Chapter 13: Some things must be done

Jordan knew the answer.

It was because of him.

His childhood medical treatments had cost over a million Blue Earth credits. Even after recovering, his ongoing care—supplements, therapy, and bio-medicines—was another financial burden.

Then came martial cultivation.

From middle school onward, his training became an endless money pit.

Take his cousin, Lucas Parker, for example. Lucas had shown greater martial talent than Jordan ever had in middle school—even awakening his Martial Intuition in his first year.

Yet even now, the resources Lucas received for cultivation were far less than what Jordan had been given.

His uncle and aunt never once said a word of complaint.

His younger siblings never resented him for taking a bigger share of the family's resources.

But Jordan himself couldn't ignore the guilt he felt toward them.

That guilt was one of the driving forces behind his relentless training since middle school.

He refused to let his uncle and aunt's sacrifices be in vain. He had to succeed.

Entering high school only sharpened that determination—he wanted to repay his family, to make up for everything his younger siblings had lost.

By the start of his second year, Jordan's physical stats had already reached Level 5.0, and he had awakened the mysterious Divine Mind Palace, allowing his martial cultivation to soar.

"The Divine Mind Palace is incredible, but without effort, it means nothing," Jordan had realized from the moment he awakened it.

So, he had pushed himself even harder.

His goal?

To enter a Martial Arts University.

Better yet, to get into one of the Five Elite Martial Schools and become a high-tier Martial Artist.

Not just for himself—but for his family.

Hearing that his uncle was leaving for Robhai made his heart clench.

Charles Parker had spoken so casually about it.

But Jordan, who followed the news closely, understood—soldiers and Martial Artists bore the greatest risk in defending against alien forces from beyond the Star Realms.

Right behind them were the engineers who built military fortifications.

This time, Uncle Charles Parker was essentially serving as a military engineer.

And the creatures from the Star Realms?

Ordinary firearms couldn't stop them. Only cutting-edge military weapons or high-tier Martial Artists could.

It was extremely dangerous.

"If I hadn't been sick as a child… if martial cultivation wasn't so expensive… Uncle wouldn't have to do this. He could have stayed in the city, working on municipal projects instead of volunteering for an overseas assignment just to earn extra hazard pay."

The thought left Jordan with a bitter taste in his mouth.

—

"Jordan, come into the bedroom. I need to talk to you privately."

Uncle Charles waved him over to the master bedroom.

Inside, there were two small stools. Jordan sat down.

Uncle sat by the bedside.

Clang~ Aunt gently closed the door.

Charles Parker's hair was already thinning. Though he had put on some weight, he still carried an air of scholarly elegance.

"Your aunt initially told me not to discuss this with you, worried that it might affect your focus in your final year of high school," Charles said with a smile as he looked at Jordan Parker. "But I believe that the men of the Parker family should be able to bear any kind of pressure."

Grace Chen remained silent and took a seat beside him.

"Uncle, go ahead," Jordan said in a low voice.

"According to the information I've received, several entry points to the Lobu Sea have suffered severe damage, and both the military and the Astral Martial Hall have taken heavy casualties," Charles said calmly. "This time, we managed to hold off the assault, but if they attack again, there's a real risk of a complete breach."

Jordan held his breath. A complete breach?

The gateways to the Star Realm were humanity's first and most crucial line of defense against invasion.

If they were breached, it would be a catastrophe.

Years ago, his parents had died in a Star Realm disaster.

"This mission carries a risk of death," Charles said as he looked at Jordan with unwavering eyes. "But in war, death is inevitable."

" Uncle, can you not go?" Jordan couldn't help but ask.

"Headquarters has issued orders, but if I truly refuse, there are ways around it. After all, the country has only declared a Level 3 Alert," Charles said with a faint smile.

Jordan listened quietly.

Solara's war response system was divided into three levels, with Level 3 being the lowest and Level 1 being the highest.

If a Level 1 Alert was issued, it meant the entire nation would enter a state of war, triggering a full-scale mobilization where all citizens and resources would be subject to immediate deployment orders.

In the past century, Solara had only declared a Level 1 Alert once, in 2028.

And above Level 1 Alert was the Civilization Alert—a mobilization order that could only be issued through a joint decision by the Septastar Alliance's High Council and the Three Great Martial Halls.

If enacted, it signified that at least one human-inhabited planet faced an existential crisis and required full-scale support from other planets.

Since the formation of the Alliance, a Civilization Alert had only ever been declared once in its centuries-long history.

Even so, the lowest Level 3 Alert still meant significant resource consumption and inevitable casualties.

"Jordan, I don't have to go," Charles said with a small smile. "But if I don't go, someone else will have to take my place."

"This war… someone has to fight it, right?"

Jordan fell silent.

"You're indispensable? That massive corporation can't function without you?" Grace Chen suddenly shouted, her eyes reddening.

She had already spoken with Charles earlier.

In the living room, she had held back her emotions, afraid that Lily and Lucas Parker would sense something was wrong.

But now, hearing Charles's words, she could no longer contain herself.

Charles froze for a moment before silently reaching out, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist in reassurance.

Grace lowered her head, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, but she said nothing more.

After a long pause—

"Jordan, don't worry too much," Charles said, comforting his wife before turning back to Jordan. "I won't be fighting on the front lines like other martial artists. It's not that dangerous."

" Besides, I am a ranked martial artist. I can protect myself to some extent," Charles added with a smile.

Jordan remained silent.

His uncle had graduated from Norhaven Martial University. At his peak, his physical strength had surpassed Level 12. But after years of office work, his body had likely declined to around Level 10 or 11, and his combat skills were probably rusty.

Martial cultivation wasn't like immortal cultivation—it required constant, daily training.

Suddenly—

Beep!

Jordan felt a vibration on his wrist. Instinctively, he raised his hand to check.

"Your account ending in 1486 has received a transfer from account ending in XXXX. Balance: 58,324.12 Blue Earth Credits."