Kael soared through the clouds, faster than any airplane. With his mana stat fully unlocked, every ounce of it worked as fuel, propelling him forward like a living jet engine.
Down below, in Settlement 16, a young boy looked up, eyes widening.
"Mom! Big bro Kael is here!"
"Kael? Where?"
"There! Up there! He's flying!" The boy pointed at the sky, voice cracking with excitement.
Gasps rippled through the people.
"Ohhh, that's Kael," said Elder Thomas, shading his eyes.
"Kael, come down! It's nice to see you again!"
Dozens of eyes fixed upward as Kael descended slowly, still wearing his hunter's suit, the sun gleaming against him.
"Ohhh, Grandpa Thomas," Kael greeted with a smile. "Good to see you."
"Same here, lad. How are you and the others?"
"They're doing well," Kael answered. "Working hard, as always."
"So what brings you here?" Elder Thomas asked cheerfully.
Kael scratched his head, smirking. "Me? I hunted too many boars. Thought I'd drop some off."
The old man blinked in shock when Kael casually pulled out five whole Ironhide Boars' worth of meat.
"This much? We don't have freezers big enough even for two of them!"
Kael chuckled. "Alright, then. Keep one in stock, use another for tonight's feast, and make jerky from the third. I'll need it for the workers back at the dam."
Thomas nodded eagerly. "Consider it done. We'll get it processed right away."
Kael's meat was already cut into manageable kilo-sized slabs, easy to store. He handed them off, then asked, "By the way… how many young adults do we have here, between seventeen and twenty-two? Anyone who wants to be a hunter?"
Anna stepped forward, eyes shining. "My son wants to be one."
"In total, we've got twenty-seven young ones who dream of becoming hunters," Elder Thomas added. "But… we can't afford to send them to the academy."
Kael grinned. "No problem. I'll hire tutors myself. My guild members can train them, and I'll even provide Awakening Potions."
The villagers erupted in cheers. Anna's eyes welled with tears. Elder Thomas clasped Kael's hand firmly. "You're giving them hope they never thought possible."
"Don't thank me yet," Kael replied. "Just tell them to prepare themselves. I'll return soon."
He floated up, waving. "Goodbye for now!"
"Bye, Kael!" the crowd shouted, waving until he shot upward, vanishing into the sky like a comet.
"Big bro Kael is so cool!" the boy yelled. "He's like Superman!"
"My big bro says Kael is an S-rank hunter!"
"Woooow!"
Kael's mana trail shimmered through the sky as he cut across the horizon. Soon, he reached his own home.
From her window, Maya spotted him descending. Her jaw dropped.
"Wuaaaaaaahh!" she screamed, running back into her room.
The door creaked open, and Kael appeared, smirking.
"Why are you yelling like that?" he teased, suddenly appearing in front of her and pinching her cheeks.
"Ouch! Kuya, stop! You're so mean!" Maya pouted, looking cute as ever.
Kael grinned. "Congrats, sis. Tomorrow's your graduation. I hope you get a strong class and rank. Whatever it is, you'll always be welcome in my guild."
"Guild? What guild?" she asked, blinking.
"My own," Kael said proudly. "I'm the Guild Master."
Her eyes widened. "Wait… so that video of you fighting an S-rank monster on NewTube… that was real?"
Kael chuckled. "What do you think?"
"Uhm… I'll think about joining," Maya laughed nervously. "But still… I like Empress Guild better."
Kael rolled his eyes. "Haaa… this brat."
Downstairs, their mother, Martha, looked up as Maya yelled, "Mom! Kuya's here!"
Martha rushed out. "Kael? At last! Do you know how worried I was these past weeks?"
Kael rubbed his neck. "Sorry, Mom. I was busy… doing tasks, earning money. It's a long story. Let's eat first."
He placed piles of fresh pork meat onto the table.
Maya gasped. "Kuya, that's… so much meat!"
Her younger brothers Mel, Duke, and Luke came running the moment they heard the word meat.
"Where? Where??"
They darted past Kael, eyeing the pork hungrily.
"Oi. Don't I even get a hello?" Kael asked with a laugh.
"BIG BRO KAEL!!!" they finally shouted, hugging him tightly.
"Hahaha, you little shits," Kael said warmly.
Their mom quickly began slicing the meat for Korean barbecue. Maya peppered Kael with endless questions about being a hunter, while the boys played on their phones.
After thirty minutes, the food was ready. Sizzling samgyupsal, roasted brisket, and steaming rice filled the table.
They ate happily, Kael sharing his adventures: the goblin settlement, the Ironhide Boars, the lizardmen, the S-rank boss, and how he had begun building a new city.
Finally, Kael grew serious. "Mom… I want all of you to move with me once the construction's finished. That place will be the safest in the world safer than here."
Martha hesitated. "But your father… he's still in a coma in City Two…"
Kael's eyes hardened. "I'll build a hospital there. Research facilities, too. I'll make sure Dad and others like him can be treated."
Martha stared at him, her expression softening. "If you promise to take care of your father… then we have no choice. We'll go with you."
Kael smiled. For the first time in a long while, his home felt truly alive.
Ok got it said by kael when suddenly a news flashed on tv
The family gathered around the table. Warm rice, sizzling pork fat, and thick slices of beef filled the air with mouthwatering scent. The TV in the background buzzed softly as the evening news played.
The family gathered around the table. Steam rose from bowls of rice, pork fat sizzled on the grill, and thick cuts of beef perfumed the air. Laughter and chatter filled the room, the sound of clinking chopsticks blending with the low buzz of the television.
Kael was just about to pour soup into Mel's bowl when the newscaster's voice cut sharply through the noise.
"Breaking news: the Blue Dragon Guild, led by newly awakened S-Rank hunter Anthony Keith, has successfully cleared an unstable S-Rank gate in Rizal Province."
Kael's hand froze mid-pour.
The screen shifted to Anthony his old sparring partner. Someone he hadn't seen in a long while, now standing taller, sharper, wearing a full A-Rank set of armor with the emblem of a roaring blue dragon etched proudly across his chest.
The report rolled on.
"The team, composed of one S-RankAnthony Keith himself ten A-Ranks, and twenty B-Ranks, cleared the S-Rank Red Goblin Settlement in just six days.
Against all odds, they sustained zero casualties."
Kael's siblings barely glanced up, too busy stuffing meat into lettuce wraps, but Kael's eyes narrowed. He knew exactly how dangerous S-Rank gates were. Clearing one without deaths wasn't just skill it was leadership.
The news continued, a dramatic fanfare announcing Anthony's next move.
"The Blue Dragon Guild has purchased the cleared gate for one hundred billion star coins. It will be transformed into a permanent dimensional rift The 6th of its kind in the Philippines. With this, Blue Dragon Guild rises as the country's sixth official major guild, following White Tiger Guild's promotion last year."
Clips of livestream footage played, showing Anthony stepping proudly before cameras, summoning the gate entrance in front of thousands of viewers. The feed then shifted to the inside: endless forests, flowing rivers, unclaimed land stretching as far as the eye could see.
"An estimated five hundred eighty square miles," the reporter said. "The largest dimensional rift in Asia surpassing White Tiger Guild's four hundred twenty square miles. Big enough to house an entire city, with abundant resources and natural defenses."
Kael's mom paused mid-cut, watching intently. The children barely cared until the newscaster added:
"The Blue Dragon Guild also announced plans to develop housing projects inside the rift. Each condominium-style unit will measure forty square meters, with ten-year loan options. The project is expected to shelter up to ten million people, a crucial step in addressing the country's worsening housing crisis.
With Visayas and Mindanao declared uninhabitable due to rampant monster outbreaks and mana surges, and Luzon remaining under constant threat from flying-type monsters, the demand for safe residential zones has never been higher. This marks the first time in Southeast Asia that a deadly dungeon will be reborn into a sustainable residential city."
The broadcast shifted back to Anthony, standing confidently at the press conference. His voice carried with calm authority:
"This is only the beginning. The Blue Dragon Guild will protect this country and put its name on the global stage."
The TV fell silent, save for the applause in the background of the livestream.
Kael didn't say a word. He set the soup ladle down slowly.
His mother glanced at him, then at the screen. "...That's your friend, isn't it?"
Kael nodded once. "Yeah. Anthony."
Maya tilted her head, eyes curious. "He used to come over sometimes, right? I remember him."
Kael's lips curved slightly. "Yes. That's Anthony. My school friend… and one of my rivals."
He leaned back in his chair, watching Anthony's figure on-screen, clad in armor and basking in praise.
"...You're getting stronger, Anthony," Kael muttered under his breath. "But I'm not slacking either. Let's see which of us ends up on top."