Arriving at the guild, he sat down in the corner and looked around. Compared to the city that he was in previously, this guild was way busier. There were people looking at the mission board, and people collecting their rewards.

To pass the time, Tai opened up the guild leaderboard to find out what level his sister was at as she was in the top 10. This was also a way to gauge how strong the residents of this city are compared to him.

Guild Leaderboard - Sorted by level 1. Jori - Lvl. 187 - Rank A 2. Berthold Keilberth - Lvl. 152 - Rank A 3. Tai Zenith - Lvl. 148 - Rank B

Seeing his name, Tai was relieved. He wasn't sure if he was strong here or not, but being 3rd meant that he was better than average.

As Tai kept looking at the leaderboard, he spotted his sister's name at the 6th spot of the leaderboard.

6. Anna Zenith - Lvl. 93 - Rank C

'Level 93, huh. So she still hasn't taken the trial,' Tai thought to himself.

As Tai was sitting down, and minding his own business, a man approached him. "Hey, buddy. Do you mind moving? That's my gang's spot."

Tai looked up at the man and noticed four other people behind him. He smiled as he looked at the man. "No, I don't think I will."

"Why, you..." Although the man was mad, he knew of the one rule in Aether Cities which was, No Violence. "Think the robot drones can keep you safe? The city only offers protection to people in it not to the people outside, so you better watch your back whenever you leave the city."

The man laughed, and the people standing behind him laughed along with him as they sat beside his table, watching him carefully.

"Ok," Tai said in a plain tone, annoying the man as he expected more of a reaction towards his quite obvious threat.

Tai hated waiting and doing nothing, but fortunately, he didn't have to wait long as the door opened and a woman with light tan skin entered the guild. She had long, black hair that drooped to her hips and swayed with every movement.

She had on a black turtleneck shirt and high-waisted skinny jeans.

The people inside stared at her as they recognized who she was.

When Tai saw her, he instantly recognized her and stood up. Approaching her, he grabbed her shoulder. "Yo, An-"

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Tai's speech was cut off as his sister turned around and a black tendril coming from her shadow appeared, pointing it at his neck.

"Who are you, and what do you want from me?" Anna asked him.

"Can you not recognize me? Oh right, beard." Due to his endurance and fast regeneration, his nails, and bodily hair grew very fast. "It's me, Tai. Your brother."

The people that were watching the scene unfold were shocked.

"Wait, isn't he the one that suddenly appeared in 3rd place?"

"I knew it. I mean they both have the same last names."

The crowd exclaimed.

"Are you really, Tai?" When she looked into his eyes, she felt a bond with him and instantly knew that he was her brother.

"Yeah, who else would I be?" Tai said.

"Shut up." The black tendril disappeared as she hugged her brother.

Tai hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her on the forehead. "Let's go meet mom. Also, tell me what I've missed and why you're in the adventurer's guild on the way. Mom said she didn't like you doing dangerous stuff," he said, laughing at the end.

===

Meanwhile, as Tai, and his sister were having their reunion, something was happening at the UEE base.

A soldier knocked on the door of the captain's room. "Captain! Captain! I have news for you."

"Come in," the captain replied.

Opening the door, the soldier saw the captain, Berthold Keilberth, practicing with a sword, swinging it around and grunting with each swing. "What is it? Make it quick."

"Someone powerful entered the city and he instantly jumped up to 3rd on the leaderboard, just behind you, sir," the soldier said.

Berthold raised his eyebrows at the news. "Just behind me, eh? What's his name?"

"Yes, sir, but I'm sure that you're stronger. His name is Tai Zenith."

"Tai Zenith... See if he's related to Anna Zenith, and try to recruit him."

The soldier bowed as he left the room. "Yes, sir!"

===

Tai smiled as he walked beside his sister. It had been a while since he had seen her and it was good to see her. "So what was that black tendril?"

"That? It's from a skill that I received when I got the system. Darkness Manipulation," she answered.

"Wait, you received it when you got the system? You didn't learn it or anything?" The system was being unfair if this was true. How come his sister receives it immediately upon getting her system, and he had to go through a trial to get his Darkness Manipulation, Tai thought.

With that said, Tai thought that it was weird that he got Darkness Manipulation and that his sister also had it. This couldn't be a coincidence and might be because they were related?

"Yeah. When I got the system, it said that I had a powerful connection to the abyss, so it gave me the skill," Anna explained to her brother.

"Hmm, weird. I also have Darkness Manipulation. Might be because we're related?"

"You do?! Wait, show me." Anna was a bit excited knowing that her brother also had Darkness Manipulation like her.

"Sure." Gathering the darkness in the area, he made his naginata, which looked refined and more menacing than what it did before.

"Ooooh, so you fight the monsters close up? I could never do that. It's too scary," she said, shivering a bit.

Tai laughed, seeing her shiver. "Yeah, I do. How do you fight them then? From afar with those tendrils?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah. I'm also learning how to use mana for magic."