Night fell over the Outer District of Verdant Haven Citadel, painting the sky in deep shades of violet and crimson. Inside the reinforced walls of Radiant Crest Villa, the atmosphere was warmer than it had been in eight agonizing years.
In the villa’s grand kitchen, a massive iron stove roared with crackling flame.
Gabriel stood by the counter in a simple apron over his dark tunic, wielding a chef's knife with the effortless precision of a master martial artist. On the cutting board lay prime cuts of Grade-3 Blood-Pincer Panther meat and rare medicinal herbs he had bought during their recent trip to the Grand Outer Pavilion.
The scent filling the kitchen was intoxicating—rich, savory, and heavy with pure spiritual Qi.
"Dad! Let me help with the fire!" Ethan called out, rushing in with an armful of dried ironwood logs.
"I've got the vegetables sliced!" Elena added, carefully placing chopped spirit-lotus roots onto a porcelain platter.
Gabriel smiled, tossing a handful of crushed red fire-peppers into the sizzling iron wok. "Careful with that wood, Ethan. Ironwood burns hot. Keep the flame steady—cooking high-tier beast meat is just like controlling your internal Qi. Too much heat and you burn away the essence; too little and the meat stays tough."
The twins watched in fascination as Gabriel moved around the kitchen. In combat, their father was a terrifying demon who could crush a Mid-Stage Martial Scholar with his bare hands. But here, stirring a pot of bubbling broth, he was just a warm, attentive father making sure his children were fed.
Twenty minutes later, the dining table was covered in a feast fit for an Inner City noble family: braised panther ribs glazed in spirit-honey, steamed lotus root soup infused with Qi-nourishing ginseng, and pan-seared tenderloin served alongside chilled, sweet spirit-fruit juice.
Ethan and Elena sat at the carved mahogany table, staring at the feast with wide eyes.
For eight years, dinner had been cold barley buns or water-thin vegetable broth. Seeing a table overflowing with high-grade beast meat felt like a dream they might wake up from at any second.
"What are you waiting for?" Gabriel chuckled, sitting down at the head of the table and picking up his chopsticks. "Eat up. Your bodies just broke through to the Spirit Vein Opening Realm. You need dense spiritual nourishment to stabilize your new channels."
The twins didn't need to be told twice.
They dug in, their eyes lighting up as the tender meat literally melted on their tongues, sending a soothing wave of warm spiritual energy rushing straight down into their Dantians.
"Dad... this is incredible!" Elena mumbled around a mouthful of tenderloin, her cheeks bulging like a squirrel's. "I've never tasted anything this delicious in my entire life!"
"It's better than the food at the Grand Pavilion restaurant we passed earlier," Ethan agreed, devouring a panther rib in seconds. "Dad, where did you even learn to cook like this?"
Gabriel paused for a fraction of a second, a gentle glint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes. In his past forty-five years on Earth, he had spent countless weekends perfecting recipes in his quiet apartment, always dreaming of the day he could cook a massive Sunday meal for his own children.
"When you love the people you're cooking for," Gabriel said softly, reaching across the table to wipe a dot of sauce off Elena’s cheek, "the food always tastes better."
Elena flushed slightly, a soft, happy smile gracing her face, while Ethan grinned broadly.
[Ding! Host has provided a Heartfelt Divine Beast Feast to Offspring!]
[Offspring Emotional Bond & Loyalty increased to Absolute Level!]
[Triggering 300x Critical Return!]
[Host receives: Divine Recipe — 'Nine-Revolutions Dragon-Marrow Stew'!]
[Host receives: 1x Celestial Spirit-Brew Barrel (Enhances internal Qi purity by 20% upon consumption)!]
Gabriel felt the recipe and the barrel settle into his System inventory. He smiled to himself, taking a sip of his tea.
As the meal wound down and the dishes were cleared, the warm mood slowly settled into a comfortable, quiet calm.
Ethan leaned back in his leather chair, looking at the flickering candlelight in the center of the table. He fidgeted with the silk sleeve of his new maroon robe before finally looking up at Gabriel, his expression turning serious.
"Dad..." Ethan began, his voice dropping an octave. "Now that we're here... now that we have power, money, and S-Rank status... can you tell us about Mom?"
The room went completely silent.
Elena stopped sipping her tea, her hands tightening around her porcelain cup as she looked at her father with a mixture of hope and fear.
For eight years, Gabriel had kept quiet about their mother, Evelyn Aurelius. Whenever the twins had asked in the slums, Gabriel had simply told them to focus on surviving. He hadn't wanted to burden their young minds with the crushing weight of a high-noble clan's enmity when they couldn't even afford a loaf of bread.
Gabriel looked at his son and daughter. They were eighteen now. They were Spirit Vein Opening practitioners, wearing high-tier armor and holding admission passes to the top college in the Inner City.
They were ready to know.
Gabriel leaned back in his chair, gazing out the tall glass window toward the northern horizon where the distant mountains faded into blackness.
"Your mother... her name is Evelyn," Gabriel said softly, his voice rich with deep affection and lingering grief. "She was the daughter of a core elder of House Aurelius in the Northern Territory. When I was at my peak as an A-Rank graduate, we met during a joint beast-slaying expedition near the Central Border."
Elena leaned forward, her eyes shining. "Was she... was she strong?"
"Brilliant," Gabriel replied with a warm smile. "Her sword technique was like falling snow—effortless and lethal. We fell in love, married despite her family's objections, and had the two of you right here in the Southern Realm. For ten years, we were the happiest family in the empire."
Gabriel’s expression hardened, his eyes darkening as the memory shifted.
"Then came the Beast Surge eight years ago. I fought on the frontlines to protect the Outer Wall, but a Grade-5 beast shredded my meridians and shattered my spirit veins. The moment news reached House Aurelius that I was crippled... they sent four Martial Grandmasters to our villa."
Ethan’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth clicked. "They took her by force."
"They dragged her back to the Northern Realm," Gabriel growled, his voice vibrating with a low, dangerous tone that made the candles flicker. "They deemed a crippled commoner an insult to their noble bloodline. They forced her into confinement and threw us into the outer slums, expecting us to starve or be eaten by wild beasts."
Elena’s eyes filled with tears, but her expression turned fiercely resolute. "Does Mom... does she know we're still alive?"
"She knows," Gabriel said firmly. "And I know her heart. She never stopped loving us. But House Aurelius is the second most powerful force in the entire empire, backed by a Martial King and nine Grandmasters. Until now, we were ants to them."
Gabriel stood up from the table, his imposing silhouette casting a long, grand shadow across the room. He placed his hands on Ethan and Elena’s shoulders, his aura flaring with quiet, absolute dominance.
"We move to the Inner City in three months," Gabriel declared, his eyes glowing with gold divine light. "We conquer the Imperial Grand Martial College. We take the Core City. And then... we march on the Northern Territory and bring your mother home."
Ethan stood up, slamming his fist onto the table with a burning fire in his eyes. "We'll bring her back, Dad! Together!"
Elena wiped her tears, drawing her azure sword slightly from its sheath, her eyes cold as ice. "Anyone who stands in our way will feel our blades."
Gabriel looked at his children, feeling an overwhelming sense of pride. The road ahead was long, filled with arrogant noble branches, corrupt college elders, and powerful imperial factions.
But as long as he had his system, his exploding strength, and his children by his side, he would burn down every empire in the world to keep them safe.