"It’s about Ryan," Soren finished, setting the serious tone for the room. "And his future."

The sudden turn in the conversation brought a flicker of surprise to his father’s eyes, but the older man quickly regained his composure and gave a firm nod. "Go on, Mr. Soren. We are listening."

Soren stole a quick glance at Ryan, catching the way the boy’s shoulders locked up as he waited with bated breath. Turning back to the parents, Soren laid his cards on the table.

"I want to formally recruit Ryan into my party," Soren said, getting straight to the point. "He has incredible potential and possesses a rare kind of strength. Honestly, he was a major reason we even made it out alive back then."

He paused, letting the parents process the weight of his words before addressing their immediate concern. "I know he still has to attend the academy, but I promise you that our work won’t affect his studies. That is why, before taking any steps forward, I wanted to come here and ask for your permission."

A heavy silence settled over the living room as Soren’s words sank in.

Ryan’s parents exchanged a long, complex look, a mixture of pride, anxiety, and profound hesitation flashing between them.

Ryan himself looked like he was about to burst from the suspense, his knuckles whitening as he gripped his knees, waiting for his father’s verdict.

Finally, Ryan’s father let out a slow, measured breath and turned his gaze back to Soren.

"Mr. Soren, we trust you deeply. If it weren’t for you, Ryan wouldn’t even be sitting here today," the older man began, his voice steady but laced with a father’s natural worry. "But as parents, our first instinct is always to keep him safe. The world out there... It’s getting more dangerous by the day."

He paused, glancing over at his son, who looked up with nervous but hopeful eyes.

"However," the father continued, a faint, resigned smile appearing on his face, "we also know our boy. Ever since that day, he hasn’t stopped training or talking about wanting to grow stronger so he can protect us and help people, just like you did. If he stays under our wings forever, he will never achieve his full potential."

Ryan’s mother reached over, placing a supportive hand over her husband’s before looking at Soren with deep earnestness. "As long as you promise to look out for him, and as long as he keeps his grades up, you have our permission."

Before Soren could even open his mouth to reply, Ryan burst out in sheer joy, the built-up tension vanishing instantly.

"Thank you, Father! Thank you, Mother!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up as he stood up and bowed deeply to both of them, his voice thick with excitement and gratitude.

Soren watched the scene silently, a faint, warm smile touching his lips as he let the family share the emotional moment and calm down. Once Ryan finally sat back down, still grinning from ear to ear, Soren looked at the young man.

"Congratulations, Ryan. Welcome to the team," Soren said, before turning back to the parents with a respectful nod. "And thank you both for trusting me. I give you my word that I will look out for him and ensure he returns home safely after every mission."

They sat together for a while longer, the heavy atmosphere completely lifting as they chatted about the upcoming schedule and relaxed. When the time came to wrap up the meeting, Soren stood up from the sofa to take his leave.

Ryan’s father escorted him toward the exit.

Just as they reached the door, Ryan’s mother quickly hurried out of the kitchen holding a neatly packed, insulated food container.

"Mr. Soren, please take this with you," she said warmly, pressing the box into his hands. "It’s a fresh batch of dumplings for your wife. Make sure she eats them while they are fresh."

Soren blinked in surprise, then chuckled softly as he gripped the container. "Thank you, she will definitely love these."

Setting his gaze on the boy, who was already waiting outside, Soren asked. "You ready?"

"Yes, Brother Soren!" Ryan replied, giving a firm, resolute nod.

After bidding a warm farewell to the parents and his younger sister, the two of them stepped out of the apartment and left the building together, ready to take their first real step as an official party.

───────

An hour later, they arrived at their destination, the Greenfang Cave, a standard First Circle Gate on the outskirts of the city.

After clearing the checkpoint and verifying their permits, the two of them stopped directly in front of the swirling vortex. They exchanged a brief glance and a nod before stepping through the threshold together.

Stepping through the portal, they saw the concrete streets vanish beneath their boots, replaced by the uneven, jagged floor of a vast underground cave.

Fortunately, they didn’t have to walk far before the echoes of cackling and shuffling feet reached their ears. Emerging from a bend in the tunnel was a scouting pack of five goblins, clutching crude daggers and rusted clubs. As First Circle monsters, they were weak, making them the ideal targets for two Peak Second Circle combatants looking to test something new.

Soren unclasped his spear, letting the weapon slide naturally into his grip as he took a forward stance. Beside him, Ryan drew his sword, the ring of the blade sharp against the stone walls.

"Match my wavelength," Soren murmured.

"Got it," Ryan replied, his focus sharpening instantly.

As the goblins shrieked and rushed forward, the two executed the Dual Eclipse Arts.

Soren stepped into the vanguard, acting as the immutable anchor. He met the initial rush head-on, his spear thrusting with heavy, calculated precision to block the path and absorb the enemy’s momentum. The blunt force of his strikes easily deflected their crude weapons, drawing all the goblins’ chaotic aggression squarely onto himself.

The moment the monsters overextended, Ryan moved. Operating as the fluid striker, he glided past Soren’s flank, his timing perfectly mirroring Soren’s positioning. Exploiting the wide openings left by the deflected attacks, Ryan delivered swift, clean slashes that cut through the exposed monsters. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

However, there was one tiny problem...

"...They’re dead."

That the monsters died too fast.