Chapitre 13: Chapter 13: A Whole New World Opening Up

"Dad, Dad!"

A few hours after Lucian took the test, Emilia returned back to her home, running up several flights of stairs all the way to the 3rd floor of their mansion just to barge into her father's study.

"Dad!"

"Emilia, how many times do I have to tell you not to barge into your father's office like that!?"

"Oh, you're here too, Mom?"

Emilia was already in front of her father's desk before she noticed her mother was also there; just having a coffee on the sofa while reading a book.

"Your father's busy," Emilia's mother only glanced at her before sighing and returning to her book, "Make it quick."

"Busy, what's he doing home, then?" Emilia just waved her hand before turning her focus back to her father, who was just signing some papers on the desk and not bothering to look at Emilia at all, "Dad!"

But as soon as Emilia pulled on his finely tuned gray mustache, he had no choice but to just leave his paperwork and look at Emilia, "What is it now? I just bought you that bag you wanted, don't tell me you want another one?"

"...You didn't buy me anything."

"Oh, that was your sister," Emilia's father, the current principal of one of the largest Cultivator Academy in the country, could not help but shrug his shoulders and smile, "What do you want, then?"

"I met someone."

"What!?" And almost immediately as Emilia said that, her mother, who was not interested in whatever it was she was about to say, closed her book and quickly rushed toward her, standing beside her before the book could even land on the coffee table, "I thought I already told you to focus on your cultivation!? Why are you dating already!?"

"...What are you talking about?" Emilia could really only squint her eyes as she looked at her mother, whose fist was slightly cracking her father's desk, "I mean I met someone Dad might be interested in sponsoring."

"Oh," Emilia's mother just quickly shrugged her shoulders before going back to her book.

"Oh?" As for her father, he immediately pushed aside all of his paperwork, "This is the first time I am hearing you say that, did you see a child taking the test that's worth nurturing in the Explorer Association?"

"Well, he's not exactly a child," Emilia slightly winced, "He's 30 years old."

"That's as old as your sister. Why would he only be taking the test now—"

"Hear me out first," Emilia raised both of her palms, "He is of a Spirit Infant—"

"Get out of my study, now."

"But he scored an S in Combat Proficiency."

"..." Not only Emilia's father, but her mother also stopped reading her book as soon as she heard that,

"...Tell me more about him."

***

"Father, welcome home."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call him father!? You're just a bastard!"

"Alex, return to your room."

Harvey was also home, and had been standing right in front of a hotel that his family owned which all of them were also living in. He had been standing there ever since he returned from the Cultivator Association, waiting for his father to return.

He was bowing his head, not even daring to look his father in the eyes; the only time he lifted his head was when one of his half-brothers insulted him, but as soon as he was gone, he just quickly returned to bowing his head.

"What are you still doing here, Harvey?" Harvey's father gestured to everyone else to leave, taking off his coat and giving it to one of his many assistants as he continued to walk.

"I wish to talk to you about something that might interest you, Father," Harvey quickly followed behind his father as he spoke.

"Do not call me Father when we are in public."

"Yes, Sir Gary," Harvey's voice slightly turned meek.

"You have until I reach my floor to report," Harvey's father, Gary, gestured to Harvey to follow him into the elevator, "You better not be wasting my time."

"30 years old. Rogue cultivator. Lived as a mortal his entire life," Harvey quickly spoke; his manner of speaking, completely different from how he addressed Lucian and Emilia, "Spirit Infant level. Combat Proficiency, S."

"S?" And for the first time since they crossed paths, Gary glanced at Harvey, "Who was the proctor?"

"Old man—Dexter Perry."

"Interesting," Gary squinted his eyes, "Tell them to send me the person's file. Good work, Harvey."

"Thank you," a wide smile slowly started to crawl on Harvey's face as he looked at his father, "G—"

Before he could say anything else, however, they reached his father's floor and Gary just immediately stepped out without even glancing or saying anything to him.

"..." The smile on Harvey's face just withered away along with the closing of the elevator. His whisper, only he could hear,

"Goodnight… Father."

***

"I did not know this, but it would seem there are friendly cultivators out there, my love."

Lucian was also back at home, his house barely even lit outside of his wife and daughter's room to conserve electricity. He was now in his wife's room after briefly checking Maeve's condition, resting his head on her bed while holding her hand that was almost just bones.

"I have always thought they were all just angry and selfish people. They are the reason why we are like this, after all," Lucian whispered with his eyes closed, "If only I met you earlier when I was a child, maybe I could have avoided dealing with them — you are the one who taught me how to live in this world, after all. I knew everything except people…

…I truly did not think they would try to kill me for wanting to make everyone equal and strong. Even now, without you reminding me, I am still confused as to why they would not want that, it is illogical; but then again, what would a stupid person like me know? How does the human mind truly function, Malenia? Please…

…please wake up and remind me. I do not know how this world works without you."

Lucian continued to speak to his wife, but all he got in response was the beeping and different colors coming from her vitals.

"If I inject you with the T1A, will you be angry with me?" Lucian lifted his head up as he looked at his wife's rotting face, "I am so tempted to just use it on you, but you will turn into a monster like me — but you will be here, beside me again. Can I be selfish? Can I be so selfish as to turn you and our daughter into monsters just because I need you? No… no…

…I will cure you. I will. We have money now, and I already spoke to another Looter agency and will have an interview tomorrow. I will have money and time to do the experiments…

…I will cure you."

***

"Lucian Zhang… You are a cultivator, Sir?"

"Barely, Sir."

"I've already heard the circumstances of why you were fired from your last group. Sad to say you're not the first — nepotism is alive and well even in this shit hole."

"Yes, it would seem that was the case, Sir."

Lucian has already sold the lithum he received from killing Foreman Yang, and it would seem that anything related to his death was literally brushed under the rug by the Immortal Police. But still, the money would never be enough if he wanted to continue his research.

And so, he was now once again in front of another foreman, with his Looting tools ready by his side since the interview was already on-site with a monster carcass just lying around. There was another reason why being a Looter is one of the many favorite choices of work by certain people despite its inherent danger — it did not require much credentials and ID at all. Criminals and people with a past are welcome to join in, and that includes Lucian.

"I'm not going to prolong this, Mr. Lucian. I'm really sorry, but I can't hire you, Sir."

"Why not, Sir?"

"Because you are a cultivator, Sir," the foreman let out a short but very deep sigh as he looked at Lucian, "People will be scared of you — I'm scared of you."

"You do not seem scared," Lucian tilted his head to the side.

"I'm shitting my pants."

"Then you have a problem with your digestion, Sir."

"No, I—" The foreman could really only cover his forehead; his hand, slightly shaking, "Please, Sir. I am only trying to work. I truly can't hire you."

"Okay," Lucian glanced at the foreman's face for a moment before he just turned around, "Goodbye, Foreman."

"Mr. Lucian…" Lucian was about to leave, but the foreman seemed to not be done yet as he called for Lucian's attention, "...Why not just join the other cultivators and hunt monsters?"

"I am not a warrior, Mr. Foreman. I am... too weak."

"Then... why not just work as a private Looter for a sect? They frequently use, and I am saying this with the utmost respect, low-level cultivators like yourself since they need to extract Lithums on the go while hunting monsters."

"Oh," Lucian blinked a couple of times as he stopped in his tracks,

"There was something like that?"

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