Miles looked at the calendar with a sigh. Today he had to visit his family home. No one could refuse when Evelyn Cross summoned on special days and Miles had seen what had happened to those who rejected her. He wasn’t brave enough to reject her.

Last week, he bought gifts for his family members. Since he wasn’t financially capable yet, he kept them simple. To his grandfather, he decided to bring a jar of The Lonely Cave honey. Both Porseila and Tian Ling said their grandfather loved it very much, so Miles thought it might be something old people like to eat.

For his father, he bought an orb from UniNet and can change into boxing gloves. Malcolm Cross was a boxing fanatic, inherited from his father, and loved to use his fists more than any other weapon. But since weapons he could afford would be worth shit in Malcolm's eyes, he chose to buy something pretty to look at. So he could at least hang it or keep it as a decoration. He found gold boxing gloves with red stones at the knuckles. It looked like something Malcolm would like, thus Miles spent more than a few millions UD for it.

For his mother, he couldn’t find anything and at this point he was close to broke, thus he hunted all week to find a rare orb in places he found on UniNet, and luckily he found the orb he wanted. It was a support-type of orb that could change into goggles that can help a person to look at things at microscopic level. It was simply an eyeglass microscope. Evelyn had devices thousands times better than that, but still, Miles could only hunt that for now.

For Marcela, he decided to give the dagger he found after he killed some Wolves. No weapon he could afford would make Marcela happy, because she was the princess of the family and she was donned from head to toe with top tier weapons and armors. So he could only replace it with something pretty. He wasn’t willing to work so hard to buy something nice for Marcela anyway.

Since Merlin wasn’t attending, Miles took liberty to skip him. He couldn’t afford it anyway. The hardest gif was Adam’s. Miles loved his uncle, and wanted something to make him happy, but he didn’t know what he could buy for him. Adam was rich, filthy rich. But money was like trash to him. He wanted to study the unknown more than anything, and he was most interested in botany, but Miles had no access to rare plants yet, which were mostly in F-Circle, and most outer perimeters of G-Circle. Since Miles couldn’t go there yet, he could only buy online, but anything on the UniNet wouldn't interest Adam at all.

If there was anything that could arouse Adam’s attention on the UniNet, Adam would buy it anyway. All the other gifts took Miles’s single day, but the rest of the week was spent on finding a gift for Adam, and in the end Miles had nothing.

Miles looked at the box with a green sample and sighed. “Luckily I found this thing in the cave where I found the Maroon Armor. It should be a plant from eons ago, so I am sure Uncle Adam would love it.” He couldn’t skip him, since it would be rude, but he had nothing else to buy.

Miles left his house, and caught the train. Cross mansion was close to the city center since three members of the house were working in the same building situated at the city center. Miles took a cab after he left the train, and arrived at the giant mansion surrounded with giant walls. Two sides of the black and golden gate, there were statues of tigers. The white tiger was Mercer’s old nickname before he got the moniker Cruel Heart. Tigers were made of ivory colored stones. They looked almost alive.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Miles looked at the mansion he lived most of his life. It hasn’t been that long since he left, but it was close to half a year. Miles knew he would eventually return, but he still got sad when he arrived.

When he was in front of the gates, a man was waiting for him. The men had long hair fastened at his back. His hair was red in color and his eyes were green. He wasn’t muscular but wasn’t slim either. There was a sword at his back. The sword was as long as him, and pitch black in color. When looked from afar, it resembled a cross. With its blood red crossguard it looked intimidating and blood thirsty. Miles had never seen this man without this sword.

He was the only guard of the mansion and Miles’s sword instructor, Master Kenway.

“Little Lord, welcome back!” He said with a smile.

“Uncle Kenway.” Miles smiled back and went for a hug. He always liked Kenway, and he was more than happy to see him as soon as he arrived. He fished out an orb and passed it. It was a sword he spent his little money on which was also powerless yet good to look at.

“You didn’t have to buy me anything.” Kenway shook his head and charged the weapon. It melted in Kenway’s hand and took the shape of a full black katana. It had a glass like texture, and was just beautiful. But it was tender, and Kenway could see it too. “I thought I already taught you, a sword is a tool to kill, its appearance doesn’t matter at all.”

“Yes, Master Kenway.” Miles got a little sad. He unfortunately couldn’t afford a sword Kenway could use at his level. So he could only buy that, but Kenway didn’t like his gift.

“I didn’t say, I didn’t like it.” Kenway chuckled and answered as he raised his hand. His hand was about to go to Miles’s head, but then patted his shoulder instead. He must have understood what Miles was thinking.

“This sword, in my hand, is the deadliest weapon.” He said as the air around him changed. Winds started to blow, and fluttered his clothes. When Kenway swung the sword, air got cut and Miles could feel the viciousness of the attack with his bare hands.

‘He is too strong!’ Miles was surprised. He only entered Portal World little more than half a year ago, and could only hunt the weakest monsters. He thought he was getting stronger, but obviously he wasn’t even a toddler in front of Kenway. ‘What is his level?’

“Can you see what I am holding in my hand?” Kenway said and held his palm showing the sky. Miles looked at the empty palm and shook his head. He couldn’t see anything, but since Kenway asked the question, he was obviously holding something. Either related to superpowers or energy. But since Miles couldn’t see anything, he could only tell the truth.

“When you do, I will teach you new things.” Kenway said and patted Miles's head.

“Are you still doing this?” Miles got embarrassed and started to walk to the mansion with Kenway.

“I heard you stole Lady’s serums. You sure have balls. Hahaha!” Kenway laughed heartily. Miles thought about the day he sneaked into Evelyn’s laboratory. He remembered he overheard Evelyn speak to Malcolm about a new batch of medicine coming for Evelyn to inspect. There wasn’t any problem with the medicine, but Evelyn would inspect batches randomly to see if there was any problem with them. After all, they were giving those to their soldiers.

Miles entered Evelyn's laboratory when it was evening, while Coin was looking out for him through the entrance. In the lab he used a vial he brought and took the same amount from each of the ten serums to complete one. At the time it was his only hope, and his parents would never allow him to use it, so he could only steal from his mother.

“I didn’t get caught at the time and it has been so long ever since, so it should be okay.” Miles chuckled too.

“I am glad you survived it. But don’t rush to your death, brat.” Kenway said at the door and turned back.

“Will you be joining us for dinner?” Miles asked. He wanted one more friendly face at the table so it wouldn’t be so weird, but he knew Kenway wouldn’t be joining.

As expected, Kenway shook his head, and waved his hand. “Come and find me when you are bored. We can have a spar.”

“I will.” Miles said and entered the house.