Kaito then turned toward Zephyr and Velena, sending over two more guides to them through the system.
"Alright," he said, "I've sent you the guides for the Horror and Nightmare levels of the Misty Palace. I'll be uploading the Normal, Elite, and Hard-level guides on the forum soon."
The two guild leaders glanced at the files in their hands. They exchanged bitter smiles.
Zephyr sighed first. "Brother Raen… although you've given us the guides, we're still struggling with Hard. Clearing Horror or Nightmare feels impossible right now."
Kaito shook his head. "Don't worry. Just follow my guide carefully. After two or three clears, you'll find the rhythm. It will get easier."
In truth, he had no time to personally lead them through the higher levels. With his own goals pressing down, this was the only help he could give for now.
"Alright, Brother Raen," Zephyr and Velena said together, nodding reluctantly.
After giving them a few more instructions, Kaito didn't linger. He left for South Glade Town. Now that he was already level 17, he needed to push quickly to level 20 and prepare for his job change in the city.
For him, the fastest way wasn't grinding monsters it was forging. And now that he had obtained the Advanced Whetstone Recipe, he could turn those flintstone cores that he had brought earlier, into whetstones, creating not just experience, but also another steady source of income.
As soon as he reached South Glade, he went straight to meet his second uncle, who had collected the meat from the Demonic Rabbits they had hunted earlier. There, his uncle updated him on the family's progress.
Kaito learned that his third uncle and father, along with a hundred family guards, had been grinding monsters at the spot he recommended. Thanks to this, they were all on track to reach level 15 soon, preparing themselves to challenge the Misty Palace Dungeon.
Meanwhile, his grandfather and the others stayed focused on their lifestyle careers. Most of the blueprints and recipes that Kaito and the other Genesis members had obtained in dungeons, whether forging designs, potion formulas, or other profession manuals, had been handed over to them. They studied diligently, mastered these skills, and turned those professions into a thriving and profitable industry.
The gold they earned from this business was reinvested back into the guild, supporting the contracted players of Genesis. Those players were then able to level up their own life professions faster, creating a self-sustaining cycle of growth.
Kaito's second uncle also mentioned the news from their ancestral estate.
"Your eldest grandfather, second grandfather, and the others from the ancestral estate there have all reached above level 5," he said with a small smile. "By tomorrow, they'll be heading toward their respective towns under the Solaris City Region, the capital of the Solaris Kingdom."
Kaito nodded in satisfaction. That was faster progress than he had expected. Having the family spread across towns under Solaris City's influence would only strengthen their foundation further.
Next, he asked about the list of talents he had passed on earlier the people he wanted recruited into Genesis.
His second uncle quickly gave him the update. "Most of them have agreed. I've already sent instructions for them to stay put for now, in the places where they are. Once teleportation opens up between cities, I'll be able to transfer more resources to them according to their contract levels. But for now, I can only send small amounts each day, because of the mailbox limits."
Kaito understood. The restrictions of the system always made logistics troublesome, but at least the important groundwork had been laid. Those players were now locked in by contract, and when the time came, he could invest in them heavily to strengthen Genesis' reach.
While listening, Kaito's eyes fell on his second uncle's character panel. His level was still stuck at Level 10.
Although his uncle hadn't said anything about it, Kaito remembered their earlier agreement. He had only asked for his second uncle's help with management for a few days. After that, he was supposed to return to the battlefield.
Kaito couldn't help but feel a little guilty. His second uncle had given up valuable leveling time to handle the management of contracts, finances, and resources for him. And now, while his brothers were out there leveling and preparing for dungeons, he was still here, behind a desk.
Without wasting time, Kaito immediately sent a message to his fourth aunt and Nina. He instructed Nina to return to his second uncle and continue her management training.
When he was done, Kaito turned back to his uncle and spoke sincerely.
"Second Uncle, thank you for everything you've done. I've already told Nina to return here. She'll continue her training under you until she can fully take over. Once her training is finished, you can hand everything over to her… and then you can finally go out and fight to your heart's content."
Hearing this, his second uncle gave a small smile. He didn't complain, nor did he show regret. Instead, there was only relief in his eyes. Fighting had always been his passion, and now that Kaito had arranged someone trustworthy to take his place, he could finally rejoin his brothers on the battlefield without worries.
Kaito felt lighter too. With Nina stepping in and his second uncle free to fight, both management and combat power of the Ren family would grow stronger.
….
After settling a few more matters with his second uncle, Kaito headed straight for the Church of Light. This time, he carried nothing but the bundle of Demonic Rabbit meat he had prepared. The only equipment he kept on him were the Solstice Blade and Dragon Fang Blade. He wanted to appear harmless, making sure Elder Faelion would see him only as a sincere petitioner bringing an offering.
As soon as the tall spires of the church came into view, Kaito broke into a run. He was already familiar with this path. Over the past few days, he had made this trip many times, each time handing over meat from Demonic Rabbits. Each offering raised Elder Faelion's favorability toward him. By now, the old priest looked at Kaito in a way that showed some recognition.
"Lord Elder Faelion, I'm here again!" Kaito called out as he entered.
Elder Faelion stood in his usual place, cloaked in the dim glow of the chapel's torches. The old man's face softened slightly when he saw who it was.
"Oh, it's you again," Faelion said, his voice calm but with a faint warmth. "I trust you won't disappoint me this time, will you?"
There was even a rare trace of admiration in his eyes. For an NPC of such high standing, that was no small thing.
But as he spoke, the faint dark aura that seeped from Faelion's staff made Kaito's heart tighten. It wasn't the light of a holy priest.
Kaito swallowed. He's absorbed so much demonic energy… I'm not sure if even I could defeat him if it came to that.
For a moment, regret stirred inside him. All this time, he had been dutifully bringing meat from the corrupted beasts, only now realizing just how much demonic energy Faelion had been taking in through them. Had Kaito unintentionally strengthened him?
He didn't voice his thoughts. Instead, he carefully glanced around. The church's grand hall was quiet, almost empty. The other priests and paladins were far off, at least a hundred yards away, too far to intervene quickly if anything went wrong. The realization made Kaito uneasy, but he kept his composure.
He stepped forward and bowed politely.
"May the light be with you, Lord Elder Faelion. This is the Demonic Rabbit meat I've brought today. I hope it will help you cleanse the world of evil spirits."
Kaito offered the meat with both hands, his words formal but steady.
Faelion's eyes glowed faintly as he accepted the offering, and the shadows around his staff pulsed as though feeding on the darkness within the meat.
Kaito forced a smile, but inside his mind, his guard remained high.