Chapter 9

    At Heart Family Manor…

    Claudia trained tirelessly in the practice room, oblivious to the viral news about him circulating on both the Blue app and the Black app. Everyone was talking about him.

    People were curious about who Claudia was and wondered who was the other Rank S hunter in the country.

    Currently, in Country A, where Claudia resided, there were only twenty Rank S hunters, and he was the twenty-first.

    As for the protagonist, he was undoubtedly beyond Rank S, but he simply chose not to reveal it.

    #SecretSonOfTheHeartFamily

    @GossipQueen: Hello everyone~ Today, Kiki has some sizzling hot news to share with you all! No beating around the bush, let's dive right into it.

    You all know that the Heart Family is full of Rank S hunters. The handsome Mr. Jonathan has only three children: Mr. Cole, Mr. Adis, and Ms. Karina, as everyone knows.

    But! There's a rumor that Mr. Jonathan has a secret son who hasn't been introduced yet.

    Three days ago, this secret son went to the Hunter Association to have his power level measured, and it was revealed that he is Rank S, everyone! Wow! Kiki is thrilled that our country has gained another Rank S hunter.

    Kiki confirms that it's absolutely true, as an insider from the Hunter Association whispered the news directly to Kiki. And it's said that the youngest son is very handsomeee, my friendsss.

    Considering the Heart Family, it's not surprising since they're all good-looking. But personally, Kiki is all about Mr. Adis! Hehe!

    If I get any more juicy details, I'll be sure to update you all again. (Heart emoji) #SecretSonOfTheHartFamily

    109K Likes 41.9K Shares

    Replies

    @MostHandsomeInTheWorld: Truly happy to hear that there's another Rank S hunter. Looking forward to more updates from you, Kiki.

    @UnicornPrinceWithoutAHorn: Huh, who knows if it's true? The person in question hasn't even made a statement yet.

    @BlueberryCheesecake: Oh, I want to see his face. Is there a picture?

    @YellowUnderwear: Is he really their son?

    @RainbowIceCream: @YellowUnderwear Just a little off-topic, is your underwear yellow because of something else?

    @ClothesNotDry: I went to the Hunter Association that day. I can confirm it's true. I saw them from afar, and their aura was dazzling. Too bad I didn't get a picture.

    @GoBakeAgain: @ClothesNotDry Aww, that's such a shame!

    @MonsterMeatball: @ClothesNotDry How's the youngest son? Can you describe him a bit? Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep tonight!

    @MomCallsForDinner: Does anyone know the name of his son?

    @RankDHasAHeart: I'm single, please hit me up. DM me. My rank might not be high, but I'm confident I'm handsome enough.

    @FourHearts: @RankDHasAHeart DM sent already!

    #21stRankS

    @JeremyIsTheBest: Who's this Rank S? I can't keep up. I woke up and there's news everywhere about another Rank S. Share some info, please. #21stRankS

    Replies

    @PapayaPokPok: +1

    @SmellyNecklace: +1

    @FatWhiteBird: +1

    ...

    ...

    @HoneyToast: There's news that he's the fourth son of Jonathan Heart, who hasn't been introduced yet.

    @MyFanIsLoud: The Heart Family has another Rank S now. Maybe the Pegasus Guild will take the top spot. #21stRankS

    @DollOnThePorch: I went to the Hunter Association the same day as the Heart Family's son. And I took a picture of him. He was stunningly beautiful, my friend. I want to share it so badly, but I'm afraid of getting sued. It's so frustrating! #21stRankS

    Replies

    @KnightOfTheNight: Isn't the son supposed to be handsome? Are you lying?

    @DollOnThePorch: @KnightOfTheNight Men can be beautiful too, you know. Beauty isn't limited by gender.

    @SiosTheGood: @KnightOfTheNight He doesn't have to be handsome. I actually like pretty-faced guys. @DollOnThePorch Could you secretly share the picture with me via DM if it's not too much trouble?

    @CottonCandy: OMG, I want to see it! Can I DM you? I promise I won't tell anyone.

    @SoloPlayer: @CottonCandy +1

    @VeggieLover: @CottonCandy +1 Me too, please.

    Time: 9:59 PM

    @HunterAssociation: Announcement from the Hunter Association

    Congratulations to Claudia Heart for becoming the 21st person in the country to awaken to Rank S power.

    *Officially confirmed by the Hunter Association*

    #21stRankS

    Attached photos (Hunter Association Leader and Claudia.jpg) (Hunter Association Leader and Heart Family.jpg) (Claudia solo.jpg)

    Likes 3.7M Shares 1.2M

    Replies

    @GossipQueen: OMG, Kiki was right! Everyone looks amazing! <3

    @SiosGoodGuy: He's so beautiful. Does Claudia have a boyfriend yet?

    - Flirting right away, huh?

    - That's too much, Bro.

    @CottonCandy: Claudia is so stunning, even us girls are envious.

    - Absolutely agree, he's incredibly beautiful, like he's not even real.

    - Agree +1

    - +1

    - +1

    @WorldsMostHandsome: Congratulations!

    @KittyCritic: He's talented, beautiful, and rich. A perfect ten!

    @SoloPlayer: Will she join the Pegasus Guild?

    @123123bb: Ms. Karina is so gorgeous

    @Carter: Congratulations!

    - OMG, Brother Carter is here too!

    - Brother Carter (Heart emoji)(Heart emoji)

    - A world-class Hunter is here too?

    - So exciting!

    - Congratulations to Claudia!

    - Congrats!

    - I can't think straight. He's just so handsome.

    - Are you single, Carter?

    Replies: Just because he commented congratulations, does he have to be single?

    @DrinkSpriteInAGlassBecauseTheBagIsBroken: The whole family is truly beautiful and handsome, plus they're all single.

    - True, I've never seen any dating news.

    - The Heart Family belongs to everyone.

    - I'm single too, anyone else single can DM me.

    @VeggieLover: Congratulations on the Rank S!

    @RankDHasAHeartToo: Even as a guy, my heart races when I see the picture. (Shy face emoji)

    - Same here.

    - I agree.

    - +1

    - +1

    @Alan M: Congrats @Claudia H

    Hearts 236K Shares 15.4K

    - OMG, Alan is here!

    - Alan is here too!

    - How did Brother Alan get here?

    - Hmm, do you smell something?

    - I want to scream, I'm so jealous of Claudia.

    - Alan has disappeared, and now he's here. Oh my!

    - They even tagged each other, girlll @FarungFaring

    Message 5284 @Claudia H: Replying to @Alan M Thank you (Smiling emoji)

    - OMG, why am I blushing?

    - Alan and Claudia, is it happening?

    Replies: +1

    Replies: +1

    Replies: Please refrain from fangirling here. If you want to ship them, create a new tag.

    Replies: Let's go, I'll create it myself. #AlanClaudia

    Replies: Encountering fujoshis again.

    @Piranha: Mr. Jonathan is the most handsome!

    Cut to the Heart Family's training room at 10:13 PM.

    The training room was spacious, equipped with the latest hologram simulation system. It had functions that could summon virtual Monsters and allow the use of any weapon without limits. This setup allowed for training without the risk of real dungeons, with adjustable pain levels. However, the downside was that the Monster stats could be slightly inaccurate.

    Hunter Academies or Guilds often used hologram simulation systems for training, despite their high cost, as they were far more effective than older training equipment. Claudia also thought it was incredibly convenient.

    But ultimately, gaining real experience from dungeons was better, as it also allowed for experience points to rank up, despite the risks involved.

    After Claudia's training, he was confident about one thing.

    No matter what skill he used, the first time might be a bit awkward, but it didn't feel like someone who had never used a skill before starting from scratch.

    It was the feeling of someone who already had the skill, revisiting its use, going from fifty to a hundred.

    To put it simply, he felt like he had been using this skill for a long time.

    Because of this, Claudia, who used the skill only two or three times, could master it quickly. It made him wonder who he really was. If it was a habit from the original owner of the body, it couldn't be possible. The real Claudia didn't have the power of the 'Goddess of Elemental Galaxy,' but rather the power of 'Lunar Thunder.'

    Ding! [Memory fragments collected: 8%]

    Claudia looked at the status window in surprise. He had seen this before when Karina woke him up, but he hadn't paid much attention to it then.

    Now, he was starting to feel anxious. What was his true background?

    Ding!

    The phone notification sound brought him back to reality. Claudia decided to let this matter go for now. Thinking about it would only give him a headache. So, he turned his attention to his phone instead.

    (Alan M has tagged you)

    Claudia clicked to see that the protagonist was congratulating him. If the protagonist hadn't tagged his name, he wouldn't have known how many millions of people were talking about him and how much interest there was.

    Claudia decided to take a break from training, typed a thank you reply to the protagonist, and went to shower immediately. He knew he'd be reading news about himself all night.

    After showering and taking care of personal matters, he climbed into the soft bed and continued browsing his phone. He saw many others congratulating him, including several famous Hunters.

    Even more surprising was Carter, the world's third-ranked Hunter and head of the Agares Guild, who was the villain and future enemy of the protagonist, commenting to congratulate him too!!

    Claudia decided to let it go for now and continued reading other messages until he felt sleepy. Just as his eyes were about to close, they snapped wide open. His drowsiness vanished instantly when he saw…

    #AlanClaudia

    @43.5kg: OMG, you guys, is this what I think it is? Can someone please tell me if these images are edited or fake? Tell me it's not true, sobbing, I feel heartbroken like I've been dumped. Alan, nooo!

    P.S. I found these pictures on the Blue app. I need confirmation, so I'm asking here myself.

    Attached images (Alan hugging Claudia in the slum on the street.jpg) (Alan and Claudia chilling in a shop from afar.jpg) (Latest comment reply between Claudia and Alan.jpg) (Solo picture of Claudia.jpg) (Solo picture of Alan.jpg)

    84K hearts 39.8K shares

    Replies

    @SweetTooth: Whether the images are real or not, posting them like this could lead to a lawsuit, you know.

    - I agree. I think it's better to delete them, no matter whose pictures they are.

    - I agree.

    - I agree.

    - +1

    ….

    @KhakiPants: Honestly, ever since I saw Alan's comment, I've been secretly shipping them hard.

    - I've been stalking the hashtag and can't sleep. It's going to be an all-nighter.

    - Tomorrow's a holiday, let's pull an all-nighter together.

    - Even though I have work tomorrow, I'll still stay up all night.

    @CoffeeOrFake: If they're not edited, they could be pictures of someone else because they're not that clear.

    - I also don't think it's them. How would they suddenly end up in the slums?

    - I agree. Claudia from the Heart Family in the slums? I think it's impossible.

    - It could be true, though. There aren't many people with white hair.

    @LittleAngel: I screaming! I so embarrassed! Are there more pictures?

    - Use 'I’m' and 'I' correctly, could you?

    @KittyCritic: If they're dating, I'll give away a hundred bottles of potion!

    - Waiting for free stuff! Hey, everyone, repost this quickly.

    - Hope they're dating!

    - I want them to date because I want free potions.

    @SleepyButNotSleeping: Whether they're real or edited, they've already broken my heart. Sob.

    @Destiny: Real or not, I don't know, but Claudia is stunning.

    - He's truly beautiful. I've already followed him on AGgram.

    - Even I was captivated when I saw him.

    @LilyBlossom: I don't think so. Alan probably just commented out of politeness. Besides, I've never seen Alan talk to anyone. And honestly, I don't see what's so beautiful about him. Maybe he's just overconfident.

    - You're just jealous.

    - Real or not, you shouldn't be mocking him.

    - Oh, and you think you're so great?

    - He's prettier than you, that's for sure.

    - Post your face right now.

    In the end, Claudia didn't sleep at all that night...