“You can put that one over here,” Alex called as he waved the workers over. He was endlessly impressed with how much could get done if there was enough money.

He’d been burning through some of his available funds to get the backyard set up and ready for training, despite the cold weather. More than half of what he wanted to order was unavailable due to shipping and supply issues. Even with the limited availability, it felt worth it, though, as the final touches were coming together and the equipment arrived.

“Man, for an old guy, he sure can get stuff done,” Mark said from beside Alex.

Alex chortled, “No kidding.” He looked over to see Edwin in his dress pants and shoes, walking through the grassy portion of the backyard. While he still wore his vest, the older man rolled up his sleeves and directed the offloaded equipment. Occasionally stepping in himself or making minor adjustments to the equipment. “I had to convince him that it was okay to take his jacket off.”

“I saw that,” Mark laughed too.

“Honestly, I’m glad he took over. I barely knew what to say to those guys, and they just stared at me like I was an idiot. Like, they’re the movers. Shouldn’t they know how to unload things? Why do they need more direction?”

Mark snorted in response.

Alex glanced at his tall friend. “What the hell has Gabby been feeding you this week?” While Mark had always been taller than Alex, the height difference was emphasized by his friend seeming more solid than ever.

Not really a better word for it. His muscles are a bit bigger, but he just seems like he’s built like a brick house.

Mark grinned and flexed his bicep. “Gym, good food, and naturally superior genetics, my friend.”

“Yeah, okay. Did you finally finish allocating your Free Points?”

Mark deflated a bit, causing Alex to laugh.

“I don’t know why you were hesitating anyway. Your trait is perfect for you, and you know you always play the tank in games anyway.”

“Hey, hey, hey. I’m sure you would’ve been struggling even more than me if you were actually able to choose where your points go.”

“Ouch, not cool.”

Just then, Valtherion flew through the open space of the backyard and over to the two of them, where they stood on the new training platform.

The training area was a large, leveled section of the backyard, made of wooden decking that was raised just a few inches above the grass. It took two steps up from any of the four sides to access the platform. The training area was divided into several distinct sections: one part had thick mats for sparring and practicing hand-to-hand combat, another had a couple of small lanes for ranged training with targets set up at the far end, and there was also a dedicated section with a sturdy rack filled with a variety of training weapons. The whole setup gave off a professional vibe and reminded him of a slightly smaller version of what Elana and made at her house.

Hey, Val. Where’s Sam?

“Plants. Want mana.”

Nope. You’ve gotta try harder than that.

Alex felt feelings of frustration slip through their bond.

“He’s with plants. I want mana.”

And the last part?

“…please.”

Atta boy.

Alex grinned and gave the floating wyrm a poke with his index finger before reaching into his spatial pouch. He pulled out a blue Mana Stone.

As soon as it was in the open, Val began to pulse with feelings of hunger and excitement. As he’d begun to do with the ample open space, he floated backward a few feet and wiggled his tail in anticipation. The wyrm looked like a flying snake, with shimmering blue scales that caught the light as he moved. A few light blue fins adorned his back and sides, giving him a graceful, almost aquatic appearance as he glided through the air. His head, unlike that of a snake, resembled a piranha's, with sharp teeth visible even when his mouth was closed, adding an edge to his otherwise sleek form.

“Fine.” Alex laughed the word before pulling his hand back and throwing the mana-filled rock with all of his might.

A small squeak came through their bond as Valtherion shot forward, eager to try and catch the stone in the air.

“He’s getting bigger,” Mark said.

“Yeah, I’ve started to notice that. It wasn’t that noticeable in the Rift. I wonder if it’s delayed from all the D Rank stones he ate while in there. Eura explained a similar reaction in humans and how it takes our bodies time to adjust to big stat changes,” Alex answered with his thoughts aloud.

Valtherion had grown significantly since their return. Once just a couple of feet long, he had nearly doubled in length, and his body had thickened considerably. It made him look much more formidable than before.

Mark nudged him before speaking, “Hey, while we’ve got the mats, show me some more of that fancy footwork.”

“What? Come on, man. It’s freezing out here.” Alex said as he used his elbow to jostle the wide man.

Mark shadowboxed, “Some sparring might warm you up!”

Alex laughed, “No, I need to go check on Sam and Gabby. You shouldn’t be learning this style anyway. You’ve got your shield; you’re just gonna have to wait until the manual we ordered for you comes in."

“Okay, what if I grab my shield and you just try to hit me? Not learning bad habits, then, right? Eh? Ehhh?” Mark wiggled his eyebrows as he reached toward the pouch at his side with exaggeration.

“You’re a maniac,” Alex said as he walked away before Mark could begin pulling out his gear. “We should all meet up in the gym, though. You might convince Sarah to train a bit with you if you-” He was cut off by Edwin stepping into his field of view, waving to catch his attention.

Confused, Alex strode over to the butler, who had put his jacket back on and returned to his normal stoic behavior. “Master Moore, there are two guests waiting for you in the foyer.”

“Guests?” Alex’s eyebrows came together. “Who are they?”

“They said that they are from the Hunters Association, sir.”

Fuck. What are they doing here?

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Want me to come with?” Mark asked.

“Nah, Edwin will be with me. I’ll grab Sam when I’m done and meet you all in the gym.”

Mark nodded and trudged back toward the house.

Alex felt a sense of nervousness wash over him as he and Edwin walked through the courtyard and living room to the foyer.

As Edwin guided him into the foyer, Alex’s heart began to race. Two representatives from the Hunters Association stood at the entrance, both in suits that reminded Alex of television secret service agents.

“Alex Moore?” one of them asked. He was a middle-aged man with sharp features and a serious expression. “We’d like for you to come with us. We have some question for you.”

Alex’s stomach dropped. “I-” he hesitated. They didn’t seem hostile, but both seemed confident and in control of the situation. “What’s this about?”

Shit, am I in trouble? I’ve never been in trouble with the law before. What are they here for? Sam?

His thoughts rapidly shifted through worst case scenarios and how lately he’d been struggling to work out how to approach Sam’s situation. Before he could continue to spiral, the agent interrupted his thoughts.

“This is regarding intelligence that was provided by you, concerning the outcome of the recent Rift events.”

The second representative, a woman with dark hair pulled back into a tight bun, stepped forward. “We received intel that you have indicated a potential global emergency as a result of failing the awakening or System Integration. This is confidential information and not something that we want spreading to the general public.”

He swallowed hard and glanced at Edwin, who looked on with his eyebrows drawn together. His mental gears shifted as he realized that it was likely related to the information he’d given to Sarah and Elana about what happened if the integration was failed. “Why do I need to come in? You want to question me? But I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“This is a matter of public safety. The information you’ve provided could have dire national or global implications and has the potential to cause widespread panic if spread carelessly. We’ve been sent here to get questions answered, how they’re answered, is up to you.” There was a hard edge to the man’s voice.

Alex felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as two sides of his mind warred against each other. On one side, he was raised in a world where he was taught to be respectful and wary of the power that came with a badge. The other side remembered the last time he willingly surrendered himself in good faith in Tianluo.

I doubt it would be that bad, but the situation feels way too similar.

In the new light, Alex saw the government officials for what they were. Bullies. He doubted that they’d be able to force him to come in. So far, they’d only asked him to come with them and hinted they could push things further. Alex hated these kinds of games. He had nothing to hide and was willing to help, but if going with them meant being tossed in a dark cell somewhere, he would control the way that things went.

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How much can I share with them? I signed the NDA with the Guild- so, what? I just can’t tell them about the Rift or the location of the Rift, right? I can tell them what I know from Eura, but even then, it’s not much.

“Listen,” he said, standing a little taller. “I’m willing to talk with you guys. I intentionally gave that information to someone so that it would get to the right people… but, if you expect me to just come with you, without proof of who you are, why you’re here or that I’m legally obliged to come with you… it’s just not going to happen.” He raised his hands and gave them a shrug.

The woman's posture stiffened slightly. "Mr. Moore, we're representatives of a federal agency dealing with matters of national security. The information you've shared could have severe implications, and it's our responsibility to verify and contain potentially destabilizing intelligence." Her tone remained professional, but there was an edge of frustration in it. "We're simply trying to do our jobs.”

“I can understand that you’re just doing your jobs, but you can’t say things like ‘how they’re answered is up to you,’ like some vague threat that you’ll beat them out of me and then turn around and act like you’re not here to intimidate me. Do you have legal documentation or a warrant or something? I don’t know how this works, but everything about this feels pretty shady.” Alex looked to Edwin. “Edwin, can you go get Sarah, please.”

“Of course, sir.”

The representatives exchanged glances, and their stances shifted uncertainly. Alex realized that the dynamic in the room had suddenly changed, and he felt the knot in his stomach begin to loosen.

“Look, Sarah is my friend, and she works for the Hunters Association too. She’s the one I gave the information to. This entire thing was supposed to be handled anonymously and it doesn’t sound like you got this information from me in the first place, just that you want me to keep it to myself. Right?”

Sarah entered the entry room, led by Edwin. Her expression shifted from concern to frustration as she took in the situation. “Everything okay, Alex?”

“Yeah, I think so. This is- actually, I didn’t even get your names. Do you have badges or something?”

“We do,” the female agent said.

“Can I see them?”

Both of them reached into their pockets and removed small leather wallets containing an official-looking ID badge. They held the wallets up for a moment, long enough for Alex to make sure that the pictures matched but not long enough to read all the details on them.

“Hold on a second,” Sarah said, but Alex raised his hand.

“It’s alright, that’s enough.” He pointed his already raised hand over his shoulder. “That home defense system Edwin installed has some really great cameras. I’m sure if we needed to see the badges again, we can”

Both agents looked increasingly uncomfortable. Realizing that the entire exchange had been recorded seemed to push them over the edge. There was a long moment of silence as the lead agent processed the shift in the room.

“Look, we didn’t mean for this to be so confrontational, Mr. Moore,” the male agent said, his tone more respectful. “We understand the situation seems a bit dubious, but from what we’ve read in your file, we didn’t know what to expect. You have two connections to the Hunters Association, through Ms. Lee, here,” he nodded his head to Sarah. “and through your brother. Despite that, you are a declared member of the Adventurers Guild.”

“Is there a problem with that?” Alex asked.

“No, not necessarily, but it does make us wonder why you would join such an organization. Also, the fact that I don’t get anything but a name back when I try to scan you, immediately put me on edge. I apologize for our approach to the situation.”

“Wait, so you knew that I work with the HA, and you still came here to- what? Interrogate him?” Sarah asked incredulously. “If you saw his file, you likely saw my own. You know my role in the Association, and this was still how you decided to handle the situation?”

Both agents looked chagrined.

Alex was surprised by the quick backpedal, but wondered if it was sincere or only given now that the situation had changed. He crossed his arms. “I appreciate your change in tact here... and just so we’re clear: I’m more than willing to discuss what I know with the Hunters Association and answer questions. However, I’d prefer to do it when I’m not feeling ambushed in my home.”

“Absolutely,” the man replied quickly. “We can set up a time to meet that works for you. Our goal is to work toward the best outcome for humanity.”

That’s a pretty grand and vague statement.

The representatives nodded, clearly chastened but relieved that the conversation had turned in a direction they could work with. “We’ll be in touch,” the woman said. “Thank you for understanding, Mr. Moore.”

With that, they turned to leave the foyer. The woman glanced back at Sarah before walking out of the large wooden doors.

As they left, Sarah stepped further into the foyer, still fuming a bit from what little she could glean from the conversation. “What was that about?”

“I guess they figured out it was me who gave you that information about the consequences of failing the integration before Christmas.”

Her eyes widened in realization. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea that they’d respond like this.”

“It’s alright, really.” He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s big news, but when I told Elana about it on New Years, she said that the world powers already knew about it. So I doubt they heard it from me for the first time… I guess they just don’t want someone out there potentially spreading it around or ‘causing panic’ like they said. They just came in really strong, so it caught me off guard. I’ve got to stop thinking of things like it was before.”

“You handled yourself exceptionally well, Master Moore.”

“Thanks Edwin, though that was really intimidating.”

“Were they high level? Their auras looked small.” Sarah asked, curious.

Alex shook his head. “No, they weren’t. But, I wasn’t really intimidated by them. It’s the idea behind them- the government as a whole, that’s intimidating. But, if I caused a scene here and fought back and caused an issue, it could look bad for the Guild or end up with me on some kind of black list or something.”

Just then, Mark and Olivia entered the room. “What’d we miss?” Mark asked while eyeing the door where the agents had just departed.

“Nothing serious. Two agents for the Hunters Association wanted to ask me some questions, but tried to intimidate me into going with them.”

Olivia snorted, “Sounds like a great way to end up in a dark cell in a black site or something.”

“Oh come on, it’s not like that.” Sarah said.

“Yeah, I think you’ve both been watching too much TV.” Mark added with a chuckle.

Alex shrugged, "I don't know. It would be naive to think they don't have some secret facility where they make supernatural threats disappear. I just hope they don't think I belong on that list. While they'd have a hard time bringing me in by force, my fight with Rylan showed that I'm not invincible—I'm strong, but not leagues above everyone. The government probably has some really powerful people too, like that Crimson Warrior they keep showing on TV."

Sarah shifted subtly at the mention of the Hunters Associations poster boy and looked as if she were going to say something before closing her mouth. There was an ominous moment of silence as they thought about how much the world had changed in the last three months.

“Alright, everyone back to the gym!” Alex said, shaking his head and changing gears. “We’ve got some training to do and I want to run something by everyone. I’ll go grab Sam and meet you guys there.”

As he turned to walk through the dining room and into the kitchen, he heard Mark attempting to convince Sarah to spar with him.

“C’mon! I’ll let you swing at me all you want, I will just use the shield.”

He couldn’t help but smile as their voices faded and he found Sam in the kitchen with Gabby.

I need to contact Elana and ask her more about what is restricted in our contract and how I should navigate a situation like this.

Both of them were leaning over a pot and staring into it with such interest they didn’t notice Alex enter. Smiling to himself, Alex activated [Feather Step] and drifted silently through the kitchen to land just behind the two of them.

“Whatcha cookin’?”

“AH!” Both of them yelled at the same time.

Alex laughed as Gabby chased him around the island countertop with her wooden spoon, her face flushed with mock fury. Gabby's exasperation only grew as Alex made a show of narrowly escaping, his grin widening each time he glanced back at her increasingly dramatic expressions. The older woman was heavy set, and she didn’t stand a chance of catching him, even if he didn't have greatly increased stats.

“You little-”

Sam recovered from his fright and joined in the laughter as he watched the two.

When Gabby caught her breath and moved back to the pot, she straightened her apron and carried on as if nothing had happened.

She fits in so well here. I like how casual and lively she makes everything. It’s a nice change of pace from Edwin’s sometimes stiff approach.

“Seriously though, what’s happening in here. Sam, are you learning to cook?”

The teenager shook his head and just raised a hand that was filled with a bushel of herbs.

“He’s just being a sweetheart. He brought me some of the herbs y’all had extra from what was planted in the courtyard.”

Sam reddened a bit, but otherwise didn’t move from his spot next to the chef.

“Well, that’s great. Sam, maybe when we start getting some magical plants like Eura had, you can help Gabby make some magical food. That’s got to be a thing, right?”

Both of them brightened and looked at each other before looking back into the pot on the stove.

Alex smiled.

She has a really great way of bringing him out of his shell. It’s only been a few days and she’s got him interacting with her.

“Sam, when you’re done you should come meet us in the gym. Mark wants to train a bit, you and I can work on some of what we learned in the Rift with Eura.”

“Okay,” Sam smiled at Alex before quickly handing the handful of plans to Gabby.

Alex shook his head and walked back through the courtyard and through the glass doors on the other side to enter the living room. He took a deep breath and enjoyed the view of luxury that surrounded him.

This is still so crazy. If I had known I’d get all of this by surviving that Rift, it might not have felt like such a nightmare at the time.

His thoughts flicked to the terrifying fight he’d had with Xiu, an Elder Brother of the Shadow Serpent Sect. He tightened his cheeks and felt the scar across his face tighten. There had been odd moments of normal sounds or sensations that took him back to those memories, and he did his best to shrug them aside. The feeling of cold steel biting into his flesh and only changing direction because of his cheekbone was not something he wanted to relive.

As Alex headed back through the courtyard, he found Olivia waiting by the glass doors. She was leaning against the frame, arms crossed, with a concerned look that softened when she saw him.

“You okay?” she asked. “Those government goons can be kind of intense. I’ve had a few run ins with them, and it’s almost always tense.”

Alex smiled and felt warmed by her concern. “Yeah, I’m good. Just wasn’t expecting to deal with all of that. My mind actually went to Sam, when they showed up.”

“To Sam?”

He shrugged, “Like they were here to take him away or to his parents or something. I know we need to find them, I just really don’t want it to turn into a traumatic experience for him. He’s already been through a lot…”

Olivia nodded and stepped forward, while touching his arm. “It’ll work out, you just need to make the time to talk with him one on one. He looks up to you like some kind of hero and he’s most comfortable with you.”

Alex sighed and crossed his other hand across his body to rest on her hand that gripped his arm. “I know, thanks. Honestly, the reason that they were here was just as surprising. Sarah said that she gave that information to the HA anonymously for me before the New Year, so I wonder how long they have known it was from me and if something spurred them to actually approach?”

“There’s really no way to know. But, either way, you handled it well.” She smiled up at him and her voice grew more quiet and playful. “Edwin said you were very authoritative. Almost wish I could have seen it. It reminds me of our date the other night, except, you know… completely different.” Her lips curved into a teasing smile.

Heat crept up Alex’s neck as he remembered their kiss. “Yeah, that was… different.” He’d been so nervous while walking her to her apartment, but when she’d made the first move and kissed him, everything had just fallen right into place. Even his embarrassing admission about feeling like a teenager around her had turned into something they could laugh about.

“Different good?” She raised an eyebrow and moved into his personal space, keeping her hand on his arm.

“Definitely good,” he managed, while being all too aware of how close she was standing.

“Good enough to try again?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

Before Alex could respond, Edwin cleared his throat from the doorway. “Pardon the interruption, Master Moore. The movers have finished and I’ve signed for their completion in your stead; however, Miss Voss is calling on the phone.”

Olivia stepped back with a knowing smile. “Duty calls. We should probably join the others in the gym after your call anyway.” She started walking past Edwin with a quick wave, heading toward the gym, then paused. “Oh, and I’ll need to head out early tonight. Elana wants me to check on the new Guild HQ they’re building at the Epic Rift site. Construction crews have been working around the clock to get it set up.”

Damn it, Elana.

Alex coughed, “Already? That was fast.”

“Yeah, she’s throwing money at permits and inspections to speed things up. The moderators really want to establish a presence there.” She gestured toward the gym. “Go take your call. I’ll let the others know you’ll be there soon.”

Alex nodded and watched her walk away before following Edwin to take Elana’s call.