Alex knew Emily had a point, but he saw it as only a short-term issue. The hunters who joined this guild wouldn't stay weak for long. How could they? They'd be cultivators—with superpowers as their foundation. And once they stepped onto that path, their growth would be unstoppable.
In fact, Alex planned to prioritize recruiting those with underestimated mental abilities like his own. Abilities that seemed useless before would become game-changing once cultivation was added to the mix. Physical strength? That could be elevated. Elements? They could master them with the right techniques. But what if there was something more?
A thought flickered through his mind. In traditional cultivation, Qi was gathered, refined through breathing techniques, and converted into an element. But modern Awakeners? Their bodies already generated elements naturally. What if that energy could be fed back into their cultivation, accelerating their progress exponentially? If his theory was right, it could push cultivation speeds beyond anything recorded before.
The mere possibility sent a thrill of anticipation through him. 'Yeah… I need the full set of cultivation methods from Mingyue.' And while he was at it— 'I should also get the contract and slave method.' Alex hated the idea of slavery. But Faerith's research was too important. He needed a failsafe. If she ever thought about exposing the truth… His entire family would become a target. There were too many forces out there they couldn't afford to provoke. His family came first.
A voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Hello??" Emily's irritated tone came through the speaker. "Are you still there? Why'd you go silent all of a sudden?"
Alex shook off his thoughts. "Nothing, Sis. Just thinking about precautions." Then, he switched gears. "Since you want a stronger front for the guild, do you have someone in mind? Someone you trust? Preferably someone who won't ask too many questions."
Emily frowned. "What do you mean by asking too many question?" Then, suspicion crept into her voice. "…Alex. Don't tell me you're planning to work with Dark Hunters?"
Emily hated them. Most of her missions had her crossing paths with those psychos. "Don't you dare get involved with them," she snapped. "Do you know what they do? They're worse than monsters."
Alex rolled his eyes. "Sis. Come on. I'm not that dumb."
"Then explain," Emily demanded.
"I just don't want people poking around too much," Alex said carefully. "There are things about the guild I'd rather keep private, you know?"
Emily was silent for a moment. Then, her voice turned sharp. "What exactly are you trying to hide?"
Alex hesitated. Unlike their mother, Emily would be working closely with him. A vague excuse wasn't going to cut it. "…I trust you," he admitted. "But you can't tell anyone about this." A pause. Then, he said it. "I found a way for any Awakener to get stronger." He let that sink in. "Even normal people can reach hunter-level power."
The other end of the line went completely silent. Then, Emily spoke. "…You're saying you found a new power system?"
Alex blinked. 'Power system?' That was one way to put it. "Yeah, you could say that."
Silence again. Then—Emily's voice turned urgent. "Why the hell did you call me about this on a normal line?"
Alex opened his mouth, but before he could answer—"Forget it," she cut in. "Come to my place. Tonight."
Then— Click. She hung up. Alex stared at his phone. 'A power system…' Did that mean other methods had been discovered before? He had a lot of questions. And it looked like he was finally about to get some answers. For now, the most important thing was securing a cultivation method. 'Vesa, can you ask Mingyue about the cultivation techniques?'
[You're asking at the perfect time, King. We just acquired several new techniques, but it would be better if you ask the Queen yourself.]
Alex nodded. "Mingyue, how's it going? Have you made any decisions yet? What do you want from my world?"
At that moment, Mingyue had just finished dealing with Lin Hua. She was sorting through the treasures inside the secret realm, using Vesa's assistance to catalog them. "I've thought about it." She paused, glancing at the list. "What I need most right now is what you call a smartphone. Something that can record and take pictures would be extremely useful."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "A smartphone?" He considered it. Even without electricity in her world, a phone could last for weeks if mobile data was off. Not a big deal—he could just send her a new one every time the battery died. "Alright, I can get that for you. Now, about the cultivation techniques—Vesa mentioned you just got a whole batch of them, right? Send me everything. Vesa can transmit the information, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"All of them?" Mingyue questioned. She leaned back slightly, a hint of skepticism in her voice. "Don't waste your time on useless methods, Alex. Most of them are low-level or incomplete."
Alex chuckled. "Don't worry, Mingyue. I'm not planning to use them—I want to analyze them." His eyes glinted with interest. "Who knows? I might even be able to develop a new method from them."
Mingyue raised an eyebrow. The idea was ambitious. But then again, Alex's abilities made it possible. "Fine," she said. "Just be careful when experimenting. A bad cultivation method can lead to a fate worse than death."
Alex smirked. "I'll be careful." Then, his tone shifted. "By the way, how's your situation over there? Who's after you?"
Mingyue hesitated. She hadn't told him everything yet. But before she could answer, Vesa's voice echoed in her mind.
[Queen, why haven't you told the King the full truth? You know it's not 'alright'—you're surrounded by enemies. Your fates are already linked. Just like you're afraid of something happening to the King—because it would mean losing access to his world—he should know the risk of something happening to you.]
Mingyue frowned. 'Vesa… what exactly happens if one of us dies?'
[You mean, what happens to the other?]
[Your fates are literally linked, Queen. Your souls have already begun merging with the Progenitor essence—that's what allowed me to create this system in the first place. If one of you dies… so does the other.]
Mingyue's grip tightened.
[And as your transformation into a true Progenitor progresses, your connection will deepen. Eventually, you'll feel each other's presence constantly—because a Progenitor is not two beings. It is one soul.]
Mingyue exhaled slowly. This… changed things. She needed to tell Alex. Because now, his life depended on hers just as much as hers depended on his.