When we landed, we found ourselves inside a dark, isolated room. Mana here was suppressed to its absolute limit, and behind us shimmered a faintly glowing Portal.
We exited the room and stepped into the familiar ivory hallway lined with multiple portal chambers on either side.
Evelyn took a seat on a nearby bench, gesturing eagerly for me to join her.
I glanced up at the clock hanging overhead. It was 6 pm. A sigh of relief slipped out — I could still raid two more portals tonight and collect enough [Core]s to buy a Space Ring.
As I settled beside her, she parted her lips to speak but hesitated.
Mustering her courage, Evelyn finally asked, "Big Brother, why do you hate dad?"
Her voice was soft but steady. "Do you hate him because he left your mother and didn't willingly save her?"
I stared at the wall ahead, quietly pondering how to answer. I didn't want to talk about it... but ignoring her wasn't an option either.
I let out a long, tired sigh.
"He could have saved her," I muttered. "If he really wanted to. He was the 'God', after all. But that bastard... he didn't even try. Not even when his own son knelt right in front of him."
She shook her head. "Even a God couldn't save someone who didn't need saving."
"...! What's that supposed to mean?"
Instead of answering directly, Evelyn reached into her space ring. From within, she pulled out a small, white orb and passed it to me.
The moment I took it, the orb began to glow, projecting a holographic video into the air.
My hand trembled slightly as the images played, my eyes widening when I saw the face appear on the screen. Her black hair danced gracefully as she walked through a highly ancient hall, and those blue eyes... they mirrored my own.
That was someone I could never forget.
"Mom..." The word slipped out with tears.
It was mom. She looked just as beautiful as I remembered, but something was off. Her aura, that cold gaze — it was nothing like the gentle, warm woman who raised me. She wore expensive, unfamiliar clothes and was surrounded by strangers. But I knew it was her.
"Where did you get this?" I asked, urgency sharpening my voice.
I didn't ask if it was real. I didn't need to. This was proof enough that mom could be alive somewhere. That was all I needed for now.
A motivation to continue, to smile genuinely.
Evelyn's heart ached as she watched tears in her brother's eyes, but she knew this was necessary. She had been watching him for a while, and she understood that Lucian was too stubborn.
He refused to let go of his grief, clinging to it as if it was the only way he could keep his mother close.
So, she decided to reveal the truth.
"I saw Dad watching it a few days ago and... I stole... ahem, borrowed it from him."
"...I don't want you to hate dad and hurt him like yesterday."
I nodded, half agreeing, mostly just to ease her mind. I couldn't let her see how torn I was inside. I'd spent so many years hating that man... how could I just let it go?
"Does your father know where she is?" I asked softly.
She scoffed. "He might. But there's no way that cheap old man would tell us."
I agreed. Mom always said my damned father was just as stubborn as me.
"Big Brother... will you look for her too?"
I didn't answer immediately.
"If she's out there..." I began, but her puppy eyes welled up before I could finish.
She was smart. Mature enough to understand that my mother's background was unusual, especially with how desperately her father was trying to increase his strength. What if I chased after her and got hurt too?
I looked at Evelyn, my heart softening. Reaching out awkwardly, I patted her hand. "There, there."
She giggled faintly. Some of her worry faded. "You're so bad at comforting people."
....!
"Can I keep this orb?" I asked.
Evelyn hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. She knew it'd cause trouble if our father found out, but still...
"Okay," she finally said. "You can have it. But..."
"Can you accompany me to the portals when you're free?" she added hastily. "I'm not using the orb to make you... I just want to spend time with you."
I chuckled, resisting the urge to flick her forehead.
"Alright."
Her eyes lit up with joy. Before I could react, she darted forward and hugged me tightly. I froze, caught off guard. But I didn't push her away.
The rest of the evening passed quietly. We just sat and talked. I listened to every word she said. Evelyn was clever, manipulative even, and definitely more mature than I'd given her credit for.
After a while, she stood up, smiling brightly. "Don't forget to accompany me to the Portal tomorrow, or there will be consequences!"
With that, she turned and left.
…..
I sat alone on the bench, staring at the orb projecting my mother's image before me.
I tried hard to stay composed. She wouldn't like it if I cried like a baby.
A thousand questions spun in my head, but one kept echoing louder than the rest: Is she really my mother?
I made up my mind.
I'd track this woman down first.
Honestly... it didn't even matter if she'd abandoned me. As long as she was alive somewhere out there, that was enough.
I could be stubborn, sure. But I'd always respected other people's choices. Even when Claire cheated on me and walked away, I didn't scream or beg. I just let her go.
That was who I was.
But my mother... she wasn't just another person.
If someone forced her to leave me... then they'd better pray to the Myriad Gods that I stayed a powerless ant forever.
As I silently made that vow, an invisible red thread of Karma quietly slipped out of me.
According to Evelyn, my father was trying to transcend his current rank.
And that alone told me everything I needed to know — my mother's background had to be something far beyond what even an SS Ranker could reach. Ridiculous, right? Even I thought so.
There were only five SS Rankers in the entire Hyperion Galaxy.
My knowledge of the world didn't extend far — a single planet, a single Galaxy. I hadn't even stepped outside Duskfall City. No one below D Rank was allowed to leave anyway.
And with my sorry excuse for a Class... how the hell was I supposed to reach D Rank?
Before I could dwell too long on that bitter thought, a notification blinked into my mind.
Ding!
[Mission Complete!]
[Mission Complete!]
Right... the system had thrown two missions at me today — one to help Evelyn, and one to kill the [Mountain Ape]. I'd completely forgotten about them. The system hadn't disturbed me at all while I was with her...
"Wait..." I frowned. The damned thing hadn't interrupted even once during the conversation. And only now, after it was all over, did it bark out Missions Complete?
"Did it already know what Evelyn was gonna say? Is that why it forced me to help her?"
My heart suddenly went cold.
And right on cue, that familiar, merciless force crawled through my body, invading every cell, refining me from the inside out.
It hurt like hell.
I clenched my teeth hard, gripping the bench just to stay grounded.
But this time, I didn't curse. I didn't scream.
If the system wanted to tamper with my Evolution, turn me into a puppet... fine.
As long as it made me stronger — strong enough to find her — I didn't care.
The force subsided, and I sheepishly addressed the System, almost as if it were a joke. "Uh, System Sister! Can you fling a good mission at this humble slave of yours?"
To my surprise, the system responded.
[Mission]: Reach Peak of F Rank
[Time Limit]: 3 days
[Difficulty]: E
[Reward]: Ascension to E Rank
[Remark]: A storm is coming for you, and your chances of survival are abysmal. Don't slack off, kiddo.
I stared at the status window. I should've felt fear at the warning.
But I didn't.
It felt distant. Like something that happened to other people.
All I could focus on was the promise of Ascension.
To reach the peak of F Rank — all I had to do was raid portals and complete missions until each of my attributes hit the 50-point cap.
That was perfectly fine by me.
Without wasting another second, I slipped the orb safely into my backpack, rose from the bench, and started heading for the Ape Mountain again.