The Cheat Seed

Chapter 27

"And I have this Cheat Seed...." Marcus said casually, looking directly into his father's eyes.

"Ah," Albert replied with a smile.

A moment passed before his father's expression shifted dramatically. "Eh?"

Marcus broke down at his dad's reaction, laughter bubbling up from deep within his chest. "As expected," he managed between bursts of mirth.

After collecting himself, Marcus leaned forward. "Ok, so I'll tell my adventure after that fall."

"Please do, son." His dad's reply was quick, his body perched at the very edge of the sofa in anticipation.

Marcus began his tale from the moment he jumped from the academy. As he described his suicide attempt, Reirin's eyes welled with tears. She wiped them away quickly, forcing a smile as her son continued.

Albert's eyes widened when Marcus mentioned meeting the legendary Flame Emperor. Though doubt flickered across his face, it soon vanished as he took in his son's transformed appearance—the short, slim boy now replaced by a young man with a powerful physique.

Pride shone in his parents' eyes when Marcus described conquering all three high-ranked dungeons. Despite flashes of worry, the unscathed Marcus sitting before them provided all the reassurance they needed.

When Marcus revealed he'd received the Flame Emperor's Cheat Seed, Albert's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Marcus, thank you... for coming back." Albert embraced him tightly, with Reirin just behind them, quietly wiping away tears.

Marcus deliberately omitted his two Familiars and Soul Spirit. Revealing too much might worry his parents unnecessarily, so he kept silent about most gifts from the dungeon except for his costume.

His mother eyed his outfit with a critical gaze. "Marcus, your dress might have dirt and sweat in it. Let me clean it for you."

Albert loosened his hug and stepped back to examine his son's unusual attire.

"Ah, not needed, Mom. It auto-cleans itself every two hours," Marcus replied, showing off his outfit with a casual gesture.

He snapped his fingers, and the costume vanished. Instead of the Red Devil set, his torn jeans and bare torso became visible. The tattoos disappeared on command—another perk of Beast Tamers.

His parents' eyes widened at the sight of their son's chiseled physique. Albert approached and pressed on Marcus's abs, quickly testing all eight with considerable force.

When he finished, his fingers throbbed with pain, his jaw slack with astonishment. "Son, you... you are amazing."

Albert punched his son's abs once more and winced from the recoil.

"I know, right?" Marcus rubbed his nose proudly.

"Brother has muscles?!" Iris exclaimed from behind them.

"Hehe, yeah." Marcus flexed his biceps dramatically.

Iris jumped up and hung from his arm. Marcus lifted her up and down like a dumbbell, her delighted laughter making him blush.

[Yep, he's turning into a sis-con] The system spoke inside his mind.

"Finally, dude. I thought you were dead."

[Nah bro, was just chilling with your brain here]

"Who are you talking to, son?" his father asked, intrigued.

"Ah, Dad, I forgot to say that I have a system too." Marcus scratched his chin awkwardly.

"A... system?... ALREADY?!" Albert's voice rose with each word. "A SEED USER HAS TO MASTER THE BASICS OF THEIR POWERS FIRST TO ENABLE THEIR SYSTEM FROM THE 'SAO' (System Awakening Office), AND YOU'RE SAYING YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE? YOU MASTERED THE BASICS ALREADY?!"

"Yeah... Dad." He continued scratching his chin. The situation was undeniably awkward—he hadn't just mastered the basics; he now owned the system itself.

"Marcus, you keep surprising me every time you open your mouth." Albert's voice wavered slightly.

"Yeah, Dad. I wanted you to have this." Marcus opened his inventory and pulled out a battle axe—one of thousands from the Ogre Dungeon.

"This is an S-ranked artifact that I got from the first dungeon." Marcus shifted the battle axe from his right hand to his left.

"You're the one in charge of Weapons, right, Dad? I'll give thousands of these axes to the department."

Albert lowered his head at Marcus's words. Not noticing the sudden change in atmosphere, Marcus continued talking about other gifts he had for his father.

He pulled out ten Nine-Tailed Fox fangs and displayed them proudly. "These are SC-ranked arti—"

Marcus's voice trailed off when he noticed his father's downcast expression. His mother, too, had averted her gaze.

"What happened to you guys?"

No response came from either parent.

Marcus saw his father hesitate. Suddenly, he recalled what he'd overheard earlier—his father working in fields with farmers. The pieces began to fall into place.

He returned the fangs and battle axe to his inventory, closing it with a thought.

Moving toward his parents, who still stared at the floor, Marcus spoke gently. "What happened, Dad? Tell me! I'm here now. Everything is going to be okay."

He pulled them close and embraced them. Once again, he felt dampness against his chest as both his parents quietly wept.

"DAD! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED RIGHT NOW!" Marcus demanded, gripping his father's shoulders.

Albert continued crying, unable to form words. Marcus turned to his mother, holding her shoulders gently but firmly.

"At least you tell me, Mom. What in the world happened?"

She remained silent, tears rolling down her cheeks and falling to the floor.

Marcus couldn't bear to see them like this. He needed answers.

Turning back to his father, he pleaded, "Dad, please... tell me."

Albert wiped his tears, his eyes still fixed on the floor. After several deep breaths, he and Reirin settled themselves on the sofa. Marcus knelt before them, placing his hands on their knees.

"Now tell me, Dad, Mom... Trust me, I can deal with anything." His voice was steady and reassuring.

"I am NOT THE MARCUS FROM BEFORE. I am now simply the strongest here. I don't fear anything. I don't run away from troubles anymore, Mom, Dad. TRUST YOUR SON."

Reirin spoke first, her voice barely above a whisper. "We don't want you to face any more trouble, Marcus. It's better we leave this as it is."

Marcus sighed at his mother's reluctance. "But I can only leave things as they are if I know what 'this' is first."

He shifted his gaze from his mother to Albert, who finally raised his eyes. They were red and puffy from crying. He exchanged a quick glance with his wife before meeting his son's concerned stare.

Taking another deep breath, Albert grasped Marcus's hand tightly.

"I... SPO... SPOKE AGAINST THE KING, FOR YOU."