Emily laughed, shaking her head. "That's why I keep telling you—you should've learned more about the guild and the hunters, Alex. The world doesn't just run on money anymore. There's so much going on that you don't know about." She leaned back against the couch. "Of course other power systems exist—take the Wizard Guild, for example. They discovered a method to enhance their superpowers using mana crystals."
Alex's brows furrowed. "And?"
Emily shrugged. "I don't know the details, but it's obviously incomplete. If it was complete, they wouldn't have ended up bowing to the Hunter Association."
Alex's eyes narrowed. "Bowing? What do you mean by that?"
Emily smirked. "Why do you think a two-star hunter like me even knows this? The entire Wizard Guild has been absorbed by the Hunter Association. The association handed out limited information about their power system—probably as bait for hunters who might have more details about it." She tapped a finger against her armrest. "Think about it, Alex. If one power system exists, why wouldn't there be more? I'm sure the higher-ups know about them. It explains why every hunter above three stars is ridiculously strong, regardless of their original power rank."
Alex's mind raced. "So… the Hunter Association made some kind of deal to acquire these systems?"
Emily nodded. "Probably. And from what I've seen, all three-star hunters are under the Hunter Association's jurisdiction."
Alex frowned. "Then doesn't that mean they can't be loyal to our guild?"
Emily let out a small sigh. "Why do you think we need a three-star hunter's approval to open a guild? The association doesn't just let groups of superpowered individuals do whatever they want. The world's already chaotic enough." Her voice lowered slightly. "I don't agree with everything they do, but I can't say they're wrong, either."
Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That's going to be a problem. You wanted us to recruit a three-star hunter, but if I introduce this power system to our guild members, they'll immediately get suspicious. And there's no way we're strong enough to go against the Hunter Association yet."
Emily nodded. "Exactly. We have no choice but to play along for now." Then, she crossed her legs and smirked. "But honestly, Alex—you really don't understand how bad things have gotten." She turned toward the coffee table and gave a command. "Al, display a holographic projection of the current global situation."
The coffee table beeped. Then, a holographic map of the planet materialized above it, hovering in the air. Alex's eyes widened. Over half of the map was marked black. A quarter of it was red. "...What the hell?" He turned to Emily. "This kind of technology exists now? Why didn't you tell me?!"
Emily chuckled. "Because I knew you'd nerd out over it and demand one for yourself." She gestured at the map. "Anyway, focus. Almost 25% of the world is now marked red. That means those areas are uninhabitable." Her finger moved toward the center of a red zone. Her expression darkened. "You see this?"
Alex followed her gaze— His breath hitched. "That's where we used to live."
Emily's voice was quiet but firm. "People in peaceful cities like this think the world is stable now. But it's not." She met his eyes. "The situation is getting worse, Alex. The Category Five dungeon that took Dad? That was just the first." She exhaled sharply. "After that, more started appearing. They spread like wildfire, devouring entire regions. And as you can see..." She gestured to the map. "It's already consumed a quarter of our planet."
"Rather than that, Emily—what's with the dark zone?" Alex's gaze lingered on the holographic map. "It covers more than half the planet." He tilted his head, studying the projection in detail. "Wait a second... isn't this bigger than the planet I remember Ainode wasn't this size before." His brows furrowed. This map—this world—was nearly twice the size of the one he had known.
Emily sighed. "As I keep saying, Alex—you don't know enough about what's happening in the world. You're living in a bubble." She leaned forward, her tone serious. "The black zone is a new area."
Alex's eyes sharpened. "A new area?"
Emily nodded. "Ever since the Category Five dungeons started appearing, this planet started expanding—and I don't have much information beyond that. But I can tell you this: Whatever's out there is worse than anything we've seen so far." Her voice grew cold. "You need to understand, Alex—humanity as a whole is in danger now." She met his gaze, unwavering. "Hiding this power system you found? It's stupid. Instead, we should just make a deal with the Hunter Association and use them to our advantage."
Alex crossed his arms, thinking it over. "Won't they just take us over—like they did with the Mage Guild?" He arched an eyebrow. "You say hiding it is stupid, but they're still keeping their own power system a secret from the public."
Emily smirked. "And why do you think that is?"
Alex stayed silent. She gestured to the map. "If they publicly released this information? It would cause panic." Her voice was firm. "That's why they only disclose it to three-star hunters and above. Look at the Dark Hunters. They're already a menace to society. Now imagine if everyone started fighting over power systems, desperate for a way to survive. It would be chaos." She leaned back. "As for the takeover issue? That depends on what we have. The Mage Guild needed the Hunter Association to complete their power system. But if our method is already complete…" She trailed off, letting Alex fill in the blanks.
Alex's fingers tapped against the couch. After a moment, he spoke. "Alright. Let me tell you exactly what I found." Then, he started explaining the cultivation techniques. From the Foundation Stage—where cultivators conditioned their bodies to withstand Qi— To the Immortal Stage, where they reconstructed themselves using elemental energy.
Emily listened carefully. And when he finished, she gave him a look. "Alex." Her voice was slow, deliberate. "That is very complete." She narrowed her eyes. "Where the hell did you get this from?" She crossed her arms. "And what's this nonsense about becoming immortal? You're not messing with me, right?"
Alex rolled his eyes. "Do you really think I'd joke about something like this? I already got funding from Mom to start everything. I called you here for it. What more proof do you need?"
Emily knew he was serious. But how? How had her introverted, stay-at-home brother gotten his hands on something like this? She studied him carefully. "You can't tell me where it comes from?" Her voice was low. "You're not involved in something shady, are you?"
Alex sighed, shaking his head. "Where's my little sister who used to follow me around everywhere?" He gave her a small smirk. "Can't you just believe me on this? I can't explain it right now. And if I tried, you'd just end up with more questions than answers."
Emily fell silent. His words stirred something inside her. Memories of their childhood—when she used to be that innocent, trusting little girl who clung to her brother's side. She exhaled. "That kind of person wouldn't survive in this world, Alex." Her voice was quiet. Her fingers clenched into fists. "If I had trained instead of wasting time back then… Maybe Father would still be—"
"Stop." Alex's voice was firm. Emily flinched slightly. He shook his head. "How many times are we going to have this conversation?"
Emily lowered her gaze. Compared to Alex, her abilities were perfectly suited for combat. And yet, when the Category Five dungeon collapsed— She hadn't been strong enough to do anything. And that ate her alive.
Alex knew that. And he hated seeing her like this. So he changed the subject. "Will the Hunter Association force me to reveal where I got the power system?"
Emily recognized the shift. She let out a breath. "They will want answers." Her tone was clipped, back to business. "But if you have something they need… Then we hold the power in negotiations."