarding the research project, future funding requirements, and some logistical arrangements Dun would need moving forward.
Nothing too complicated.
Just enough to ensure everything would continue running smoothly.
Eventually the call came to an end.
Kael placed his phone down on the bed and stretched his arms overhead.
His shoulders cracked.
A moment later he stood up and headed toward the kitchen.
The apartment was quiet.
Only the distant hum of appliances filled the air.
He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and took several long gulps before returning to his room.
The moment he stepped through the doorway, all thoughts unrelated to cultivation vanished.
Without wasting another second, he sat cross-legged on the bed.
His breathing slowed.
His eyes closed.
The Primordial Genesis Sutra began circulating once more.
Mana gathered.
His consciousness sank inward.
Time slipped away.
One minute became ten.
Ten became thirty.
Then an hour.
Several more cells slowly completed their transformation beneath his careful guidance.
Each one required immense concentration and precise control over mana flow.
Yet the results were worth it.
The more planetary cells he cultivated, the stronger the flow of earth energy within his body became.
It wasn’t a dramatic increase.
Not yet.
But it was growing.
Slow and steadily.
Like a mountain rising grain by grain.
When Kael finally opened his eyes again, the sky outside had already darkened.
He blinked and reached for his phone.
7:46 PM.
A few notifications waited for him.
Three messages.
One from Lyra.
One from Dun.
And one from Zoey.
Kael opened Lyra’s message first.
A small smile appeared on his face as he read through it.
Nothing important.
She was simply informing him that she had returned safely from her tower run and had gone out to purchase a few things for the apartment.
Typical Lyra.
Always remembering to update him even when she didn’t have to.
After replying with a short acknowledgment, he opened Dun’s message.
This one was more business-oriented.
Since Kael was effectively funding the entirety of Dun’s research, some formal agreements naturally had to exist between them.
The message contained a preliminary contract draft.
Kael carefully read through everything.
To be honest, the terms were surprisingly reasonable.
Dun’s demands were minimal.
Continued research funding.
No interference with his work.
No restrictions on future experimentation.
That was basically it.
In exchange, Kael would receive the majority of profits generated by whatever products emerged from the research.
Of course there were limits.
Dun had made it clear he wasn’t interested in becoming rich.
He cared about helping people.
As long as Kael didn’t turn everything into a greedy cash-grab operation, Dun was perfectly satisfied.
After reading through the agreement, Kael adjusted a few minor details before sending it back.
He trusted Dun.
The man had integrity.
Far more integrity than most people in this world.
Could that trust one day prove misplaced?
Maybe.
But Kael doubted it.
And even if it somehow happened...
Well.
He had ways of dealing with betrayal.
Once that was settled, he finally opened Zoey’s message.
His eyebrows rose.
Zoey’s grandfather wanted to meet him.