Alex's Father

Hearing this, Lin Hua felt a wave of relief. She didn't find it strange—cultivators often did this. Many left their complete cultivation methods to their inheritors but sealed the higher levels, only unlocking them when the heir reached a certain stage. It served multiple purposes—ensuring the inheritor wasn't overwhelmed with knowledge too soon, but more importantly, protecting them from being targeted before they were strong enough to defend themselves.

While Mingyue was busy with her revenge, Alex was locked in a heated discussion with his mother. At first, she hadn't objected when he told her he wanted to create a research facility for developing new products. But when he mentioned starting his own guild… That was when everything fell apart. "I said no, Alex! You'd be better off wasting away at home than starting a guild!" Luca's voice was firm, her gaze sharp.

Alex sighed. "Mom, I'm just opening a guild, not jumping into dungeons."

Luca's expression darkened. "And so what? You say that now, but what about later? What happens when something goes wrong?" Her eyes flashed with worry."You have abilities too, Alex! If a disaster happens, as the guild leader, you'll be required to step in!" Her voice wavered slightly. "Have you already forgotten what happened to your father?"

Silence filled the room. Alex clenched his fists. Of course, he hadn't forgotten. He missed his father every single day. Edward Reiner had abilities similar to his own—his mind functioned at an incredible speed, allowing him to process multiple streams of information at once. That power had helped him build an empire within his lifetime. He married Luca, achieved his dream, and lived a fulfilling life. 

Until that day. January 28, 2189. A Category Five dungeon appeared out of nowhere, breaking every known rule and expectation. It collapsed in under an hour. And when it did, The city was overrun. Monsters poured out, each one capable of slaughtering an entire team of hunters with ease. Panic spread like wildfire.

At the time, Edward was leading his own guild. He had wanted to name it Full Metal, but the copyright committee shut that down. So instead, he settled on Suzaku—after the legendary phoenix—symbolizing rebirth and a new future for every member.

As a guild leader and an awakened, he couldn't leave. He had to stay, coordinating his forces, trying to keep the city from collapsing entirely. Alex, Luca, and Emily had been evacuated. Luca had wanted to stay with him. But Edward had been firm. "Someone has to take care of the kids," he had told her.

"They're teenagers, Ed," she had argued. "They're not—"

"They need you, Luca." His tone had left no room for argument. And so, she left—Taking Alex, 18 at the time, and Emily, 16, with her. That was the last time they saw him alive. 

A few hours later, the news broke. The city had been decimated. No survivors. The entire area was sealed off, marked as a forbidden zone.

Five years had passed since that day. And yet, they had never held a funeral for Edward. Luca refused. She kept posting missions, hiring teams to search for him. In her mind, he wasn't dead—not until she saw his body.

Emily had taken it the hardest. She fought with Luca, furious at her mother's refusal to accept the truth. "If you won't find him, I will!" she had shouted. "I'll look for my father with my own hands!"

No matter how much Luca tried to stop her, Emily left home. She became a hunter. She hadn't spoken to Luca since. But every week, without fail, she sent updates to Alex. Knowing his mother wouldn't back down, Alex sighed and made a decision. If he wanted to get anywhere, he had to leave too. "…Alright, I won't start a guild. Happy now, Mom?"

Luca exhaled, relief washing over her. "Good." She pulled out her phone. "So, what do you need to get started? I'll have our lawyers handle the legal side. Is one billion dollars enough?"

Alex blinked. "You're really just throwing that number out like it's pocket change?"

Luca ignored him. "We also have space available—your father built it for Suzaku's expansion," she continued. "It's being used by survivors and their families now." She met his gaze. "Give them jobs, Alex. They're experienced with guild work. I tried offering them other careers, but they refused. They want something related to dungeons."

Alex considered it. "If it's designed for a research facility, that should be more than enough," he said. "I've already found a professor to lead the team. Just send me the address—I'll check it out myself."

Luca nodded. "Fine. I won't micromanage. I don't have experience in that field anyway." Then, she chuckled. "Just don't get scammed, alright?"

Alex smirked. "Mom, with my abilities, who could possibly scam me?"

"Exactly." She grinned before leaning in slightly, eyes sharp. "Now, tell me. Why this? You wouldn't suddenly decide to start a business unless something caught your interest."

Luca wasn't worried about money. Even if the business flopped and Alex burned through a billion dollars, it didn't matter. As long as he had something to do—something to chase—it was better than sitting at home, wasting away. She was just curious. What was it that had finally motivated him?

Alex's lips curled into a grin. "I found something interesting," he said, excitement flickering in his eyes. "Something that can elevate our family to a whole new level."

Luca arched a brow. She did not believe that. Their family was already in the top 10% of the wealthiest people on the planet. And the only way to rise further—to reach the top 1%— Was to replace someone who was already there. That level of wealth wasn't something newcomers could just achieve. Those elite families had held power for generations, controlling industries, governments, entire nations. 

The only reason their family had climbed this high was because of the dungeons—because of the chaos that had reshaped the world. And yet, Alex was saying he had found something that could push them even higher? She wasn't convinced. But she was definitely intrigued.