Chapter 8

    Normally, Alan drove fast when he was alone, but with Claudia on the bike, he slowed down and drove carefully to ensure the man was comfortable.

    The road was clear and the atmosphere was peaceful. Claudia was hugging Alan tightly, and he felt time slipping away quickly, knowing it meant he would soon be apart from him again.

    Before long, they arrived at the large Heart Family Manor. Alan parked a little away from the entrance. However, Claudia seemed too comfortable to move, three minutes passed without any sign of him getting out, prompting Alan to break the silence.

    "Claudia."

    "..." Surely this little one hadn't fallen asleep?

    "We're here..."

    "Oh! We're here, right? Thank you so much, Brother Alan," Claudia exclaimed, startled, hurriedly releasing his embrace and getting out of the car immediately.

    "Mm."

    "..." Claudia stood waiting to see the protagonist off, but was unsure what to do as Alan remained in place.

    "The helmet."

    "Oh, the helmet! Sorry, I'll take it off right away." He was waiting for his helmet, wasn't he?

    ‘Oh no, why can't I get it off? I've never had this problem before! I’m showing him my embarrassing side again!’

    "It's okay, I'll take it off for you," Alan said with a gentle smile, seeing that Claudia was still struggling to remove it, and offered to help.

    ‘Still not fully awake, huh? And he didn't sleep last night either,’ Alan thought to himself.

    “Th-thank you,” Claudia said, avoiding eye contact, his cheeks turning a shade of pink he couldn't control.

    “Hmm, there are guards all around your house. Let me escort you.”

    “If Brother Alan says so... I guess I'll have to trouble you again,” Claudia replied, still embarrassed from the earlier incident, trying to suppress it as much as possible. Thinking it through, he agreed, knowing his skill still had time left and he could easily bypass the bodyguards.

    “Alright, let's go,” Alan said, lifting the small figure immediately. Claudia was caught off guard, he quickly wrapped his arms around Alan's neck and shut his eyes tightly, not expecting to be carried bridal-style!

    Alan entered the area, jumped up to deliver Claudia to his balcony in less than three minutes.

    'But how did the protagonist know he was in this room?'

    Claudia thanked Alan once more, and soon after, Alan left.

    Claudia entered his room, feeling relieved. He was exhausted and desperately wanted to rest, but felt too sticky to sleep. He forced himself to shower and change quickly, not forgetting to send a message to the protagonist. Then he collapsed onto the soft bed, and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.

    At the Land of Seven Stars…

    A man sat on a marble bench, his gaze sweeping across the scenery as he often did.

    In front of him lay a seven-colored waterfall flowing into a river, its surface shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight. The water was adorned with blooming rainbow crystal flowers, thriving on the sacred energy to sustain their lives. Various colorful carp swam playfully, a beautiful sight. The man watched it all without ever growing tired.

    Further away, another man approached. His long hair fluttered in the breeze, and he wore a distinctive black-and-red outfit. His handsome, sharp features stood out as he walked toward the young man who continued to silently admire the view.

    The man embraced the young man from behind.

    “Oh, you're here!” The young man beamed widely, always delighted by the other's arrival.

    “I think of you every moment. How could I not come?” The man affectionately kissed the young man's smooth cheek.

    “Hehe, now you can't escape from me,” the young man laughed, covering his mouth in amusement, and turned to hug the other's slender waist with all his love.

    “You're right,” the man said, gently stroking the young man's back.

    Ding! [Memory fragments collected: 3%]

    “Wake up, kid. It's already late.”

    Suddenly, the scene turned black, accompanied by a familiar sweet voice entering his ears.

    “Ugh, Sister Karina, what time is it?” Claudia woke up groggily, stretching lazily, unable to remember what he had just dreamt about.

    "It's eleven o'clock now. We have an appointment, don't forget," Karina said, affectionately ruffling his fluffy hair.

    "Oh, right! Sorry, sis. I'll hurry and take a shower now," Claudia exclaimed, having forgotten about his planned visit to the family’s Pegasus Guild with Karina.

    But before Claudia could head to the shower, Karina grabbed him.

    "Wait a minute. What's going on with your eyes?" Karina asked, her eyes wide with surprise as she turned Claudia's face left and right, making him dizzy.

    "Calm down, sis. I'll explain," Claudia reassured her.

    Claudia spun a tale, embellishing that he had dreamt of a goddess granting him power out of pity for his cursed, powerless state. The change in his eye color was a result of this newfound skill.

    And she believed him.

    'Sorry for lying, sis,' Claudia apologized silently in his heart.

    "Thank goodness the heavens weren't too cruel to you. I'm so happy for you," Karina said with a wide smile, hugging him and gently swaying.

    "I have to share the good news with everyone. They'll be thrilled."

    After getting dressed, Claudia went down to the living room, where everyone was gathered, looking at him with excitement. It was clear they already knew about his news.

    "You're down already, son? Congratulations, my boy," the family chimed in together to express their joy.

    "Thank you, everyone," Claudia replied with a wide smile.

    "But why is everyone home today?"

    "We were so excited, and before we knew it, we were all standing right here in front of you," Cole said with a laugh, glancing at Claudia's newly changed eyes.

    "And we've already discussed it. After we visit the guild, we'll take you to the Hunter Association as well." Now that Claudia's powers had awakened, he needed to register for a Hunter ID and have his abilities assessed.

    "But before we head to the guild, let's go out for a meal. Brother Adis has already reserved a private room," Karina added.

    The Heart Family then went to dine at an exquisite restaurant together, chatting about various topics.

    After finishing their meal, they continued their journey. It wasn't long before they arrived at the Pegasus Guild. Claudia looked around in awe. The Guild's grounds were expansive, with the main building towering about twenty stories high, along with other facilities within the Guild. The exterior was luxurious and modern, adorned in the Guild's signature colors of white and gold.

    In the center, there was a large octagonal fountain with a statue of a Pegasus at its heart. This mythical creature from Greek mythology was a powerful, pure white stallion with majestic, wide wings that exuded a sense of divinity.

    As they entered the building, the staff greeted them respectfully, sneaking curious glances at Claudia. Normally, the staff was accustomed to seeing the other four members regularly, but today they were surprised to see an additional person.

    Whispers circulated among the organization. Some speculated that Claudia was the child of a secret wife, while others thought he might be an important guest of the Heart Family.

    They acknowledged the staff and let them return to their duties before introducing Claudia and giving him a brief tour of the building. A full introduction to every area in a single day would have been impossible.

    Before heading to the Hunter Association, his family presented him with congratulatory items once more.

    Within minutes, as the staff and others in the guild learned that he was Jonathan's youngest son, they were shocked and began gossiping enthusiastically. It wouldn't be long before it became big news.

    Later in the morning, they went to the Hunter Association together. Upon arrival, they received a warm welcome, and then a guide led them to the power assessment room.

    Inside, the room was a rectangular hologram, surrounded by high-tech equipment and technology.

    Before measuring his power, he first had to undergo a physical fitness assessment, starting with a speed test and moving on to strength.

    Half an hour later, it was time for the power measurement. Claudia walked up to an unusual machine. It was a square-shaped device made of uranium, with a crystal platform extending out for power measurement, containing immense energy within.

    He placed his slender hand on the platform and exerted his full power. What happened next left everyone speechless.

    The multi-billion-dollar power measurement device turned into scrap metal in an instant, and his power couldn't be assessed.

    This machine was the latest model, boasting the highest efficiency, and researchers had proudly collaborated to create it over many years.

    The overseer broke into a sweat at the sight. He suggested Claudia try measuring his power with a new machine, thinking there might be a technical issue with the device that needed to be sent to the research center for further investigation.

    “....” <- The researcher

    Claudia was both shocked and guilty, wondering if he was the cause of the machine's explosion. Seeing this, his family offered him encouragement and assured him it was okay, saying they would take responsibility themselves.

    This time, he needed to focus and control his power carefully. He placed his hand on the platform again.

    Whoosh~

    Claudia sighed in relief when he found that the machine was still functioning properly.

    The result came out as Rank S, which was not bad at all—in fact, it was excellent. He knew that he didn't only possess Rank S power.

    Seeing that there was no issue this time, the overseer returned to the drawing board, discussing and researching how to improve the power measurement device to prevent such problems from occurring again.

    Meanwhile, Claudia could only apologize in his mind, thinking, 'Sorry for the trouble.'

    The Heart Family intended to compensate for the damage caused, but the researchers declined, stating it was their own oversight.

    Once all the procedures were completed, Claudia received his official Hunter ID card with Rank S status.

    Not long after, major news headlines emerged, saying things like:

    'The Emergence of the Youngest Son of the Heart Family'

    'Heart Family's Secret Child Revealed'

    'Another Rank S Emerges from the Heart Family'

    And so on, causing a stir within the Heart Family.

    As for Claudia, who was unaware of all the commotion, he was busy training and keeping to himself in his own home.