Kaito stirred slowly as daylight filtered through the thin slats of his room's smart-blinds, programmed to let in natural sunlight at precise intervals. The scent of freshly brewed tea lingered faintly in the air—his grandmother must have been up early again.
With a low sigh, he pushed off the blanket and sat up, stretching his arms. The last few days had drained him more than he'd realized. But for the first time in a while, the weight on his chest felt lighter.
He padded across the floor, slipped into a clean set of casual wear, and stepped into the hallway. As he approached the central chamber, a soft buzz of voices and sound reached his ears.
The entire Ren family was gathered in the main hall.
The massive holo-screen floated above the fireplace wall, projecting the latest feed from the Silvercrest Global News Network (SGNN). Holo-particles danced in the air, recreating three-dimensional scenes of the ruined Velthorn estate in brutal detail. Drone footage showed the collapsed pillars, the scorched marble floors, and pools of blood soaking into fine carpets.
Kaito slowed his steps.
His grandfather sat silently on the central couch, hands clasped in front of his mouth. His grandmother, stern-faced, watched without blinking. His mother and second uncle stood by the side, arms crossed. Even Rygar and Luther were present, their expressions unreadable.
"At 6:15 a.m. today," the newscaster was saying, "Federation Enforcement Units breached the Velthorn estate after receiving clearance from Central Command. What they discovered was... unprecedented."
The feed cut to a shot of the Federation Commander, his face tight with fury as he addressed the press in front of a wall of armored vehicles.
"This is no ordinary crime," the commander stated, his voice like steel wrapped in fire. "This is an affront to the Federation itself. The complete annihilation of the Velthorn family—over two hundred individuals, including civilians—was a deliberate, calculated act of war."
Gasps rippled through the press.
"We do not yet know who perpetrated this massacre," the commander continued, eyes cold and focused. "But I assure you, we will find them. We will bring them to justice. The Federation will not tolerate those who take the law into their own hands. This is not vengeance. This is not justice. This is terrorism."
Kaito stepped fully into the hall.
His family didn't turn to greet him—their eyes remained fixed on the holo-screen.
But Kaito didn't need acknowledgment. He knew they had all seen the same footage. They had all read between the lines.
The Federation hadn't found a single clue. The Ren family had done their work cleanly.
Too cleanly.
The only thing left behind... was fear.
And that, Kaito thought, might have been the point.
He crossed the room and stood beside his father, watching the commander's angry expression flicker across the screen.
"This was not a targeted assassination. This was a massacre," he declared, his voice cold and authoritative. "Over two hundred members of the Velthorn household—men, women, and even non-combatant aides—were wiped out without warning. The Federation views this not just as a criminal act, but as a direct threat to public order and state authority."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "We will not allow such lawlessness to go unanswered. Those responsible will be found. They will be brought to justice. And let this serve as a message to any who think themselves above the law—this nation was built on order, and we will protect that order at any cost."
"Now we don't need to worry about anything," Kaito said calmly, breaking the silence. "No one would ever imagine we had anything to do with this. Let's just focus on what comes next."
He turned toward the rest of the family. "As we discussed, I've already ordered game cabins for all of you. They'll arrive this afternoon."
A few surprised glances passed around the room, but no one questioned it.
"If you want," Kaito added, "you can use the time until then to train your bodies. It will help you adapt faster once you enter the game."
In truth, Kaito had no concerns about how his family would fare in Glory. Martial artists possessed a subtle edge in the game—their movements carried an instinctive precision that the system responded to. They didn't always need to rely on preset skills. Many could directly translate their real-world techniques into the digital battlefield, often creating entirely new skills recognized by the system. It was this natural affinity that gave them an evolving advantage. And soon, Kaito would stand among them. He was only a day or two away from breaking through to Rank 1. When that time came, the line between his in-game and real-world strength would blur even further.
After sharing breakfast with his family, Kaito made his way back to the studio. The moment he stepped inside, a wave of chatter and laughter greeted him. Almost everyone was present, seated around the studio lounge area, plates of food in hand, recounting their adventures from the previous day in Glory.
Many were still grinding in the Novice Village, around thirty to forty of them. His fourth aunt, too, was among them. But despite the early-game stage, the excitement in the room was palpable. They were genuinely enjoying themselves.
His aunt in particular looked animated, sharing something with a nearby group while gesturing with quick, practiced motions. As a martial artist, she had clearly discovered the same advantage Kaito had expected. She'd been testing her real-world techniques in-game and, by the looks of it, having quite a bit of success.
When she spotted him, her face lit up.
"Kaito! Come here, let's have breakfast together!"
He smiled and walked over. "Aunt Rinako, let's go to my room. We can talk more comfortably there."
She followed him into the private chamber. Once seated, Kaito recounted everything that had happened.
After a moment of silence, Rinako looked at him seriously. "I saw the news... Is everything okay?"
Kaito exhaled softly. "Yes, it's fine. Let's not talk about that anymore. It's already behind us."
He shifted topics with ease. "So, Aunt, what level did you reach?"
"Yesterday, I hit level six," she replied with a smile. "And today, I'll definitely make it to South Glade Town."
Kaito nodded approvingly.
Kaito nodded. "I've already spoken to the other elders as well. They'll be joining the game soon. I've sent them the guides. If not South Glade, we'll all regroup in Astralis City."
Rinako smiled warmly. "Alright then, you take care of yourself. I'm going to begin today's training."
With that, she exited the room, returning to the training area outside.
The courtyard had come alive.
A hundred and sixteen members were present—the full studio team, core members, and cousins alike. Everyone was engaged in various martial arts exercises, training their bodies with focused intensity. Even Aika was present, though she wasn't part of the full regimen yet. At only fourteen, she had been assigned basic postures to begin familiarizing herself with the form.
Hiroto stood off to the side, observing keenly. With only a few days left before his birthday, he, too, would soon qualify to begin martial training. The atmosphere buzzed with dedication and quiet determination.
Kaito watched them for a moment from the hallway window. He had already trained before leaving the villa earlier that morning. There was no need to repeat it.
Before stepping into his cabin, Kaito gave a final instruction to Kia, his AI assistant. He authorized it to initiate the silent merger and integration of all the industries the family had quietly acquired in recent weeks. He also instructed it to use his personal funds if needed to begin purchasing every remaining Velthorn share circulating in the market.
Those acquisitions could eventually be made public, but not yet. For now, subtlety was key. As for the other industries—the ones whose shares they had bought at discounted prices during the Velthorn controversy—Kaito directed Kia to finalize the takeovers anonymously. No one could be allowed to link the acquisitions back to the Ren family.
And finally, he asked Kia to inform his father about these decisions, so he could quietly begin preparing.
Without lingering, he turned back into the studio, made his way to his private cabin, and slipped inside.
The moment the cabin sealed behind him, he lay back and activated the login interface.
Light flooded his vision.
And once more, he entered the world of Glory.