The Cheat Seed

Chapter 26

"Are... you... going to be... My... Brother?" the timid voice asked again when Marcus didn't immediately respond.

Marcus turned slowly, his gaze fixing on the girl before him. She had beautiful features—blonde hair that cascaded to her shoulders and striking blue eyes that watched him with cautious hope. Standing around 133 centimeters tall, she was slim and delicate, fidgeting nervously with her hair as she awaited his answer. She looked to be about twelve or thirteen.

His eyebrows arched in surprise. Marcus turned to his parents, spreading his arms questioningly, silently asking for an explanation.

His father played with his hands awkwardly while his mother rolled her eyes and whistled, both avoiding direct eye contact.

Marcus narrowed his stare at them and sighed. "Care to explain?"

"Ah, Marcus, I was getting to that," Reirin said, fidgeting with her hair much like the blonde girl.

"We found her in the streets, without any shelter," she began.

"So we adopted her," Albert finished.

They seemed to sweat a little, clearly anxious about Marcus's reaction. As their only child for most of his life, he'd been the sole recipient of their attention and love. They feared he might resent sharing that with another.

"Ah..." Marcus's head drooped, his expression hidden in shadow.

His parents went still, faces turning pale as they braced for his response.

"So..." Marcus said in a low, terrifying voice.

"I HAVE ANOTHER SISTER TO LOOK AFTER!!!! WOHOOOOOO!"

Marcus jumped with all his might—but forgot about the insane stats he'd acquired during his trials. Within a second, he rocketed upward, bursting through the ceiling and soaring into the sky until he was among the clouds.

His expression twisted into surprise as he opened his eyes in mid-air. He was now plummeting at an amazing speed, quickly reaching 120 kilometers per hour. The kinetic energy he'd accumulated during his fall was enormous—the impact would devastate the area around his home.

Marcus knew if he landed unchecked, his house and family would be blasted away. He forced himself to calm down and think rationally.

Suddenly his mind sparked with a solution—QILIN! He maneuvered his body to fall vertically, feet pointed toward the ground. He had nothing to fear now, remembering the godly spirit residing within him.

Marcus landed with a gentle tap on the curb, the grace of his touchdown utterly magnificent. He raised his hands like a ballerina and struck a pose.

His gaze darted to his parents, whose slack-jawed expressions made him chuckle.

"What was that, son?" Albert jumped forward and shook Marcus like a maniac.

Marcus continued chuckling, glancing at his awestruck mother who covered her mouth with one hand while holding Evy with the other.

"I'll explain it later, Dad, once we finish what we have to do here." Marcus motioned toward the little girl who still stood nervously fidgeting.

"Ah." Albert smiled and released his son. He walked over to the nervous girl and bent down to meet her eyes.

"Don't be afraid, Iris."

Albert held his adopted daughter's small hand in his and turned toward Marcus, who was smiling warmly at Iris.

Iris blushed and covered her face. Marcus approached and knelt beside his father, gently taking her hands and pulling them down to reveal her face. Looking into her eyes, he smiled.

"Hello, Iris. I'm your brother Marcus, and I'll protect you from everything."

"Pro...Promise?" Iris held out her pinky finger.

Marcus chuckled and wrapped his pinky around hers. "Promise."

Iris blushed and hugged him tightly, her small arms barely reaching around his torso.

Everyone laughed, the tension breaking as the family embraced this new moment together.

It was getting dark. They watched the sun vanish behind the buildings before finally heading inside.

Marcus completed a full house inspection within a second and was already sprawled on the sofa when the rest of his family reached the living room.

"Nothing's changed, huh?" Marcus took a deep breath, reminiscing about his days in this same room before everything had happened.

His parents settled on the sofa opposite him while his sisters cuddled beside him, Evy on his left and Iris on his right. The warmth of family surrounded him, something he'd missed desperately during his trials.

"So, son, where were you these two years?" his mother asked, her voice gentle but filled with the concern that had surely haunted her every day of his absence.

"Ah, so..." Marcus paused, considering how to explain the unbelievable journey he'd experienced. "I was trapped in a Dungeon."

His parents exchanged glances, confusion evident in their expressions.

"And I have a Cheat Seed," Marcus added casually, as if discussing the weather.

The room fell silent. Albert leaned forward, eyes wide with disbelief.

"A Cheat Seed? Like the Flame Emperor?" His father's voice was barely above a whisper.

Marcus nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Exactly like that."

Reirin gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "But that's—that's impossible. There's only been one in all of history."

"Well, now there are two," Marcus replied, then frowned. "Actually, I'm not sure the Flame Emperor still has his."

"Marcus," Albert said, his tone serious. "Start from the beginning. What happened after you fell from the academy roof?"

Marcus hesitated, looking down at his sisters. Evy had already fallen asleep against his side, her tiny hand clutching his kimono. Iris was fighting to keep her eyes open, clearly exhausted but determined to hear his story.

"Perhaps we should continue this after the girls are in bed," Reirin suggested, noticing Marcus's hesitation.

"No, I want to hear too," Iris protested, stifling a yawn.

Marcus smiled and ruffled her blonde hair. "How about I tell you a special story tomorrow? Just for you and Evy."

Iris considered this for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "Promise?"

"Another pinky promise?" Marcus held out his finger, and Iris wrapped hers around it with a tired smile.

After Reirin had taken the girls to bed, Marcus sat across from his father, their knees nearly touching as Albert leaned forward intently.

"Now, tell us everything," his father urged.

Marcus took a deep breath. How could he possibly explain what he'd been through? The endless trials, the battles with creatures beyond imagination, the power he'd gained that placed him among the strongest beings in existence?

"When I fell," he began, "I was caught by lightning. But it wasn't ordinary lightning."

As Marcus recounted his journey, leaving out the most traumatic parts to spare his parents unnecessary pain, he watched their expressions shift from disbelief to wonder to pride. When he finally finished, dawn was breaking outside, pale light filtering through the windows.

"So you're saying," Albert summarized, "that you're now a Guardian, tasked with protecting Earth from a celestial invasion led by the son of the first human God?"

Marcus nodded. "That's the simple version, yes."

Reirin, who had rejoined them halfway through the story, wiped tears from her eyes. "My son, the Guardian."

"But what happens now?" Albert asked, practical as always.

Marcus stood and stretched, his joints popping after sitting so long. "Now? I need to find Dave. And then we need to prepare."

"Prepare for what?" his father pressed.

Marcus turned to the window, watching the sun rise over Krozon. "For everything."