Chapter 362: _The Simple Sound Of His Family

Hale-Ferguson Residence, Dinner Time

In a couple more earth hours, Devon, Viktor and the other Hunters in the raid made it out... all alive. Which was a huge miracle considering the crazy reports they all brought about the mission.

Since the Emergence, dungeons that were actually entire worlds have always been classified as rare. Although S-Rank dungeons were powerful in terms of how much aether they had, containing a world wasn’t supposed to be possible.

With this plus the fact that there were also reports of an intelligent race and dozens of S-Rank beasts... the Federation Vice President was forced to quickly classify the Rift as an SS-Rank one.

"Sadly," President Josiah said on TV screens all over the world, expression calm despite the grimness in his tone, "the Rift remains open. We’ve brought in Hunter Gabriel earlier to place a spatial lock around it. All five of our continent’s SS-Ranks—including myself—are now on alert."

"We shall respect the presence of the intelligent tribes within the dungeon and not disturb them further. Hopefully with time the Rift will eventually shut down and we won’t—"

Loki grabbed the remote from Viktor, turning off the TV.

"Hey!" He snapped his neck back at the lord of chaos. "They were going to show the interview I gave."

"Well, check that out on your phone or something." Loki crashed onto another couch, turning the TV back on before switching to a different channel. "It’s pointless listening to the usual crap that man has to say."

Valentine, who’d been by the kitchen countertop chatting with Gabriel, turned. "Well, well, well. A Josiah hater?"

"Hmph. More like someone who caught onto his ’saintly’ bull shit years ago."

"Tell me more," Valentine stepped away from the space god, leaving him to blink at his receding figure. "Did I ever mention what transpired between us when I was merely a teen?"

As the Necromancer and SSS-Rank were about to bond over what could be a shared dislike for one of the country’s leading authority figures—outside, Ambrose and Orion sat on the porch.

They both stared at the starry night sky, Orion leaning on his father’s shoulder. The latter quietly twirled a few strands of the boy’s blonde hair, looking between two system screens.

[Total coins acquired in the snow dungeon are 2,450,000.]

[Orion’s Seal Integrity: 5%.]

Ambrose was torn.

On one hand, he should be happy at the amount of seduction coins he had.

This plus his former total left him at 6,550,000 Seduction coins.

Six million coins. Enough to buy the evolution he’d spent months chasing. Enough to become an SS-Rank. Enough to leave almost every Hunter on Earth behind.

Such an accomplishment should have him jumping and taking a vacation—but he couldn’t pull himself to do that. Not after Orion found the strength to tell him what he went through and all he saw while he was gone.

Orion’s fingers tightened around Ambrose’s hand.

For a long while neither of them spoke, the silence between father and son broken only by the soft chirping of crickets and the distant sounds of traffic beyond the Hale-Ferguson compound.

Eventually, Orion’s tiny voice drifted through the quiet.

"Daddy?"

"Mm?"

The boy hesitated.

"Do..." His lips pressed together before he finally forced the question out. "Do you think the Archons actually found me?"

Ambrose’s fingers paused in the middle of stroking the child’s hair.

His gaze lingered on the stars overhead.

He wished—more than anything—that he could confidently say no.

Instead, he chose honesty.

"I don’t know."

Orion lowered his head.

"But..." Ambrose continued, gently hooking a finger beneath the boy’s chin until those watery golden eyes met his own. "Whether they found you or not doesn’t change one thing."

"What?"

"You’re here." His voice remained calm. "You’re with me. You’re with Papa, Uncle Gabriel, Uncle Valentine, Uncle Viktor... and Loki." He smiled softly. "And none of us are planning on going anywhere."

Orion’s lip trembled. "But what if they do come?"

"Then they come."

"What if they’re stronger?"

"We’ll become stronger... and we’ll face them." The answer came without even a second of hesitation. "Together."

The little boy stared into his father’s silver eyes for several long moments. Then his shoulders slumped.

"I..." His voice became so quiet Ambrose almost missed it. "I’m scared."

"I know, buddy."

"I don’t want to lose anyone."

"You won’t."

"But what if..." Orion swallowed painfully. "What if I just disappear?"

Ambrose’s expression immediately hardened. "What?"

"So they can’t find me anymore." Tears welled up again. "If I’m gone, then maybe they won’t come after you or Papa anymore."

"Orion." The firmness in Ambrose’s voice made the child flinch.

His father immediately softened again, cupping both of the boy’s cheeks.

"Never." He leaned forward until their foreheads touched. "Don’t ever say something like that."

"But—"

"You are not leaving." Ambrose’s thumb brushed away another tear. "You’re not disappearing. You’re not sacrificing yourself either. You’re staying right here with us."

The conviction behind every word left absolutely no room for argument.

"We’re your family. And families face impossible things together."

Orion sniffled loudly. "You promise?"

"I promise."

The boy finally nodded, throwing himself into another hug.

Ambrose wrapped both arms around him without hesitation, holding him close.

Yet behind the warmth of that embrace, his thoughts refused to settle.

Five per cent.

Aura hadn’t told him what would happen when the seal reached zero. Yes, he knew it meant the boy’s powers would be fully unleashed.

But what did that even mean? More crazy dreams coming to life? Something even crazier?

Every instinct screamed that whatever happened next wouldn’t be something he could simply punch his way through.

The porch door slid open before his thoughts could spiral any further.

"There you two are." Gabriel stepped outside first, carrying two steaming mugs. "I figured you might’ve gotten cold."

"One’s hot chocolate," he said, handing it to Orion with a smile. "Extra marshmallows."

The boy’s face brightened ever so slightly. "Thank you, Uncle Gabriel."

Valentine emerged next, carrying a thick blanket over one shoulder.

Without saying anything dramatic, he simply unfolded it and draped it over Ambrose and Orion together.

"There. No point catching a cold."

"I literally just came out of a snow dungeon way colder than Antarctica... but thank you."

Loki followed behind with an exaggerated sigh. "Wow. They’ve started a wholesome family cuddle session without inviting us. What a betrayal."

Viktor laughed as he walked outside after them. "Pretty sure you’re the last person anyone imagined saying the word wholesome."

Devon appeared last, balancing a tray piled high with grilled meat skewers.

"I don’t know why we’re all standing around looking emotional," he announced. "But I brought food."

That earned a genuine laugh from almost everyone. Even Orion giggled through his sniffles.

"There it is," Loki pointed dramatically at the tray. "The universal cure to depression."

"Meat?"

"Precisely."

The atmosphere gradually became lighter.

Gabriel settled onto the porch steps. Valentine leaned against one of the stone pillars. Loki somehow ended up stealing two skewers before Devon even sat down, earning an offended glare.

"Oi!"

"You thief!"

"What? They were unguarded."

"You literally watched me bring them!"

Orion watched them bicker, another tiny smile finding its way onto his face.

Ambrose noticed.

His heart eased just a little.

Whatever was coming—the Archons, the collapsing realities. His son’s weakening seal.

He’d deal with all of it.

But for tonight—for just a little while—he let himself enjoy the simple sound of his family’s laughter beneath the stars.