Just as Ethan gave his signature thumbs-up with a cheeky grin, he quickly caught himself and straightened up. He lowered his head respectfully and greeted, "Hello, Grandma. Hello, Principal. You both look so young. If my friends saw you, they'd think you were my sister!"
The elegant woman raised her eyebrow and smirked, clearly amused by the compliment.
> "Ethan, right? Not bad. You're pretty good-looking yourself. From now on, I've got your back."
From the moment she first laid eyes on Ethan, she'd been carefully observing him. Her expression remained composed, almost royal in poise, but there was a flicker of something deeper in her gaze—a kind of quiet recognition.
She could tell instantly that this boy had a sharp mind and steady presence. He didn't appear to be a clone of Tiankuang, also known as Principal Chu Tiankuang, but rather something rarer—a more composed, improved version.
Back when Tiankuang was younger, he was all brawn and no brain—full of wild ambition but little tact. Ethan, on the other hand, had already shown more cleverness and restraint than Tiankuang ever had in his youth.
With a smile of quiet approval, she nodded to herself. There was no way Tiankuang had moved on or found a new love interest. He wasn't bold enough for that. No, this boy must have been adopted. Still, Ethan had a spark to him—the kind of person one instinctively wanted to support.
> And so, with a casual wave of her hand and surprising bluntness, she declared her intention to protect him.
But Ethan stood frozen, confused.
"Wait... What?"
He blinked rapidly. The graceful, dignified lady who looked like some high-born noblewoman had just used street slang? That tone... It sounded like something out of an old gangster movie!
The contradiction was too much for Ethan's mind to process.
> "So this is why the principal always acts like he's under pressure!" Ethan realized.
"It's not him being overly cautious—his grandma's just... too powerful!"
Everything made sense now.
The principal always seemed to be walking on eggshells, avoiding his own home. One night and one day with this woman, and the man looked like he'd aged 20 years.
And just when Ethan thought the surprises were over, Principal Chu Tiankuang addressed him seriously:
> "I almost forgot. I meant to tell you when I got back—I'll be away for about a week. While I'm gone, take care of yourself."
"If you need any equipment or summoned beasts, just go to Darunhua's merchant hall and charge it to my account. Don't be shy."
With those words, the principal nodded once and turned to leave, his regal grandmother following behind.
> Boom!
The door slammed shut behind them.
Ethan stood still for a moment, stunned.
> "One day and one night wasn't enough? They're heading out again… for a week?!"
He stared blankly at the door, a mixture of awe and sympathy washing over him.
> "The Principal of No. 3 Middle School… is truly a real man."
Ethan gave him another slow thumbs-up, genuinely impressed.
---
Outside, at the gate—
> Chiiii—
The principal's grandmother casually sliced her hand through the air, and space itself ripped open like fabric. The two walked calmly into the shimmering portal.
> "So, what's your impression of the boy?" she asked.
> "He's not bad," the principal replied, his voice laced with fatigue. "Smarter than I was at that age. Still… S-class talent isn't quite enough."
> "Still, he gave up other SS-level options just to become a Beast Master like me. That counts for something."
> "Maybe… but I want to look into him a bit more."
> "Fine. Oh, and how much did you transfer to my account?"
> "A hundred million. That was the limit. You opened a new identity and account again, remember?"
> "One hundred million should do. For now." She looked at him slyly. "So… where are we headed?"
> "So many questions!" the principal groaned. "Just follow me. You always do this…"
And with that, they vanished into the tear in space.
---
Back in the house, Ethan finally let out a deep breath.
He was relieved. With the principal gone, he could now avoid awkward explanations about his summoned beasts.
Opening his Beast Familiar Space, he immediately noticed that the Ant Queen had grown significantly larger. Her exoskeleton had shed, replaced with a hard, sandy-yellow shell. When still, she almost looked like a carved boulder.
Nearby, the three Poisonous Fire Ants that had hatched today scuttled about. They were still young and lacked combat power but could assist the Queen by bringing her food—for now, they'd serve as errand runners.
Across the field, Anti-Bone Boy was happily munching away. As one of the newer Fire Ants cautiously approached him, it paused. It seemed unsure—was Anti-Bone Boy a friend? Or perhaps a threat?
After a few seconds of sizing him up…
> Wham!
Anti-Bone Boy casually kicked the ant across the room with a flick of his leg.
Ethan facepalmed.
> "Bro… That's your sibling. Literally. Chill."
He watched the tiny insect tumble away and sighed. It felt like he was watching toddlers argue, or ants bump heads in a glass tank—and oddly, he liked the feeling.
There was something oddly satisfying about this whole experience. He was cultivating life. In a way, he felt like a god, shaping a tiny world beneath him.
---
Later, Ethan opened up the Ravenshade City professional forums, scrolling through the dungeons listed for tomorrow.
Most of the beginner-level dungeons were no longer a challenge for him, especially with Anti-Bone Boy and the steadily-growing ant army.
But anything above LV20 was risky. Beyond that point, the power gap widened significantly. His personal strength hadn't caught up yet, especially since the ant colony wasn't ready for mass combat.
Still, one post caught his attention.
> Dungeon: Myriad Realms – LV20
Final Boss: GOLD-tier
Ethan's heart skipped a beat.
A gold-tier boss at LV20? That was incredibly rare.
This wasn't just another dungeon—it was a gateway challenge, the peak trial before one's first class advancement.
"Perfect," Ethan thought. "Exactly what I need."
And he wasn't the only one watching.
---
Elsewhere, Lily Winters sat quietly, her brow furrowed as she stared at the glowing screen of her phone.
Across the display, one dungeon listing had caught her eye too:
> "Myriad Realms Miku · LV20"
Her fingers hesitated over the screen.
A subtle tension filled the room.
---
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