Ryker laid his mother down carefully onto her bed. She seemed to still want to cling onto him, but he carefully pried himself free and set her down, letting her hold on to his hand instead.

He sat by her bed, watching her sleep. The sense of satisfaction on his face brought him both pride and guilt. She had gone through so much trouble to get there when she shouldn’t have had to.

If he had the strength, he would have probably already razed the Valorian Clan to the ground for even daring to do such a thing. They were hardly responsible, but that was simply how much he cared about his mother.

What he would never forget was what the Mystery Master Alliance had done. And this matter also happened to be related to why he cared very little for his grandfather.

After his father failed to kill the bird creature to help stabilize his mother’s condition, neither of them had made a request to Leopold because they knew that the importance of a God to a Clan was far too important for him to risk. They knew the answer would be no, so the attempt would have been futile.

But the fact that Leopold had never made an attempt to intervene on their behalf, and didn’t even try to lend his weapon to Ryker’s father, had told Ryker everything he needed to know about this grandfather of his.

Leopold might be his grandfather by blood, but that was all. It didn’t extend beyond this and it never would.

Since he had his own priorities, he better not blame Ryker for having his as well.

Ryker didn’t believe for a moment that his grandfather didn’t know about his struggles or the clash with the Mystery Master Alliance. But he hadn’t even spoken up for him when the Alliance failed to give him the treasure he was owed.

How could such a man be his grandfather?

But there was a good side to this as well.

At least when he turned this Clan upside down, he wouldn’t have to worry about his so-called grandfather’s opinion.

Ryker’s ears twitched as someone entered the room. He didn’t need to look to know that it was his father.

Helios soundlessly took a seat by Ryker and they both watched Joanna sleep together. The pitiful woman’s smile only deepened, as though she could sense that both her son and husband were watching over her.

“It’s good that you’re back.” Helios said softly.

Ryker nodded. He didn’t say much, but he didn’t really have to. This was the sort of relationship he and his father had always had. It was built on love, but the need for words was much more limited.

Unlike his grandfather, Ryker’s father never tried to persuade him with words. Instead, he stormed into a Twin Headed Serpent Phoenix nest all on his own and came out with an egg.

This was the difference between lip service and real love.

Helios cared for Ryker’s future.

Leopold cared for the Clan’s.

In truth, Helios felt that Ryker should have waited a little longer. But how could a father think that his son should have stayed away from home? In the end, his love won out against his logic.

What he didn’t know was that Ryker had no choice but to return so soon and withstand the pressure that came with doing so.

If he wanted, he could have spent several more months in Patience’s Iteration, and become an Elevated first before returning. By that point, who knew? Maybe even Leopold wouldn’t be a match for him any longer.

But he couldn’t afford to waste that time just for a little bit of extra reassurance.

He needed to reach the God Realm, and he needed to do it fast.

Not only that, but he needed to fill out his roster of Contracts and raise them all to at least the Mythical Realms as well.

All of that was impossible to do in the other Iteration. There were too many things about that world that he didn’t know.

But here, he knew every beast like the back of his hand. He knew which environments would be best to train in and where to find the resources he needed.

And once the time came, and he fixed all of these internal and external conflicts, he would even be able to mobilize the power of the entire Valorian Clan to help him.

That’s not a feat he would be able to replicate in the other Iteration without investing years he didn’t have.

In the end, there was truly no choice but to return.

“How far do you intend to go?” Helios asked after an entire half hour of silence.

“Until I see blood,” Ryu replied softly.

Helios didn’t reply immediately. But after a long while, he nodded.

“Then father is with you.”

**

Ryu silently left his mother’s side in the morning. Skipping a night of rest, even while in the Ascension Realm, was ill-advised. But he allowed himself the small mistake.

He learned from his father that Jaana had been over to visit quite frequently and had only recently left. It was a bit unfortunate, but he didn’t mind it.

His plan was to go over to Jaana’s Clan’s world quite soon because it would be the best place to capture the Water Type Beast he wanted for his next Contract.

He couldn’t allow the Dao of Water he had comprehended to go to waste, so this was inevitably the best path to take.

He had three options in mind, but it would honestly depend on whether they had any young that were to his liking.

Now that he was back home, he could probably use money to buy beast eggs, but this wasn’t too worthwhile.

It wasn’t about reluctance. He might be broke, but he had no qualms about bleeding his father dry if he had to. As a powerful Glory Mythic, Helios had quite a stash of wealth.

The real issue was that the best eggs sold on the daily basis were 5th Circle, with the rare occasional 6th.

If he wanted a 7th Circle Talent, those would only appear in auctions.

And only on the rarest, once-a-decade auctions would 8th Circle talents appear. By then, you’d need the wealth of a God to claim them.

This was why Phoenix was so invaluable. Even to this day, Ryker had no idea how his father had managed it.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

That aside, Ryker refused to contract anything below the 8th Circle, so that only left catching them himself.

Of course, he wouldn’t tell his father this, as he’d probably lose his mind. And he was even less inclined to tell his mother.

8th Circle Talents always. Always. Had God Realm existences protecting them. Such beasts were talented and blessed beyond compare, having a few who reached the level every generation wasn’t a problem at all.

Of course, these Gods wouldn’t be personally guarding the eggs, as that would be left to the parents. But as he had found out after meeting Phoenix’s parents, the most talents beasts also came from the most talented parents.

The odds that he would face anything lower than a Mythic was so next to impossible that Ryker couldn’t even consider it.

So, he had to prepare.

And that preparation came in two steps.

He had to raise the Silver Mirror, Prometheus and Phoenix all the status of First Ascendeds.

And second, he needed to shore up his own strength. That required getting himself a new whip, and also finally ascended the Valorian library to exchange for techniques stronger than the current basic versions he had.

Prometheus was effectively his chain weapon now, so he didn’t need to worry about upgrading that ever. But being stuck in the other Iteration had really pissed him off.

His weapons kept crumbling, and he could never find the perfect materials for building them. He could usually only make-do with scraps from other weapons.

Worst part was they treated whips like they were solely a woman’s weapon. It was all too infuriating.

Ryker strode through the Valorian Clan compound as though he couldn’t sense the gaze on him in the slightest, and soon he made it to the Divined Smiths.

There was a rumbling heat coming out of the estate before he even made it there. It was like the entire place had been turned into a furnace.

Every sub-section of the Valorian Clan was an estate all to its own. The Divined Smith section wasn’t just a place where Valorians came to forge weapons and earn points or learn in doing so, it was also a place where those not following this path came for the sake of exchanging for weapons as well.

The Weapon Exchange Hall was one of the three main buildings of the estate and it had a large glass dome that reflected the colors of the sun and somehow made it impossible to see inside.

But once one did step in, it felt like the ceilings extended to infinity, and yet also like you could reach out and touch the clouds.

It was a beautiful sight.

“I’ve come to exchange for a weapon,” Ryker said indifferently.

He recognized the young man standing at an altar in the middle of the enormous room. He was Xun Valorian, a Third Ascended that had slipped off the Glory Path when he was 16 years old.

This result actually wasn’t bad, as that meant that he had the prowess of a First Ascended that young.

Unfortunately, he was into his thirties now, and still only a Third Ascended.

Xun’s expression flickered, obviously recognizing Ryker. But this was the first time Ryker had come to the Weapon Exchange Hall.

“Which floor would you like to challenge?” Xun asked.

It ultimately wasn’t his place to make the decision for Ryker, and he’d prefer not to offend this walking devil now that he actually had some power.

He didn’t fear a First Ascended as a Third. The gap between the Ascended Realms was so great that just one level was suffocating enough.

But he knew better than to get involved in this mess.

Who cared if Leopold punished Ryker? It wasn’t like a grandfather was going to cut off all paths of retreat for his grandson.

Anyone who tried to take advantage of Leopold’s dissatisfaction would be courting their own death.

“Hm…” Ryker hummed. He had been so occupied by other things that he forgot to consider this. “I have three chances, don’t I?”

Xun blinked, but then hurriedly checked the records. But then he almost slapped his forehead.

According to Clan rules, one was allowed to come once at the 4th Enlightenment Realm, once at the 7th, and once at the First Ascended Realm.

Obviously, Ryker would have three chances because he had never used any of the others.

“Yes, you—.”

“Why are you beating around the bush? You’re the mighty Ryker Valorian, aren’t you? Finally risen from the ashes? Just challenge the Third Elevated Rooms.”

Ryker didn’t need to look back to recognize the crisp voice. It seemed one or two pitches from being annoying, but it was just barely enough to remain within the realms of a pleasing chime.

It was Isla Valorian, his Second Uncle’s youngest daughter. In terms of seniority, she was also his youngest cousin and was only 19 years old this year, making her three years younger than Ryker.

Even so, she was already a Second Ascended.

He looked back at her with a playful glint in his eye.

“So eager to see my dazzling brilliance?” Ryker asked.

Isla smirked. “I’m about to become a Third Ascended. You’re lucky I’m outside just outside the three-year age range, or else it would be embarrassing if you lost your first battle.”

“Changing the topic already?” Ryker blinked. They were just talking about weapon exchanging, so why had she brought up something like that?

They didn’t even realize that he didn’t take the Glory Path challenge seriously at all. His rush was all because of the looming threat of their jailers. They took themselves far too seriously.

Isla froze. She had forgotten how annoying this guy was to talk to.

Ryker directly ignored her and turned back to Xun.

“First Elevated.”

The moment Ryker’s words echoed, the room went silent.

How could everyone not have been paying attention to what was happening here?

Ryker’s return had stirred up huge waves across Planet Valorian and it was sweeping across the galaxy as they spoke. Of course, anywhere he appeared in the Valorian Clan would kick up waves.

The fact he was going to challenge the Glory Path in two weeks was a shocking matter as well.

Some felt he had a chance. After all, those within three years of Ryker that had cultivation beyond the Ascended Realms were still a very small few.

Many also believed that if Ryker had an advantage, it would definitely be in beast quantity. Even if he fell to the ranks of 8th Circle Talent, he would still have a whole 72 Circles to work with.

He could contract 14 5th Circle Beasts with that amount!

Of course, no one believed that Ryker had been able to procure high-quality beasts out there on his own, not to mention so many.

But he did have a Glory Mythic for his father. In these two weeks, it would be easy to fill up his Circles. If he had been more patient, he could have whittled down his enemies one by one.

This was all to say that no one expected that from the moment he stepped out, Ryker would actually challenge the First Elevated Weapon Exchange.

“Are you—?”

Looking at Ryker’s plain stare, Xun no longer dared to finish his sentence. He hurriedly placed a hand on the orb rotating in the altar before him and held his breath.

A devastating pressure descended from above and the sky dome above them turned pitch black.

The surrounding experts froze in place.

The Weapon Exchange wasn’t a place where you just plucked a weapon off a shelf and called it a day. It was also a chance to display your skill.

The weapons here were all of exceptional quality, and most importantly…

All protected by seals.

Weapons and treasures of all shapes and sizes began to appear high above, floating like stars.

The suffocating auras came from the chains wrapping around them. Since Ryu had challenged the First Elevated level, that meant that the seals were of this level as well. Even the arrogant Isla was having trouble breathing.

“Is there a problem?” Ryker asked, looking back at the slightly quivering Isla.

He didn’t wait for her response as he turned back.

‘Hm. All things considered, it’s best I save a protective treasure for later. With Prometheus, my attack strength is already excellent. No need to push it too far. In that case…’

Ryker locked eyes with a whip.

It had a thick, coiling body with faint dragon scales across its body. Its unique woven pattern caused roars to echo the moment Ryker laid eyes on it. Something about its crimson red called to him.

“Then, it’ll be you.”

Ryker reached out and clawed at the air.

The bundle of chains shot toward him, and he gave it a light pat.

Crack.

The seal shattered as though it were nothing more than tissue paper.

ROAR!

Ryker grabbed the handle, facing the pummel with the carved face of a roaring beast.

“Simmer down.”

He cracked the whip once, and a violent echo boomed across the pavilion. But nothing was damaged at all. How could such an important place in the Valorian Clan be so easily damaged?

As though he didn’t care, Ryker coiled his new Elevated Treasured and hooked it to his hip.

“Second Elevated.” Ryker spoke calmly.

Xun still hadn’t quite recovered. His heart shook when he heard Ryker’s words, but he didn’t dare to delay.

The weapons in the sky were replaced, and Ryker scanned them one by one.

After a long while, he landed on a dial. It was a broken Mythic treasure that was placed here because it could still display the might of a Second Elevated treasure.

It looked no different from a sundial and its purpose was to locate eggs. It was perfect for what Ryker needed, especially after he repaired it.

He reached forward, and it surged toward him. He could tell that the restriction on this one was a bit greater than the others, as not all treasures would be created equal.

But he didn’t seem to care at all.

With a pat, the seal shattered.

He almost carelessly took the cracked sundial and put it away into a storage ring. It felt good to finally have one of those again, as he had been using the Dream Cloud Clam casing for too long.

“Third Elevated.”

This time, Isla’s eyes opened wide. And much the same, Xun could only comply.

The devastating pressure that fell from above forced many to their knees. They couldn’t even raise their heads to see what Ryker had picked.

But they heard the familiar sound of a shattering seal, and the pressure suddenly disappeared.

When they looked up, Ryker was already gone.

It had only been a single night, but Ryker had used the most fiendish method available to him to crush many of their speculations.

Even if it was only the strength of his Seal comprehension… Ryker wasn’t someone to be casually messed with.